Editorial note: Disclosure: TPG accepted a comped round-trip ticket from United for the Adelaide flights to get access to the events and executives on board. TPG paid for other associated costs, such as hotel and ground transportation.
Ah, AvGeeks.
To my mind, there is no more enthusiastic group of travelers on the planet. They possess curious talents ranging from recognizing any type of aircraft with just one glance to knowing all fare codes for every single airline to casually using the NATO phonetic alphabet (alpha, bravo, charlie) on a daily basis.
I just met a slew of them aboard a historic flight: United Airlines' inaugural trek from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Adelaide, Australia.
It was the first flight ever connecting the U.S. with the South Australian city — and the latest in a series of eye-catching destinations added by United in recent years, in hopes of inspiring travelers to use their points and miles to visit novel places around the world.
A flight fit for an AvGeek
An especially endearing trait of the AvGeek community is that it is totally egalitarian. You’ll meet everyday men and women, young ... and not-so-young. And while some are airline industry insiders, most are just a Joe or Jill on the street who happened to look up in the sky when they were a kid, saw a plane and fell in love.
Once the conversation gets flowing with this crowd, it just builds, and it’s absolutely impossible to ignore the thrum of energy. That sense of community is intoxicating.
And that's the vibe I got in San Francisco Thursday evening as travelers gathered ahead of the 15-plus hour flight to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, some 850 miles west of Sydney.
I was initially surprised by how excited I was to board the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that United is using to make this 15-plus hour transpacific crossing.
But then it hit me: I’m a newly minted United Premier 1K, having completed a status match earlier this year after decades of holding American Airlines Executive Platinum status. I’m still exploring United’s fleet, and especially its ever-expanding route network, which includes routes to some truly off-the-beaten-path destinations.
On a more personal level, being invited to tag along on such a historic flight was nothing short of a humbling career milestone. My uncle Peter, a longtime United flight attendant who flew long-haul routes like this until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, was also thrilled that I would be on board.
My own excitement, however, was nothing compared to Warren Rieutort-Louis, a traveler from Cupertino, California, who arrived at the gate in a custom kangaroo outfit.
Rieutort-Louis, it turns out, is part of an enthusiastic group that purposely seeks out United’s inaugural flights. He told me: “We love doing these flights together. Some of us try to catch almost every single one United does throughout the year.”
This year, he’s flown to a host of new United destinations, from Bangkok to Greenland to Mongolia, among others.
I also met Chuck Powers and Jamie Richards, who were making their first trip to Australia, though it certainly wasn’t their first United inaugural flight. In fact, TPG’s senior aviation reporter Sean Cudahy met them recently on United’s June inaugural to Nuuk, Greenland.
When I asked Powers why book the very first flight instead of a date of their own choosing, he said: “I think the whole atmosphere of people going to these new flights is an energy that doesn’t happen every day, and it’s really cool.”
Richards concurred, adding it’s not just the travelers who are upbeat.
“The people who live in the destination are also energized by it,” he said, pointing to the Nuuk trip, which saw locals lining the tarmac to wave as the first United aircraft landed.
It was an interesting — and large — group at the gate, mostly regulars who travel together for these inaugural flights. Some handed out sentimental gifts, such as ornaments and a sweet mini-puzzle of a flying emu.
All of this should make Patrick Quayle, United’s executive in charge of route planning, incredibly proud. I don’t know that there’s more compelling proof that he and his team are selecting destinations that United flyers covet than having a hardcore fan network attend each inaugural flight.
Not all of them work out. Flights to Senegal and Sweden are on the chopping block for 2026, but most have stayed — helping cement enthusiasm for when United drops its new-route announcements.
Quayle was on hand during a preflight party in the airline's SFO Polaris Lounge, addressing travelers at the gate and thanking them again onboard the aircraft.
“Today’s flight marks the first nonstop service between the United States and Adelaide," he said during his gateside remarks, touting his airline's place in the market. "United is proudly the leading carrier across the Pacific and the only carrier to offer nonstop service between the U.S. and four major cities in Australia.”
It comes as United's U.S. competitors have upped the ante in the South Pacific. American, for example, will add its most premium-heavy Dreamliner — featuring its latest-generation Flagship Suites — on some Australia and New Zealand routes this winter, though United — as Quayle noted — still has the advantage when it comes to sheer capacity over the Pacific.
More broadly, United has made its mark in recent years by expanding its route map to unconventional destinations typically not served by North American carriers. Notable recent additions are:
- Nuuk, Greenland
- Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Palermo, Sicily, Italy
- Bilbao, Spain
- Madeira and Faro, Portugal
There are more on the horizon for 2026, including Split, Croatia; Bari, Italy; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Adelaide, for its part, adds another dimension to the airline’s existing Australian gateways, which already include Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.
Adelaide unlocks flexibility for travelers
United recently asserted that, measured by available seat miles, it is the world’s leading carrier across the Pacific, having served more than 6 million passengers in 2025 alone. That’s an impressive stat, but most travelers only care about one thing: their own travels to their own bucket-list destinations.
United already flies to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, so where does Adelaide fit in?
For United, the carrier believes it complements its overall portfolio — perhaps allowing travelers to fly into one city and back home from another as they tour the country. While lesser known than high-profile cities like Sydney and Melbourne, Adelaide has its own assortment of museums, restaurants and shops, and easy access to nearby enticements, such as the town of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills known for its German heritage, Cleland Wildlife Park and Glenelg Beach.
It's also close to notable destinations, including the Barossa Valley wine region and Kangaroo Island, home to Flinders Chase National Park (for landmarks Admirals Arch and Remarkable Rocks).
United’s inaugural flight to Adelaide
United always makes a splash with its inaugural celebrations, and this was no different. Airline and airport employees were joined in the Polaris lounge by officials from Australia, the media and that group of diehard fans.
The soiree made note of the special relationship between the airline and Australia, which was strengthened during the pandemic when the airline kept its service intact and acted as a lifeline, of sorts, for Australians during that difficult time.
Passengers heard some prepared remarks from Quayle, among others, before an official ribbon-cutting ceremony with executives, airport staff, Australian dignitaries, Capt. Mark Champion, United's vice president of Flight Operations and managing director for Training, and the entire crew of the about-to-depart Boeing 787.
On board United’s Boeing 787-9 to Adelaide
United uses the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for many of its flagship destinations, and Flight 207 from San Francisco to Adelaide was no different.
Upon arriving at my seat, United had thoughtfully laid out several gifts.
I adore several things about this aircraft’s business-class cabin:
- The 1-2-1 configuration, which unlocks aisle access for each of the cabin’s 48 seats
- The four-row mini-cabin behind the boarding door, which provides maximum privacy
- Window seats for solo travelers that alternate between being closer to the window or aisle (pick an odd-numbered seat if you want to sit as close as possible to the window)
- Large privacy dividers for the center seat pairs
- Each seat reclines to a flat bed measuring 75 inches
In 2026, the airline will upgrade the Polaris cabin of its 787-9 fleet to the next-generation United Elevated interior. In the bulkhead area, expect the Polaris Studio with a more expansive area, an ottoman (so a companion can visit or dine with you), as well as a sliding door for privacy. The cabin will also feature 56 Polaris business-class suites, each with a privacy door.
The aircraft also has a 21-seat Premium Plus cabin organized in a 2-3-2 layout, 39 Economy Plus seats in a 3-3-3 configuration and 149 Economy seats also in a 3-3-3 pattern.
There was a special dinner menu for the inaugural flight — and the meal was delicious. I started with a crab salad, followed by a mixed grill of Southern Australian rock lobster and barramundi, served with herb butter, paired with balsamic-glazed Brussels sprouts and a creamy potato gratin featuring leeks.
How to book United’s Adelaide flight with points and miles
You’ve got options when it comes to booking United’s new flight to South Australia’s Adelaide with points and miles.
United’s own MileagePlus loyalty program naturally offers this route, although one-way redemptions may be a bit expensive, depending on the travel dates. For Australian summertime dates, I saw one-way redemptions of 55,000 miles for economy, 70,000 miles for Premium Plus and 100,000 miles for Polaris business class.
Don’t forget to check redemption rates through United’s Star Alliance partners, who may offer the same flights for fewer points or miles. Search Air Canada Aeroplan’s program as well as Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer and Avianca LifeMiles — among others.
You can transfer flexible rewards currency from major credit card issuers to various Star Alliance programs, so if you don’t have enough miles, you may be able to transfer more into your account.
- American Express Membership Rewards points
- Bilt Rewards Points
- Capital One miles
- Chase Ultimate Rewards points
You can fly from San Francisco to Adelaide on United Airlines three times weekly.
Related reading:
- The best credit cards for United Airlines flyers
- United Airlines MileagePlus: guide to earning and redeeming miles, elite status and more
- United Premier status: How to earn it — and is it worth it?
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- United basic economy: What you need to know about bags, seats, boarding and more
