CNS

$172 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 13/10. 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

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 for flights to Cairns, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to Cairns, as well as popular online travel agencies
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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

Mon, 1 Sep - Thu, 11 Sep
Jetstar Logo
07:05 - 10:40CHC-CNS
5h 35mdirect
Jetstar Logo
22:55 - 05:50CNS-CHC
4h 55mdirect
$459Jetstar
Find Deal
Fri, 10 Oct - Thu, 16 Oct
Jetstar Logo
08:05 - 10:40CHC-CNS
5h 35mdirect
Jetstar Logo
22:55 - 06:50CNS-CHC
4h 55mdirect
$476Jetstar
Find Deal
Sat, 4 Oct - Sat, 11 Oct
Air New Zealand Logo
07:10 - 09:45AKL-CNS
5h 35mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
10:55 - 18:35CNS-AKL
4h 40mdirect
$950Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Thu, 2 Oct - Thu, 9 Oct
Air New Zealand Logo
07:10 - 09:45AKL-CNS
5h 35mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
10:55 - 18:35CNS-AKL
4h 40mdirect
$981Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Sat, 27 Sep - Wed, 8 Oct
Qantas Airways Logo
06:10 - 20:55CHC-CNS
16h 45m1 stop
Qantas Airways Logo
09:20 - 01:20CNS-CHC
13h 00m1 stop
$1,048Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Sat, 4 Oct - Sat, 11 Oct
Emirates Logo
07:15 - 22:50AKL-CNS
18h 35m1 stop
Emirates Logo
18:40 - 14:45CNS-AKL
17h 05m1 stop
$1,048Emirates
Find Deal
Thu, 18 Dec - Tue, 30 Dec
Qantas Airways Logo
16:20 - 23:05WLG-CNS
9h 45m1 stop
Qantas Airways Logo
17:35 - 15:20CNS-WLG
18h 45m1 stop
$1,053Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Sat, 4 Oct - Sat, 11 Oct
Virgin Australia Logo
15:25 - 10:25ZQN-CNS
22h 00m1 stop
Virgin Australia Logo
11:50 - 15:40CNS-ZQN
24h 50m1 stop
$1,104Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Sat, 4 Oct - Sat, 11 Oct
Virgin Australia Logo
15:25 - 20:30ZQN-CNS
32h 05m2 stops
Virgin Australia Logo
11:50 - 16:45CNS-ZQN
49h 55m2 stops
$1,237Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Wed, 24 Dec - Mon, 12 Jan
Emirates Logo
14:35 - 10:45WLG-CNS
23h 10m1 stop
Emirates Logo
14:50 - 15:20CNS-WLG
21h 30m1 stop
$1,304Emirates
Find Deal
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 72 hours.

In the last 3 days, the cheapest flight deal to Cairns was found on the route from Christchurch, at $458 return. The most popular connection is from Auckland to Cairns and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as $690 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 $685 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost $196 and departed from Christchurch. The most popular routes on KAYAK are Christchurch to Cairns which costs $574 on average, and Auckland to Cairns, which costs $1,050 on average.

See prices from:

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 February, where tickets cost $881 on average for return flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and January, where the average cost of tickets from New Zealand is $1,149 and $1,044 respectively. For one-way flights, the best month to travel is February with an average price of $881.

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 $480 return, from Auckland $1,003 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 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 35% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 22 weeks before departure.

Good to know – Book Cheap Cairns Plane Tickets

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flight$172
Best time to beat the crowds (12% less expensive on average)
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 $458 return. The most popular connection is from Auckland to Cairns and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as $690 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 $685. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost $196 and departed from Christchurch Airport.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to Cairns?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Cairns is Wednesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $713. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Sunday, where round-trip prices are $1,132 on average.

  • 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.

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

    The cheapest time of day to fly to Cairns is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost $479 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Cairns is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $605.

  • How many direct flights to Cairns are there each week?

    Each week there are around 7 direct flights from within New Zealand to Cairns. The most common day for departures is Monday, with 29% of flights taking off on this day.

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 $345, from Auckland $725
  • 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?

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

Direct departures

New Zealand to Cairns

Monday

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

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +26 more

ANA, Air Canada, +27 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air India, +28 more

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +25 more

ANA, Air Canada, +26 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air India, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Cairns to New Zealand

Monday

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

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +26 more

ANA, Air Canada, +27 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air India, +28 more

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +25 more

ANA, Air Canada, +26 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air India, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying to Cairns

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to Cairns. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from New Zealand to Cairns. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with to Cairns? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.1
EmiratesOverall score based on 3318 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.8Food
8.3Crew
8.2Entertainment
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

I lost my lock from my luggage, I don’t know someone took something from my bag.

6.0 GoodJoy, Jul 2025IAH - DXB
Read more Emirates reviews

I lost my lock from my luggage, I don’t know someone took something from my bag.

We travelled in economy, were very satisfied with the comfort and keg space of the seats. Food was great compared to other airlines, the crew were very helpful and friendly. Since i was travelling with kids, i needed assistance multiple of times. Will be definitely taking long flights with Emirates from now on.

One of the female staff from the cabin crew, forgot to ask us about what we want to drink and focused more on other specific people rather than treating everyone politely. I asked her about the drinks to which she said oh I forgot.

no problem with Emirates it was the underpricer subcontractor Who was ridiculous

Excellent comfort and entertainment. Service poor..Food average with little choice.

Boarding, seats, entertainment and service were all great. The food was great except for the fact that there were too many sweet items.

Amazing and great experience, crew was available and took great care of my parents. Food was nice and so was the service. Aircraft from Dubai to Mumbai was not so great and was a big showdown of the aircraft service

Flight attendants were great. Comfort of seat and lie down bed pretty good. Food was very mediocre. Wine was good (red French wine) although I should have taken advantage of having more! :-) it was too late on the flight From znz—I was tired…then too early from Dubai. Woman sitting behind me dropped a full bag of garbage on my head while I was sleeping…orange peels, wet partially eaten food and very smelly food garbage which I literally had to pick out of my hair, off my face and away from my pillow. Not the airlines fault but still a very unpleasant experience.

The food was amazing on our flight. So many options for movies and shows to stay entertained for 12 hours.

Enough vegetarian food was not available on the flight for all vegetarian guests on the plane. Crew did not adequately handle this experience

Not a comfortable trip, the seats are not good, and they look old.

Lost my luggage and brought someone else luggage to my airport.

Not entirely positive. It’s frustrating that everything is done through the united app. One of our flight attendants on our trip from San Francisco to MSP continually had trouble hearing people so she flipped her hair into people’s faces

I flew United from San Francisco to Auckland. My connecting flight from Auckland to Christchurch was canceled with no explanation. I was finally told the cancellation was due to fog. Even though it was clear when we landed. I am from San Francisco, I know what fog is! And I didn't see any fog. I was told the next available flight was 7 hours later. Unacceptable, they should have had a flight ready to go as soon as it was deemed safe to take off.

Our original flight was cancelled from SFO to AKL on 6/16/25. So we had to stay overnight at a hotel after a 12-hour layover plus 3-hour delay before the cancellation. Then had to fly to LA and then to AKL the following day losing an entire day of our vacation in NZ, that we can never get back.

Two hours was not enough time to transition from the international to domestic terminal. You have to go through customs, a biological hazard check, gather your luggage, take a bus to the domestic terminal and recheck your luggage. The bus was slow and crowded and the lines to recheck your bags were very long. We missed our connecting flight. Initially, the Air New Zealand officials were not helpful at all in helping to get us on another flight. Told us we would have to buy another ticket for a flight 11 hours later. Found another agent that was more helpful. He helped arrange to get us on standby for another flight three hours later. Had to ride in jump seats next to the flight attendants, but at least we eventually got to out destination.

Full flight. Flight attendants were harried. Otherwise, fine for the typical cramped seating conditions in coach.

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

The 10hr flight was a comfortable as it could be in row 57. The food was just very bad….bland and soggy!

The business class upgrade meant a good sleep on the way home after a long week away. Excellent service, great food, and comfortable seat/bed for the journey.

A few more inches of legroom is all i ask

One of the best Qantas business flights I've had. Quality product

Business class points redemption - good value for points paid, dubious value if out of your own pocket, domestic class business product okay for this length of flight. The flight left and arrived on time, crew were good, aircraft was a bit old and tired, but still miles ahead of their competitors in Virgin and Jetstar.

Airline running better than post Covid, proper boarding process now implemented, some aircraft feeling a bit old and tired, crew fine, online experience better.

Five hour flight instead of four hours due to westerly headwinds which wasn’t the fault of Qantas !

The wifi was out. Otherwise it was great flight. Richard, as CSM, was excellent.

Was bumped to a later flight because of inefficiency on part of the airline.

The Emerits/Qantas flight was cancelled to Wellington. We need a refund. Had to buy another airline ticket. How do we get the refund. Still not in Wellington.

Delayed QF59 flight once again, Qantas doesn't fail in maintaining there delayed departures and arrivals. USB points do not work nor do the power point sockets on the plane, Qantas staff admitted that on the flight. Don't expect to your charge devices. Saving grace, was the ice cream. Bottom line, if you expect to fly to HND and make it on time avoid Qantas and if you're interested in ice cream - visit 7/11.

Pretty excellent. I don’t know what the pilot could have done better with the bumping ( there was a storm) nor what happened to my ears coming down into bendigo. It doesn’t happen coming down into Sydney just the return flight. I wonder why?

Overall experience was good but what really impressed me the most was the care the flight attendants took of a sick passenger who was sitting in front of me. The flight attendants would come and check on her quite regularly providing her support and comfort. Brilliant service!

Only answered OK and poor as there was no entertainment and I didnt have any food

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

Gluten free options less explicit on business class, but great service

Very good… seems the virgin staff particularly in the lounge and in flight exceeded expectations.

I liked everything about the experience but would have liked some free snacks!

Crew was great but flight was delayed almost three hours due to a technical issue and we had to go back to the terminal and wait for another one.

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

Checked Baggage line up was long but moved quickly, rest of the process, boarding, crew was excellent

Virgin has always provided a smooth and comfortable flight. This one was no different. Seats are comfortable. Staff are great. This is my favourite airline.

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

no announcement about why we where delayed which is very poor

It was better than I expected. Thought $5 for a small cup of tea was a bit much!

Overall good trip I find seats a bit hard. We were waiting on board for about an hour for 2 passengers with some document issue. This main our arrival late for our pickup person.

15kg allowance is outrageous. Change of time a few days before departure and more than 2 hours of delay in the end. The worse we’ve taken so far in Oceania.

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

stuck in the aircraft for over three hours due to engineering work, significantly delayed and made a lot of passengers missed the connecting transport, no mention any compensation

Very quiet plane!! One of the quietest planes we have been on.

Jetsatar refused to take my foldable stroller in the plane, despite following all the rules on dimensions and packaging. Similar thing happened on our previous fight. However, at that instance, they offered to check in the stroller. At this fight, the staff was rude, trying to rush us to board the flight. They made excuses that the stroller was not allowed and even offer to leave it behind and ship it back at our own cost. Fortunately, we had someone else attending. Since the flight was about to take off, they left it behind and send it back to us on the next available flight.

Overall, it was good. The only concern was that I couldn't charge my phone because the USB port didn't work after we took off. One of the crew members tried to restart it but never came back to me with an update.

Travelling to a place near Cairns?

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Everything you need to know for your flight to Cairns

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