CNS

$218 Find Cheap Flights to Cairns – Compare and Save

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 14/9. 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

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Everything you should know

Cheapest return fare
$577
Typical prices: $619-$1,099
Jetstar
Fri 17/7Thu 23/7
CHC - CNS • Direct
Cheapest one-way flight
$218
Typical prices: $214-$264
Jetstar
Mon 14/9
CHC - CNS • Direct
Top airlines
Most flights • 5 per week
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
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Top routes
Cheapest
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Insights
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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.
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When to travel
Cheapest • 33% price drop
Most popular
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Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights 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.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent return flight deals to Cairns

Fri, 17 Jul - Thu, 23 Jul
Jetstar Logo
06:55 - 10:40
CHC
-
CNS
5h 45mdirect
Jetstar Logo
07:00 - 13:55
CNS
-
CHC
4h 55mdirect
$577Jetstar
Fri, 17 Jul - Thu, 23 Jul
Jetstar Logo
06:55 - 10:40
CHC
-
CNS
5h 45mdirect
Jetstar Logo
07:00 - 13:55
CNS
-
CHC
4h 55mdirect
$589Jetstar
Fri, 17 Jul - Thu, 23 Jul
Jetstar Logo
06:55 - 10:40
CHC
-
CNS
5h 45mdirect
Jetstar Logo
07:00 - 13:55
CNS
-
CHC
4h 55mdirect
$599Jetstar
Thu, 6 Aug - Wed, 12 Aug
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:25 - 10:40
ZQN
-
CNS
26h 15m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
07:00 - 20:00
CNS
-
ZQN
11h 00m
1 stop
$909Multiple Airlines
Sat, 1 Aug - Sun, 9 Aug
Air New Zealand Logo
17:45 - 10:45
WLG
-
CNS
19h 00m
1 stop
Air New Zealand Logo
11:55 - 08:10
CNS
-
WLG
18h 15m
1 stop
$919Air New Zealand
Thu, 6 Aug - Wed, 12 Aug
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:25 - 10:40
ZQN
-
CNS
26h 15m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
07:00 - 20:00
CNS
-
ZQN
11h 00m
1 stop
$949Multiple Airlines
Fri, 9 Oct - Sun, 22 Nov
Virgin Australia Logo
17:40 - 08:30
ZQN
-
CNS
17h 50m
1 stop
Virgin Australia Logo
23:55 - 13:10
CNS
-
ZQN
10h 15m
1 stop
$953Virgin Australia
Sat, 1 Aug - Sun, 9 Aug
Air New Zealand Logo
18:45 - 10:45
WLG
-
CNS
18h 00m
1 stop
Air New Zealand Logo
18:55 - 19:20
CNS
-
WLG
22h 25m
2 stops
$1,009Air New Zealand
Tue, 25 Aug - Sat, 5 Sep
Virgin Australia Logo
17:40 - 09:50
ZQN
-
CNS
18h 10m
1 stop
Virgin Australia Logo
13:40 - 16:45
CNS
-
ZQN
25h 05m
1 stop
$1,011Virgin Australia
Tue, 28 Jul - Thu, 30 Jul
Qantas Airways Logo
11:05 - 22:40
HLZ
-
CNS
37h 35m
2 stops
Qantas Airways Logo
21:40 - 10:30
CNS
-
HLZ
34h 50m
2 stops
$1,397Qantas Airways
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to Cairns

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 5 days.

In the last 3 days, the cheapest flight deal to Cairns was found on the route from Christchurch, at $577 return. The most popular connection is from Auckland to Cairns and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as $736 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 $908 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost $299 and departed from Christchurch. The most popular routes on KAYAK are Christchurch to Cairns which costs $1,233 on average, and Auckland to Cairns, which costs $1,069 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 Monday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $744. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Sunday, where round-trip prices are $1,225 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 round-trip 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 March, where tickets cost $204 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 $538 and $448 respectively. For one-way flights, the best month to travel is January with an average price of $174.

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 in the morning, when round-trip flights cost $1,064 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 $1,064.

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 Christchurch $763 return, from Auckland $992 return.

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 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 – Book Cheap Cairns Plane Tickets

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flight$218
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 10% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly (1% more expensive on average)
Flight from Christchurch 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 Christchurch, at $577 return. The most popular connection is from Auckland to Cairns and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as $736 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 $908. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost $299 and departed from Christchurch Airport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 $629, from Auckland $682
  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Cairns flight deals.

Reviews of the 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.
8.0
Air New ZealandOverall score based on 649 reviews
7.9Comfort
8.5Crew
8.2Boarding
7.4Food
7.4Entertainment
Airline reviews

Great first time experience with ANZ. Such a great customer service. The crew was very friendly and welcoming

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

Great first time experience with ANZ. Such a great customer service. The crew was very friendly and welcoming

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.

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.

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

Very good it will be my choice of airline while in Australia.

Very friendly staff. No food service and no entertainment. Only 1hr 20min flight

I bought flights in August and there wasn’t a flight in the system

Our 6.30am flight was boarded then cancelled to fly at 10.55am . We were flying to Brisbane to attend a funeral at 12 noon an hour away . This means missing the funeral due to unreliability of Virgin . Unimpressed !!

4.5 hr international flight. We got a glass of water. Ranks up there with Ryan Air, Easy Jet, Spirit and Frontier. Expected better.

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.

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.

On time, lovely crew, economy-X seating worth the $ for the legroom. In flight entertainment not working, but I wasn’t going to use it anyway. Never had a bad Virgin experience.

I never flew with alliance. Kayak is a joke and none of the flights or times were correct. Won’t ever use kayak again

My experience was great overall. Tanya was particularly friendly and helpful the entire trip. I was very pleased with her customer service skills. The plane was an older aircraft but the entire way was comfortable with barely any turbulence at all. Qantas should speed up its fleet renovation. Totally recommend using this airline.

I liked boarding the plane. The staff were rude, the food was appalling and the chairs the most uncomfortable I have ever experienced

Flight was canceled. I was not alerted. It was only kayak that alerted me

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

I love flying with Qantas. There was no onscreen entertaining on this flight, and only a snack provided (not a meal) but still better than Jetstar or Virgin (in my opinion) so still happy.

Wheelchair assistance to move through the terminals and to/from the plane door was excellent. No vegan snack on the flight, only something with salami and cheese in it.

I have flown Qantas multiple times in the past it seemed this flight the plane had less seat room or the seats were way less comfortable than before. Everything else was about the same. Thanks

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

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).

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.

Flight was delayed both directions but once in the air was ok. Boarding out of Melbourne is just a mess.

Delayed twice. Poor communication and people made to change gates too often.

Excellent help with Wife needing disability access at Brisbane airport

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😁

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.

Travelling to a place near Cairns?

Book flights to Cairns if you plan to visit one of these locations
Palm Cove
Mission Beach
Trinity Beach

Everything you need to know for your flight to Cairns

Information on the airport you'll fly into in Cairns