United Airlines has resumed flights between San Francisco (SFO) and Melbourne (MEL). Normally the only US-based carrier serving Australia's second-largest city, United restored one of two routes it formerly operated to MEL last week. It means United Airlines is back operating three of the five routes it previously flew between the US and Australia.

United's thrice-weekly flights from Melbourne

On Saturday, June 4, UA60 touched down in Melbourne after a two-year-plus absence. The 15-and-a-half-hour flight from SFO was operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (N29981) and was the first of what will be thrice-weekly flights between the two cities. Formerly, United Airlines flew into Melbourne from San Francisco and Los Angeles (LAX). There is no firm word on when those LAX flights will resume other than sometime later this year.

"The city is also United's largest west coast hub, and that means millions of people in a huge range of cities across North America now have one-stop access to Melbourne," says Melbourne Airport's Acting Chief of Aviation, Jim Parashos. "Because of United's global reach, they can fly their aircraft anywhere, so having Melbourne back on their route network is a huge vote of confidence in our city and state."

United Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Photo: Melbourne AIrport

The soft seats for some for the 15-hour flight

UA60 will head out of San Francisco at 22:45 every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for a 07:30 landing two days later after covering approximately 7,850 miles (12,650 kilometers). UA61 will depart Melbourne at 09:30 every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday for the 14 and a half hour trek back to SFO, landing there at 07:05 on the same day.

Fast becoming the standard on flights between the US and Australia, United's 787-9 Dreamliners will service the route. United has two versions of this aircraft type. The version the airline is sending to Melbourne seats 257 passengers across three cabin classes, including 48 passengers enjoying United's most up-to-date Polaris business class seat. While initially only flying between SFO and MEL three times a week, United has plans to increase the frequencies as the year unfolds.

United Airlines Captain
Happy to be in Melbourne or happy to get off such a long flight? Photo: Melbourne Airport

US - Australia links improving, but still a way to go

UA60's return to Melbourne on the weekend sees that city and Sydney (SYD) now enjoying nonstop United flights to San Francisco. Usually, United competes on both routes with Qantas, but that airline is yet to restart any flights into SFO. Qantas once again recently pushed back the restart of flights between Sydney and San Francisco, this time to October 30. It hands the Australia - San Francisco market to a single carrier in the interim.

Meanwhile, while not giving any hard dates, United is plotting a return to the Melbourne - Los Angeles and Sydney - Houston (IAH) routes later this year. That will see United back on all five Australia routes it flew before the pandemic disrupted operations. There is some chatter about United also eyeing future flights into Brisbane (BNE) to tie in with its new partnership with Virgin Australia. No US-based airline flies into Brisbane, and with Virgin Australia having quit long-haul flying, Qantas now has the Brisbane - US market to itself. It's a less than ideal situation United Airlines may be keen to address.