Routes / Los Angeles / Los Angeles to Sydney

Los Angeles Sydney

1 nonstop pairs · 5 nonstop airlines · 31 nonstop flights/week

LAX to Sydney is about 15 hours nonstop. Five carriers fly it: Qantas, Delta, American, United, and Singapore Airlines. You leave at night and land two calendar days later because you cross the date line. Book your Sydney hotel starting the day after tomorrow, not tomorrow.

Qantas on the A380 is the flight to get. The A380 is a bigger, quieter plane than the 777s and 787s the US carriers fly, and on 15 hours you feel the difference even in economy. If Qantas is sold out or priced too high, check Singapore Airlines. They fly a few times a week and their cabin in every class beats the American carriers. The schedule is thinner, so your dates have to line up.

Delta has the most weekly departures. If flexibility matters or you need rebooking options, start there. American and United each fly daily on 777s.

Alaska Airlines shows up in search results but that is a codeshare on a partner plane, not their own flight. If you have Alaska Mileage Plan miles though, you can book Qantas business class through Alaska's award chart for significantly fewer miles than booking through Qantas directly.

On the way home you get a day back. You leave Sydney in the evening and land at LAX earlier the same calendar day. The Airport Link train from the Sydney international terminal to Central Station takes 13 minutes. Tap your card, no ticket to buy.

Have a specific need? Use the decision guide below to filter by your airline, where you live, lounges, or where you're staying in Sydney.

Best Overall

LAX → SYD

4 airlines 31/wk 14h 41m

74% on-time

Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Qantas, United Airlines. Also bookable via Singapore Airlines. Qantas for the best business class seat on 15 hours to Sydney.

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Nearby cities · connections only

~21mi San Bernardino No nonstop to Sydney Connecting ~65mi Palm Springs No nonstop to Sydney Connecting ~67mi San Diego No nonstop to Sydney Connecting ~111mi Tijuana No nonstop to Sydney Connecting

Decision Guide

Pick What Matters to You

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Best pair by where you're coming from

Your location determines which airport is closest and most convenient.

The closest neighborhoods to LAX that people actually want to stay in. Lincoln Boulevard south to the airport takes 20 to 30 minutes outside rush hour. During the evening rush, the 405 backs up and the drive can double.

The FlyAway bus runs from Union Station to LAX and avoids freeway traffic entirely. The most predictable ground transfer in the metro area. Driving the 110 to the 105 ranges from 30 minutes to over an hour.

La Brea south to the 105, or surface streets through Inglewood. Thirty to forty-five minutes depending on time of day. No direct transit link to LAX. Rideshare or drive.

Burbank, Sherman Oaks, Studio City. The 405 south through the Sepulveda Pass is the only freeway option and is notoriously slow during rush hour. Budget 60 to 90 minutes from the north Valley.

Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach are 15 minutes from the terminals. The South Bay is close enough that the airport is a non-issue. From deeper Orange County, the 405 north runs 45 to 60 minutes.

The 210 to the 110 to the 105 is the route, and it takes 45 to 75 minutes depending on traffic. No good transit option to LAX. Leave early.

For most Los Angeles-area travelers, LAX → SYD is the default.5 airlines, 31 flights/wk.

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Best pair by where you're staying in Sydney

Your Sydney airport matters as much as your Los Angeles airport.

The harbour front. The Opera House sits at the eastern end, the Harbour Bridge at the western. Ferries to Manly and Taronga Zoo leave from the quay. Hotels here cost more than anywhere else in the city. For a first visit, the location justifies it. Airport Link to Central, then one train to Circular Quay.

Sydney's best concentration of restaurants in two neighborhoods east of Central Station. Walk to the CBD in 15 minutes. Hotels and short-term rentals run cheaper than the harbour. Airport Link to Central puts you within walking distance.

Seven kilometers east of the CBD. The beach and the coastal walk south to Coogee are the draw. Getting to the city center takes 30 to 40 minutes by bus. No direct train. A good base for a week-long stay where the beach is the priority, not for two days of sightseeing.

The western waterfront of the CBD. Barangaroo is newer development with upscale hotels and a harbourside walk. Darling Harbour has the convention center and the maritime museum. Business travelers with meetings in the financial district should base here.

Inner west, a short train ride from Central. King Street has more independent restaurants, bars, and vintage shops per block than anywhere else in the city. Budget-friendly with a local crowd. A 10-minute train to the CBD.

North side of the harbour, reached by a 30-minute ferry from Circular Quay. A beach town inside a major city. Restaurants line the walk from the wharf to the ocean beach. Works if you plan to spend most of your time on the northern beaches, not downtown.

SYD is the right Sydney airport for most travelers.Check individual route pages for ground transport from SYD.

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Which pair your airline flies nonstop

Loyalty programs drive airport choice for frequent flyers. Here's where each airline operates.

Airline	LAX–SYD
Delta Air Lines	✓
American Airlines	✓
Singapore Airlines	✓
Qantas	✓
United Airlines	✓

Most airlines fly LAX → SYD.0 airlines serve multiple pairs.

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Ranked by on-time performance

On-time = departing within 15 min of schedule. Higher competition tends to keep airlines punctual.

74% on-time. 5 airlines competing.

LAX → SYD has a 74% on-time record.High competition keeps airlines punctual.

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Lounge access by airport and terminal

Premium lounge access varies dramatically by terminal. This alone can determine airport choice for some travelers.

Ontario does not have the lounge infrastructure of a major hub. Options are minimal. The terminals have food courts and a few sit-down restaurants past security. For the kind of short, low-stress trips this airport handles well, the gate area is comfortable enough.

No airline lounges. No Sky Club, no Admirals Club, no United Club. The terminal has a handful of sit-down restaurants and decent seating, but nothing behind a door. The tradeoff: you spend 20 minutes in the building instead of two hours, so a lounge matters less here than at a larger airport.

American Airlines Flagship passengers and oneworld Emerald on premium cabin tickets. Sit-down dining, shower suites, and a quieter space than the Admirals Clubs in the same terminal. One of the stronger domestic lounges in the building.

Inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Open to oneworld business and first class passengers. Large footprint with tarmac views, hot food, and bar service. An airside connector from Terminal 4 reaches TBIT without leaving security.

Open to Delta One passengers, SkyMiles Diamond and Platinum members, and Amex Platinum cardholders with a same-day Delta boarding pass. Food, drinks, and shower access. Gets crowded during the eastbound red-eye push in the evening.

Standard United Club with food and drinks. Requires United Club membership or Star Alliance Gold status. No Polaris Lounge at LAX, which is a step down from what United offers at Newark or SFO.

No lounge. JetBlue does not operate a dedicated lounge at LAX, so Mint passengers board early but have no pre-flight space. Terminal 5 has food options and seating, but nothing behind a door. The one gap in the Mint product .

Burbank does not have airline club lounges. No Admirals Club, no Sky Club, no Centurion. The terminal is small enough that the lounge question does not come up. You clear security, walk to your gate, and the wait is short.

Limited food and coffee past security. A few options on the landside before you clear the checkpoint. The tradeoff for Burbank speed is less to do at the gate, but the wait is usually short enough that it does not matter.

Long Beach Airport does not have airline lounges or independent lounge facilities. The terminal is small enough that the absence is painless. A bar and a few restaurants sit past security. Boarding happens quickly at an airport this size.

Open to Qantas and oneworld business class passengers and oneworld Sapphire and Emerald members. Large space with a full bar, hot food, barista coffee, and shower suites. Can fill up during peak evening departure windows when several long-haul flights board at once.

Restricted to Qantas first class passengers and oneworld Emerald members. Smaller and quieter than the business lounge. Sit-down dining with an a la carte menu, day spa, and a calmer atmosphere. One of the better first class lounges in the region.

Airline-operated lounges open to Star Alliance Gold members and business class passengers on participating carriers. Quality and size vary by lounge. Worth checking which lounge your boarding pass unlocks before heading through security.

Third-party lounges that accept Priority Pass, LoungeKey, and other membership cards. Below the airline lounges in food and space, but they offer a quieter seat, Wi-Fi, and light refreshments. Walk-in rates available if you do not have a membership.

Your airline and cabin class determine which lounges you can access.Check route pages for terminal assignments.

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Ranked by flights per week

More flights = more flexibility. Miss your flight, catch the next one. Schedule depth is insurance.

31/wk (~4/day) — 5 airlines.

LAX → SYD: 31 flights/week.4 departures per day.

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Getting to the airport

Cost and time vary by mode. Train is more predictable than driving.

Pickup is on the arrivals level outside each terminal. Wait times are usually short given the lower passenger volume. Rides to downtown Riverside take around 25 minutes. Rides to downtown LA run 50 to 90 minutes depending on time of day and freeway conditions.

Ontario Airport does not have a direct rail station. The nearest Metrolink stops are a short rideshare away. From there, trains run to LA Union Station in around 90 minutes. Slower than driving but useful if you want to skip freeway traffic into the city.

Taxis are available outside the terminals. Fares to nearby Inland Empire destinations run around $25. Rideshares are typically cheaper for all distances.

The rental car center is across the street from the terminals. A short walk gets you there without a shuttle bus. Quick and easy compared to the off-site rental car process at LAX.

Pickup at the curb or a short walk from baggage claim. Fares run around $10 to $20 to Irvine, around $15 to $25 to Anaheim. Quick and simple because the terminal is small and the pickup zone is close.

Counters inside the terminal complex. If you are visiting Orange County for more than a day, a car is the default. The 405, 55, and 73 freeways connect SNA to Irvine, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Anaheim within 15 to 25 minutes.

Metered fares from outside baggage claim. Short rides to nearby cities run around $15 to $30. Practical for a quick trip to a hotel in Irvine or Costa Mesa without waiting for rideshare surge to settle.

Many Orange County hotels run complimentary airport shuttles to SNA. Check with your hotel before arranging other transport. The airport is small enough that shuttles pull up right outside the terminal.

Runs every 30 minutes from LAX to Union Station for around $10. Travel time ranges from 30 to 75 minutes depending on traffic. Union Station connects to Metro rail, Metrolink commuter trains, and Amtrak. The only real public transit link from LAX until the People Mover opens.

Pickup from the LAX-it lot, a dedicated area outside the terminals that adds 10 to 15 minutes of walking and waiting. Fares run around $30 to $60 to most LA destinations, with heavy surge swings during peak hours. Fast when the pricing cooperates, expensive when it does not.

Metered fares from the curb at every terminal. Expect around $50 to $80 to Hollywood or downtown, more in heavy traffic. Pricing is more predictable than rideshare during surge periods because there is no algorithm involved.

Free shuttle from terminals to the consolidated rental car center on Aviation Boulevard. LA is a car city, and most visits beyond a couple of days end up requiring one. If you plan to cover multiple neighborhoods, rent at the airport and skip the daily rideshare math.

To Hollywood, around 15 minutes and around $15 to $20. To downtown LA, around 25 minutes and around $20 to $30. Rideshare pickup is steps from baggage claim, and the airport drop-off loop is short enough that drivers do not spend ten minutes circling.

The parking lot sits across the street from the terminal. No shuttle bus, no garage maze, no terminal train. Walk from your car to the check-in counter in under five minutes. Daily rates run lower than LAX garage parking.

A Metrolink commuter rail station sits near the terminal. Trains run to Union Station in downtown LA in about 25 minutes. Service follows a commuter schedule, not an all-day frequency, so check departure times before counting on it.

The North Hollywood Metro station is about four miles from the airport. A rideshare from Burbank to the station takes about ten minutes, and the B Line runs to Hollywood, Koreatown, and downtown. Not a direct airport connection, but workable if you are heading to a Metro-served neighborhood.

Pickup is outside the terminal on the arrivals level. The airport is compact enough that you are in a car within minutes of walking out. Rides to downtown Long Beach take around 10 minutes. Rides to downtown LA run 30 to 50 minutes depending on freeway traffic.

Local buses connect the airport to downtown Long Beach and the A Line light rail station. The bus ride to the transit mall takes around 15 minutes. From there, the A Line runs north to downtown LA in about an hour. Inexpensive but slow for anything beyond the Long Beach area.

Taxis queue outside the terminal. Metered fares to downtown Long Beach run around $15. Rideshares are typically cheaper for longer distances.

Rental counters are inside the terminal and the lot is a short walk away. No shuttle bus required. One of the easiest rental car pickups at any LA area airport.

Weigh transit time against schedule flexibility.A faster airport with fewer flights may not save you time overall.

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Red-eye vs daytime departures

Departure timing affects jet lag, hotel costs, and how you spend your first day.

Every nonstop leaves LAX between 9pm and midnight and lands in Sydney in the early morning two days later. Fifteen hours in a seat that does not lie flat. Window seat, earplugs, and melatonin after the first meal service. Skip the second meal to extend your sleep window. You will not arrive rested, but you can arrive functional.

A flat bed changes the first day in Sydney. Qantas has the widest business suite and the best bedding. Delta, American, United, and Singapore Airlines all offer lie-flat seats. At this flight length, the difference between economy and business is not a comfort upgrade. It is whether you lose your first day to exhaustion.

Most flights land between 6 and 8am. Immigration clears quickly at that hour. The Airport Link train is running and the city is waking up. Check bags at your hotel if the room is not ready, walk to a cafe in the sun, and stay upright until evening. The 18-hour time difference takes commitment on day one.

LAX → SYD has the most departure options.Check the route page for schedule details.

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Premium cabin options

Business and first class products on this route, ranked by value and quality.

Qantas flies the 787 Dreamliner and A380 on this route. Both aircraft carry a business suite wider than what the US carriers offer, with direct aisle access. Australian wines selected by a panel, menus that rotate seasonally, and a lounge at Sydney that serves barista coffee. On a 15-hour overnight to Sydney, Qantas sets the standard.

Delta flies this route more often than any other carrier. The business cabin has lie-flat seats with direct aisle access. SkyClub access at LAX before departure and a consistent operation across the fleet. The seat is narrower than Qantas and the food is standard American carrier fare, but the schedule flexibility is a real advantage.

Three flights a week limits flexibility, but the seat and service are excellent. The crew, food, and attention to detail rank among the best of any carrier on any route. If the schedule lines up, Singapore Airlines competes with Qantas for the best premium experience across the Pacific.

Both sell lie-flat business class seats with direct aisle access on daily departures. The hard product is a step behind Qantas and Singapore Airlines. American and United are the pick for AAdvantage or MileagePlus members who want to earn or redeem miles on their home program.

Check route pages for cabin details per airline.Business class products vary significantly between carriers.

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Connecting through Los Angeles from a domestic flight

Five carriers fly LAX to Sydney nonstop, most of them daily. A connection through Auckland, Fiji, or Honolulu adds 5 to 10 hours to a trip that already takes 15 hours direct. The fare savings on a one-stop itinerary rarely justify the extra time. If you are starting from a city without nonstop Sydney service, route through LAX on a domestic connection and take a nonstop across the Pacific.

ONT has no Sydney nonstops. Your airline may offer a single-ticket connection through a hub. Otherwise, ground transport to a nonstop airport.

SNA has no Sydney nonstops. Your airline may offer a single-ticket connection through a hub. Otherwise, ground transport to a nonstop airport.

Book LAX → SYD. Same airport, no ground transport needed. 5 airlines, 31/wk.

BUR has no Sydney nonstops. Your airline may offer a single-ticket connection through a hub. Otherwise, ground transport to a nonstop airport.

LGB has no Sydney nonstops. Your airline may offer a single-ticket connection through a hub. Otherwise, ground transport to a nonstop airport.

Avoid cross-airport transfers. No direct transit links between most metro airports. Budget 4+ hours minimum if you must.

Check which Los Angeles airport your domestic flight arrives at, then book Sydney from that same airport.LAX arrivals → LAX–SYD

LAX → SYD

Know Your Airports

Los Angeles & Sydney Airport Profiles

Each airport has a personality. Terminal quality, transit access, lounge scene, and crowd levels vary dramatically — sometimes more than the flight itself.

Los Angeles Metro

Nine terminals arranged in a horseshoe around a central loop road that crawls during peak hours and stops entirely during evening pushes. Upper level is departures, lower level is arrivals, and the drive between terminals can take 20 minutes even though the physical distance is trivial. Signage works if you already know where you are going and fails if you do not.

Walking between terminals means exiting security and re-entering, which makes airside connections slow and frustrating. The Tom Bradley International Terminal sits at the bend of the horseshoe and handles most international traffic. Terminal age and condition vary widely: some have been renovated in the last few years, others look and feel decades old. An Automated People Mover is under construction to connect the terminals to a new Metro station and a consolidated car rental facility.

Security lines swing unpredictably by terminal and time of day. The evening red-eye push backs up multiple terminals simultaneously. Budget extra time and do not rely on a short queue. Food and retail inside security have improved recently, particularly in the Bradley terminal and the recently refreshed domestic terminals.

Sydney Pairs

1

SYD

Airlines

5

Flights/Week

31

Closest nonstop airport LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) · 47mi from ONT

Or connect through HNL Daniel K. Inouye International... · 17/wk onward SFO San Francisco International Ai... · 10/wk onward DFW Dallas Fort Worth Internationa... · 7/wk onward

Closest nonstop airport LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) · 36mi from SNA

Or connect through SFO San Francisco International Ai... · 10/wk onward DFW Dallas Fort Worth Internationa... · 7/wk onward

Closest nonstop airport LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) · 18mi from BUR

Or connect through SFO San Francisco International Ai... · 10/wk onward DFW Dallas Fort Worth Internationa... · 7/wk onward

Closest nonstop airport LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) · 17mi from LGB

Or connect through HNL Daniel K. Inouye International... · 17/wk onward

Sydney Metro

Sydney Kingsford Smith sits five miles south of the CBD, closer to the city center than most international airports. Three terminals. Terminal 1 handles all international flights. Terminals 2 and 3 handle domestic services and sit on the opposite side of the airfield. The Airport Link train connects all three terminals, or a transfer bus runs between them. Allow at least 90 minutes if you need to move between an international and domestic terminal.

Terminal 1 is a single departures hall with duty-free shopping between security and the gates. Walking distances are short. No gate is more than a 15-minute walk from the security checkpoint. Immigration on arrival moves quickly in the early morning, and bags typically reach the carousel within 20 minutes of landing.

Los Angeles Pairs

1

LAX

Nonstop from Los Angeles

31/wk

Into Sydney

13 min

Train to Central

All Pairs

Full Comparison

Every airport combination ranked by schedule depth. LAX–SYD carries 100% of weekly flights with the best on-time record.

Route	Airlines	Flights/Wk	Share	Duration	OTP
LAX → SYD	4	31		14h 41m	74%	Explore →

Coverage Matrix

Which Airlines Fly Which Pairs

Not all planes are the same size. The aircraft type below each checkmark tells you whether you are getting a widebody (777, 787, A350) with wider seats and a quieter ride, or a narrowbody (737, A321) with a single aisle. On flights over five hours, the difference is significant.

LAX–SYD

American Airlines

✓
777-300ER

Delta Air Lines

✓
A350-900

Qantas

✓
A380

United Airlines

✓
787-9

Singapore Airlines (codeshare)

✓
777-200LR

Quick Reference

Route Facts

Total Nonstops

31/wk

Across 1 pairs

Airlines

5

5 on LAX–SYD

Fastest Pair

14h 41m

LAX → SYD

Distance

7,539 mi

12,130 km

Los Angeles

5 airports

ONT, SNA, LAX, BUR, LGB

Sydney

1 airports

SYD

Best OTP

74%

LAX → SYD

No Nonstop

ONT, SNA, BUR, LGB

No Sydney nonstops

LAX → SYD ONT Routes SNA Routes ONT Delays SNA Delays

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Los Angeles to Sydney flights.

Yes. Qantas flies 787 and A380 aircraft on this route, and the business suites are wider than what Delta, American, or United offer. The catering reflects Qantas's home advantage with Australian wines and regional menus. On a 15-hour overnight, better sleep and better food compound into a more functional arrival. Book Qantas for the seat and the food. Book Delta if your schedule might shift and you need more rebooking options.

For the CBD and inner suburbs, yes. The train reaches Central Station in around 13 minutes and runs frequently from early morning. A taxi or rideshare to the CBD costs around AUD 50 to 65 and takes 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic. The train is faster, cheaper, and drops you at Central where you can transfer to most suburban lines. If your destination is Bondi or the eastern beaches, a car from the airport is more direct than connecting trains.

Yes. You cross the international date line heading west. A flight leaving LAX on Tuesday night arrives in Sydney on Thursday morning. Wednesday exists only on the aircraft. On the return, you gain the day back. Leave Sydney on a Thursday morning and land in Los Angeles on Thursday morning, as if the flight took no time at all.

Sydney's peak season is December through February, which is summer in the southern hemisphere. Fares climb during those months and around US holidays. The lowest economy fares tend to appear for travel in May, June, or September, when Sydney is cooler but still mild. Shoulder months in March, April, October, and November balance price and weather.

Sydney is 18 hours ahead of Los Angeles, shifting by an hour in each direction with daylight saving. After landing at 6 or 7am Sydney time, your body thinks it is still yesterday afternoon. Stay awake and outside until at least 9pm Sydney time on your first day. Napping when you arrive means waking at 2am and losing two days to the adjustment.

Not usually. Five carriers offer daily or near-daily nonstops from LAX, so a connection adds hours without meaningful savings. Routing through Auckland, Fiji, or Honolulu turns a 15-hour trip into 20 or more. The one case where a stop makes sense is award travel when nonstop business class availability is sold out.