Best Time to Fly RDU to SFO: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Raleigh-Durham International → San Francisco International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 78.6% of Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to San Francisco (SFO) flights arrived on time (886 scheduled flights). That is 0.9 points above the national average of 77.6%.
United Airlines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (91% on time) and July the worst month (69%).
The cancellation rate was 0.5% (US average 1.8%).
RDU to SFO on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 78.6% | 69 min | 0.5% | 886 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly RDU to SFO
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 1,632 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6am–7am | 84.8% | 0.0% | 463 |
| 7am–8am | 94.9% | 0.0% | 138 |
| 8am–9am | 88.9% | 0.6% | 174 |
| 9am–10am | 80.7% | 0.5% | 218 |
| 10am–11am | Limited data | 3 | |
| 4pm–5pm | 84.0% | 0.0% | 50 |
| 5pm–6pm | 34.7% | 2.0% | 51 |
| 6pm–7pm | 74.9% | 0.5% | 420 |
| 7pm–8pm | 80.9% | 0.0% | 115 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on RDU to SFO
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 77.1% | -7.0 pts | 0.0% | 35 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 79.5% | -4.5 pts | 0.0% | 88 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 70.7% | -13.4 pts | 0.6% | 314 |
| All other days | 84.1% | — | 0.2% | 1,195 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).