Nearly a decade in the making, the US carrier United Airlines has announced it will soon launch direct flights from Adelaide to San Francisco, California. The US carrier will run the flights three times a week. These Adelaide San Francisco flights will depart on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
The airline is set to begin servicing Adelaide in late 2025. The flights will be launched as part of the partnership with Virgin Australia.
Competition from United Puts Pressure on Qantas
Many people are hopeful that United’s announcement will push Qantas to begin servicing Adelaide again.
“All these other brands are calling Adelaide home before Qantas, so hopefully it’s a bit of a motivator for Qantas to get things happening as quickly as possible,” South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said.
More Convenience for Australian Holidaymakers
The Adelaide San Francisco Flights will be about 15 hours aboard the 257 Dreamliner planes. According to a report from 9News, Australians are looking forward to the convenience of this new offering from United. Direct flights from Adelaide cut out the inconvenience of needing to transit through Melbourne or Sydney.
The new flight path means more than 75 other destinations across the US are now accessible with a single stopover in San Francisco. Currently, United intends to offer these flights through March 2026. However, the service could grow if demand remains high.
A Historic Moment for South Australia
“I encourage any South Australians who are heading to the US to take advantage of this magnificent service into San Francisco each year,” Malinauskus said.
Brenton Cox, managing director for Adelaide Airport, call this a significant connection that has been decades in the making.
The new flight will add “almost 25,000 more seats between the US and Australia each year,” said United Airlines’ managing director.
According to a Sky News report, “The first service will commence on December 11 from San Francisco with the return leg departing Adelaide on December 13.”
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