Summary

  • Qantas leads Australia to US routes with the most flights and seats, closely followed by United Airlines.
  • United Airlines is a member of Star Alliance and operates six routes with almost 4,000 flights in 2024.
  • Delta Air Lines operates two routes from LAX to SYD and BNE, using the Airbus A350-900.

Australia to US routes have increased in recent years. In 2024, there are six airlines operating 21 routes over these long distances. It is probably no surprise that the Australian national carrier Qantas tops the list for routes, number of flights, and available seats. United Airlines is not far behind, however – a long way ahead of Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, followed by Jetstar, then Hawaiian Airlines.

The guide looks at the six airlines flying, their capacities, and what routes they are operating in 2024.

1

Qantas – top place for routes and seats in 2024

The national carrier flies eight routes from Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane

Airline

Qantas

No flights (2024)

4,176

Total seats

1,223,019

Available Seat Miles (ASM)

9,174,554,396

Routes operated

DFW to MEL, SYD LAX to MEL, SYD, BNE JFK to SYD (via AKL) SFO to SYD HNL to SYD

Aircraft types operated

Boeing 787-9 Airbus A380 Airbus A330

Qantas leads the way for Australia to US flights but is not that far ahead of United Airlines. In 2024, there are 4176 scheduled flights. It also works with its oneworld partner American Airlines. When these routes are considered together, the oneworld alliance is a clear leader for the routes.

Read more about the oneworld alliance and its members.

Unsurprisingly, with so many routes, Qantas operates several aircraft types between Australia and the US. In the second half of 2024, the Boeing 787-9 appears on many routes. The A380 is used on some LAX to Sydney and Melbourne flights. The A330 also appears on HNL to Sydney and LAX to Brisbane.

A Qantas Airbus A380 flying in the sky.

Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock

Data in the article is from Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Flight data is based on the whole year of 2024, and aircraft utilized is based on the period July to December 2024.

2

United Airlines

United comes a very close second with six routes

Airline

United Airlines

No flights (2024)

3,857

Total seats

1,115,091

Available Seat Miles (ASM)

8.468,355,639

Routes operated

SFO to MEL, SYD, BNE LAX to MEL, SYD IAH to SYD

Aircraft types operated

Boeing 787-9 Boeing 777-300

Taking on Qantas and the oneworld alliance, United Airlines (as a member of the Star Alliance) operates almost 4,000 flights on six routes between the countries.

United’s largest operation is on the San Francisco to Sydney route, which operates twice daily (only Delta Air Lines also does this – on the LAX to Sydney route). According to US Department of Transportation T-100 data, United launched the long, 7,417-mile (11,937 km) route in 1994 and previously operated the Boeing 747 on it. It is now flown exclusively with its largest aircraft type, the Boeing 777-300.

United Airlines Boeing 777 Shutterstock_551970184

Photo: Vytautas Kielaitis | Shutterstock

The 777-300 is also found on some SFO to Melbourne and Brisbane flights – with all routes using the Boeing 787-9.

3

Delta Air Lines

Third place, but well behind for SkyTeam with less than 1,000 flights in 2024

Airline

Delta Air Lines

No flights (2024)

964

Total seats

294,984

Available Seat Miles (ASM)

2,206,250,820

Routes operated

LAX to SYD, BNE

Aircraft types operated

Airbus A350-900

Delta Air Lines comes in second among the main US carriers, but when you consider that third-place American Airlines has alliance partner Qantas to share with, the SkyTeam alliance is way behind.

Delta Air Lines A350-900

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Delta operates only two routes between the countries, from Los Angeles LAX to Sydney and to Brisbane. These are both operated with the Airbus A350-900, with the Sydney flight being the airline’s third longest with the type (behind Atlanta to Cape Town and to Johannesburg). The Brisbane flight only started in early 2024 – with Delta following its competitors in starting direct service to the city.

Related

Delta Air Lines Ups LAX-Sydney Airbus A350 Flights To Double Daily

It is the carrier’s highest frequency to date.

4

American Airlines

Boosting oneworld’s leading position on the routes

Airline

American Airlines

No flights (2024)

862

Total seats

259,578

Available Seat Miles (ASM)

1,973,545,086

Routes operated

DFW to BNE LAX to SYD

Aircraft types operated

Boeing 787-9 Boeing 777-300

American Airlines may operate the fewest flights to Australia out of the three main US airlines, but it has a strong presence through its oneworld partner Qantas. The two airlines have a joint venture in place, and codeshare on routes between the countries (and with onward connections).

The airline’s two routes are between Los Angeles LAX and Sydney (competing with all the main operators) and between Dallas DFW and Brisbane. The Brisbane route was only announced in February 2024 (to start in October). It will be the airline’s longest flight to date. It will be operated with the Boeing 787-9, whereas Sydney flights are all operated with a Boeing 777-300.

Related

American Airlines Announced Its Longest Flight Yet: Here’s What It’s Replacing

The new non-stop service will cover more than 8,300 miles.

5

JetStar

Operating low-cost flights to Hawaii from Sydney and Melbourne

Airline

JetStar

No flights (2024)

574

Total seats

192,290

Available Seat Miles (ASM)

1,004,660,980

Routes operated

HNL to SYD, MEL

Aircraft types operated

Boeing 787-8

Qantas’ subsidiary airline JetStar also operates flights between Australia and the US. This targets a very different market from the Qantas and American Airlines scheduled flights, with flights to Hawaii primarily aimed at the holiday market. It does not fly to the US mainland. Its route to Melbourne is the longest direct flight operating from HNL.

Jetstar Boeing 787

Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock

Both routes are flown using the Boeing 787-8 and operate several times per week (in early 2024, this was three times a week for Sydney and twice a week for Melbourne).

6

Hawaiian Airlines

Just one direct flight, but the airline has onward connections

Airline

Hawaiian Airlines

No flights (2024)

532

Total seats

147,896

Available Seat Miles (ASM)

749,241,136

Routes operated

HNL to SYD

Aircraft types operated

Airbus A330

Hawaiian Airlines follows behind JetStar, operating just one route between Hawaii (HNL) and Sydney. Of course, the airline also has plenty of connections to the US mainland. It currently operates five times a week, but as with all airlines, the schedule will change during the year. Hawaiian operates the Airbus A330 on this route.

A Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 Flying in the sky.

Photo: DLeng | Shutterstock

The upcoming merger with Alaska Airlines and likely entry into oneworld will no doubt change how the airline operates.

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