United Airlines Launches Flights Between Adelaide-USA

Australian’s travelling round the world wanting to fly United Airlines Business Class will have further connections thanks to a new direct service to South Australia.

South Australia will get its first direct flight to the USA with United’s service between Adelaide and San Francisco. Flights will begin in December 2025, with the seasonal service expected to run through to late March 2026.

As a founding member of Star Alliance, United Airlines is a major carrier in the USA. On a Star Alliance RTW airfare, you can visit up to 15 stops on your trip. With unrivaled reach in Europe, Asia and Canada, this is one of the most flexible and popular round the world airfares. Whether you’re travelling in Economy, Premium Economy, or wanting to experience United Airlines Business Class, Star Alliance RTW is a great choice.

United Airlines New Schedule

With three direct flights per week, it means United Airlines Business Class passengers in South Australia can now skip the time, trouble and expense of doing a stopover in Sydney or Melbourne on their way to the USA. From its San Francisco hub, travellers can use United to connect to over 75 US destinations. This provides greater flexibility for your round the world trip.

Flight UA208 will depart Adelaide at 14:55 on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. It will arrive in San Francisco in the morning at 11:05. On the way back, United Airlines Business Class passengers will be on UA207. This leaves San Francisco at 23:05 and arrives in Adelaide at 9:30 in the morning. 

This expansion gives United the title of the only airline with a non-stop US service to four Australian capital cities- Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and now Adelaide. United now also has more Australia-Us routes than Qantas does.

Peter Malinauskas, SA Premier, has spoken about United’s new service.

“For many years, the ambition of a direct route between South Australia and the US has been out of reach,” says Mr. Malinauskas. He cites the AUKUS defence agreement as “set to drive unprecedented investment into South Australia.”

This service will have further appeal for Virgin Australia loyalists, given the partnership between Virgin and United. Passengers can earn Velocity Points and Status Credits while also delivering perks such as lounge access and additional checked luggage for Velocity Gold and Platinum frequent flyers.

Talk to an airfare specialist to find out more about the new service and how you can use it on your Star Alliance RTW trip.

United Airlines Business Class

If you’re looking at the Star Alliance Business Class RTW ticket, you’ll have the option to fly United Airlines Business Class. This particular service out of Adelaide will be on the 787 Dreamliner, which features the ‘Polaris’ Business Class cabins. On most of the United Airline sectors of your RTW trip, you’ll have the option to experience the Polaris.

These state-of-the-art seats convert into fully flat beds. You’ll be provided with luxury bed linen, pyjamas (on request) and premium amenities by Therabody. The 1-2-1 layout with alternating ‘together’ and ‘apart’ middle seats and high partitions create for further privacy onboard. After a delicious main meal service, you can enjoy United’s infamous, signature made-to-order ice cream sundae cart service! 

Read more about the Polaris cabin on United Airlines Business Class in our review here.

If you’re looking at a Star Alliance RTW fare, using United Airlines on one of the sectors is a great choice. For more information, chat to an airfare specialist!