Los Angeles to Boston Flight Delays
Sample size: 13,585 LAX–BOS flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). 19.22% of Los Angeles to Boston flights arrived at least 15 minutes late. That is 5 points better than the 24.2% median for those routes, making this one of the steadier pairings in the network. Departure time moves the odds more than anything else on this route: 06:00 departures run 10.26% late against 33.24% for 09:00. Saturday is the calmest day at 15.62%, Sunday the worst at 23.01%. Cancellations (2024 to 2025) peak in July at 0.92% of scheduled flights and bottom out in September at 0%. Last updated: 2026-10-01.
These figures are historical US domestic rates, not a forecast for one departure. Use the AI delay predictor before you book.
LAX airport delay guide · BOS airport delay guide · Predict a LAX to BOS flight
Best time to fly LAX to BOS
The best time to fly LAX to BOS is the 6 AM departure and fly on a Saturday, not a Sunday (15.62% against 23.01%): 10.26% of 6 AM flights arrived 15+ minutes late, against 33.24% at 9 AM.
Lowest observed delay rates depart 06:00–07:00, 22:00. The highest sit at 09:00–10:00, 23:00. Only departure hours with at least 100 recorded flights are listed, so sparse hours are blank rather than estimated.
| Departure hour | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 10.26% | 945 |
| 07:00 | 13.11% | 1,182 |
| 08:00 | 16.21% | 2,276 |
| 09:00 | 33.24% | 352 |
| 10:00 | 27.21% | 871 |
| 11:00 | 26.39% | 682 |
| 12:00 | 23.35% | 501 |
| 13:00 | 22.72% | 920 |
| 14:00 | 21.05% | 494 |
| 15:00 | 22.78% | 1,023 |
| 20:00 | 16.57% | 344 |
| 21:00 | 17.62% | 1,152 |
| 22:00 | 15.22% | 2,161 |
| 23:00 | 31.22% | 599 |
LAX to BOS flight time and distance
Scheduled gate-to-gate time from LAX to BOS is a median 5 h 34 min. Flights actually took a median 5 h 24 min gate to gate, including 4 h 58 min in the air. 2.3% ran 30 or more minutes over schedule and 71.9% arrived sooner than scheduled (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
LAX to BOS is 2,611 miles (BTS data).
| Airline | Scheduled (median) | Actual (median) | In the air (median) | 30+ min over schedule | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JetBlue Airways | 5 h 35 min | 5 h 26 min | 5 h | 2.8% | 4,930 |
| Delta Air Lines | 5 h 34 min | 5 h 24 min | 4 h 55 min | 1.5% | 3,407 |
| American Airlines | 5 h 32 min | 5 h 23 min | 4 h 58 min | 2.5% | 2,929 |
| United Airlines | 5 h 35 min | 5 h 23 min | 4 h 57 min | 1.6% | 2,236 |
How late, and why
When a LAX to BOS flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 73 minutes late (median 41). 7.0% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
Of the delay minutes on late LAX to BOS flights, 37.1% were caused by the airline (crew, maintenance, ground handling), 33.5% by a late incoming aircraft, 28.4% by the air-traffic system (volume, non-extreme weather, airport operations), 0.9% by extreme weather and 0.1% by security (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
| Cause | Share of delay minutes |
|---|---|
| airline | 37.1% |
| late incoming aircraft | 33.5% |
| air-traffic system | 28.4% |
| extreme weather | 0.9% |
| security | 0.1% |
BTS assigns causes to delay minutes on flights that arrived 15+ minutes late. "Air-traffic system" includes non-extreme weather that slows traffic.
LAX to BOS delays by day of week
| Day | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 19.35% | 2,052 |
| Tue | 16.01% | 1,868 |
| Wed | 18.41% | 1,917 |
| Thu | 20.59% | 2,011 |
| Fri | 20.64% | 2,045 |
| Sat | 15.62% | 1,671 |
| Sun | 23.01% | 2,021 |
Month-by-month cancellation pattern
Share of scheduled LAX–BOS flights cancelled in each month, from BTS 2024–2025 on-time reporting. These are cancellations, not delays. Delay figures on this page cover January 2023 to December 2025.
| Month | Cancelled | Flights scheduled |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.34% | 595 |
| Feb | 0.34% | 580 |
| Mar | 0.28% | 706 |
| Apr | 0.14% | 706 |
| May | 0.36% | 837 |
| Jun | 0.37% | 809 |
| Jul | 0.92% | 870 |
| Aug | 0.33% | 901 |
| Sep | 0% | 803 |
| Oct | 0.34% | 890 |
| Nov | 0.65% | 768 |
| Dec | 0.67% | 751 |
Airlines on LAX to BOS: delays and cancellations
JetBlue Airways, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines fly this route today. Only carriers with at least 200 scheduled flights on the pairing are listed. Delay rates cover January 2023 to December 2025; cancellation rates cover 2024 to 2025.
| Airline | Share of flights | Delayed 15+ min | Cancelled | Flights scheduled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JetBlue Airways | 37% | 22.68% | 0.36% | 3,376 |
| Delta Air Lines | 25% | 18.52% | 0.61% | 2,290 |
| American Airlines | 22% | 18.64% | 0.25% | 1,996 |
| United Airlines | 17% | 12.57% | 0.39% | 1,533 |
Related pages
- LAX delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- BOS delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- Boston to DC flights (BOS to DCA)
- DC to Boston flights (DCA to BOS)
- US airline cancellation rates
- Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026 flight delay guide
- Predict a LAX to BOS flight
Check your odds: Will my flight be delayed? · Will my flight be cancelled?
LAX vs BOS: airport conditions
Both ends of a route shape its delay profile. These are DelayGuard's operational scores for Los Angeles and Boston.
| Measure | LAX (Los Angeles) | BOS (Boston) |
|---|---|---|
| Congestion | high | high |
| Weather risk | low | moderate |
| NAS vulnerability | moderate | high |
| Average taxi-out | 16 min | 16 min |
| Runways | 4 | 6 |
LAX to BOS questions
- How long is the flight from Los Angeles to Boston?
- Scheduled gate-to-gate time from LAX to BOS is a median 5 h 34 min, and flights actually took a median 5 h 24 min including 4 h 58 min in the air. 2.3% ran 30+ minutes over schedule (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
- How often do LAX to BOS flights get delayed?
- Across 13,585 recorded LAX–BOS departures, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS), 19.22% arrived at least 15 minutes late. Departure time matters most: 6:00 departures run 10.26% late against 33.24% for 9:00. Actual delay frequency varies by airline, time of day, and season.
- What is the best time of year to fly LAX to BOS?
- Los Angeles (CA) sees its highest delays during November–February (coastal fog) with generally low risk year-round. Boston (MA) peaks during December–February (winter weather) and June–August (summer storms). The dominant seasonal risk on this route sits at the destination (Boston) — use the DelayGuard predictor to check conditions for your specific travel date.
- Which airline is most reliable on LAX to BOS?
- On LAX→BOS, United Airlines has the lowest measured delay rate at 12.57% of 2,236 flights, and JetBlue Airways the highest at 22.68% (BTS, January 2023 to December 2025). American Airlines cancels the fewest at 0.25% (2024 to 2025). These are route-specific figures, not airline-wide averages.
- How late are LAX to BOS flights when they are delayed?
- When a LAX to BOS flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 73 minutes late (median 41). 7.0% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
- How accurate is DelayGuard's delay prediction for this route?
- DelayGuard's delay risk score comes from an ML model trained on BTS data (3.95 million US domestic flights, 2023 to mid-2025), with live weather data (within 5 days of departure) and FAA NAS advisories (within 6 hours) — a likelihood of delay, not a guarantee.
Delay figures reflect arrivals 15 or more minutes late in BTS on-time reporting. Cancellation figures are separate and count flights that never operated. Hours, days and months with fewer than 100 recorded flights are omitted rather than estimated.