Find flights
Deals
Insights
When to book
FAQs & Tips
Direct Flights
Airlines

CNS

$300 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 22/5. 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.
1 adult
Sat 1/6
Sat 8/6

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 43,740,974 times on KAYAK, and here's why:

Save 16% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Free to useThere are no hidden charges or fees.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Cheap flight deals to Cairns

Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip 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.
Discover the best prices and deals for you by selecting your travel dates.
Choose your dates
13:05 - 21:20AKL-CNS
10h 15m1 stop
06:00 - 21:20CNS-AKL
13h 20m1 stop
$625Jetstar
Find Deal
Fri, 31 May - Fri, 7 Jun
15:30 - 09:10AKL-CNS
19h 40m1 stop
09:45 - 23:05CNS-AKL
11h 20m1 stop
$715Jetstar
Find Deal
Sun, 14 Jul - Wed, 31 Jul
07:30 - 22:50AKL-CNS
17h 20m1 stop
12:00 - 11:55CNS-AKL
21h 55m1 stop
Sat, 31 Aug - Sat, 7 Sep
13:05 - 21:20AKL-CNS
10h 15m1 stop
16:00 - 16:40CNS-AKL
22h 40m2 stops
Fri, 31 May - Fri, 7 Jun
07:05 - 10:45AKL-CNS
5h 40mdirect
11:55 - 18:35CNS-AKL
4h 40mdirect
$971Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Sat, 18 May - Sat, 25 May
15:05 - 10:45CHC-CNS
21h 40m2 stops
06:00 - 12:25CNS-CHC
28h 25m2 stops
$1,000Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Mon, 12 Aug - Sat, 31 Aug
15:30 - 22:35AKL-CNS
9h 05m1 stop
07:00 - 18:55CNS-AKL
9h 55m1 stop
$1,032Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Fri, 19 Jul - Fri, 26 Jul
15:30 - 22:35AKL-CNS
9h 05m1 stop
12:45 - 23:25CNS-AKL
8h 40m1 stop
$1,063Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Fri, 19 Jul - Wed, 31 Jul
14:25 - 11:25ZQN-CNS
23h 00m1 stop
19:15 - 13:30CNS-ZQN
16h 15m1 stop
$1,112Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Fri, 24 May - Sun, 26 May
14:25 - 15:55ZQN-CNS
27h 30m1 stop
19:15 - 13:30CNS-ZQN
16h 15m1 stop
$1,169Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Fri, 24 May - Sun, 26 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 day to fly to Cairns?

The average price of all 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 tickets can be as cheap as $1,069. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Sunday, where prices are $1,128 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 October, where tickets cost $1,017 on average for one-way flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and January, where the average cost of tickets from New Zealand is $1,425 and $1,190 respectively. For return trips, the best month to travel is October with an average price of $1,017.

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

The average price for all 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 in the afternoon, when flights cost $787 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 $1,072.

What is a good deal for flights to Cairns?

If you’re looking for cheap airfare to Cairns, 25% of our users found tickets to Cairns for the following prices or less: From Auckland $340 one-way - $977 return.

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

To calculate daily average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each day before departure over the last year for flights to Cairns, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each month.
To get a below average price, you should book around 0 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 63 days before departure.

Which airline offers the most flights to Cairns?

Of the 9 airlines that fly to Cairns, Qantas Airways offers the most flights, with around 148 per week, followed by Jetstar with 94 flights per week.

How long is the flight to Cairns?

The duration of your flight to Cairns depends on your departure and arrival airports. Obviously any flights that include a layover will also be longer. The most popular routes to Cairns on KAYAK are from Auckland, which takes 5h 40m, Wellington, which takes 14h 10m, Queenstown, which takes 17h 50m, and Christchurch, which takes 19h 05m.

How many direct flights to Cairns are there each day?

There are around 1 direct flights from within New Zealand to Cairns every day. Most flights depart in the morning, with 07:00 the most common departure time and 100% of flights departing in the morning.

How many direct flights to Cairns are there each week?

Each week there are around 2 direct flights from within New Zealand to Cairns. The most common day for departures is Saturday, with 50% of flights taking off on this day.

How many long-haul flights are there to Cairns each week?

There are not any long-haul (6-12 hour flight duration) or short-haul (up to 3 hour flight duration) flights to Cairns. Instead, there are 2 medium-haul flights (3-6 hour flight duration), with the most arriving from Auckland.

How many cities have direct flights to Cairns?

From New Zealand, there are direct flights to Cairns from 1 city. This city is Auckland and there are 2 direct flights each week.

Good to know

Low season

January

High season

July

Cheapest flight

$300
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 20% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly (3% more expensive 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

  • How far is Cairns from central Cairns?

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

  • What is the name of Cairns’s airport?

    When flying to Cairns, you'll arrive at Cairns (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 $723. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost $332 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

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Cairns flight deals.

Prefer to fly direct to Cairns?

Find which airlines fly direct to Cairns, 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 China, +25 more

ANA, Air Canada, +26 more

Wednesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +26 more

ANA, Air Canada, +27 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +24 more

ANA, Air Canada, +25 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 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 China, +25 more

ANA, Air Canada, +26 more

Wednesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +26 more

ANA, Air Canada, +27 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +24 more

ANA, Air Canada, +25 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

See more direct flights
See more direct flights

Top 4 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.
8.2
Air New ZealandOverall score based on 643 reviews
7.7Food
8.8Crew
7.9Entertainment
8.1Comfort
8.4Boarding
Airline reviews

Short flight so no entertainment, turbulence so no food service - overall flight as expected

8.0 ExcellentMichelle, Apr 2024NPL - AKL
Read more about Air New Zealand reviews

Short flight so no entertainment, turbulence so no food service - overall flight as expected

All was good, the only thing was it didn't run on time.

The staff and crew on board were excellent. Business class however, was very weird. I thought we would have individual pods, but the way it was set up was unexpected. Not very private and If you wanted to lay down, you had to have an entire bed made up for you by the crew, rather than how Delta one works where you could just lie down whenever you feel like it. It was a 16 hour flight. I chose not to have my bed made, and that turned out to be a good idea because everybody who had their bed made had to wait for the crew to roll up their mattresses. So strange!

Crew were pleasant, happy to be there and were a joy to be around. Entire operation was professional, well thought out and ran like a Swiss clock.

United flight from SFO to PDX was cancelled. I will ask for a refund. Had to book on Alaska

Good food and entertainment options. Great Staff that were all welcoming and caregiving.

Flight was canceled due to technical issue shortly before the check-in counters opened. Passengers were rebooked on a flight three days later. Request to be accommodated on Air Tahiti Nui could not be processed. Customer service sorted out the refund after calling and being put on hold for almost an hour.

Carring crew, nice ambiance of the cabin, comfortable beds, good food well served. We liked everything.

2 of the 6 economy toilets were out of order. Drinks were not offered often enough - you have to order on-screen, which is often unavailable. Snacks and Milo ran out very early. Crew was fine but I think there was a sticking issue

Flight attendants are always pleasant and helpful. Pilot kept us updated.

This time is good . Don’t cancel flight with out early notice .

Very good experience, considering the short flight the meals were served promptly after takeoff.

X class seats in row 3 with the new configuration are very poor in fact I feel 3B and 3E should no longer be considered as X class seat as there is no forward seat pocket available to these seats and greatly reduced leg room due the intrusion of the business class armrests/table module

It was pretty good. Everyone friendly. Like all airlines, the draconian limitations on baggage and weight and not giving even a free soda kind of drags down the experience a bit.

Last 10 minutes boarding they canceled the flight and didn’t organise anything

Estheticly the plane looks great, although the seats are way too upright. If the seats were just slightly more reclined then the comfort level would increase tenfold. I had the stiffest neck after just a short flight due to this. A nap was almost out of the question.

Cabin crew were very professional and welcoming. They certainly appeared to have lifted their game. Congratulations

I know not directly a Virgin "thing" but I hold Virgin responsible for their subcontractors. Had to wait 45 minutes waiting for baggage at PER before the belt conveyor even started. This is unacceptable and hopefully Virgin engages with whoever to pull their fingers out. I realise PER staff are generally slow at the best of times but this was ridiculous. Maybe more seating for those waiting, a cafe in the baggage area for a light meal while we wait or at the very least a troop of dancing girls to entertain the punters while they stare at the conveyor belt start light almost willing it to fire up.

Very poor. Flight was cancelled due to captain exceeding hours. Told to fend for ourselves for 12 hours until a new flight could be done. This meant overnight accommodation in Hobart. Next plane was delayed and no food onboard. No apologies from Virgin. Extremely disappointing.

Flight was cancelled due to a mechanical fault - Virgin rebooked me on a flight 6 hours later so I cancelled and flew with another carrier

There was nothing I didn’t like, prices a little lower would help

Flight delay was informed at the last minute. Food quality is not up to Qantas standard I was unable to book an online boarding pass on any of my 6 flights.

Following a marathon flight riddled by delays and changes from Santiago, Chile, my flight to Melbourne from Sydney was on schedule but I was transferred to the next flight. The reason by ticketing and the floor manager was I missed the entry to flight by one minute! That's right, the emphasised that if I was 1 minute earlier I would be on the flight. I asked what was the point them emphasising 1minute overdue and how that helped me or the situation. They didn't care at all. Replying that if it was one minute earlier they would've done something and smirking delivering the information. Australian's do call Australia home, Qantas calls Australian's suckers.

Rescheduled after ticket purchased and issued, not 2 or 3 times and not a fourth but by 5 times, by Qantas, that's right, 5 changes! Forcing an overnight stay in Chile and need for visa. Qantas can no longer provide basic services as a national or international service provider. Professionalism is extinct and the provider needs to be mentored and educated in perfecting who to operate as an airline. Qantas is the spirit of Australian dissatisfaction.

Amazing! Was put on the earlier flight and I requested for an aisle seat and was given it. Thanks Qantas!

The staff we fantastic and seemed to work very well with each other

Business lounge in Melbourne mediocre. Look at Emirates or Qatar, Qantas! Great friendly crew. Food was good but Emirates is a level above. Business seat good. But can’t compare to Qatar. Main reason for booking Qantas is loyalty and terrific connection via Perth to LHR.

It's only a short trip from Sydney to Melbourne, which i have done many times. The trip met my expectations

The crew were amazing - A great job. They made me feel special and valued.

I really appreciated the fact that when I checked my bags at the Quantas counter after arriving from an international flight an hour early, the agent noticed I had a very long layover. He then found an earlier flight that allowed me to get to Cairns several hours earlier than I planned. That was amazing because I had already traveled over 20 hours and wasn’t looking forward to such a long layover. It allowed me to see my daughter and grandchildren much earlier (it had been two years since I visited last).

a constant reminder that you need to work harder so you can avoid this airline

For some reason the cabin was kept very cold. Unlike my flight over which i would say was excellent this was a long, cold flight home.

Note that food has to be purchased in flight. No free food. And no entertainment in flight. So I’ve treated these two items as okay which, in this case, means neutral/not applicable.

My Dad needed assistance to board the plane. The Jetstar staff were excellent with him and made the experience a lot easier😁

No food taken so can't rate also no entertainment so can't rate.

Boarding was easy and unstressful, though the early "final call" was a bit off-putting. The crew were pleasant, and the seats were comfortable. The prices for food and drink were reasonable, apart from tea and coffee, where simple percolated coffee was charged at espresso prices. Deboarding was OK, though some Jetstar passengers appear to have a bad habit of pushing forward from their assigned rows, making it more difficult to get out for passengers that have paid a premium to sit up-front. Jetstar might want to look to address this to stop it from spreading.

I got to the airport earlier than I expected, and they let me change to an earlier flight with no trouble.

The price difference/saving isn't sufficient to compensate the experience difference, don't recommend unless flight is under 3 hours. Huge queues for check in and the priority lane of other ailines blocked checked in Jetstar passengers from proceeding through to screening. Gate change to a "dungeon gate" that didn't have toilets in the vicinity. 45minute delay in boarding, no updates or explaination, let alone apology for any inconvenience. 1 scanner working for a full fight to board, no coordination. Loaded on to crowded buses to get on the plane in the middle of the tarmac, up stairs with no explaination. 4 bus trips. No system for boarding in sections. Over an hour late departing. Nothing complimentary, not even water or in-flight music. Pay wave not available and no cash sales. Staff onboard were friendly and professional.

Flight was delayed by 1 hour, we board then had to sit on the tarmac for another hour before take off. The flight was fine but again another delay with the baggage which took another hour to appear on the carousel.

It was a super crowded time to travel out of Melbourne, but the flight was OK

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.
31/5Fri
1 stopJetstar
10h 15mAKL-CNS
7/6Fri
1 stopJetstar
13h 20mCNS-AKL
$625
14/7Sun
1 stopJetstar
19h 40mAKL-CNS
31/7Wed
1 stopJetstar
11h 20mCNS-AKL
$715
31/8Sat
1 stop
17h 20mAKL-CNS
7/9Sat
1 stop
21h 55mCNS-AKL
$793
31/5Fri
1 stop
10h 15mAKL-CNS
7/6Fri
2 stops
22h 40mCNS-AKL
$798
18/5Sat
directAir New Zealand
5h 40mAKL-CNS
25/5Sat
directAir New Zealand
4h 40mCNS-AKL
$971
12/8Mon
2 stopsAir New Zealand
21h 40mCHC-CNS
31/8Sat
2 stopsAir New Zealand
28h 25mCNS-CHC
$1,000
19/7Fri
1 stopQantas Airways
9h 05mAKL-CNS
26/7Fri
1 stopQantas Airways
9h 55mCNS-AKL
$1,032
19/7Fri
1 stopQantas Airways
9h 05mAKL-CNS
31/7Wed
1 stopQantas Airways
8h 40mCNS-AKL
$1,063
24/5Fri
1 stopVirgin Australia
23h 00mZQN-CNS
26/5Sun
1 stopVirgin Australia
16h 15mCNS-ZQN
$1,112
24/5Fri
1 stopVirgin Australia
27h 30mZQN-CNS
26/5Sun
1 stopVirgin Australia
16h 15mCNS-ZQN
$1,169

Search by stops

Search by airline

Search by price

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.
22/5Wed
1 stopJetstar
30h 15mAKL-CNS
$300
12/6Wed
1 stopJetstar
10h 15mAKL-CNS
$305
10/6Mon
1 stopJetstar
10h 15mAKL-CNS
$307
23/5Thu
1 stopJetstar
28h 10mAKL-CNS
$330
21/5Tue
1 stop
11h 40mAKL-CNS
$363
4/6Tue
1 stop
27h 45mAKL-CNS
$403
21/5Tue
directAir New Zealand
5h 40mAKL-CNS
$447
8/10Tue
directAir New Zealand
5h 40mAKL-CNS
$451
29/5Wed
1 stopQantas Airways
10h 15mCHC-CNS
$488
1/10Tue
1 stopQantas Airways
26h 30mCHC-CNS
$564

Search by stops

Search by airline

Search by price

Recent domestic flight deals

25/8Sun
directJetstar
3h 20mMEL-CNS
28/8Wed
multi-stopJetstar
7h 15mCNS-MEL
$141
31/5Fri
directJetstar
2h 20mBNE-CNS
4/6Tue
directJetstar
2h 10mCNS-BNE
$219
30/6Sun
directVirgin Australia
2h 30mBNE-CNS
4/7Thu
directVirgin Australia
2h 15mCNS-BNE
$263
26/6Wed
directVirgin Australia
2h 30mBNE-CNS
8/7Mon
directVirgin Australia
2h 15mCNS-BNE
$266
19/6Wed
directRex
3h 00mBNE-CNS
24/6Mon
directRex
2h 45mCNS-BNE
$332
17/6Mon
direct
2h 25mBNE-CNS
23/6Sun
direct
2h 10mCNS-BNE
$449
21/6Fri
direct
2h 20mBNE-CNS
23/6Sun
direct
2h 10mCNS-BNE
$471
14/8Wed
directQantas Airways
3h 15mSYD-CNS
22/8Thu
multi-stopQantas Airways
5h 50mCNS-SYD
$568
15/7Mon
directQantas Airways
3h 15mSYD-CNS
19/7Fri
multi-stopQantas Airways
11h 10mCNS-SYD
$581
20/5Mon
multi-stopRex
7h 40mSYD-CNS
20/5Mon
multi-stopRex
23h 25mCNS-SYD
$634

Search by stops

Search by airline

Search by price

Flights to Cairns

Destination:

Cairns (CNS)Australia

Return flight deals:

Cairns - New Zealand

Cabin classes:

$834

Browse destinations: