How long is the flight from UK to Australia?
If you’re planning to visit Australia from the UK, you might be asking yourself, “How long is the flight from the UK to Australia?” Well, you’re in luck, as I’ve made the long trip and just planned a return flight to Australia from the UK for 2024.
Is visiting Australia on your 2024 bucket list? It’s a sensational country that is so popular with Brits that over half a million of us make the trip yearly!
In this post, I’ll share all the information you need before booking your flight from the UK to the “Land Down Under”, including exactly how long different flight options take.
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So, How Long is the Flight from UK to Australia?
There’s no escaping the fact that the flying time to Australia from the UK is long! You’ll cross 14 time zones on a journey of at least 9,461 miles(15,226 km) that takes you halfway around the world. No wonder they are called long-haul flights!
💡 Fun fact: A flight to Australia is almost the longest flight you can take from the United Kingdom (only New Zealand is further).
Flying “Down Under” can take anything from about 16 hours for non-stop flights to over 30 hours for journeys with one or more layovers. A rough average time to keep in mind for a flight to”Oz” is 20-24 hours.
💡 Pro Tip: Your actual United Kingdom to Australia flight time could vary from the scheduled time, depending on the prevailing winds on the day. A “headwind” typically slows a flight down, while a “tailwind” can sometimes help a flight to arrive ahead of schedule.
As you’d expect, there’s a trade-off between the cost of a flight to Australia and the actual journey time. Typically, you’ll pay a premium for direct (fast) flights than for flights to Australia with layovers.
Some of the longest (and cheapest) flight options involve two layovers and three separate flights. When I last flew to Australia, I flew from London Heathrow to Dubai, then to Singapore, and finally on to Adelaide. It was exhausting!
➡️ Check out these long-haul flight tips and what to do on a plane to help you prepare for your flight!!
Which Factors Will affect your flying time to Australia?
In addition to weather conditions and aircraft type, two key factors can impact your flying time:
Departure airport (in the UK)
While the UK isn’t a large country by international standards, it is about 600 miles (1,000 km) from the southern coast of England to the northern tip of Scotland. If you plan to fly to Australia from an airport in the north of the UK, your flight could take at least an hour longer than flying from a London airport.
A flight to Australia from the UK’s northern airports will likely involve at least two layovers. But that’s still quicker and (usually) cheaper than driving or taking the train to a London airport 🙂
I’ve tried both options and can tell you that taking the train/driving to a London airport from “Up North” is a special kind of madness. Save your sanity and take the connecting flight if you can!
Destination airport (in Australia)
Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world at around 32 times bigger than the UK, with international airports that are thousands of miles apart. Flying from the UK to Perth on Australia’s west coast will take several hours less than travelling to eastern coast cities like Sydney or Melbourne!
People often struggle with jet lag when flying to Australia from the UK. I found arriving in Australia in the morning when all my body wanted was sleep really tough. In fact, I fell asleep in a cafe at 11 am after my flight to Adelaide!
If you can find flights to Australia from England that land later in the day, you’ll likely find it easier to overcome your jet lag and adjust to your new time zone more quickly 🙂
Can You Get Direct Flights From The UK to Australia?
Yes! You can fly directly from London Heathrow Airport to Perth on a Qantas Dreamliner. The flying time to Australia on these flights is around 16 and a half hours.
➡️I recommend using SkyScanner to search for the best prices for your flights to Australia from England (or for any other trips). They make it really easy for you to find all the flight options, including direct flights and ones with one or more stops.
What Are the Best UK To Australia Flight Options?
The array of flight options from the UK to Australia might initially seem bewildering, so let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular options.
Direct Flights to Australia From England
- The only direct flights to Australia are from London airports with Qantas Airways. If you’re travelling from elsewhere in the UK, be prepared for a higher cost and longer journey 🙁
- Use Skyscanner to find the best price for your direct flight.
💡 Pro Tip: If you can be flexible with your dates, you’ll find a flight to Australia is typically the most expensive in December and January. Book outside those months to save money!
Flights to Australia From England With A Layover in Asia
Southeast Asia’s efficient, modern airports make popular options for layovers to Australia. The vibrant, exciting cities are also great places to break your journey for a few days of R&R or explore before flying to Australia.
I found that the cheapest flights to Australia depart from London’s Heathrow Airport in West London; however, you can also get flights from London Gatwick or Stansted with similar flight times. Ultimately, Heathrow is the most popular London airport to fly from for Australia, with the best selection of flights.
You can also find connecting flights in major European cities if you want to fly out from London City Airport and this sometimes offers very good value fares.
💡 Fun fact: The first time I flew to Australia almost 40 years ago from Heathrow to Adelaide cost almost exactly what I would pay for the same journey today. It was a much bigger chunk of my salary then – and the travel time was over 36 hours!
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular routes from the UK to Australia:
London Heathrow >> Kuala Lumpur >> Perth
This journey offers the fastest flying time to Australia for a non-direct flight, taking just under 21 hours. It’s just about the cheapest route, with a return flight coming in from £800 on SkyScanner.
London Heathrow >> Singapore >> Perth
Flying to Perth via Singapore also takes just over 20 hours, but it’s typically a little more expensive, at about £1200 for a return flight.
💡 Pro Tip: If you really want to see Singapore (and you absolutely should), consider a layover in the city on your outbound flight and stopover in Kuala Lumpur on the way home to stretch your budget a little further 🙂
One of the reasons I love using SkyScanner is how easy it is to check all of the price options and bag the best deals.
London Heathrow >> Kuala Lumpur or Taipei >> Sydney
As Sydney is on Australia’s east coast, your flying time to Australia could be as much as five hours longer than flying to Perth. If you pick Kuala Lumpur as your connecting airport to Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport, expect to pay upwards of £950, while connecting via Taipei could cost upwards of £1200 and take around 26 hours.
Other options you could consider in Southeast Asia include Ho Chi Minh City (although the total flying time to Australia is often 30 hours), or you could look at routes via Beijing in China.
Flights to Australia With A Layover in the Middle East
The top-class airports in the Middle East are also very popular stopover options, offering fabulous amenities and world-class duty-free shopping to kill time!
I spent half of my layover in Dubai drooling at the expensive jewellery stores and the rest of the time people watching and reading.
London Heathrow >> Doha or Dubai >> Perth
Flights from Heathrow to Australia with a layover in Dubai or Doha layover are typically more expensive than stopping in Southeast Asia, but the tradeoff is in the faster flying time to Australia.
If you’re travelling to Perth, these flights often take around 19 hours, but you should expect to pay around £1700 for convenience. It’s a similar uplift if you want to fly Sydney Airport.
I always use SkyScanner to find the fastest and cheapest flights. If you can be a little flexible with your dates, you may be surprised how much you can save.
FAQ: How long is the flight from UK to Australia?
In case you have a few more questions about flying to Australia from the UK, here’s what people often ask before booking their long-distance flights:
How long is a direct flight from UK to Australia?
Direct flights from the UK to Perth in Australia take just over 16 hours. These direct flights from the UK to Australia depart from London Heathrow with the airline Qantas.
Can you fly direct from Australia to the UK?
Yes, a direct flight between London Heathrow and Perth exists with Qantas. The flight takes about 16 hours direct and is the only direct option between the UK and Australia.
What is the fastest way to get to Australia from the UK?
The fastest route to Australia is to take a non-stop Qantas flight to Perth from London Heathrow, taking 16 hours.
How long is a flight to Australia from the UK?
A flight to Australia from England takes from 16 hours to 30 hours, depending on whether you fly directly or choose connecting flights. The average flight time is about 20-24 hours.
What was the Kangaroo route?
The historic “Kangaroo Route” was operated between the UK and Australia. Initially, it took up to 12 1/2 days, but in 1947 Qantas Empire Airways took over the route, reducing the flying time to 58 hours!
Last Words on How long is the flight from UK to Australia?
And there you have it, a complete guide to “How long flight to Australia from UK?” along with other information about flying between the two countries.
The flying time to Australia from the UK is a big factor to consider when planning your trip Down Under. While the exact flight duration will vary depending on factors such as the departure and arrival cities, direct flights typically range from 20 to 24 hours.
You’ll want to weigh up the convenience and cost of non-stop travel against the potential cost savings associated with longer layovers and connecting flights.
Whichever route you pick, proper preparation, including ample entertainment, rest, and hydration, can help make the journey more enjoyable.
The long flying time may seem daunting initially, but the breathtaking landscapes and diverse experiences awaiting you in Australia will make the adventure well worth the time spent in the air. Safe travels!
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