Adelaide is about to gain a valuable new international link, with United Airlines confirming a nonstop service to San Francisco from December 2025. The move marks a turning point for South Australian travellers, particularly those engaged with the Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer program.
Flight schedule and aircraft
United will run a seasonal service between Adelaide (ADL) and San Francisco (SFO) three times a week from 11 December 2025 through to March 2026.
- Flight UA208 departs Adelaide at 2.55pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, arriving in San Francisco at 11.15am the same day
- Flight UA207 departs San Francisco at 11.05pm on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, landing in Adelaide at 9.30am two days later
The route will be operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, bringing Polaris business class to Adelaide for the first time. The aircraft offers 257 seats across three cabins, including 48 lie-flat Polaris business class seats and 21 Premium Plus recliners.
Premium travel, points and perks
For South Australians, United’s partnership with Virgin Australia positions Velocity as an increasingly compelling option for earning and using points on international travel.
Velocity members will be able to earn and redeem points and Status Credits on the route, and eligible travellers holding elite status will gain access to lounges, priority check-in and extra baggage perks.
United joins Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways as the third international airline flying nonstop from Adelaide with a strong Velocity tie-in. Virgin has also revived its partnership with Air New Zealand, expanding options across the Tasman.
While Qatar Airways sits within the oneworld alliance with Qantas, its active partnership with Virgin is far more visible in the Australian market. Qantas partners Emirates and China Southern also fly long-haul from Adelaide, along with oneworld members Malaysia Airlines and Fiji Airlines.
The addition of nearly 25,000 seats over the season could open up more frequent flyer reward availability, though this will ultimately depend on how the seats sell commercially.
Velocity Points needed for a Reward Seat
Velocity members will have the opportunity to use points, subject to commercial and airline inventory considerations.
- Economy: 48,000 points
- Business (Polaris): 102,000 points
Taxes and carrier charges are additional, and availability will depend on demand and load.
What it means for South Australians
Until now, Adelaide travellers heading to the US have needed to route through eastern capitals, often facing longer journey times. With nonstop service into United’s San Francisco hub, local travellers will have one-stop access to more than 75 US cities, including New York, Chicago and Washington D.C.
The route also unlocks easier inbound travel for American visitors. Premier Peter Malinauskas described the announcement as a “historic occasion for South Australians,” linking the development to growing strategic and economic ties with the US, including AUKUS, education and trade.
The United States is already one of SA’s top international tourism markets, with over 44,000 Americans visiting South Australia last year.
What about Qantas?
Qantas has not operated an international route from Adelaide since 2013. As reported by The Champagne Mile last week, CEO Vanessa Hudson confirmed Adelaide is under active review for a future Singapore route using the upcoming A321 XLR aircraft.
However, with Qantas not expected to reach the required aircraft scale for several years, any restart is likely still some years away.
In the meantime, Virgin Australia’s international partners are offering South Australians more choice and strong opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer points, all without needing to fly east first.
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