CNS - ZQN

Find cheap flights from Cairns to Queenstown

Return
1 adult
Economy
Wed 19/4
Wed 26/4

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Good to know

Low season

November

High season

May

Cheapest flight

$435

Average price (return flight)

$1,154

Good deal one-way

$595
Best time to beat the crowds (20% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (36% more expensive on average)
Flight from Cairns to Queenstown
(avg. price over the last 2 weeks)
or less

When to book flights from Cairns to Queenstown Intl

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Top tips for finding a cheap flight out of Cairns

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $595 or less one-way.
  • High season is considered to be April, May and June. The cheapest month to fly is November.

FAQs for booking flights from Cairns to Queenstown

Top 4 airlines serving Cairns to Queenstown

Scores according to KAYAK customer reviews
8.4
Air New ZealandOverall score based on 2830 reviews
8.6Boarding
8.3Comfort
8.9Crew
8.5Entertainment
8.1Food
Airline reviews

So here's the rub - my flight was booked through Chatdeal even though I bought it under the Kayak umbrella. All the return flights were theoretically through Air New Zealand, however except for the initial leg from New Zealand, they were all partnered flights. So when I arrived at the airport in New Zealand they could only issue me my ticket to Fiji. Once in Fiji I had to do some serious leg work and finagling to get my ticket to Los Angeles through Fiji Air. This included a monitored covid RAT that I wasn't aware I needed to do. So I gave the score I did because of the complexity and annoyance created in the process of getting a boarding pass for my Nadi-LA flight.

Read more about Air New Zealand

So here's the rub - my flight was booked through Chatdeal even though I bought it under the Kayak umbrella. All the return flights were theoretically through Air New Zealand, however except for the initial leg from New Zealand, they were all partnered flights. So when I arrived at the airport in New Zealand they could only issue me my ticket to Fiji. Once in Fiji I had to do some serious leg work and finagling to get my ticket to Los Angeles through Fiji Air. This included a monitored covid RAT that I wasn't aware I needed to do. So I gave the score I did because of the complexity and annoyance created in the process of getting a boarding pass for my Nadi-LA flight.

No refunds for flights that I could not take due to Covid restrictions

Pros: "Comfortable seats."
Pros: "GREAT CREW, THEY DID THE BEST THEY COULD. VERY FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL."
Cons: "Ground personnel could have been way more helpful. We came back from Europe and needed to take a domestic flight to Palmerston North.We had a lot of handluggage that was allowed in our international flight, we had purchased an extra suitcase ticket to make sure it wouldn't be a problem. The lady that helped us was not willing to include any more items than 1 small suitcase that weighed only 11 kg, but we had paid for 23 kg. When we wanted to board the airplane we were told we could only take 7 kg each. Which caused problems and stress that we couldn't use after a 40-hour flight from Europe. We discussed this with the lady at the counter which wasn't really helpful to start with, but eventually, she let us board the plane anyway after we had to explain our situation a few times, and after she asked us to weigh our extra items, which of course we're more than 7 kg. We were pleased that at least she let us board our plane in the end. Hopefully next time we won't encounter the same problems."
Pros: "Hasn’t occurred yet"
Cons: "Hasn’t occurred yet"
Pros: "Well coordinated loading of plane. Good food service. Well informed.."
Cons: "Nothing.."
Pros: "The seats are comfortable. I was fortunate to have a gap in the middle seat. On my flight there was a delay due to a person needing to disembark before the flight took off. The flight dealt with the person inconsiderately and explained to everyone the reason for the delay."
Cons: "Nothing. The flight was efficiently run and seats comfortable."
Pros: "Premium economy is the way to go. So much more comfortable."
Cons: "This flight was close to perfect. Boarding process at the gate was a bit hectic, but manageable."
Pros: "Everything"
Cons: "I can’t be more demanding. Everything on the flight were good."
Pros: "I was disappointed that Air New Zealand charges US15 to reserve specific seats. For our party of 3, that would be US90 RT so I didn't do it. But at the gate I asked for window seats and the attendant gave us excellent seats at the front of the plane."
Cons: "No issues that caused us any problems."
Cons: "Auckland to Chicago was fine. Chicago to Minnesota was horrible. The departure plane showed up late due to weather which is understandable. Once the plane showed up we waited for over 4 hours for a pilots to show up. Our flight could have bee managed much better, poor job by United!"
Cons: "Terrible customer service."
Pros: "The sky couch is always very nice."
Cons: "We told the crew the water tasted funny, like dirt, they said it was fine, just had lemon in it. Pretty sure we know the difference between lemon and dirt taste."
Pros: "Very friendly flight attendants"
Cons: "Constant threats about weight of carryons & then didn’t check or weigh anything"
Pros: "Baggage made it all the way to Queenstown from Perth"
Cons: "Check -in staff said that there were no seats available in emergency exit rows so put us in the row in front. We couldn't recline and thete were several seats empty in the emergency exit row behind us."
Pros: "Comfortable seats"
Pros: "Nice flight"
Cons: "That they left my luggage, 1 piece off entire flight! A brightly patterned piece! In 50 years of flying!!! Has NEVER happened! Had to spend the 1st several hours running around looking for underwear and jacket! Not a great start to vacation! And $100 nzd doesn't buy much!"
Pros: "The airport was great! Very easy access, fast check in and security. Loved the LOTR theme. Uneventful and beautiful flight."
Cons: "Everything was great"
Pros: "same as above"
Cons: "unalbe to select seats so we were spread out"
Pros: "Quick boarding"
Cons: "Delayed for about one hour."
Pros: "Punctuality. Confortable plane."
Cons: "I was not given a chance to make a seat assignment on the Alaska legs between Seattle and LA and ended up being stuck in a middle seat going both ways. There,was no option during booking to make a,seat selection. This was also true for the LA to Auckland outbound leg. This is an area needing improvenent."
Pros: "After 3 flights on Air NZ we were very impressed by their service. Comfortable seats, great inflight entertainment system, decent food and very friendly cabin staff."
Cons: "We had 2 middle seats, which was less comfortable, but it was my fault for not choosing seats earlier."
Pros: "Meal was excellent"
Cons: "Would have liked a blanket, it was a bit cold."
Pros: "Friendly and helpful staff"
Cons: "No WiFi or outlets on aircraft"
Pros: "I was very impressed with the older Japanese attendant’s attitude in helping everyone onboard. A family sitting 2 seats in front moved around a lot while putting their baby and toddler to sleep for the night flight. The attendant discreetly gave those of us earplugs and eye masks to help us shut out the noise. Also, her smile and pleasant attitude made it an enjoyable flight."
Cons: "When I checked in online, I had to pay extra to get an aisle seat."
Pros: "friendly staff, ease of boarding"
Pros: "Crew complete meals and drinks efficiently so passengers can settle quickly for night flight"
Pros: "I was excited to see some notorious places as we flew into Queenstown....however, I wouldn't have known the places if I hadn't been sitting next to someone that knew the area."
Cons: "I can't complain about anything with Air New Zealand....I loved each flight with them."
Pros: "The customer service was great when I missed my flight."
Cons: "It was difficult to have a shorty layover and transfer from Auckland to Queenstown. I missed my flight."
Pros: "Premium Economy was worth the price! The section was not as full, and the service was wonderful."
Pros: "The pilot would tell us as we were flying over different mountains, regions etc, and the flight was not at all crowded, and there is so much more seat space than on any domestic American flight I’ve ever flown!"
Cons: "They charged 60NZD for one small checked bag! And then I misunderstood the policy on lithium batteries and switched my power banks from carry-on to checked bag and they confiscated them. So there goes that."
Pros: "The people and the service were top notch. I fly on numerous carriers and overall AirNZ has been my favorite, hands down, primarily because of the helpful kind friendly staff."
Cons: "Disembarking down onto the tarmac, and being made to stand out there for about 5 minutes (supposedly for safety's sake) while another plane was being pushed out from the next gate, all the while breathing in the choking nauseating jet exhaust fumes while our own plane was idling."
Pros: "Everything"
Pros: "Everything! It's Air NZ!"
Cons: "Nothing!"
Pros: "Friendly crew, timely response, food was nice"
Pros: "The staff was nice."
Cons: "No room, It was painful for someone with nerve damage and severe arthritis to even get to a seat."
Pros: "Flight was on time, airplane was clean, flight attendants friendly and attentive. Very pleasant flying experience"
Pros: "Entertainment was good, crew was nice, flight was very smooth"
Cons: "Took forever to take off, but not company fault"
Pros: "The crew were outstanding as usual . This flight was amazing due to over the top excellence in service especially to me as an older passenger . Probably one of the best flights ever ."
Cons: "Leaving New Zealand again"
Pros: "On-time flights."
Pros: "Everything"
Cons: "Someone sitting in my seat already!"
Pros: "Everything was quite nice."
Cons: "Not much"
Cons: "Having to pick up our bags and going through customs was horrible and stressful. Bags coming off the flight last made the customs line very long, after going through customs couldn't find where to check our bags on to Queenstown, finally found the the automatic check-in, too late only one person to help. So late had to walk to the domestic terimal, in a hurry. Finally found the check-in, checked all 3 bags, arrived in Queenstown, only two came in."
Pros: "The fly was on time"
Cons: "The service very poor"
Pros: "Nothing stood out. They do provide ear phone on the flight."
Cons: "Seating was very cramped and I'm only median built.."
Pros: "Fun and plentiful entertainment. Great comfort."
Cons: "We were booked on a 7 a.m. flight Wednesday morning. We arrived from Syndney the night before and wanted to make sure we were set for the early morning flight so went to an Air NZ information desk to get boarding pass. The agent printed out an e-ticket and said we were good to go. We arrived an hour and a half early to the gate, with our carry on bags as we have done all over the world. We heard an announcement about bags needing to be checked and assumed ours would be gate checked if needed (as anywhere else in the world). The gate agent didn't arrive til 20 minutes before the flight and told us we DIDN'T have a boarding pass and needed to return to the ticket agent and check our bags. By the time we ran back to the ticket agent we were told it was too late to check our bags. We had to pay $100 more a piece to fly LATER through Christ Church. We were on our way to meet our kids for vacation and ended up losing a day and $200 additional dollars because we were given inaccurate information by the Air New Zealand info desk."
Pros: "The service was great and the seats had a lot of leg room. Very easy to check in online and drop bags at the airport."
Cons: "The wine was delicious and I wanted more"
Pros: "Clean, roomy and peaceful flight"
Cons: "Not being 20min late and having NO ground announcement about the delay and impact on connecting flights. When I suggest to a staff member that perhaps they should keep customers informed, they said they couldn’t because they didn’t know. They helpfully suggested I google for information! Seriously!"
Pros: "Aircraft and crew service was excellent. Seats were not too comfortable"
Cons: "More leg room would have been nice for 14+ hours flight"
Cons: "Qantas always gives great service"
Pros: "Good entertainment, tasty food, easy boarding and disembarking"
Cons: "nil"
Cons: "The flight from Cairns to JFK that I originally purchased was supposed to be 7 hours of travel time less than what I actually ended up with. The airline changed my flights 4 times after originally booking."
Pros: "I slept for 12 of the 15 hours so? Food was good!"
Cons: "More leg room."
Pros: "All as expected."
Cons: "Crew could have been more pleasant."
Pros: "Good food and entertainment"
Cons: "Timely"
Cons: "They didn’t leave my food. They took it away."
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "That I was rebooked for a flight I showed up to before it took me off. Literally people that showed up after me got on the plane"
Pros: "The food and the entertainment onboard."
Cons: "Flight was late and i missed my connecting flight in Sydney."
Cons: "No screaming children"
Pros: "Great flight. Efficient and great service."
Cons: "Seats very uncomfortable.. glad it was only a few hours."
Pros: "Fast boarding and great entertainment."
Cons: "Food was sparse and water hard to come by. The ability of passengers in front to deeply recline their seats made the flight uncomfortable and claustrophobic."
Pros: "all good"
Cons: "all good"
Cons: "Boarding is very haphazard, not according to seat numbers, no pre boarding for small babies. Flight attendant spilled juice on me, very unprofessional."
Pros: "The seats were comfy."
Cons: "I booked through Budget Air and was initially online able to confirm seats and meals for my husband and I online with Qantas easily. Months out my flight was cancelled and I was rebooked onto a later flight that would have made us miss all of our transfers to our honeymoon on Fitzroy Island. Because I had booked through 'a 3rd party' Qantas refused to assist me. I managed to convince budget air to change our flights. We were moved to a jetstar flight from Melbourne to cairns. I had to confirm that this had occurred and go through multiple people online to reallocate seats and food options for my husband and myself again. Only my luggage allowance was carried across to jetstar and neither of our meal allowances were. When it came to online check-in with jetstar I could not check my husband in online only myself. I spoke to multiple people online who all confirmed they didn't know why or there was no problem and we should just present ID and check in in person. When we got to the airport Qantas had not transferred the e-ticket code across for my husband's booking and this is why we could not check him in online. The jetstar staff had to try to get his original booking code from Qantas. As it turned out I had to original booking code through budget Air in my hand and had to assert this information to staff. Flying back we were able to check in online fine with Qantas. Our boarding passes printed different sizes but did not present a problem when we dropped off our luggage. When we sent to check in the staff member couldn't get the smaller pass to read and my husband had to assert that he also had it on his phone. Despite all of my online conversations the aisle seat was allocated to me and not my husband who required it because of a medical condition and the flight was 30min delayed. We won't be traveling with Qantas or jetstar, or booking through budget Air again."
Cons: "Flight attendant kept forgetting to turn the entertainment back on after an announcement. Flight attendant sounded unprofessional over PA Would like more snacks - savoury and sweet, instead of just savoury. Snack was not sufficient for a 3 hour flight landing at 9pm. Had to wait on plane while airbridge was brought to the plane so everyone could disembark - “they weren’t expecting the flight!!” Whole flight still waiting for luggage after 55 minutes of standing at carousel and only after 55 minutes an announcement to say handlers are tending to a departure and we have to wait another 10 minutes - a whole hour for luggage - take carry on only next time!!!! 4 flights collecting luggage from the one carousel!!"
Pros: "Flight crew is great"
Cons: "Didn’t like the the whole check in process. None of the system worked. Manual check in all the way and took so long. Not enough staff to service."
Cons: "In flight wifi and entertainment didnt work"
Pros: "Qantas staff unfailingly helpful and courteous."
Cons: "A more suitable lunch that could be eaten more easily , the quiche in a fidley box and nothing to w eat it on was trying."
Pros: "Helpful staff, well informed"
Cons: "Boarding is a gong show. Not very clear signage for premium line so there’s always a ton of people jamming up the queue"
Pros: "Everything was great - arrived early. Excellent service."
Pros: "Overall good flight and staff nice and friendly"
Cons: "Nothing comes,to mind"
Cons: "An hour late"
Cons: "Really unnecessary delays."
Cons: "Felt squished"
Pros: "Nice airline with lots of room for a very long flight. Seats next to me were empty so I could lay down but unfortunately a bad respiratory illness prevented me from doing that. But still comfortable. Nice variety of food."
Cons: "All good. Movie selection could have been a little better maybe."
Pros: "The crew on both legs of our flight were great and did their very best to take care of the customers even in poor circumstances."
Cons: "Our original flight from Sydney to SFO was cancelled due to mechanical issues after boarding over an hour late and then sitting in our seats on the tarmac for over 3 hours. The flight was rebooked for the next day, but on a much older and far less comfortable plane. The plane had no room of any kind, especially for a taller person, and there was no choice but to put your seat back if the person in front of you had. The inflight entertainment was also far less advanced. After having such an excellent flight to Australia I was highly disappointed by the flight home. Other than putting us in a free hotel for the night and paying for taxi fares there was no compensation which cost me a full day of work."
Cons: "Delayed at takeoff but made some time back in the air and captain rearranged connecting flights for passengers. Food portions were a bit small at mealtimes."
Pros: "Smooth flight, good breakfast options, easy check-in, flight was on time."
Cons: "I"
Pros: "Not much"
Cons: "Uncomfortable flight, food, boarding, minimum entertainment"
Pros: "Very comfortable business class seat, great business lounge in Singapore."
Pros: "Chargers in all the seats, great movies, great food."
Cons: "9 hour delay and zero assistance rearranging car rentals, hotels, EXPENSIVE transfer between airport terminals"
Pros: "Snack and Qantas Entertainment app"
Cons: "Nil"
Pros: "Professional efficiently run airline, end to end."
Cons: "As always for any airline it wouldn't hurt or cost much more if the food serves were just a little bigger,"
Pros: "Everything on time."
Pros: "Amazing crew and staff."
Cons: "No vegetetarian food option, seat 16f was soiled, fold down tray had sticky residue from previous flight(s)."
Pros: "They gave us loaner strollers to get the kids through the airport. So family friendly. Food was great too."
Cons: "No complaints."
Cons: "I was surprised that we were flying a different carrier than Emirates"
Cons: "Lost a bag Charged for bags Made us check in our overhead bags-No quality carrier does that."
Pros: "plane will clean and service pleasant. hot meal service on 2.5 hour fight."
Cons: "limit weight of roller carry on limited to 8 kg, though did not check weight of shoulder bags New Zealand immigration is intense with bio inspection - check that you do not have any nuts or other issues as took a long time to inspect packaged food bought at Sydney airport Prior to check-in, needed evidence of flight leaving New Zealand, not just confirm number - paper with actual ticket number"
Cons: "Hot food disgusting."
Pros: "Staff obliging food excellent on time all good"
Cons: "All good"
Pros: "I was able to make a connection without too much hassle"
Cons: "I had a economy plus flight booked and should have been on a Qantas from LA to JFK but due to delays I was put on an AA flight and downgraded to economy. I could have just as easily been upgraded to business - you chose not to do that."
Pros: "Wrote a story published in the Samoa News today"
Cons: "Never got my bag in Sydney and I am enroute to the Kingdom of Tonga now"
Pros: "New plane very comfortable."
Cons: "Delayed slightly"
Pros: "The inflight service was very friendly. Flight was good, smooth."
Cons: "Flight late arriving c. 30 mins. Could not get the entertainment working on a 5+ hour flight."
Pros: "Short flight, and getting a meal made it go faster"
Cons: "Can’t really think of anything"
Pros: "Fabulous. Flawless smooth transition. Great help in the airport of getting to my ext flight that was not connecting. Good experience with in flight entertainment on your own phone. Nice airline."
Pros: "Crew were great - some in cabin entertainment would have been great. Or since it was available for phone this should have been explained."
Cons: "Allow power outlets for the mobile phones if movies were accessible"
Cons: "It would have been a normal trip but we were delayed about an hour in Cairns because the passenger count didn’t add up to what the computer said. This made it very tight to catch our next flight. Barely had time to use the bathroom."
Pros: "Crew great. Very grateful for the cuppa"
Cons: "Headrest low for a tall person. Shoulders sort of rested on it. Notconfy"
Cons: "The flight was fine but it was 4 hours behind schedule."
Cons: "despite being an international flight, there was no charging station in the gate or on the plane the food was subpar to competing airlines that fly the same route serious lack of entertainment options again despite being an international flight"
Pros: "Free WiFi and a snack of crackers and a dip."
Cons: "All good!"
Pros: "Fast boarding. Efficient in flight service including a bev and energy bar."
Cons: "Nothing."
Pros: "Felt Cheap"
Cons: "Felt Cheap. Not even an entertainment center and no one on flight could make the app download or work."
Cons: "Crew asking borderline rude questions, e.g., didn’t you hear..."
Pros: "Flight was on time, no charge for checked baggage, a sandwich and juice were served, and it was all for the price of a budget carrier."
Cons: "In flight entertainment system was not working. Then again, who expected an in-flight entertainment system at this price point?!"
Pros: "Friendly attendants and they offer food - just a sandwich and pretzels but enough."
Pros: "Nice ppl"
Cons: "Nothing it was great!"
Pros: "We arrived safely and on time"
Cons: "This was the only airline you had to pay for a soft drink."
Pros: "The overall service and polite crew and ticketing staff. They couldn't be more helpful. I've crossed the Pacific several times and Virgin get my vote."
Cons: "The distance to the aircraft after going through boarding! In Melbourne several people just stopped and sat down on the floor to rest as it was a long, long walk to the actual aircraft. Construction being the cause so probably out of Virgins control."
Cons: "I didn't get a ticket through the reservation and had to pay extra at the airport for another seat."
Pros: "I loved the food and friendly airline staff. They were very accommodating."
Cons: "I have no complaints."
Pros: "everiting was on time"
Cons: "food: 1 biscuit for a high ticket price - it is too slim"
Pros: "Good service, friendly staff. Amazing how fast they board a plane!"
Pros: "-Professional, clean. Staff seemed happy to be there. -Use of both front and rear boarding allows for faster departure."
Cons: "-Need clearer instructions or a crew member to direct passengers to front or back of plane. -In flight entertainment depends on predownload of an app."
Pros: "Quick and efficient once we boarded"
Cons: "Seats small. One crew member had massive attitude Was getting very upset at Asians who kept trying to switch seats. She was, in my opinion, unprofessional with her comments and was taking it very personal."
Pros: "flight crew, food service"
Cons: "no leg room, limited complimentary beverages"
Cons: "There was a lot of confusion for people trying to use the kiosks to check in. Finally a representative stood by the machine and told people not to bother, just queue up for the desk to get boarding passes and drop of luggage , which took for ever. Once on the plane the seats are very cramped."
Pros: "It was a full flight but take off and landing were on time and staff and service was good and friendly."
Pros: "Check in was easy and the flight was on time. Good service"
Pros: "Free luggage check and a meal for a 2.5 hour flight."
Pros: "The crew,the food"
Cons: "It was delayed near one hour"
Pros: "Excellent legroom in economy - seemed to be more than the 32" stated. Also, the seat was comfortable and the food was excellent on this long flight (MEL-LAX). Overall, a better experience than any US carrier we've flown."
Pros: "Courteous, friendly staff."
Pros: "Na"
Cons: "Na"
Pros: "Great plane, good service and attitude of the flight attendants."
Cons: "We were delayed due to weather. Nothing the airline can do about it. But still do t like it. Great"
Cons: "No ability to use entertainment unless app downloaded prior to flight."
Pros: "That's the main thing :)"
Pros: "Boarding procedures were good, check in went smoothly."
Cons: "Horrible attitude of crew, didn't appear to care for their passengers or concerns. No entertainment available and assistance for such not provided even when requested. Food ?"
Cons: "No entertainment except the app, which we did not download."
Pros: "Easy bording process. Left early and smooth flight."
Pros: "Flight on time and flight attendants were very attentive."
Cons: "All good!"
Pros: "There was a medical emergency on board and the crew handled it calmly and quietly. Very professional."
Pros: "I really appreciated the free checked bag. Aside from a little confusion as to which way to board the plane, all was smooth."
Pros: "Flight attendants recognized my discomfort, asked about pain. Gave me ice, pain medication and water for my toothache. Great job."
Cons: "The toothache."
Pros: "Accommodating crew, helpful when feeling ill"
Cons: "Horrible food, no leg room, little room to move"
Pros: "Professional service"
Cons: "Food was not very appetising"
Cons: "I wish that there were places for me to plug in my chargers"
Pros: "Did not give us a hard time about bags that were a little over weight."
Pros: "Nothing"
Pros: "Everything from check in to in-plane service was first class."
Cons: "Baggage charge of $70 Australian dollars was an unpleasant surprise. Had 3 bags. All other airlines on this trip went by weight, not number of bags and charged zero."
Pros: "They provide check in luggage and serve free snack , no extra charge like the other domestic flight. The air ticket is fare ,not more expensive than the other domestic airlines"
Pros: "Our flight was delayed by 4 hours, but luckily Kayak emailed me so I didn't go to the airport at 3am. When I arrived at the airport at 7:30 I was given meal vouchers, which is nice."
Cons: "Not a lot of leg room. Nothing is provided. You have to pay for coffee or tea and anything else you may want."
Cons: "Airline lost our bags on way to Australia so we had to buy extra clothing and personal items while here. Then airline charges us $65 because our bags are overweight with the things we had to buy because of lost bags."
Pros: "Everything went smoothly"
Cons: "The overcharge for baggage being slightly over weight"
Pros: "Seating was tight. Very thin seats.. Little padding"
Cons: "Their online baggage fees could not be purchased with either my Mastercard or Visa. Had to resort to Paypal for baggage payment. Flight was also over an hour late departing from Cairns. Crew said that was due to an ;onboard medical emergency' on the inbound flight."
Pros: "The seats are big"
Cons: "You have to pay for food and drinks- nothing for free Boarding was chaos- no organization- just everyone pushing their way on. Worried about security as no one at any point checked my ID or passport Line up for baggage drop off took half an hour- they need more staff working"
Pros: "The crew were very friendly and professional Didn’t appreciate having to pay for a cup of coffee."
Cons: "The loading process was a bit unorganized. The only organization was the front 12 rows load from the front and back rows loaded from the back of the plane by walking across the tarmac. Would be more efficient if they loaded more like Southwest Airlines."
Pros: "The crew were amazing."
Cons: "The cost to check baggage was very high and hard to complete ahead of time."
Pros: "Was a smaller aircraft and a spacious flight"
Cons: "No complimentary food or snack or drinks!!"
Pros: "The crew and flight were ok."
Cons: "The checked baggage policy is lacking"
Pros: "The plane got us to Darwin."
Cons: "$60 per checked bag, even at 30 per bag its still more expensive than other carriers, so if you have a bag to check, skip Jetstar"
Cons: "Charged $60 for checking a bag. After which not loading the bag on plan which they charged. Even coffee cost money on this flight. I would not recommend this nor I would fly again without this airline."
Pros: "I liked that we left on-time this time. The previous flight a week ago was delayed by 1 hour."
Cons: "That they made us dump out our coffee and didn't let us bring it onboard. But, then they didn't offer complimentary coffee or tea or offer water. Providing those refreshments to Guests would cost very little and offering those kinds of amenities goes a long way."
Pros: "There was a flight attendant named Linda who was exceeded assisting us with getting to our connection."
Cons: "Staff in airport was very rude and only seemed to want to get more money out of people not willing to assist with any kind of resolution to issues. Couldn’t understand paging due to it echoing. I would never recommend using jet star to anyone."
Cons: "didnt answer baggage questions ahead of time and wasn't clear on website, ended up costing over $100 *extra* to check bags than anticipated due to this - long lines, poor customer service"
Pros: "Exit row seating with lots of leg room."
Pros: "Out Jetstar flight from Cairns arrived late and we had unacceptable assistance to make our connecting flight to Queenstown. Missed our flight. Rebooked ourselves for tomorrow. Cost us $1000."
Cons: "See above"
Cons: "Paid $30 upfront for a 15kg checked bag, was told at counter I could carry on, but unable to refund money. At the gate, was told it was over the 7kg carry on max (was 9.2kg) and required to check... for an additional $60. The $30 I paid previously would not be applied. Complete scam. Friend I was traveling with also paid for a 15kg checked bag upfront, but was only charged $21. I was also concerned about checking as I needed to transfer terminals from domestic to international with a tight connection and since the plane was delayed, had even less time to grab bag, catch train and go thru customs. No consistency. No customer service."
Pros: "No redeeming factors with awful customer service. I missed my connecting flight due to another flight being late. As a result, I called them to notify them I would not be able to make the flight and asked to switch flights. After explaining the situation, they refused to waive the flight change fee and even charged additional fees even though I had no control of the situation. They took advantage of the situation I was forced into and have no ethics. Absolute garbage."
Cons: "See above. A terrible airline who treats paying customers with disrespect and takes advantage of the situation. I will never fly with this airline again."
Pros: "The women sitting next to us had on enough perfume to gag anyone. My wife doesn't swell to well, and it nearly made her vomit."
Cons: "The women sitting next to us had on enough perfume to gag anyone. My wife doesn't swell to well, and it nearly made her vomit. Now in flight service provided except water on request."
Pros: "Boarding"
Cons: "Entertaiment was paid. Previous jetstar flights was free. I tried to purchase the machine did not read none of my credit cards. Bad experience overall."
Pros: "I got there"
Cons: "They charged extra for our bags if I would have known that up front I probably would have used another airline"
Pros: "Ticket price was cheap."
Cons: "$60 to check a bag and you need to if it is over 7kg. They have scales at check in and boarding gate. Was not allowed to take coffee on board and when they offered some it turns out it's $4 per paper cup of it, tea is the same. No seat back pockets to put things in. Seats so thin you can feel everybody's knees from 3 rows behind you. I will never fly with Jet Star again. I will spend more on the ticket to not feel like I'm being robbed blind on the plane."
Pros: "The on time arrival"
Cons: "Everything else: boarding cattle call, $190 in baggage charges for 2 bags, knees in my back for 3 hours, etc etc etc"
Cons: "All food and drink service needed to be purchased. Had an issue with a lost wallet left on the plane, and limited help in retrieving it."
Pros: "Nice crew"
Cons: "The plane was freezing, and there were no TVs for entertainment or blankets to help mitigate the cold"
Pros: "Value"
Cons: "Baggage fees, but that is to be expected now"
Pros: "For the amount of time on a flight, it was as good as it gets"
Pros: "Extremely friendly staff. Smoothe flight!"
Cons: "Seats were quite crammed resulting in an uncomfortable 5 hour flight with no entertainment. There were no complimentary snacks or drinks like on most flights. Everything had a price tag. I had to ask for a complimentary glass of water."
Cons: "Hit with $100 extra baggage charges for carry-ons that were judged to be too heavy despite ample room in overhead and under seat compartments."
Pros: "We boarded and left on time. Crew was very pleasant."
Cons: "They only allow 7kg carry on which forced us to check 2 bags @ $30 each. It's just to extract money. It looked like a reasonable fare but by the time we paid fees, seats and luggage, another airline would be a better choice. They chatged us a $60 "third party" between Queenstown and Cairns. Ridiculous...I won't fly with them again."
Pros: "Fairly efficient, cheaper price."
Cons: "Had employee going down boarding line with a scale charging extra $50 if you were over their ridiculously low weight limit for a carry on bag. Had no problem with same bag on numerous other airlines."
Cons: "We flew from Sydney to Cairns with a carry on suitcase and a personal item (backpack/purse) with no problem. On the way back, we were charged AUD$50 and were forced to check our bags. It was clearly not due to a space limitation but rather just a way to make money as not everyone was forced to check bags."
Pros: "Baggage fees are extremely high, about the price of an additional ticket. Kayak didn't do a great job at explaining how to secure multiple baggage pieces in advance. Kayak provided no information on meal/drink advance order/purchase options. This was my fort time flying this airline and I didn't know what to expect. We experienced a mechanical issue feat but the pilot was great at providing updates. We were later delayed due to another aircrafts gas spill on the tarmac. Again, great communication from the flight deck. We were able to make up the time. Baggage fees are extremely high, about the price of an additional ticket. Kayak didn't do a great job at explaining how to secure multiple baggage pieces in advance. Kayak provided no information on meal/drink advance order/purchase options. This was my fort time flying this airline and I didn't know what to expect. We experienced a mechanical issue feat but the pilot was great at providing updates. We were later delayed due to another aircrafts gas spill on the tarmac. Again, great communication from the flight deck. We were able to make up the time."
Cons: "I was very upset to have to pay over 200 for checked luggage. Kayak never gave me the option to add a bag when I booked this trip. That would've allowed me to save money. I was very upset"
Cons: "Extra fees for everything! Didn't expect to have to pay so much for luggage. Next time I won't be fooled by the low airfare."
Pros: "Nothing. JetStar used unethical business practices to force us to pay $160 dollars for our baggage. Usually baggage costs $13. They clearly have pulled this extortion trick on customers many times before. We were left to choose between abandoning all of our clothing and souvenirs and other possessions, or paying them an absurdly high fee. So we didn't really have much choice. F JetStar. I'll never fly with them again. If you're smart you won't either."
Pros: "Nothing."
Cons: "Plane was an hour late..baggage fees were $344 AUS for two bags, never again, very poor airline."
Pros: "I have taken 2 Jetstar flights this week and both departed over an hour late ! Frustrating!"
Cons: "Not understanding that online baggage allowance was for checked bags; then having to pay, at the counter, $50/bag and $15 for extra weight over 15 kg. was unreasonably exorbitant. Especially, as there was a notice stating the extra weight was for anything over 20 kgs."
Pros: "Easy boarding from front and rear of plane."
Cons: "Extra fees for baggage, very high $$."
Pros: "Very disappointed in Jetstar airlines!"
Cons: "Upon arriving at Cairns Airport, my sister and I arrived at the gate 2 hours early to our JQ16 flight to Sydney! We had accommodations already set up in Sydney through AirBnB on Coogee Beach. As we anticipated a quick 3 hour flight, we were sadly disappointed to hear the flight would be delayed due to crew scheduling. I understand sometimes thing don't always go as planned and some delays are unforeseen! However, when delays are due to the airlines incompetence of scheduling a crew it is quite frustrating! The 7:35am flight went from being delayed a few hours, to being delayed over 10 hours! Very little information was given to us about the flight and the airline was very unhelpful trying to accommodate us to a different flight to Sydney! We were told that we could be refunded for our flight and book another flight to Sydney.. This was absurd considering a one-way flight to Sydney last minute would run us around $500 and up each! We were offered a $15 food voucher, which basically covered a cup of coffee! After finally boarding the plane and it seemed the airlines incompetence continued! We waited to be taxied out because they didn't have a tug-cart to take us out.. Finally, around 6pm we took off! We arrived at Sydney right around 9pm.. Upon arriving, once again we had to wait for a tug-cart! Finally we got off the plane around 9:15pm! After finally getting through customs and out of the airport, it was now after 10pm and we had lost our booming for our Airbnb booking! We called the airline only to find they were unable to accommodate us for our lost Airbnb accommodation! They were very unhelpful and told us we could book another hotel and if we were lucky, the "may" reimburse us but there is no guarantee! We were now again stuck in the airport for another 12 hours as we waited for our international flight! After my experience with Jetstar, I will never recommend anyone to fly this airline, and discourage them to to so! Very disappointed in their service!"
Pros: "Flights were on time and check in was very efficient. Flights attendants and check in desk personnel were courteous and helpful"
Cons: "We had nearly 3 hours return light from Sydney to Cairns, Australia, and back. No complement beverages, even soft drink or water, was served. Water and soft drinks were unreasonably expensive to purchase."
Cons: "Overpriced excess of luggage. Classic trick only used by the cheapest airline companies."
Cons: "The seats and lack of refreshments"
Cons: "The carry-on baggage limits are small (one bag maximum as opposed to most airlines that allow one bag and a personal item). The fee for checking a bag once at the airport is insane ($160 AUD). Will never fly Jetstar again. Easily worth the extra few dollars to fly Virgin or Air NZ."
Cons: "No grace. No food. No drink. No leg room. Seat backs that make you lean forward. Fees made flight cost more than Quantas."
Pros: "I do believe that you get what you pay for, so I didn't mind the minimal level of service. The flight was on time. Check in was easy and efficient. The crew was pleasant and helpful."
Cons: "This is a problem not confined to Jetstar, but which affects the industry as a whole. Why do the board sick passengers? There was a man seated two rows behind us who coughed and wheezed the whole way from Cairns to Melbourne. He couldn't clear his lungs. He had no business on a plane infecting the rest of us."
Cons: "Every review regarding baggage is true - they will getcha. Make sure to weigh your carry on as well as your checked. My friend ended up having to check her luggage cause they weighed her backpack! The flight is cheap but if you don't pay up front for the extra weight you will be screwed on the day of."
Cons: "We had a 4 hour layover in Melbourne and had to pick up our bags and recheck them but we couldn't check them in until 2 hours before our flight and there was a 145aud charge for excess weight they only a!low 15 kg virgin allows 23 and tiger air allows 20. I will not book on them again! They did not even offer water to me the attendants were too busy making sure everyone who had preorder got their order."
Pros: "Having flown budget airlines in several different countries it is well accepted that you get what you pay for. Jetstar is definitely a cheap, no frills flight but the seats are comfortable, the carry-on baggage allowance reasonable, and the extras not entirely outrageous. When needing to be budget conscious and able to travel light, this is definitely a good option."
Pros: "The service person in the check in and luggage drop off desk was very polite and helpful!"
Cons: "Boarding process seemed to be chaotic. Need to get it organized better."

Book cheap flights from Cairns to Queenstown

Recent return flight deals

6/6Tue
1 stopVirgin Australia
7h 40mCNS-ZQN
13/6Tue
1 stopVirgin Australia
8h 50mZQN-CNS
$786
18/4Tue
1 stopVirgin Australia
25h 50mCNS-ZQN
25/4Tue
1 stopVirgin Australia
8h 50mZQN-CNS
$796
7/6Wed
1 stopJetstar
23h 35mCNS-ZQN
13/6Tue
1 stopJetstar
22h 50mZQN-CNS
$816
4/6Sun
1 stopJetstar
10h 10mCNS-ZQN
15/6Thu
1 stopJetstar
12h 10mZQN-CNS
$818
18/4Tue
2 stopsVirgin Australia
23h 40mCNS-ZQN
25/4Tue
1 stopVirgin Australia
8h 50mZQN-CNS
$839
5/6Mon
1 stopVirgin Australia
28h 20mCNS-ZQN
13/6Tue
1 stopVirgin Australia
8h 50mZQN-CNS
$855
4/6Sun
1 stopMultiple Airlines
10h 10mCNS-ZQN
14/6Wed
1 stopMultiple Airlines
9h 30mZQN-CNS
$885
8/6Thu
1 stopMultiple Airlines
7h 40mCNS-ZQN
15/6Thu
1 stopMultiple Airlines
12h 10mZQN-CNS
$898
4/6Sun
1 stopMultiple Airlines
10h 10mCNS-ZQN
11/6Sun
1 stopMultiple Airlines
9h 10mZQN-CNS
$917
5/6Mon
2 stopsMultiple Airlines
11h 35mCNS-ZQN
15/6Thu
1 stopMultiple Airlines
12h 10mZQN-CNS
$923
7/6Wed
2 stopsMultiple Airlines
11h 35mCNS-ZQN
15/6Thu
1 stopMultiple Airlines
12h 10mZQN-CNS
$942
7/6Wed
1 stopJetstar
7h 35mCNS-ZQN
11/6Sun
1 stopJetstar
12h 10mZQN-CNS
$947
18/4Tue
2 stopsVirgin Australia
23h 40mCNS-ZQN
25/4Tue
2 stopsVirgin Australia
20h 15mZQN-CNS
$949
8/6Thu
1 stopMultiple Airlines
7h 40mCNS-ZQN
11/6Sun
1 stopMultiple Airlines
12h 10mZQN-CNS
$954
7/6Wed
1 stopJetstar
7h 35mCNS-ZQN
12/6Mon
1 stopJetstar
12h 10mZQN-CNS
$958
5/6Mon
1 stopVirgin Australia
25h 50mCNS-ZQN
12/6Mon
1 stopVirgin Australia
23h 00mZQN-CNS
$961
8/6Thu
1 stopMultiple Airlines
7h 40mCNS-ZQN
12/6Mon
1 stopMultiple Airlines
12h 10mZQN-CNS
$963
7/6Wed
1 stopJetstar
7h 35mCNS-ZQN
13/6Tue
2 stopsJetstar
12h 15mZQN-CNS
$992
4/6Sun
1 stopQantas Airways
7h 30mCNS-ZQN
13/6Tue
2 stopsQantas Airways
13h 10mZQN-CNS
$1,612
7/6Wed
2 stopsAir New Zealand
15h 50mCNS-ZQN
12/6Mon
2 stopsAir New Zealand
12h 20mZQN-CNS
$1,695

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17/4Mon
1 stopVirgin Australia
7h 40mCNS-ZQN
$435
18/4Tue
2 stopsVirgin Australia
23h 40mCNS-ZQN
$491
17/4Mon
2 stopsVirgin Australia
29h 30mCNS-ZQN
$512
17/4Mon
1 stopVirgin Australia
28h 20mCNS-ZQN
$521
17/4Mon
2 stopsVirgin Australia
26h 10mCNS-ZQN
$705
18/4Tue
3 stopsJetstar
23h 10mCNS-ZQN
$767
17/4Mon
3 stopsMultiple Airlines
20h 35mCNS-ZQN
$840

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Cairns - Queenstown Flights

Departure:

Cairns (CNS)Australia

Destination:

Queenstown (ZQN)New Zealand

Return flight deals:

Queenstown - Cairns

Browse origins:

$786

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