United’s new direct route between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Adelaide Airport (ADL) begins service on December 11. The 15-hour flight will operate three times weekly aboard a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with 257 seats, including 48 in Polaris business class and 21 in Premium Plus.
The connection — the first-ever nonstop flight between the US and South Australia — will link two global wine capitals: California’s Sonoma and Napa Valley, and South Australia’s 18 wine regions. Less than an hour from Adelaide, the Barossa Valley is Australia’s most storied shiraz region, home to names like Penfolds, Seppeltsfield, and Henschke. To the north, Clare Valley is known for its rieslings, while Adelaide Hills has built a reputation for cool-climate chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and pinot noir.
For travelers, whether you go for the wine or the seemingly endless outdoor adventure opportunities on either side, it’s a long-haul made easier — and, for a lucky few Bluestone Lane guests, a wine flight that could lead to the real thing. 