Los Angeles to Seattle Flight Delays
Sample size: 22,209 LAX–SEA flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). 14.96% of Los Angeles to Seattle flights arrived at least 15 minutes late. That is 9.2 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 6.39% late against 20.88% for 18:00. Tuesday is the calmest day at 12.1%, Sunday the worst at 18.48%. Cancellations (2024 to 2025) peak in January at 4.07% of scheduled flights and bottom out in April at 0.08%. Last updated: 2026-10-01.
These figures are historical US domestic rates, not a forecast for one departure. Use the flight delay prediction before you book.
LAX airport delay guide · SEA airport delay guide · Predict a LAX to SEA flight
Best time to fly LAX to SEA
The best time to fly LAX to SEA is the 6 AM departure and fly on a Tuesday, not a Sunday (12.1% against 18.48%): 6.39% of 6 AM flights arrived 15+ minutes late, against 20.88% at 6 PM.
Lowest observed delay rates depart 06:00–07:00, 10:00. The highest sit at 18:00, 20:00–21:00. 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 | 6.39% | 970 |
| 07:00 | 8.42% | 1,793 |
| 08:00 | 17.51% | 1,268 |
| 09:00 | 12.57% | 1,949 |
| 10:00 | 12.54% | 933 |
| 11:00 | 15.33% | 2,107 |
| 12:00 | 16.38% | 470 |
| 13:00 | 13.06% | 1,217 |
| 14:00 | 13.2% | 1,454 |
| 15:00 | 16.2% | 1,444 |
| 16:00 | 13.83% | 817 |
| 17:00 | 16.13% | 2,046 |
| 18:00 | 20.88% | 996 |
| 19:00 | 18.06% | 2,841 |
| 20:00 | 20.78% | 645 |
| 21:00 | 19.23% | 1,243 |
LAX to SEA flight time and distance
Scheduled gate-to-gate time from LAX to SEA is a median 2 h 54 min. Flights actually took a median 2 h 46 min gate to gate, including 2 h 14 min in the air. 1.1% ran 30 or more minutes over schedule and 73.4% arrived sooner than scheduled (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
LAX to SEA is 954 miles (BTS data).
| Airline | Scheduled (median) | Actual (median) | In the air (median) | 30+ min over schedule | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | 2 h 54 min | 2 h 48 min | 2 h 14 min | 1.3% | 10,108 |
| Delta Air Lines | 2 h 54 min | 2 h 40 min | 2 h 13 min | 0.4% | 6,669 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 2 h 56 min | 2 h 50 min | 2 h 17 min | 2.2% | 2,689 |
| United Airlines | 2 h 54 min | 2 h 47 min | 2 h 13 min | 1.3% | 1,839 |
| JetBlue Airways | 2 h 46 min | 2 h 42 min | 2 h 12 min | 1.1% | 352 |
How late, and why
When a LAX to SEA flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 59 minutes late (median 35). 4.1% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
Of the delay minutes on late LAX to SEA flights, 44.5% were caused by the airline (crew, maintenance, ground handling), 37.3% by a late incoming aircraft, 16.2% by the air-traffic system (volume, non-extreme weather, airport operations), 1.7% by extreme weather and 0.3% by security (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
| Cause | Share of delay minutes |
|---|---|
| airline | 44.5% |
| late incoming aircraft | 37.3% |
| air-traffic system | 16.2% |
| extreme weather | 1.7% |
| security | 0.3% |
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 SEA delays by day of week
| Day | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 15.53% | 3,452 |
| Tue | 12.1% | 2,984 |
| Wed | 12.15% | 2,980 |
| Thu | 14.7% | 3,402 |
| Fri | 18.02% | 3,297 |
| Sat | 12.81% | 2,772 |
| Sun | 18.48% | 3,322 |
Month-by-month cancellation pattern
Share of scheduled LAX–SEA 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 | 4.07% | 1,154 |
| Feb | 0.94% | 1,062 |
| Mar | 0.93% | 1,184 |
| Apr | 0.08% | 1,191 |
| May | 0.55% | 1,281 |
| Jun | 0.71% | 1,276 |
| Jul | 1.42% | 1,337 |
| Aug | 0.68% | 1,328 |
| Sep | 0.4% | 1,254 |
| Oct | 0.8% | 1,251 |
| Nov | 0.67% | 1,192 |
| Dec | 1.03% | 1,268 |
Airlines on LAX to SEA: delays and cancellations
Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, SkyWest Airlines, United Airlines and Frontier Airlines fly this route today. Spirit Airlines also appear in the history below but has ceased operations. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | 46% | 17.08% | 1.58% | 6,819 |
| Delta Air Lines | 30% | 11.44% | 0.41% | 4,412 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 12% | 14.54% | 0.35% | 1,708 |
| United Airlines | 9% | 14.63% | 0.63% | 1,278 |
| Frontier Airlines | 2% | 20.86% | 2.8% | 286 |
| Spirit Airlines (ceased operations 2 May 2026) | 2% | 14.29% | 0.36% | 274 |
Related pages
- LAX delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- SEA delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- US airline cancellation rates
- Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026 flight delay guide
- Predict a LAX to SEA flight
Check your odds: Will my flight be delayed? · Will my flight be cancelled?
LAX vs SEA: airport conditions
Both ends of a route shape its delay profile. These are DelayGuard's operational scores for Los Angeles and Seattle.
| Measure | LAX (Los Angeles) | SEA (Seattle) |
|---|---|---|
| Congestion | high | high |
| Weather risk | low | moderate |
| NAS vulnerability | moderate | moderate |
| Average taxi-out | 16 min | 14 min |
| Runways | 4 | 3 |
LAX to SEA questions
- How long is the flight from Los Angeles to Seattle?
- Scheduled gate-to-gate time from LAX to SEA is a median 2 h 54 min, and flights actually took a median 2 h 46 min including 2 h 14 min in the air. 1.1% ran 30+ minutes over schedule (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
- How often do LAX to SEA flights get delayed?
- Across 22,209 recorded LAX–SEA departures, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS), 14.96% arrived at least 15 minutes late. Departure time matters most: 6:00 departures run 6.39% late against 20.88% for 18:00. Actual delay frequency varies by airline, time of day, and season.
- What is the best time of year to fly LAX to SEA?
- Both Los Angeles and Seattle share the same primary risk window: November–February (coastal fog) with generally low risk year-round. Plan around those periods for the lowest delay probability on this route.
- Which airline is most reliable on LAX to SEA?
- On LAX→SEA, Delta Air Lines has the lowest measured delay rate at 11.44% of 6,669 flights, and Frontier Airlines the highest at 20.86% (BTS, January 2023 to December 2025). SkyWest Airlines cancels the fewest at 0.35% (2024 to 2025). These are route-specific figures, not airline-wide averages.
- How late are LAX to SEA flights when they are delayed?
- When a LAX to SEA flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 59 minutes late (median 35). 4.1% 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.