United’s inaugural flight to Adelaide, Australia: TPG was there

Ah, AvGeeks.

To my thoughts, there isn’t a extra enthusiastic group of vacationers on the planet. They possess curious abilities starting from recognizing any kind of plane with only one look to realizing all fare codes for each single airline to casually utilizing the NATO phonetic alphabet (alpha, bravo, charlie) every day.

I simply met a slew of them aboard a historic flight: United Airways’ inaugural trek from San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) to Adelaide, Australia.

It was the primary flight ever connecting the U.S. with the South Australian metropolis — and the newest in a sequence of eye-catching locations added by United in recent times, in hopes of inspiring vacationers to make use of their factors and miles to go to novel locations around the globe.

A flight match for an AvGeek

An particularly endearing trait of the AvGeek neighborhood is that it’s completely egalitarian. You’ll meet on a regular basis women and men, younger … and not-so-young. And whereas some are airline business insiders, most are only a Joe or Jill on the road who occurred to search for within the sky after they had been a child, noticed a airplane and fell in love.

As soon as the dialog will get flowing with this crowd, it simply builds, and it’s completely unattainable to disregard the thrum of power. That sense of neighborhood is intoxicating.

And that is the vibe I acquired in San Francisco Thursday night as vacationers gathered forward of the 15-plus hour flight to Adelaide, South Australia’s capital that is situated some 850 miles west of Sydney.

I used to be initially shocked by how excited I used to be to board the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that United is utilizing to make this 15-plus hour, transpacific crossing.

However then it hit me: I’m a newly minted United Premier 1K, having accomplished a standing match earlier this 12 months after a long time of holding American Airways Government Platinum standing. I’m nonetheless exploring United’s fleet and particularly its ever-expanding route community that features routes to some actually off-the-beaten-path locations.

On an much more private stage, being invited to tag alongside on such a historic flight was nothing wanting a humbling profession milestone. My uncle Peter, a longtime United flight attendant who flew long-haul routes like this till the pandemic hit, was additionally thrilled that I’d be on board.

My very own pleasure, nevertheless, was nothing in comparison with Warren Rieutort-Louis, a traveler from Cupertino, California, who arrived to the gate in a customized kangaroo outfit.

Rieutort-Louis, it seems, is a part of an enthusiastic group that purposely seeks out United’s inaugural flights. He advised me: “We love doing these flights collectively. A few of us attempt to catch nearly each single one United does all year long.”

This 12 months, he’s flown to a bunch of latest United locations, from Bangkok to Greenland and Mongolia, amongst others.

I additionally met Chuck Powers and Jamie Richards, who had been making their first journey to Australia, although it actually wasn’t their first United inaugural flight. In reality, TPG’s senior aviation reporter Sean Cudahy met them not too long ago on United’s June inaugural to Nuuk, Greenland.

After I requested Powers why guide the very first flight as a substitute of a date of their very own selecting, he mentioned: “I feel the entire ambiance of individuals going to those new flights is an power that doesn’t occur each day and it’s actually cool.”

Richards concurred, including it’s not simply the vacationers who’re upbeat.

“The individuals who dwell within the vacation spot are additionally energized by it,” he mentioned, pointing to the Nuuk journey, which noticed locals lining the tarmac to wave as the primary United plane landed.

It was an fascinating — and enormous — group on the gate, regulars who journey collectively for these inaugural flights. Some handed out sentimental presents, akin to ornaments and a candy mini-puzzle of a flying emu.

All of this could make Patrick Quayle, United’s government in command of route planning, extremely proud. I don’t know that there’s extra compelling proof that he and his staff are choosing locations that United flyers covet than having a hardcore fan community attend every inaugural flight.

Not all of them work out. Flights to Senegal and Sweden are on the chopping block for 2026, however most have stayed — serving to cement enthusiasm for when United drops its new-route bulletins.

Quayle was readily available throughout a preflight celebration within the airline’s SFO Polaris Lounge, addressing vacationers on the gate and thanking them once more onboard the plane.

“Right this moment’s flight marks the primary nonstop service between america and Adelaide,” he mentioned throughout his gateside remarks, touting his airline’s place out there. “United is proudly the main service throughout the Pacific and the one service to supply nonstop service between the U.S. and 4 main cities in Australia.”

It comes as United’s U.S. rivals have upped the ante within the South Pacific. American, for instance, will add its most premium-heavy Dreamliner — that includes its latest-generation Flagship Suites — on some Australia and New Zealand routes this winter, although United — as Quayle famous — nonetheless has the benefit in terms of sheer capability over the Pacific.

Extra broadly, United has made its mark in recent times by increasing its route map to unconventional locations sometimes not served by North American carriers. Notable current additions are:

There are extra on the horizon for 2026, together with Cut up, Croatia; Bari, Italy; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Adelaide, for its half, provides one other dimension to the airline’s present Australian gateways, which already embody Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

Adelaide unlocks flexibility for vacationers

United not too long ago asserted that, measured by accessible seat miles, it’s the world’s main service throughout the Pacific, having served greater than 6 million passengers in 2025 alone. That’s a powerful stat, however most vacationers solely care about one factor: their very own travels to their very own bucket-list locations.

United already flies to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, so the place does Adelaide slot in?

For United, the service believes it enhances its general portfolio — maybe permitting vacationers to fly in to at least one metropolis and again house from one other as they tour the county. Whereas lesser recognized than high-profile Australian cities like Sydney and Melbourne, Adelaide has its personal assortment of museums, eating places and retailers and easy accessibility to close by enticements, such because the city of Hahndorf within the Adelaide Hills recognized for its German heritage, Cleland Wildlife Park and Glenelg Seaside.

It is also near notable locations, together with the Barossa Valley wine area and Kangaroo Island, house to Flinders Chase Nationwide Park (for landmarks Admirals Arch and Exceptional Rocks).

United’s inaugural flight to Adelaide

United at all times makes a splash with its inaugural celebrations and this was no completely different. Airline and airport staff had been joined within the Polaris lounge by officers from Australia, the media and that group of diehard followers.

The soiree made word of the particular relationship between the airline and Australia, which was strengthened in the course of the pandemic when the airline saved its service intact and acted as a lifeline, of types, for Australians throughout that tough time.

Passengers heard some ready remarks from Quayle, amongst others, earlier than an official ribbon-cutting ceremony with executives, airport employees, Australian dignitaries, Capt. Mark Champion, United’s vp of Flight Operations and managing director for Coaching, and the complete crew of the about-to-depart Boeing 787.

On board United’s Boeing 787-9 to Adelaide

United makes use of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for a lot of of its flagship locations, and Flight 207 from San Francisco to Adelaide was no completely different.

Upon arriving at my seat, United had thoughtfully laid out a number of presents.

I like a number of issues about this plane’s business-class cabin:

• Its 1-2-1 configuration, which unlocks aisle entry for every of the cabin’s 48 seats.
• The four-row mini-cabin behind the boarding door, which gives most privateness.
• Window seats for solo vacationers that alternate between being nearer to the window or aisle (choose an odd-numbered seat if you wish to sit as shut as attainable to the window).
• Massive privateness dividers for the middle seat pairs.
• Every seat reclines to a flat mattress measuring 75 inches.

In 2026, the airline will improve the Polaris cabin of its 787-9 fleet to the next-generation United Elevated inside. Within the bulkhead space, count on the Polaris Studio with a extra expansive space, an ottoman (so a companion can go to or dine with you), in addition to a sliding door for privateness. The cabin can even characteristic 56 Polaris business-class suites, every with a privateness door.

The plane additionally has a 21-seat Premium Plus cabin organized in a 2-3-2 format, 39 Economic system Plus seats in a 3-3-3 configuration and 149 Economic system seats additionally in a 3-3-3 sample.

There was a particular dinner menu for the inaugural flight and the meal was scrumptious. I began with a crab salad, adopted by a combined grill of Southern Australian rock lobster and barramundi, served with herb butter, paired with balsamic-glazed Brussels sprouts and a creamy potato gratin that includes leeks.

How you can guide United’s Adelaide flight with factors and miles

You’ve acquired choices in terms of reserving United’s new flight to South Australia’s Adelaide with factors and miles.

United’s personal MileagePlus loyalty program naturally provides this route, though one-way redemptions could also be a bit costly, relying on the journey dates. For Australian summertime dates, I noticed one-way redemptions of 55,000 miles for economic system, 70,000 miles for Premium Plus and 100,000 miles for Polaris enterprise class.

Don’t neglect to examine redemption charges by way of United’s Star Alliance companions, who could provide the identical flights for fewer factors or miles. Search Air Canada Aeroplan’s program in addition to Singapore Airways’ KrisFlyer and Avianca LifeMiles — amongst others.

You’ll be able to switch versatile rewards foreign money from main bank card issuers to numerous Star Alliance applications, so in case you don’t have sufficient miles, you could possibly switch extra into your account.

You’ll be able to fly from San Francisco to Adelaide on United Airways 3 times weekly.

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