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SFO - MEL

$607 Find cheap flights from San Francisco to Melbourne

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Francisco to Melbourne departing on 21/9. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
Tue 4/6
Tue 11/6

Search hundreds of travel sites and compare cheap flights to Melbourne

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Melbourne, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Melbourne, as well as popular online travel agencies
In the last 7 days, travellers have searched 42,830,901 times on KAYAK, and here's why:

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Cheap flight deals from San Francisco to Melbourne (SFO-MEL)

Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Melbourne that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices and deals for you by selecting your travel dates.
Choose your dates
08:15 - 16:35SFO-MEL
38h 20m1 stop
16:45 - 20:25MEL-SFO
22h 40m1 stop
$1,132
Find Deal
Tue, 22 Oct - Wed, 6 Nov
23:35 - 12:30SFO-MEL
18h 55m1 stop
23:55 - 12:20MEL-SFO
31h 25m1 stop
$1,224Fiji Airways
Find Deal
Tue, 22 Oct - Wed, 6 Nov
22:00 - 10:50SFO-MEL
19h 50m1 stop
12:10 - 12:50MEL-SFO
17h 40m1 stop
$1,384Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Sun, 4 Aug - Sun, 18 Aug
22:00 - 10:50SFO-MEL
19h 50m1 stop
08:45 - 12:50MEL-SFO
21h 05m1 stop
$1,442Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Mon, 5 Aug - Mon, 19 Aug
23:50 - 06:30SFO-MEL
37h 40m1 stop
08:00 - 20:50MEL-SFO
29h 50m1 stop
$1,557Philippine Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, 15 Sep - Sun, 22 Sep
23:50 - 05:00SFO-MEL
36h 10m1 stop
06:30 - 20:50MEL-SFO
31h 20m1 stop
$1,617Philippine Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, 14 Sep - Sat, 21 Sep
00:15 - 22:15SFO-MEL
29h 00m1 stop
15:25 - 22:20MEL-SFO
24h 55m1 stop
$1,749Cathay Pacific
Find Deal
Sun, 29 Sep - Sun, 6 Oct
00:35 - 09:45SFO-MEL
39h 10m2 stops
23:30 - 19:40MEL-SFO
39h 10m1 stop
$1,843China Southern
Find Deal
Thu, 31 Oct - Fri, 15 Nov
00:55 - 22:15SFO-MEL
28h 20m1 stop
14:25 - 22:20MEL-SFO
24h 55m1 stop
$1,846Cathay Pacific
Find Deal
Sun, 8 Sep - Tue, 24 Sep
18:30 - 21:30SFO-MEL
33h 00m2 stops
11:25 - 20:15MEL-SFO
26h 50m2 stops
$1,983China Southern
Find Deal
Sat, 26 Oct - Sun, 3 Nov

Flights from San Francisco to Melbourne - Travel Insights & Trends

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Francisco to Melbourne to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San Francisco to Melbourne?

The average price of all flights from San Francisco to Melbourne Airport clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
If your flying dates are flexible, you should consider flying to Melbourne on a Thursday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Monday is the most expensive day to fly from San Francisco to Melbourne. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Thursday and avoiding Sundays for the best deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to Melbourne Airport?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from San Francisco to Melbourne Airport, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.
The cheapest month for flights from San Francisco to Melbourne Airport is March, where tickets cost $1,467 on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and January, where the average cost of tickets is $2,903 and $2,372 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco to Melbourne Airport?

To calculate daily average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each day before departure over the last year for flights from San Francisco to Melbourne Airport, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each month.
To get a below average price on the flight from San Francisco to Melbourne Airport, you should book around 3 days before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 66 days before departure.

Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from San Francisco to Melbourne?

The cheapest price for the route for each airline clicked by KAYAK users in the last 72 hours.
The best deals for a one-way ticket found by KAYAK users over the last 3 days were on Air New Zealand ($716) and Fiji Airways ($821). The cheapest round-trip tickets were found on Fiji Airways ($1,224) and Air New Zealand ($1,384).

Which airlines fly direct between San Francisco and Melbourne Airport?

Airline and price data is aggregated from results in KAYAK’s search results from the last 2 weeks for flights from San Francisco to Melbourne Airport.
There is just one airline that flies from San Francisco to Melbourne Airport direct and that is United Airlines. The best one-way deal found from United Airlines for the route is $1,277.

How many flights are there between San Francisco and Melbourne Airport per day?

Each day, there are 2 direct flights that take off from San Francisco and land in Melbourne Airport, with an average flight time of 15h 55m. The most common departure time is 23:00 and most flights take off at night. Each week, there are 14 flights and there are the same amount of flights each day 2.

Which cabin class options are there for flights between San Francisco and Melbourne Airport?

The average price of flights for each cabin class for the route found by users searching on KAYAK over the last 2 weeks.
There are 2 cabin class options for the route. These are Economy and Prem Economy. Perform a search on KAYAK to find the latest prices and availability for all cabin fares, which differ across airlines.

How long does a flight from San Francisco to Melbourne take?

A direct flight to Melbourne will take on average 15h 40m to travel the 20,350 km flying distance from San Francisco.

What’s the earliest departure time from San Francisco to Melbourne?

Early birds can take the earliest flight from San Francisco at 23:20 and will be landing in Melbourne Airport at 08:15.

What’s the latest departure time from San Francisco to Melbourne?

If you prefer to fly at night, the latest flight from San Francisco to Melbourne Airport jets off at 23:25 and lands at 08:15.

Good to know

Low season

April

High season

December

Cheapest flight

$607
Best time to beat the crowds (18% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (45% more expensive on average)
Flight from San Francisco to Melbourne

When to book flights from San Francisco to Melbourne

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Francisco to Melbourne based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated return price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or returns with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking San Francisco to Melbourne flights

  • Where is the best place to get dropped off at San Francisco Airport?

    If you’re getting a ride to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), you can avoid the traffic of the terminal drop-off zones and head instead to the Kiss & Fly area, which can be found in the Rental Car Precinct (on North McDonnell Road). From here, you can take the free AirTrain (which operates 24h a day) to your terminal. You should arrive in just a few minutes.

  • Is there on-site accommodation at the San Francisco Airport?

    Luxury on-site accommodation is available at the Grand Hyatt at San Francisco Airport, which offers soundproof rooms to all guests. The hotel can be found at the entrance to the airport, and you will have easy access to all terminals via the AirTrain’s Red Line. If you’re not in need of luxury, there are plenty of budget hotels within 2 km of San Francisco Airport.

  • What are the layover options between San Francisco and Melbourne?

    Most flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Melbourne (MEL) come with a stop or two along the way. These stops depend greatly on which airline you choose to fly with. For example, Singapore Airline flights come with a layover at Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN), while Cathay Pacific flights come with a stop at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). If you fly with Hawaiian Airlines, you can enjoy a stop in Honolulu, after which you will generally also stop in either Sydney (SYD) or Brisbane (BNE).

  • What is the cheapest flight from San Francisco to Melbourne Airport?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to Melbourne Airport was $401 for a one-way ticket and $748 for a return.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from San Francisco to Melbourne?

    San Francisco airport is called San Francisco and the only airport in Melbourne is Melbourne.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from San Francisco to Melbourne?

    The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the San Francisco to Melbourne flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from San Francisco to Melbourne?

    Star Alliance is the only airline alliance operating flights between San Francisco and Melbourne.

  • On which days can I fly direct from San Francisco to Melbourne?

    There are direct flights from San Francisco to Melbourne on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San Francisco to Melbourne, Air New Zealand or Fiji Airways?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Francisco to Melbourne are Air New Zealand and Fiji Airways. With an average price for the route of $1,926 and an overall rating of 8.2, Air New Zealand is the most popular choice. Fiji Airways is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $1,631 and an overall rating of 7.9.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Francisco to Melbourne?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from San Francisco to Melbourne.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from San Francisco to Melbourne?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Melbourne from San Francisco is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from San Francisco to Melbourne?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly to Melbourne with an airline and back to San Francisco with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from San Francisco to Melbourne?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Melbourne from San Francisco up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding a cheap flight from San Francisco to Melbourne

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $1,406 or less one-way.
  • You can get around quickly and easily at San Francisco Airport (SFO) thanks to the free AirTrain. The Red Line has stops at the parking areas, the BART station, and all terminals.
  • San Francisco Airport has a variety of long-term parking options for international travellers, with prices ranging from around $18 (A$ 23.40) to $36 (A$ 46.70) per day.
  • San Francisco Airport is awash with art. If you have time before your flight, check out the Aviation Library and the Aviation Museum, both of which can be found in the International Terminal.
See more tips

Prefer to fly direct from San Francisco to Melbourne?

Find which airlines fly direct from San Francisco to Melbourne, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

San Francisco to Melbourne

Monday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Tuesday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Wednesday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Thursday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Friday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Saturday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Sunday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Melbourne to San Francisco

Monday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Tuesday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Wednesday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Thursday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Friday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Saturday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

Sunday

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

United Airlines, Virgin Australia

See more direct flights
See more direct flights

Top 3 airlines serving from San Francisco to Melbourne

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco to Melbourne. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco to Melbourne? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.2
Air New ZealandOverall score based on 640 reviews
7.7Food
8.4Boarding
8.1Comfort
8.8Crew
7.9Entertainment
Airline reviews

All was good, the only thing was it didn't run on time.

8.0 ExcellentDaniel, Apr 2024ZQN - SYD
Read more about Air New Zealand reviews

All was good, the only thing was it didn't run on time.

United flight from SFO to PDX was cancelled. I will ask for a refund. Had to book on Alaska

They announced food service but then never came around. We also couldn’t land so kept trying to get to runway and then had to come up and go around happened like 3 times and cause the child next to me to start throwing up

The recline on the seat in front of me came back so that I was staring at the top of the man’s head in front of me the whole trip. He refused to bring his seat back up twice every time he was instructed to do so and only relented when he had a tray of good in front of him. And then right back in my lap!!! Horrible man!! I complained to the staff multiple times, but no one would address the issue. Otherwise, it would have been a perfect flight.

There was a snafu with confirming seats at check which left us in limbo for the second leg of our trip. I believe the ANZ app is not well integrated with the systems at the terminal resulting in this disconcerting error.

The pilot tried to make up for lost time due to delays that were out of her control. She communicated the issues openly and clearly and made every effort to do what she could to alleviate issues.

So here's the rub - my flight was booked through Chatdeal even though I bought it under the Kayak umbrella. All the return flights were theoretically through Air New Zealand, however except for the initial leg from New Zealand, they were all partnered flights. So when I arrived at the airport in New Zealand they could only issue me my ticket to Fiji. Once in Fiji I had to do some serious leg work and finagling to get my ticket to Los Angeles through Fiji Air. This included a monitored covid RAT that I wasn't aware I needed to do. So I gave the score I did because of the complexity and annoyance created in the process of getting a boarding pass for my Nadi-LA flight.

Boarding instructions on one leg of my journey were not well communicated at the gate (Melbourne to Auckland)

The only thing that was less than excellent was the food server at dinner. (I had the chicken.) It wasn't that it was poorly heated or in difficult-to-open containers; it was just that it had a very peculiar taste. And I use that to describe not just the main course but the dessert as well. Very odd flavours for what seemed to be a mainstream item. I did like that the airline offered us a free glass of wine. The breakfast omelette wasn't bad, although it was quite bland.

Pros: "The crew was very very attentive. Asked if we wanted water at least 4 times in the first 3 hours of the 12 hour flight before bed. (Red eye flight) They did there jobs well."
Cons: "The dinner choices have been exactly the same for many years now. It’s probably time to bring the menu up to the times again. Food wasn’t bad but it does need a refresh."

Business class Seats on the A350 from Nan to YVR were wonderful. The flight crew was okay but could do with better training. Toilets were clean but ran out of paper towels towards the end of the flight. The food/menu and the wine offered really needs considerable improvement. Dinner options were either Bolani, a beef sandwich (even this could be made much better), or paneer butter masala. Unfortunately, if you are not a fan of Fijian food, there isn’t much choice. Dessert was either turmeric ice cream or fruits but unfortunately, they were out of fruit! So the only option was turmeric ice cream. I’m not certain how many passengers like turmeric but I am not one of them. They need to cater to a more diverse group of people. Perhaps they need a new chef? The movies& tv shows were mostly older so I didn’t find that interesting either. It was however, fun to view the plane’s exterior cameras as we take off and land. The best thing about this flight are the business class seats.

Comfortable as one can get in Economy, food was very good, staff were super friendly & efficient.

Really liked the plane and business class seat. Food was ok but could be better. Service was very good.

Better connections, much better cabin crew, much cleaner cabin that Qantas, American and probably other carriers.

Better connections, much better cabin crews, much cleaner aircraft than Qantas, American and probably others.

Fiji left without me because American Airlines was too stupid to get to LAX on time. Fiji should have offered a standby on another flight but they told me tough luck. I will never fly with this company again.

The A350 aircraft business class experience was very good. Comfortable and well appointed pod, and supplemental bed pad available for sleeping. Food was very good.

Business class seats and amenities were excellent, crew very attentive. Slept well. Food good, lounge experience nice. Would fly them again. A350 aircraft excellent, very quiet.

The flight attendants were extremely friendly and helpful. Everything ran on time. I highly recommend Fiji Airways.

The experience was lovely in every respect. The crews were delightful.

Hated every minute of it. This flight should have only taken 1.5hrs but was delayed over 10hours. Now I am being told I cannot be compensated or refunded my ticket price or extra leg room, which I purchased but did not receive, because the airline is throwing the blame on the 3rd party I purchased tickets through and 3rd party putting the blame on airline. No one wants to help. They received their money and that's all they care about. Im going on 3 days of still trying to get to my final destination, had to cancel car rental, car insurance and hotel. Currently staying in airport until hotels open up. Thank you Lufthansa, Kayak, Underpricer and United for making this trip the worst ever.

Crew was great and did their best to make us comfortable and captain came out at the beginning to announce why the flight was delayed, weather situation up ahead, and kept us updated throughout the flight.

United WiFi is consistently unusable (it can take 10 mins to load a single web page). If you need Wifi to do work, be prepared to lose half a day of productivity.

Awful. I got stuck next to a person carrying a dog and behind someone with a dog. People need to board these dogs downstairs. The cabin is crowded enough with your pets

Packed in like sardines, very uncomfortable. Sitting the aisle my shoulder was rammed into numerous times by rushing flight attendants. Also flight was very cold.

Beverage and food services are excellent. We enjoy paying the extra for economy plus for the 3 inches more leg room to be exact.

Flight was delayed by 3 hours. The pilot made up 1 hour during the flight, but that made the wait at the airport 5 hours once you factor getting there 2 hours early.

Airline did not explain reasons why flight was delayed two hours. Explanations were badly needed and rarely provided. Problem seemed to clearly be the airline’s fault and not the fault of the weather or airport.

Very uncomfortable seats and seat backs, and I am only 5’9”. Delayed due to crew issues, spent a long time with no ventilation. Teeny overhead bins. Wifi worked well. Arrived safely.

I was delighted that we were able to get on the 4:40 pm flight rather than our original booking at 6:55 pm!! Other than that, the flight was comfortable and landed early😊

Book cheap flights from San Francisco to Melbourne

Recent one-way flight deals

 
Only flying one-way? Below are some of the best one-way flight deals from San Francisco to Melbourne found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
21/9Sat
1 stop
39h 05mSFO-MEL
$607
20/8Tue
1 stop
38h 40mSFO-MEL
$687
29/7Mon
1 stopAir New Zealand
19h 50mSFO-MEL
$716
4/8Sun
1 stopAir New Zealand
19h 50mSFO-MEL
$726
19/6Wed
1 stopFiji Airways
19h 40mSFO-MEL
$821
14/5Tue
1 stopFiji Airways
19h 40mSFO-MEL
$830
9/9Mon
1 stopCathay Pacific
28h 20mSFO-MEL
$973
19/8Mon
1 stopCathay Pacific
28h 20mSFO-MEL
$980
10/9Tue
directUnited Airlines
15h 40mSFO-MEL
$1,417
23/9Mon
directUnited Airlines
15h 40mSFO-MEL
$1,436

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Last minute flights from San Francisco to Melbourne

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

 
These last-minute flight deals are the cheapest flights found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours for flights from San Francisco to Melbourne that are departing in the next 10 days.
8/5Wed
multi-stopFiji Airways
24h 30mSFO-MEL
21/11Thu
multi-stopFiji Airways
18h 10mMEL-SFO
$1,920
8/5Wed
multi-stop
24h 30mSFO-MEL
21/11Thu
multi-stop
20h 45mMEL-SFO
$1,967
8/5Wed
multi-stopCathay Pacific
29h 15mSFO-MEL
21/11Thu
multi-stopCathay Pacific
24h 40mMEL-SFO
$2,274
8/5Wed
multi-stopFiji Airways
24h 30mSFO-MEL
21/11Thu
multi-stopFiji Airways
49h 47mMEL-SFO
$2,411
7/5Tue
multi-stopCathay Pacific
29h 00mSFO-MEL
21/11Thu
multi-stopCathay Pacific
26h 30mMEL-SFO
$2,809
8/5Wed
multi-stopSingapore Airlines
41h 05mSFO-MEL
20/11Wed
multi-stopSingapore Airlines
26h 15mMEL-SFO
$2,847
8/5Wed
multi-stopSingapore Airlines
41h 05mSFO-MEL
20/11Wed
multi-stopSingapore Airlines
30h 13mMEL-SFO
$2,995
9/5Thu
directUnited Airlines
15h 55mSFO-MEL
18/5Sat
directUnited Airlines
14h 10mMEL-SFO
$4,146
9/5Thu
multi-stopUnited Airlines
39h 34mSFO-MEL
18/5Sat
directUnited Airlines
14h 10mMEL-SFO
$4,174
7/5Tue
multi-stopAir New Zealand
19h 50mSFO-MEL
28/5Tue
multi-stopAir New Zealand
20h 35mMEL-SFO
$10,370

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San Francisco - Melbourne Flights

Departure:

San Francisco (SFO)United States

Destination:

Melbourne (MEL)Australia

Return flight deals:

Melbourne - San Francisco

Cabin classes:

$1,656