Miami to Los Angeles Flight Delays
Sample size: 10,307 MIA–LAX flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). 27.39% of Miami to Los Angeles flights arrived at least 15 minutes late. That is 3.2 points worse than the 24.2% median for those routes, so schedule padding matters here. Departure time moves the odds more than anything else on this route: 07:00 departures run 13.89% late against 40.26% for 21:00. Tuesday is the calmest day at 24.81%, Sunday the worst at 31.13%. Cancellations (2024 to 2025) peak in June at 1.43% of scheduled flights and bottom out in January at 0%. Last updated: 2026-10-01.
These figures are historical US domestic rates, not a forecast for one departure. Use the per-flight delay estimate before you book.
MIA airport delay guide · LAX airport delay guide · Predict a MIA to LAX flight
Best time to fly MIA to LAX
The best time to fly MIA to LAX is the 7 AM departure and fly on a Tuesday, not a Sunday (24.81% against 31.13%): 13.89% of 7 AM flights arrived 15+ minutes late, against 40.26% at 9 PM.
Lowest observed delay rates depart 07:00–09:00. The highest sit at 19:00–21:00. 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 | 20.48% | 708 |
| 07:00 | 13.89% | 1,534 |
| 08:00 | 15.17% | 1,299 |
| 09:00 | 19.74% | 846 |
| 10:00 | 21.72% | 488 |
| 12:00 | 24.4% | 168 |
| 13:00 | 25.51% | 196 |
| 14:00 | 36.29% | 518 |
| 15:00 | 36.51% | 378 |
| 16:00 | 32.54% | 418 |
| 17:00 | 37.13% | 738 |
| 18:00 | 32.54% | 338 |
| 19:00 | 38.92% | 1,097 |
| 20:00 | 38.32% | 548 |
| 21:00 | 40.26% | 996 |
MIA to LAX flight time and distance
Scheduled gate-to-gate time from MIA to LAX is a median 5 h 48 min. Flights actually took a median 5 h 37 min gate to gate, including 5 h 6 min in the air. 3.6% ran 30 or more minutes over schedule and 70.4% arrived sooner than scheduled (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
MIA to LAX is 2,342 miles (BTS data).
| Airline | Scheduled (median) | Actual (median) | In the air (median) | 30+ min over schedule | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 5 h 47 min | 5 h 35 min | 5 h 5 min | 3.5% | 8,149 |
| Delta Air Lines | 5 h 49 min | 5 h 38 min | 5 h 7 min | 2.7% | 1,140 |
| JetBlue Airways (No flights after Jun 2024 in our data) | 5 h 55 min | 5 h 47 min | 5 h 16 min | 5.7% | 1,018 |
How late, and why
When a MIA to LAX flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 75 minutes late (median 41). 9.7% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
Of the delay minutes on late MIA to LAX flights, 41.2% were caused by the airline (crew, maintenance, ground handling), 34.3% by a late incoming aircraft, 16.7% by the air-traffic system (volume, non-extreme weather, airport operations), 7.4% by extreme weather and 0.4% by security (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
| Cause | Share of delay minutes |
|---|---|
| airline | 41.2% |
| late incoming aircraft | 34.3% |
| air-traffic system | 16.7% |
| extreme weather | 7.4% |
| security | 0.4% |
BTS assigns causes to delay minutes on flights that arrived 15+ minutes late. "Air-traffic system" includes non-extreme weather that slows traffic.
MIA to LAX delays by day of week
| Day | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 27.13% | 1,489 |
| Tue | 24.81% | 1,483 |
| Wed | 26.34% | 1,473 |
| Thu | 27.06% | 1,467 |
| Fri | 28.31% | 1,480 |
| Sat | 26.9% | 1,431 |
| Sun | 31.13% | 1,484 |
Month-by-month cancellation pattern
Share of scheduled MIA–LAX 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% | 641 |
| Feb | 0% | 560 |
| Mar | 0.49% | 618 |
| Apr | 0.33% | 599 |
| May | 0.16% | 616 |
| Jun | 1.43% | 560 |
| Jul | 1.14% | 528 |
| Aug | 0.6% | 497 |
| Sep | 0.22% | 452 |
| Oct | 0.38% | 526 |
| Nov | 0.36% | 548 |
| Dec | 0% | 573 |
Airlines on MIA to LAX: delays and cancellations
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 84% | 28.81% | 0.43% | 5,627 |
| Delta Air Lines | 12% | 14.21% | 0.51% | 786 |
| JetBlue Airways | 5% | 30.75% | 0% | 305 |
Related pages
- MIA delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- LAX delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- US airline cancellation rates
- Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026 flight delay guide
- Predict a MIA to LAX flight
Check your odds: Will my flight be delayed? · Will my flight be cancelled?
MIA vs LAX: airport conditions
Both ends of a route shape its delay profile. These are DelayGuard's operational scores for Miami and Los Angeles.
| Measure | MIA (Miami) | LAX (Los Angeles) |
|---|---|---|
| Congestion | high | high |
| Weather risk | moderate | low |
| NAS vulnerability | high | moderate |
| Average taxi-out | 17 min | 16 min |
| Runways | 4 | 4 |
MIA to LAX questions
- How long is the flight from Miami to Los Angeles?
- Scheduled gate-to-gate time from MIA to LAX is a median 5 h 48 min, and flights actually took a median 5 h 37 min including 5 h 6 min in the air. 3.6% ran 30+ minutes over schedule (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
- How often do MIA to LAX flights get delayed?
- Across 10,307 recorded MIA–LAX departures, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS), 27.39% arrived at least 15 minutes late. Departure time matters most: 7:00 departures run 13.89% late against 40.26% for 21:00. Actual delay frequency varies by airline, time of day, and season.
- What is the best time of year to fly MIA to LAX?
- Miami (FL) sees its highest delays during June–September (convective/thunderstorm season). Los Angeles (CA) peaks during November–February (coastal fog) with generally low risk year-round. The dominant seasonal risk on this route sits at the origin (Miami) — use the DelayGuard predictor to check conditions for your specific travel date.
- Which airline is most reliable on MIA to LAX?
- On MIA→LAX, Delta Air Lines has the lowest measured delay rate at 14.21% of 1,140 flights, and JetBlue Airways the highest at 30.75% (BTS, January 2023 to December 2025). JetBlue Airways cancels the fewest at 0% (2024 to 2025). These are route-specific figures, not airline-wide averages.
- How late are MIA to LAX flights when they are delayed?
- When a MIA to LAX flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 75 minutes late (median 41). 9.7% 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.