CNS

$234 Find Cheap Flights to Cairns

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight to Cairns departing on 25/2. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
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Search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Cairns

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to Cairns, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to Cairns, as well as popular online travel agencies
In the last 7 days, travellers have searched 41,299,237 times on KAYAK, and here's why:

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Cheap Flight Deals to Cairns

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights to Cairns that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.

Recent return flight deals from New Zealand to Cairns

Recommended round-trip deals departing in the coming months from the most popular airlines that fly from New Zealand to Cairns.
Discover the best prices and deals for you by selecting your travel dates.
Choose your dates
06:45 - 17:10AKL-CNS
13h 25m1 stop
20:35 - 05:10CNS-AKL
29h 35m1 stop
$675Jetstar
Find Deal
Thu, 16 Jan - Fri, 24 Jan
06:45 - 17:10AKL-CNS
13h 25m1 stop
06:00 - 05:10CNS-AKL
20h 10m1 stop
$726Jetstar
Find Deal
Fri, 17 Jan - Mon, 20 Jan
06:45 - 17:10AKL-CNS
13h 25m1 stop
14:40 - 05:10CNS-AKL
11h 30m1 stop
Fri, 17 Jan - Mon, 20 Jan
16:35 - 09:05AKL-CNS
19h 30m1 stop
16:05 - 05:10CNS-AKL
10h 05m1 stop
$743Jetstar
Find Deal
Sat, 1 Feb - Sat, 8 Feb
06:15 - 18:15AKL-CNS
14h 00m1 stop
06:35 - 05:05CNS-AKL
20h 30m2 stops
$827Jetstar
Find Deal
Wed, 11 Jun - Mon, 16 Jun
06:45 - 17:10AKL-CNS
13h 25m1 stop
09:15 - 23:25CNS-AKL
11h 10m2 stops
Fri, 17 Jan - Mon, 20 Jan
17:30 - 23:15ZQN-CNS
8h 45m1 stop
14:40 - 16:40CNS-ZQN
23h 00m1 stop
$953Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Thu, 16 Jan - Wed, 22 Jan
07:00 - 22:45AKL-CNS
18h 45m1 stop
12:45 - 00:25CNS-AKL
8h 40m1 stop
$1,076Emirates
Find Deal
Sat, 1 Feb - Sat, 8 Feb
20:15 - 12:05WLG-CNS
17h 50m2 stops
15:35 - 09:40CNS-WLG
16h 05m2 stops
$1,091Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Mon, 5 May - Mon, 12 May
16:00 - 13:55WLG-CNS
23h 55m1 stop
14:35 - 14:45CNS-WLG
22h 10m1 stop
$1,116Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Mon, 5 May - Mon, 12 May

Flights to Cairns - Travel Insights & Trends

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights to Cairns to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest flight to Cairns?

These are the best round-trip prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
In the last 3 days, the cheapest flight deal to Cairns was found on the route from Auckland, at $1,181 return. The most popular connection is from Christchurch to Cairns and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as $841 in the last 3 days.

How much is a flight to Cairns?

The average and cheapest price for all round-trip flights to Cairns from each origin found by users searching on KAYAK in the last month.
A flight to Cairns costs $918 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost $574 and departed from Christchurch. The most popular routes on KAYAK are Christchurch to Cairns which costs $889 on average, and Auckland to Cairns, which costs $1,006 on average.
See prices from:

What is the cheapest day to fly to Cairns?

The average price of all round-trip flights to Cairns clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Cairns is Friday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $972. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $1,099 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly to Cairns?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights to Cairns, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.
The cheapest month for flights to Cairns is August, where tickets cost $812 on average for return flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and June, where the average cost of tickets from New Zealand is $1,189 and $1,098 respectively. For one-way flights, the best month to travel is August with an average price of $812.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Cairns?

The average price for all round-trip flights to Cairns depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.
The cheapest time of day to fly to Cairns is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost $838 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Cairns is generally in the morning, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,076.

How far in advance should I book a flight to Cairns?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights to Cairns, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.
To get a below average price, you should book around 3 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 26 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low season

February

High season

August

Cheapest flight

$234
Best time to beat the crowds (10% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 20% lower on average.
Flight from Auckland to Cairns

When to book flights to Cairns

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel to Cairns based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated return price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or returns with a duration up to 40 days. The information is for flights to Cairns based on your location. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs - booking Cairns flights

  • What is the cheapest flight to Cairns?

    In the last 3 days, the cheapest flight deal to Cairns was found on the route from Auckland, at $1,181 return. The most popular connection is from Christchurch to Cairns and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as $841 in the last 3 days.

  • How far is Cairns Airport from central Cairns?

    You’ll need to travel 4 km to reach the Cairns city centre from Cairns Airport.

  • What is the name of Cairns’s airport?

    When flying to Cairns, you'll arrive at Cairns Airport (CNS). The airport is also known as Cairns or Cairns Intl.

  • How much is a flight to Cairns?

    On average, a flight to Cairns costs $918. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost $574 and departed from Christchurch Airport.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights to Cairns?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights to Cairns.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket to Cairns?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Cairns is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights to Cairns?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Cairns with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight to Cairns?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Cairns up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Cairns

  • Looking for cheap airfare to Cairns? 25% of our users found return tickets to Cairns for the following prices or less: From Christchurch $634, from Auckland $989
  • Book at least 1 week before departure in order to get a below-average price.
  • High season is considered to be January, November and December. The cheapest month to fly from New Zealand is August.
  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Cairns flight deals.
See more tips

Prefer to fly direct to Cairns?

Find which airlines fly direct to Cairns Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

New Zealand to Cairns

Monday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

Tuesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +25 more

ANA, Air Canada, +26 more

Wednesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +28 more

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +26 more

ANA, Air Canada, +27 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +28 more

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +24 more

ANA, Air Canada, +25 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +28 more

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Cairns to New Zealand

Monday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

Tuesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +25 more

ANA, Air Canada, +26 more

Wednesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +28 more

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +26 more

ANA, Air Canada, +27 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +28 more

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +24 more

ANA, Air Canada, +25 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +28 more

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

See more direct flights
See more direct flights

Top 5 airlines flying to Cairns

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to Cairns. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from New Zealand to Cairns. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with to Cairns? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.1
EmiratesOverall score based on 3412 reviews
8.0Comfort
8.2Entertainment
8.1Boarding
8.3Crew
7.9Food
Airline reviews

Loved that I had an exit row seat, and there was no one else in the row! And again, I don' use on-line entertainment at all (I read or sleep) but I very much appreciate that I didn't hear anyone else's entertainment!

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Dec 2024DXB - BOS
Read more Emirates reviews

Loved that I had an exit row seat, and there was no one else in the row! And again, I don' use on-line entertainment at all (I read or sleep) but I very much appreciate that I didn't hear anyone else's entertainment!

Loved everything! This flight had premium economy and I didn't see an option to upgraded to premium economy OR buy premium economy tickets. How come?

The flight was nice and on time. The comfort can be slightly better in business class

I wish Emirates had lights to Philadelphia (PHL) in USA.

More leg room or a bed hahaha but in all was one of the best flys I been on

Most aspects of the flight were great! The entertainment was mediocre, though, which made such a long flight less enjoyable.

First time flying Emirates and business class. What a civilized way to travel, everything was wonderful organized and relaxing. Thank you for providing the best first impression!

The food was pretty good and the crew were excellent. It would have been excellent all round but for screaming children. Six hours at least of a 10 hr flight. Mostly 1 child clearly on the spectrum and probably ADHD but I really felt for the parents and grandparents who were obviously struggling and doing the best they could under the circumstances. No reflection on the airline of course and we all need to be more tolerant with these challenges . Slept for 15 hrs when I got home.

Everything was good but I think food choices could've been better

Always my favourite airline. On time, lovely staff, clean comfortable seats. Well done

Liked the non-stop option, can always use more leg room!

Wonderful Airlines…our American Airlines could learn from ANZ. From boarding to landing everyone was professional and gracious. Kiwi’s really are the nicest of all people! Thank you

typical long haul economy flight. Food was mediocre, inflight service was average. Offered in flight snacks but in seat ordering didn't work. Entertainment was good.

Would have been nice to have decaf coffee as an option, and perhaps a scone

Overall, a great experience from food and crew. The only setback was that this was the Second flight from Air New Zealand within a week that was an hour late for boarding.

The flight attendances were very helpful and friendly ! Dinner and breakfast were great . The seat was not too comfortable though .

The air New Zealand employees who assisted us with wheelchair aid on Auckland made our transfer from flight to the next seamless. Also were amazing in helping with our luggage and customs in Brisbane.

Overall good. We had to transfer to Bradly terminal. We had requested wheelchair assistance. The bus that picked us up had to wait for other passengers. The wait was long. Then, at the Bradly terminal we had to wait an extended period of time for the wheel chair assistance. These delays caused tension at checked in and resulted in arriving at the gate as passengers were boarding.

The boarding process was less than ideal. While I liked being greeted with “Kia Ora”, the rest of the process was very average for business-class travel — queue, crowding, no clear separation between economy and business premier. The aircraft felt old, even though I believe it was only 6 years’ old. Travelling in Business Premier in Air New Zealand is like sitting in a glass bowl. One can see everyone, and everyone can see others. Very bad structuring of seats. If you have a choice, fly another airlines like Singapore Airlines for business — I had the option, but chose this flight due to it’s departure time. Regrettable decision. I had opted for Vegan food choice. Very poor food as well as service. It is as if the chefs preparing the meal have little idea what nutritious, healthy and filling plant-based food is. And the crew were totally uncoordinated. In the main dinner meal, the first thing I was served was a fruit bowl, and then followed by other items. No mention was made that the fruit bowl (served first) was the dessert! And then after my meal tray was cleared another steward (not the one who served the main meal) comes around asks me that now that I had had the would like the dessert. I said yes, please. He went off and comes back to tell me discreetly that I’ve already had my dessert! He also didn’t know what the dessert was — and I guess it was the fruit platter that was the first item I was served. I was traveling with partner, who had similar experience. For her, they just cleared her table without offering dessert. Extremely poor coordination. The area behind the seats was extremely dirty. I just happened to use the overhead light to try and locate something that had fallen, only to be horrified at the dust, crumbs and all kinds of other particles. The only good thing about the flight was that when it ended, our bags came very very quickly. But that I guess is more to do with airport operations for Air New Zealands at Auckland Airport rather than the flight itself. I would think very hard next time I have to fly Business Premier in New Zealand, especially on Boeing 787-9NZM, which this plane was. Basically if you are selecting seats and find that they are at a diagonal angle, do not book this if you are looking for luxurious travel. Better off with premium economy or a good economy seat. The quality of food and service indeed was way below par.

Gate agent was fantastic in Auckland. They wanted to charge me for my two bags even though I was gold member with United in Tonga. So I had to pay for an upgrade. The meals on both flights had no vegetarian option. The only one item the salad was not tasty at all. Good thing I had brought my own snacks. The bread was white roll which is so not healthy. I think New Zealand air can definitely improve their food offering.

Checked Baggage line up was long but moved quickly, rest of the process, boarding, crew was excellent

Virgin has always provided a smooth and comfortable flight. This one was no different. Seats are comfortable. Staff are great. This is my favourite airline.

Virgin changed the flight to an Alliance flight. Smaller plane, tea coffee and water the only refreshments available and not sure what happened to the extra money I paid to sit in a selected seat with extra leg room. This is obviously a regular switch as it happened on our flight there and back. Do not recommend.

Late boarding, late departure due to weather and slow boarding, packed 5+hour flight, only 2 toilets for main cabin, tight leg room, no free food except tea, coffee, and water, arrived 75 minutes late.

Cramped, crowded flight, with no complimentary food except coffee, tea, or water.

Check-in was good and efficient, Boarding was quick and easy. Didn't like the entertainment side of things requiring your phone to connect for a screen, my eyes are bad enough to use my phone more than I already do. Trip was comfortable and baggage claim was good. If coffee and tea were free, then why not a soda or juice as well, its not like its an alcoholic drink.

Check-in was good and efficient, Boarding was quick and easy. Didn't like the entertainment side of things requiring your phone to connect for a screen, my eyes are bad enough to use my phone more than I already do. Trip was comfortable and baggage claim was good.

The flight was delayed by 45 minutes, but boarding, actual flight, and crew were great. However, there was Zero free food and only water, tea, or coffee to drink. Everything else was for sale. No onboard entertainment but it was a short flight.

Boarding was smooth after a 25 min delay. Notification of delay could be more efficient and change in boarding gate was not notified on the flights board or app.

I did not use the in flight entertainment, but the selection appeared to be decent. Take off was delayed, but otherwise the process was uneventful.

Headphone jacks worked poorly, seat recline was broken. Planes were rundown.

Delayed and missed connection, was not re-booked like other travelers so ended up being stuck for several hours due to no one handling my booking.

same as previous comments. i hate being on a plane that long. no problems w/anything else.

It was very nice. I will try to fly with Qantas whenever I can.

Terrible. 6 hour delay with no explanations and only 15 dollars in food credits. A disaster. I'll just leave it at that.

Much better than I expected for such a long flight.

Flight was cancelled about 1.5 hours before departure. Replacement flight provided scheduled 1 hour later. Late boarding, late departure and arrived Melbourne nearly 2 hours after originally scheduled.

Good - better than other airlines in terms of food and seat comfort.

It’s a very long flight and there are so many people on board. Perhaps a warm washcloth now and then to freshen up

The crew was very helpful to my family, especially when my daughter became sick during the flight. Will fly with them again.

The crew were great. The seat was older than an old Holden with a big metal bar sticking right into my back. The passenger next to me complained that hers was the same. The pre purchase system for food was disappointing as the pie/quiche took 20 mins to warm up, arrived too hot and with no utensils. It was one of the most uncomfortable flights I've ever been on.

Fabulous I have no issues with JetStar great service always use them to fly

Flight was as expected - we got what we paid for which was a base fare

Hardly we had overweight and we were asked to pay $75. We were checked by a female and weight was alright

Unaware of charge for carry on until i got to gate

I got what I paid for - flight was clean, staff were friendly

I like that fare is cheap but because there's no amenities whatsoever. You get what you paid for.

There's a reason why fare is cheap, no amenities.

It is what it is - nothing more, nothing less. No entertainment onboard but one kinda knows that when buying a ticket on a no frills airline. I choose Jetstar only because of price.

Plane was delayed both on arrival to Sydney and departure. We boarded the plane while it was in the process of being refuelled, which I am certain is against CASA regulations. Comfort for anyone over 6 foot is non existent.

Book Cheap Cairns Plane Tickets

Recent return flight deals

 
These are the cheapest return flights to Cairns found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
16/1Thu
1 stopJetstar
13h 25mAKL-CNS
24/1Fri
1 stopJetstar
29h 35mCNS-AKL
$675
17/1Fri
1 stopJetstar
13h 25mAKL-CNS
20/1Mon
1 stopJetstar
20h 10mCNS-AKL
$726
17/1Fri
1 stop
13h 25mAKL-CNS
20/1Mon
1 stop
11h 30mCNS-AKL
$736
1/2Sat
1 stopJetstar
19h 30mAKL-CNS
8/2Sat
1 stopJetstar
10h 05mCNS-AKL
$743
11/6Wed
1 stopJetstar
14h 00mAKL-CNS
16/6Mon
2 stopsJetstar
20h 30mCNS-AKL
$827
17/1Fri
1 stop
13h 25mAKL-CNS
20/1Mon
2 stops
11h 10mCNS-AKL
$876
16/1Thu
1 stopVirgin Australia
8h 45mZQN-CNS
22/1Wed
1 stopVirgin Australia
23h 00mCNS-ZQN
$953
1/2Sat
1 stopEmirates
18h 45mAKL-CNS
8/2Sat
1 stopEmirates
8h 40mCNS-AKL
$1,076
5/5Mon
2 stopsAir New Zealand
17h 50mWLG-CNS
12/5Mon
2 stopsAir New Zealand
16h 05mCNS-WLG
$1,091
5/5Mon
1 stopAir New Zealand
23h 55mWLG-CNS
12/5Mon
1 stopAir New Zealand
22h 10mCNS-WLG
$1,116

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Recent one-way flight deals

 
Only flying one-way? Below are some of the best deals for one-way flights to Cairns found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
25/2Tue
1 stopJetstar
17h 40mAKL-CNS
$234
5/2Wed
1 stopJetstar
19h 30mAKL-CNS
$303
6/3Thu
1 stopVirgin Australia
8h 45mZQN-CNS
$387
11/3Tue
1 stopVirgin Australia
8h 45mZQN-CNS
$395
30/4Wed
1 stop
12h 45mAKL-CNS
$451
11/3Tue
2 stops
27h 55mZQN-CNS
$474
11/2Tue
1 stopQantas Airways
12h 00mCHC-CNS
$488
5/3Wed
1 stopAir New Zealand
8h 50mCHC-CNS
$495
15/1Wed
1 stopQantas Airways
9h 00mCHC-CNS
$500
21/5Wed
2 stopsAir New Zealand
13h 35mCHC-CNS
$516

Search by stops

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Everything you need to know for your flight to Cairns

Information on the airport you'll fly into in Cairns

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