78% of flights from San Diego to Tampa arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is about the typical U.S. route. The 9 a.m. departures ran on time 78% of the time; the 8 a.m. ones 77%. Most reliable airline: Alaska Airlines (81%). 7% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.
How late?
The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for SAN → TPA: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 62% of the time. About 1 in 16 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 131 three hours or more; 0.5% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early78%
- 15–30 min late9.1%
- 30–60 min late5.8%
- 1–2 hours late3.8%
- 2–3 hours late1.5%
- 3+ hours late0.8%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled0.5%
Share of all 656 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
By airline
| Airline | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival | 1h+ late | Avg when late | Operated by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | 364 | 81% | 0.5% | −8 min | 6.6% | +65 min | Alaska Airlines |
| Southwest Airlines | 292 | 75% | 0.3% | +1 min | 5.5% | +48 min | Southwest Airlines |
Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.
Best time of day to fly
On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at SAN). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.
By airline and hour
| Departs | Southwest Airlines |
|---|---|
| 8 a.m. | 77% |
| 9 a.m. | 78% |
By month
Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: February (82%). Worst: July (58%).
By day of week
| Day | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 97 | — | — |
| Tuesday | 85 | — | — |
| Wednesday | 83 | — | — |
| Thursday | 93 | — | — |
| Friday | 98 | — | — |
| Saturday | 100 | 82% | 0.0% |
| Sunday | 100 | 78% | 0.0% |
Why flights were late
Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.
Cancellations: airline 2 · air traffic/airport 1
Month by month
Not enough months with data to draw a trend.
Questions
How often are flights from SAN to TPA on time?
78% of 656 scheduled flights from San Diego, CA to Tampa, FL arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 0.5% were cancelled.
What is the best time of day to fly SAN to TPA?
Flights scheduled to leave at 9 a.m. were the most reliable (78% on time). The 8 a.m. departures were the least (77%).
Which airline is most on time from SAN to TPA?
Alaska Airlines: 81% of its 364 flights on the route arrived on time. Southwest Airlines: 75%.
What month has the most delays from SAN to TPA?
July (58% on time). The best month is February (82%), over 2023–2026.
Related
- TPA → SAN (return)
- San Diego (SAN) delays by hour
- Flights into Tampa (TPA)
- Alaska Airlines on-time record
- Southwest Airlines on-time record
- Connecting off this flight? Check the risk
Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.