Flights Sydney → Melbourne
SYD → MEL
Route overview
The flight route connects Sydney to Melbourne, utilizing a diverse fleet of aircraft including the Boeing 737, Airbus A320, and Embraer 190 among others. Melbourne's airport, which opened in 1964, serves over 25 million passengers annually, making it one of Australia's busiest travel hubs.
Your rights on this US flight (DOT)
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under the US DOT rules, if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Amenities for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
US flight refund rules & checker →General information, not legal advice.
The Sydney (SYD) → Melbourne (MEL) route is operated by American Airlines, United Airlines. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 11/100 (low), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At Melbourne the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Sydney the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes.
Heading to Melbourne: what to expect in this direction
Flying from Sydney (SYD) to Melbourne (MEL) heads south-west for about 706 km, a flight time of roughly 1h 18m.
Air-traffic congestion: departing Sydney the average ATFM delay is 2.0 min (atfm); arriving into Melbourne it is 2.0 min (atfm).
Route facts
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Airline punctuality on this route
| Airline | On-time | Average delay | Cancellations |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines (UA) | 74% | 10 min | 6.9% |
| American Airlines (AA) | 74% | 16 min | 3.0% |
Airlines operating SYD-MEL
Airports
Frequently asked questions about SYD-MEL
Route-specific punctuality data isn't available yet. Check your flight on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis.
The cancellation rate varies by airline and season. Check your flight risk for an up-to-date estimate.
The route is operated by 2 airlines: American Airlines, United Airlines.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at Melbourne, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel, airline punctuality and recent trends.
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under US DOT rules, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Meals or hotels for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
