CNS

$276 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 4/2. 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
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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 to Cairns

Recommended return deals departing in the coming months from the most popular airlines that fly to Cairns.
Discover the best prices and deals for you by selecting your travel dates.
Choose your dates
06:15 - 20:55AKL-CNS
17h 40m1 stop
15:50 - 14:10CNS-AKL
19h 20m1 stop
$660Jetstar
Find Deal
Tue, 11 Feb - Thu, 13 Feb
06:45 - 17:10AKL-CNS
13h 25m1 stop
06:00 - 06:00CNS-AKL
21h 00m1 stop
$667Jetstar
Find Deal
Fri, 21 Feb - Sun, 23 Feb
06:45 - 14:00AKL-CNS
10h 15m1 stop
14:50 - 05:05CNS-AKL
11h 15m1 stop
Wed, 26 Mar - Wed, 2 Apr
06:15 - 17:10AKL-CNS
12h 55m1 stop
13:50 - 05:05CNS-AKL
13h 15m1 stop
Tue, 6 May - Sun, 11 May
07:10 - 10:45AKL-CNS
5h 35mdirect
11:55 - 18:35CNS-AKL
4h 40mdirect
$993Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Tue, 6 May - Sat, 10 May
06:40 - 18:00AKL-CNS
13h 20m1 stop
12:45 - 00:30CNS-AKL
9h 45m1 stop
$997Emirates
Find Deal
Sat, 3 May - Sat, 10 May
15:55 - 10:45WLG-CNS
20h 50m1 stop
09:10 - 07:15CNS-WLG
20h 05m2 stops
$1,006Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Mon, 5 May - Mon, 12 May
15:35 - 22:10AKL-CNS
9h 35m1 stop
09:05 - 00:25CNS-AKL
12h 20m1 stop
$1,007Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Fri, 21 Mar - Fri, 28 Mar
15:35 - 22:10AKL-CNS
9h 35m1 stop
09:05 - 00:25CNS-AKL
12h 20m1 stop
$1,011Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Fri, 21 Mar - Fri, 28 Mar
06:40 - 18:00AKL-CNS
13h 20m1 stop
13:35 - 00:05CNS-AKL
8h 30m1 stop
$1,054Emirates
Find Deal
Sat, 3 May - Mon, 5 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 $1,175 return. The most popular connection is from Christchurch to Cairns and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as $788 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 $906 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost $423 and departed from Auckland. The most popular routes on KAYAK are Christchurch to Cairns which costs $1,066 on average, and Auckland to Cairns, which costs $1,075 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 $991. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $1,120 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 $827 on average for return flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and September, where the average cost of tickets from New Zealand is $1,207 and $1,125 respectively. For one-way flights, the best month to travel is August with an average price of $827.

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 $855 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 $1,097.

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 9 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low season

February

High season

August

Cheapest flight

$276
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 $1,175 return. The most popular connection is from Christchurch to Cairns and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as $788 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 $906. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost $423 and departed from Auckland Intl 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 $820, from Auckland $988
  • 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, +28 more

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

Tuesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +26 more

ANA, Air Canada, +27 more

Wednesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +29 more

ANA, Air Canada, +30 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +29 more

ANA, Air Canada, +30 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +24 more

ANA, Air Canada, +25 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +29 more

ANA, Air Canada, +30 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Cairns to New Zealand

Monday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +28 more

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

Tuesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +26 more

ANA, Air Canada, +27 more

Wednesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +29 more

ANA, Air Canada, +30 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +29 more

ANA, Air Canada, +30 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +24 more

ANA, Air Canada, +25 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +29 more

ANA, Air Canada, +30 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 3351 reviews
8.0Comfort
8.2Entertainment
7.9Food
8.3Crew
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

Seat 💺 was all the way on last row. Food was okay .

4.0 OkayAnonymous, Dec 2024ORD - DXB
Read more Emirates reviews

Seat 💺 was all the way on last row. Food was okay .

Comfort and customer service from most if the crew was great. The crew reassigning passengers should consider the presence of infants when reassigning seats. Unfortunately a couple of oversized passengers were relocated next to us, making this segment a bit uncomfortable, as there was not only extra leg space required. I ended up swapping seats with my husband so our baby wouldn't be impacted. My husband travelled quite uncomfortable as the reassigned neighbour shoulder and arm ended up on my husband's seat

The entire crew was amazing. They went out of their way to make us enjoy a great travel experience.

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?

We had to deboard using stairs. Why didnt you have the aero-bridge?

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.

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

The experience of the flight. The food options have definitely gone down

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.

The flight we had booked was cancelled due to bad weather conditions, but we were lucky to arrive at the airport quite early and got a seat on an earlier flight. The flight was mostly nice, but there were some hefty turbulences towards Queenstown. One of the passengers behaved hysterically. It would have been great if the crew had done something to calm her.

Sitting in an aisle seat equals getting hit by food cart and spilled on multiple times Food: gross and minimalistic Crew: frumpy and kurt Sound on multiple entertainment platforms poor Not an earplug problem, system soundboard poor

Major hassle with the weight of carryon luggage Having to repack bags at airport Not an issue in most of world Ridiculous issue considering the 400 pound gentleman sitting behind us

Overall experience was poor. In general crew was polite in speaking but that was all about it. I am vegetarian so I always carry a cup noodle box with me just in case. So I pressed "CALL" button for hot water for my cup noodle on my seat and waited for 10-15 minutes but nobody came. I personally took the box and went all the way to back of the plane. When I requested stewardess to put hot water in my cup noodle she refused as it was a "safety" hazard. I told her that you always serve coffee and tea these are also hot. But she still refused. I went back to my seat and from the seat I ordered hot water and it was brought to me without any problem. I poured THAT hot water in my cup noodle and ate. I was sitting in seat 36A, which was 2nd row in economy class. After eating my noodle I took the box and went 2 rows in the front where there was a kitchen to throw it. Again the stewardess there told me she didn't have a waste bin there and asked me to go back of the plane and throw it there. Tell me if above experiences are 'ok' for your airline??

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 old Plane had not been cleaned properly in a long time.

I got upgraded from economy to business, and the experience was outstanding

Boarding was over 3 hrs late and we didn’t land until almost 1:30am

I disliked the fact that they forced people to put up their seats during meal service

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.

Being told why we delayed three hours and not even given an apology by someone. Not a word. Not my airline of choice ever.

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.

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.
11/2Tue
1 stopJetstar
17h 40mAKL-CNS
13/2Thu
1 stopJetstar
19h 20mCNS-AKL
$660
21/2Fri
1 stopJetstar
13h 25mAKL-CNS
23/2Sun
1 stopJetstar
21h 00mCNS-AKL
$667
26/3Wed
1 stop
10h 15mAKL-CNS
2/4Wed
1 stop
11h 15mCNS-AKL
$674
6/5Tue
1 stop
12h 55mAKL-CNS
11/5Sun
1 stop
13h 15mCNS-AKL
$676
6/5Tue
directAir New Zealand
5h 35mAKL-CNS
10/5Sat
directAir New Zealand
4h 40mCNS-AKL
$993
3/5Sat
1 stopEmirates
13h 20mAKL-CNS
10/5Sat
1 stopEmirates
9h 45mCNS-AKL
$997
5/5Mon
1 stopAir New Zealand
20h 50mWLG-CNS
12/5Mon
2 stopsAir New Zealand
20h 05mCNS-WLG
$1,006
21/3Fri
1 stopQantas Airways
9h 35mAKL-CNS
28/3Fri
1 stopQantas Airways
12h 20mCNS-AKL
$1,007
21/3Fri
1 stopQantas Airways
9h 35mAKL-CNS
28/3Fri
1 stopQantas Airways
12h 20mCNS-AKL
$1,011
3/5Sat
1 stopEmirates
13h 20mAKL-CNS
5/5Mon
1 stopEmirates
8h 30mCNS-AKL
$1,054

Search by stops

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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.
4/2Tue
1 stopJetstar
17h 40mAKL-CNS
$276
31/1Fri
1 stopJetstar
19h 30mAKL-CNS
$282
16/3Sun
1 stopJetstar
17h 40mAKL-CNS
$289
13/3Thu
1 stopVirgin Australia
18h 05mZQN-CNS
$378
20/2Thu
1 stopVirgin Australia
8h 45mZQN-CNS
$382
21/5Wed
1 stopQantas Airways
9h 20mCHC-CNS
$410
3/6Tue
directAir New Zealand
5h 35mAKL-CNS
$462
21/5Wed
2 stopsAir New Zealand
20h 45mCHC-CNS
$494
17/3Mon
2 stopsQantas Airways
19h 45mAKL-CNS
$571
19/2Wed
3 stopsEmirates
18h 45mZQN-CNS
$2,011

Search by stops

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Search by price

Last minute flights to Cairns

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

 
These last-minute flight deals are the cheapest flights found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours for flights to Cairns that are departing in the next 10 days.
20/1Mon
multi-stopVirgin Australia
8h 45mZQN-CNS
27/1Mon
multi-stopVirgin Australia
20h 20mCNS-ZQN
$1,064
20/1Mon
multi-stop
8h 45mZQN-CNS
27/1Mon
multi-stop
8h 50mCNS-ZQN
$1,230
20/1Mon
multi-stopJetstar
27h 45mZQN-CNS
27/1Mon
multi-stopJetstar
25h 35mCNS-ZQN
$2,172
20/1Mon
multi-stopAir New Zealand
24h 10mZQN-CNS
27/1Mon
multi-stopAir New Zealand
22h 00mCNS-ZQN
$2,553
20/1Mon
multi-stopAir New Zealand
24h 10mZQN-CNS
27/1Mon
multi-stopAir New Zealand
17h 50mCNS-ZQN
$3,719

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Trinity Beach
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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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