Find Cheap Flights from Melbourne to Adelaide – Compare and Save

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Melbourne to Adelaide:

• Earliest: departs at 06:05 and lands at 07:27
• Latest: departs at 21:25 and lands at 22:47.

The flight takes about 1h 22m.

Two cabin classes are available on flights from Melbourne to Adelaide:

• Economy class
• Business Class

A direct flight from Melbourne to Adelaide takes 1h 22m, covering 1,059 km.

No. A passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

Return flights from Melbourne to Adelaide range from $181 to $324, with an average of $243 over the past 12 months. Anything below $181 counts as a good deal.

Last-minute fares on this route (booked within 2 weeks of departure) run 23% above the route average of $243. Book 5 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

On this route, direct flights are cheaper than stopover options on average. Direct fares average $243 return, compared with $724 via a stopover through Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD).

Qantas Airways is slightly above the route average for timely arrivals, while Virgin Australia has a lower on-time arrival rate. On-time arrival rates on Melbourne to Adelaide flights are:

• Qantas Airways: 85% on time
• Virgin Australia: 80% on time
• Jetstar: 74% on time

On average, flights on this route are punctual 81% of the time.

There is no standard. Checked bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge $32–$141 for the first checked bag in Economy. Premium fares and elite status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

Afternoon is the busiest departure period on Melbourne to Adelaide flights, with 37% leaving in that window. Morning departures account for 34%, Evening flights for 25%, and Night flights for 4%.

Adelaide Airport (ADL) hosts 5 major car hire companies, with daily rates starting from around $16 for economy cars. Top options include:
• Bargain Car Rentals
• Simba Car Hire
• East Coast Car Rentals
• Europcar
• Budget

Flights from Melbourne to Adelaide may depart from several airports in Melbourne area, including Melbourne Avalon (AVV), Melbourne Moorabbin (MBW), Melbourne Essendon (MEB) and Melbourne (MEL). Flights usually arrive at Adelaide (ADL).

Morning flights have the fewest delays on this route. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day as one late flight pushes the next, so earlier departures are usually more reliable.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the Melbourne to Adelaide route, 19% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 1 hour 28 minutes.

Connecting flights from Melbourne to Adelaide most commonly pass through:

• Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) – 85% of one-stop connections
• Mount Gambier (MGB) – 15% of one-stop connections
Together, these airports account for 100% of one-stop bookings on this route.

Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 22% on the Melbourne to Adelaide route. Tuesday is the cheapest departure day at $221 return on average, while Sunday is the most expensive at $281, a difference of $60. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

3 airlines operate flights between Melbourne and Adelaide. The airlines offering direct flights on this route include:

• Virgin Australia
• Qantas Airways
• Jetstar

Flying via Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time of 6h 42m, compared to 7h 57m via Mount Gambier (MGB).

Some of the most popular sights in Adelaide are Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide Casino, and Victoria Park. These are among the most viewed places in Adelaide on KAYAK.

Among airlines operating Melbourne to Adelaide flights:

• Virgin Australia: offers free seat selection
• Qantas Airways: offers free seat selection

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• Jetstar: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• Virgin Australia: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• Qantas Airways: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route, and airline, so travellers should check the fare details before booking.

You’ll find dedicated VIP lounges available at Melbourne Airport for passengers taking domestic flights. For example, Virgin Australia has a lounge in Melbourne Airport’s Domestic Terminal 2, catering to airline members who have lounge access as part of their membership. Similarly, Qantas has a First Class Lounge on Level 1 of Terminal 2, just after the Security area.

Your checked baggage allowance will depend on the airline and cabin class you choose. For example, Rex and Virgin generally offer a 23 kg bag to Economy Class passengers and a 32 kg bag to Business Class passengers. As a low-cost carrier, Jetstar generally doesn’t offer a free checked bag to Economy passengers on flights from Melbourne to Adelaide. However, you can usually add one to your booking for a fee. In addition, Qantas offers a 23 kg bag to Economy Class passengers and two 23 kg bags to Business Class travellers.