Detroit to Sydney Flights (DTW to SYD): Connections, Total Travel Time and Arrival Guide

One stop, on the West Coast or in Asia

There is no nonstop between Detroit and Sydney, and the distance rules one out. Every DTW to SYD itinerary connects once, and the choice is between a US West Coast hub and a North Asian one.

The West Coast routings are the most common. Delta flies Detroit to Los Angeles several times a day and operates its own Los Angeles to Sydney nonstop, with Virgin Australia as its partner for onward Australian flights. United connects Detroit through San Francisco, Los Angeles or Houston, all of which have United nonstops to Sydney. American connects through Los Angeles or Dallas-Fort Worth, and Qantas, American's oneworld partner, flies Sydney from Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Francisco, so an American feeder onto a Qantas long-haul is routinely sold as one ticket.

The Asian routings suit travellers who prefer two medium-long flights to one very long one. Delta flies Detroit nonstop to Seoul Incheon, and its joint-venture partner Korean Air flies Seoul to Sydney, which keeps the whole trip in SkyTeam. Delta also flies Detroit to Tokyo Haneda, from where Japan Airlines, ANA and Qantas serve Sydney, though those are not Delta partners and usually mean a separate ticket.

How long it really takes

Detroit to Sydney is about 9,400 miles (roughly 15,100 km) in a straight line. The Detroit to West Coast leg is 4.5 to 5.5 hours, and the transpacific leg from Los Angeles or San Francisco about 15 hours, so a realistic itinerary runs 21 to 25 hours gate to gate westbound. Via Seoul it is about 14 hours to Korea and 10.5 hours on to Sydney, with a similar total.

You cross the International Date Line, so you land in Sydney two calendar days after you leave Detroit on most schedules, having lost a day. Coming home, the Sydney to Los Angeles leg is shorter at about 13.5 to 14 hours, and you often land on the same calendar day you left, which confuses hotel bookings more than anything else.

Leaving from DTW

Detroit Metropolitan has two terminals. The McNamara Terminal handles Delta and its SkyTeam partners including Korean Air and Air France; the North Terminal handles United, American and the other airlines. They are not connected airside, so a connection between them means leaving security, taking the shuttle and re-screening. McNamara is a long building with an indoor tram between the ends; allow time to reach a far gate.

The airport is about 20 miles from downtown Detroit, with no rail link. Taxi and ride-hail take 25 to 40 minutes outside rush hour, and the SMART bus is the budget option. For an early connection to the West Coast, 90 minutes ahead is enough at McNamara on a weekday; weekends and holiday mornings run slower.

Arriving in Sydney and getting into the city

Sydney's Kingsford Smith has Terminal 1 for all international flights, with Terminals 2 and 3 for domestic across the airfield, linked by a train and a bus. Immigration uses SmartGates for US passports and biometric clearance, and the incoming passenger card is still required as of recent rules. Australian biosecurity is strict: declare all food, wooden items and anything used on a farm, and expect bags to be checked.

The airport is about 8 km south of the centre:

• Airport Link train: from the station beneath Terminal 1 to Central in about 13 minutes and on to Circular Quay and Town Hall, every ten minutes or so. The quickest option, with a station access fee added to the normal fare.
• Taxi or ride-hail: 20 to 40 minutes to the city centre, longer in the morning rush, from marked ranks and pickup zones outside the terminal.
• Bus: route 420 runs to Mascot and Bondi Junction and suits the eastern suburbs.

If you connect to a domestic flight on Qantas or Virgin Australia, the transfer bus between terminals takes about 10 minutes and the connection needs at least two hours after an international arrival.

When to fly and when to book

Seasons are reversed. Sydney's summer runs from December to February and is also the Australian school holiday period, with Christmas and New Year the most expensive weeks from the US. Autumn, from March to May, and spring, from September to November, have mild weather and lighter demand, and the beaches are still usable well into May. Winter, from June to August, is cool and the cheapest time, with ski season in the mountains drawing domestic travellers instead.

Because the transpacific nonstops from Los Angeles fill from every US city at once, book four to six months ahead for December and January and two to three months otherwise.

Entry requirements and documents

As of recent rules, US passport holders need an Electronic Travel Authority before travelling to Australia, obtained through the official Australian ETA app for a small processing charge, and can then visit for short stays. Apply a few days ahead, since the airline checks for it at the first check-in. Other nationalities use different visa types, so check the Australian Department of Home Affairs before you book. Your passport should be valid for your whole stay.

Time zones and jet lag

Sydney is on Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10, with daylight saving from October to April. Because the hemispheres switch at opposite times, Sydney is 14 hours ahead of Detroit in the northern summer, 16 hours ahead in the northern winter, and 15 hours ahead in between. In practice it is easier to think of it as 10 hours behind plus a day.

Most arrivals land in the morning. Staying awake until a local bedtime on day one is hard after a 15-hour flight but is the only thing that works. Allow four or five days to feel normal in each direction.

What travellers on this route get wrong

The first mistake is leaving the ETA until the airport. The second is booking a domestic connection in Sydney, to Melbourne or the Barrier Reef, with an hour and a half in hand, which immigration, biosecurity and the terminal transfer cannot fit. The third is forgetting the date line and arriving a day later than the hotel expects. Each is a quick check when you book.