AKL - CNS

$330 Find Cheap Flights from Auckland 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 from Auckland to Cairns departing on 28/7. 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
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches 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 in flight searches from Auckland to Cairns, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Auckland to Cairns, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Everything you should know

Cheapest return fare
$746
Typical prices: $830-$1,142
Jetstar
Thu 6/8Sat 15/8
AKL - CNS • 1 stop
Cheapest direct flights
$936
Air New Zealand
Tue 28/7Mon 3/8
AKL - CNS • Direct
Direct flights
Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun
You can fly direct with Air New Zealand. Average duration is 5h 35m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $746 (return)
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
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Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Top stopover airports
Cheapest • Avg $935 (return)
Shortest trip • 8h 50m (one-way)
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Avoid delays
Most punctual • 97% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 2 weeks in advance save around 17% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 16% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Start a new search
KAYAK searches hundreds of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Cairns!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Auckland to Cairns (AKL-CNS)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights from Auckland 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 for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent return flight deals from Auckland to Cairns

Thu, 6 Aug - Sat, 15 Aug
Jetstar Logo
20:55 - 10:40
AKL
-
CNS
15h 45m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
06:00 - 16:45
CNS
-
AKL
8h 45m
1 stop
$746Jetstar
Sun, 2 Aug - Sun, 9 Aug
Jetstar Logo
20:55 - 10:40
AKL
-
CNS
15h 45m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
09:40 - 00:20
CNS
-
AKL
12h 40m
1 stop
$762Jetstar
Sat, 1 Aug - Fri, 28 Aug
Jetstar Logo
17:45 - 08:30
AKL
-
CNS
16h 45m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
12:00 - 05:05
CNS
-
AKL
15h 05m
1 stop
$775Jetstar
Thu, 20 Aug - Wed, 26 Aug
Jetstar Logo
20:55 - 10:40
AKL
-
CNS
15h 45m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
09:40 - 00:20
CNS
-
AKL
12h 40m
1 stop
$776Jetstar
Sun, 2 Aug - Sat, 8 Aug
Jetstar Logo
20:55 - 10:40
AKL
-
CNS
15h 45m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
06:00 - 16:45
CNS
-
AKL
8h 45m
1 stop
$830Jetstar
Sun, 16 Aug - Thu, 20 Aug
Jetstar Logo
20:55 - 10:40
AKL
-
CNS
15h 45m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
15:35 - 05:05
CNS
-
AKL
11h 30m
1 stop
$831Jetstar
Fri, 14 Aug - Mon, 17 Aug
Jetstar Logo
17:25 - 08:30
AKL
-
CNS
17h 05m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
06:00 - 16:10
CNS
-
AKL
8h 10m
1 stop
$833Jetstar
Sun, 26 Jul - Mon, 3 Aug
Jetstar Logo
07:15 - 10:40
AKL
-
CNS
29h 25m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
06:45 - 11:25
CNS
-
AKL
26h 40m
1 stop
$842Jetstar
Tue, 25 Aug - Mon, 7 Sep
Jetstar Logo
06:15 - 17:00
AKL
-
CNS
12h 45m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
06:00 - 16:10
CNS
-
AKL
8h 10m
1 stop
$853Jetstar
Tue, 28 Jul - Mon, 3 Aug
Jetstar Logo
20:55 - 10:40
AKL
-
CNS
15h 45m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
06:00 - 16:10
CNS
-
AKL
8h 10m
1 stop
$856Jetstar
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Auckland to Cairns flights

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

How much is a return flight from Auckland to Cairns?

This analysis is based on the cheapest return trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from Auckland to Cairns departing in August.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Auckland to Cairns?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Auckland 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 from Auckland to Cairns is October, where tickets cost $815 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are September and June, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,088 and $1,081 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a stopover from Auckland to Cairns?

The average return price for all direct flights, flights with one stopover, and flights with two stopovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

No, with an average price for the route of $1,058, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Auckland 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 on the flight from Auckland to Cairns, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 17% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 17 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flight$330
Best time to beat the crowds (12% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (8% more expensive on average)
Flight from Auckland to Cairns

When to book flights from Auckland to Cairns

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Auckland 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. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from Auckland to Cairns

  • How many flights are there between Auckland and Cairns per day?

    There is a maximum of 1 direct flight a day that takes off from Auckland and lands in Cairns, with an average flight time of 5h 35m. The most common departure time is 07:00 and most flights take off in the morning. Each week, there are 5 flights.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Auckland to Cairns?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Auckland to Cairns was $330 for a one-way ticket and $746 for a return.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Auckland to Cairns?

    Auckland airport is called Auckland Intl and the only airport in Cairns is Cairns.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Auckland to Cairns?

    The Airbus A321neo is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Auckland to Cairns flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Auckland to Cairns?

    oneworld, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between Auckland and Cairns, with oneworld being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Auckland to Cairns?

    You can catch a direct flight from Auckland to Cairns on on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Auckland to Cairns, Air New Zealand or Qantas Airways?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Auckland to Cairns are Air New Zealand and Qantas Airways. With an average price for the route of $1,095 and an overall rating of 8.0, Air New Zealand is the most popular choice. Qantas Airways is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $1,127 and an overall rating of 7.5.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Auckland 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 from Auckland to Cairns.

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

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

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

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

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Auckland 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 from Auckland up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Auckland to Cairns

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $375 or less one-way and $1,000 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from Auckland Intl to Cairns?

 
Nonstop data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying nonstop from Auckland Intl to Cairns.
Find which airlines fly direct from Auckland Intl Airport to Cairns Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Auckland Intl to Cairns

Monday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Tuesday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Thursday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Saturday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Sunday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Cairns to Auckland Intl

Monday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Tuesday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Thursday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Saturday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Sunday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 3 airlines flying from Auckland to Cairns

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Auckland to Cairns. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Auckland 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.
8.0
Air New ZealandOverall score based on 646 reviews
7.9Comfort
8.2Boarding
7.4Food
8.5Crew
7.4Entertainment
Airline reviews

Great first time experience with Air New Zealand and loved it. The flight crew was extremely friendly and provided great service.

10.0 ExcellentManish, May 2026
AKL - ZQN
Read more Air New Zealand reviews

Great first time experience with Air New Zealand and loved it. The flight crew was extremely friendly and provided great service.

Needed more leg room. Leg rest and entertainment system box took up a lot of space and I'm not tall. Breakfast was good. Poor quality of the entertainment options.

A better selection of entertainment would have been nice. I found nothing that appealed to me as a middle-aged traveler. The flight attendants were gracious, helpful, and attentive. It also would have been nice to have more bathrooms as the flight was full and the plane was big.

Appreciated the ability to get an earlier flight home after flying in from in from Japan. No problem with boarding or crew service. The limited choice of snacks, compared to previous years. Aircraft seats seem to be getting harder and more uncomfortable all the time. Overall, happy to be home

Aircon set too high so VERY warm and VERY uncomfortable.

Great! Flight was delayed by 30 mins but all was great. Thanks.

Arriving at Coolangatta, rows 20 forward, took the airbridge across to the terminal. It was suggested to those from rows 21 back, that we take the rear stairs and to be careful crossing the tarmac. That was all well and good. However, when we got across to the terminal we then had to climb three large flights of stairs to meet up with those coming across the airbridge. No elevator! There were people carrying babies and elderly carrying hand luggage that needed assistance from others.. There was no option to turn back.

Flew premium economy, well worth the extra. Much better seat size & space. Meals & snacks were lovely. Crew really pleasant. Internet is not great, not really useful for anything. Couldn't even send messages.

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 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.

I want a refund. I had to switch flights and buy another airline ticket because this one was delayed.

We booked with Qantas instead of Delta and we instead flew on American Airlines. American is not our favorite to go on. No leg room and the width of seats are a joke. Your are packed like sardines on American flights.

After already paying for excess luggage prior to flight, i was advised AT check in that i had to pay $816 or forfeit my flight! The lady at the counter was SO rude and had already started offboarding me when i said i would pay it after asking her three times for the exact amount! Have lodged a formal complaint yet heard nothing. Will not ever travel via Qantas again

they ran out of fruit for breakfast and so I just had a yogurt instead. other than that the flight was good

I liked the service, the menu, and the comfort of the seats! Even tho we were seated by the bathrooms, the reclining seats and movie selection was very good, my husband and I didn’t mind at all

Everything was great from the staff to the seats and food. The plane was timely taking off and landing.. I couldn't have asked for a better experience (especially on such a long flight)

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.

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).

My bag didn’t make it but otherwise it was a great experience.

Overall a positive experience. As long as you are not connecting-I found the discount offered by Kayak and the customer service to be very good.

Knees in back from passenger behind, limited seat pockets, no entertainment.

Great. Seats are a little cramped with only a very small recline. Service was great. Food was fine.

Flight was fine with boarding starting a few minutes early. Not a fan of the crew pushing political messaging regarding indigenous naming of Brisbane city… really pushed it like I haven’t heard on Jetstar before.

I was treated poorly in Dunedin by check in crew, then my bag was lost in Auckland. Never again.

They added the weight of my back to the carryon luggage and charged me NZ$75 for being over 7 kg.

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

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

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.

Plane was late leaving darwin so we didn’t get home till 1130pm 2nd time in a fortnight that has happened. Hard when you have to work the next day

Captains address to passengers was excellent. Knee room in seating was very uncomfortable.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Auckland to Cairns

Information on your arrival and departure airports