$61 Find Cheap Flights to South Island

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from New Zealand to South Island departing on 3/3. 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 South Island

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to South Island
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to South Island
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights to South Island

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Christchurch
Christchurchdirect$121
Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$180
Nelson
Nelsondirect$125
Dunedin
Dunedindirect$210
Invercargill
Invercargilldirect$282
Blenheim
Blenheimdirect$125
Christchurch
Christchurchdirect$121
Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$180
Nelson
Nelsondirect$125
Dunedin
Dunedindirect$210
Invercargill
Invercargilldirect$282
Blenheim
Blenheimdirect$125

Book Cheap South Island Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights to South Island 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 South Island

Wed, 4 Mar - Sat, 7 Mar
Jetstar Logo
19:45 - 20:35
WLG
-
CHC
0h 50mdirect
Jetstar Logo
18:15 - 19:05
CHC
-
WLG
0h 50mdirect
$121Jetstar
Sat, 7 Mar - Sun, 8 Mar
Jetstar Logo
19:45 - 20:35
WLG
-
CHC
0h 50mdirect
Jetstar Logo
06:45 - 07:35
CHC
-
WLG
0h 50mdirect
$124Jetstar
Sun, 1 Mar - Wed, 4 Mar
Jetstar Logo
21:45 - 23:05
AKL
-
CHC
1h 20mdirect
Jetstar Logo
20:35 - 21:55
CHC
-
AKL
1h 20mdirect
$125Jetstar
Sun, 1 Mar - Thu, 5 Mar
Jetstar Logo
15:20 - 16:45
AKL
-
CHC
1h 25mdirect
Jetstar Logo
06:15 - 07:35
CHC
-
AKL
1h 20mdirect
$127Jetstar
Sun, 29 Mar - Thu, 30 Apr
Jetstar Logo
08:15 - 09:05
WLG
-
CHC
0h 50mdirect
Jetstar Logo
06:45 - 07:35
CHC
-
WLG
0h 50mdirect
$127Jetstar
Wed, 25 Feb - Sat, 4 Apr
Jetstar Logo
20:55 - 22:20
AKL
-
CHC
1h 25mdirect
Jetstar Logo
13:50 - 15:10
CHC
-
AKL
1h 20mdirect
$129Jetstar
Fri, 5 Jun - Sun, 7 Jun
Air New Zealand Logo
13:55 - 15:20
WLG
-
ZQN
1h 25mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
11:25 - 12:45
ZQN
-
WLG
1h 20mdirect
$180Air New Zealand
Sat, 28 Mar - Sat, 4 Apr
Air New Zealand Logo
15:25 - 17:00
AKL
-
BHE
1h 35mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
14:30 - 16:05
BHE
-
AKL
1h 35mdirect
$200Air New Zealand
Thu, 28 May - Tue, 2 Jun
Air New Zealand Logo
09:15 - 10:40
WLG
-
ZQN
1h 25mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
11:25 - 12:45
ZQN
-
WLG
1h 20mdirect
$210Air New Zealand
Wed, 15 Apr - Sat, 25 Apr
Multiple Airlines Logo
17:45 - 19:40
AKL
-
ZQN
1h 55mdirect
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:50 - 12:40
ZQN
-
AKL
1h 50mdirect
$210Multiple Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to South Island

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

What is the cheapest flight to South Island?

These are the best return prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.

The cheapest ticket to South Island from New Zealand found in the last 72 hours was to Queenstown, at $76 return. The most popular route is Auckland (AKL) to Christchurch (CHC) and the cheapest return airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $90.

How much is a flight to South Island?

The average and cheapest price for all round-trip flights to South Island from each origin found by users searching on KAYAK in the last month.

A flight to South Island costs $288 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks was $57 for the route Christchurch (CHC) to Blenheim (BHE). The most popular routes on KAYAK are Wellington to Blenheim which costs $276 on average, and Auckland to Blenheim, which costs $338 on average.

See prices from:

What is the cheapest month to fly from New Zealand to South Island?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from New Zealand to South Island, 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 New Zealand to South Island is October, when tickets cost $172 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and June, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $350 and $317 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from New Zealand to South Island?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights to South Island, 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 a flight from New Zealand to South Island, you should book around 5 weeks before departure, which saves you about 43% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 16 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in South Island?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in South Island is Christchurch Airport (CHC), with an average flight price of $141.

Good to know

Low seasonNovember
Cheapest flight$61
Best time to beat the crowds (20% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 5% lower on average.
Flight from Wellington to Christchurch

Flights to South Island: the best tips from KAYAK users' own experiences

Insights shared by verified travellers who flew to South Island 
FernandoFlew with Air New Zealand
ZQN
-
CHC
Feb 2026
Bumpy ride. Don’t eat too much before flying this route. Go to restrooms before boarding.
MichelleFlew with Air New Zealand
CHC
-
HKK
Nov 2025
Make sure you have a back up plan for transportation. My ride was unfortunately delayed due to a multiple car accident that closed the road for seven hours. I had no way to get to my hotel near Greymouth.There are no taxis, but I was fortunate enough to find a lovely bus driver who dropped me at my hotel on her route to Greymouth.
Verified travelerFlew with Air New Zealand
AKL
-
ZQN
Sept 2024
There is a domestic Air NZ lounge AFTER security, right next to the gate if you are flying Air NZ. Looks like it is new. I had flown the same route about 10 months earlier, and there was no lounge inside. The only Air NZ lounge was in the checkin area (next to regional airlines). The plan was good, and had decent space (legroom and overhead).
ScottFlew with Air New Zealand
AKL
-
CHC
Nov 2024
Make sure you have at least 2 hours layover if going to CHC from out of country. Getting to domestic terminal takes either a 15 minute walk or waiting for a shuttle which is not easy to locate.

FAQs - booking South Island flights

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from New Zealand to South Island?

    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 New Zealand to South Island.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from New Zealand to South Island?

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

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from New Zealand to South Island?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly from New Zealand to South Island 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 from New Zealand to South Island?

    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 from New Zealand to South Island up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to South Island?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to South Island is Saturday when return tickets can be as cheap as $263. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Sunday, when return prices are $320 on average.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to South Island?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to South Island is generally in the afternoon, when retur flights cost $160 on average. Morning departures are around 8% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to South Island is generally in the morning, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $193.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to South Island

  • Looking for cheap airfare to South Island? 25% of our users found return tickets to South Island for the following prices or less: From Wellington $165, from Auckland $201, from Dunedin $257
  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest South Island flight deals.

Reviews of the top airlines flying to South Island

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to South Island. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from New Zealand to South Island. 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 New Zealand to South Island? 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 582 reviews
8.5Crew
8.0Comfort
7.4Food
8.2Boarding
7.4Entertainment
Airline reviews

Space between seats on Air New Zealand is generally tight. The crew on this flight was excellent! Very attentive and nice. You get free wine or beer and chips and of course the Air New Zealand candies. 1 hour and 35 min flight approximately.

8.0 ExcellentFernando, Feb 2026
AKL - ZQN
Read more Air New Zealand reviews

Space between seats on Air New Zealand is generally tight. The crew on this flight was excellent! Very attentive and nice. You get free wine or beer and chips and of course the Air New Zealand candies. 1 hour and 35 min flight approximately.

All good, except entertainment system could have been better. More choices.

Your entertainment could be better. I flew on Air New Zealand in January so was expecting a better choice in February...but no luck. Same choices and also could have a better selection. Otherwise, lovely service, the purser came to our seats to welcome us. Overall, very nice. Direct flight from Auckland to YVR was fantastic!

Air New Zealand over sold our flight and tried to bump us to yesterday. After several calls we got booked to United about 6 hrs before our original flight. No apologies!

Please add more Bollywood movies and recent movies to the entertainment.

I was not even on that flight and did not even book a ticket. Kayak did a phenomenal job

The disembarking steps in Wellington were precarious and I felt quite insecure. There was no one on the tarmac to greet us and help. The embarking ramp in Blenheim was much more satisfactory. The rest of the flight was fine.

Entertainment screen froze and had to be reset. Noticed it happened to other passengers as well.

My flying experience was not great. The temperature was ridiculously low. I had a sweater and a big jacket and even then. Since my ticket was an economy ticket, I suppose I didn’t deserve a blanket as they were only available for business. The result, o got a cold I have not been able to shake off in 6 days which has absolutely ruined my stay in Japan as I hasn’t had the chance to leave my hotel room. Everything else that was good, had overshadowed by this. BE A LITTLE MORE HUMAN

The food was not as good as Air New Zealand. The veg pasta was pass-able but the veg cibotta sandwich was dry, hard and not up to par. The coach staff were attentive and accommodating.

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.

The flight ticket were not reimbursed on Jan 22nd from Auckland to Wellington. Very Very dissatisfied.Please reimburse the ticket of my onward travel.

Improved experience over our last years flight when also we flew local but on an international scheduled flight. The double processing is still unwelcome i.e. by security and then by border force having to produce a licence and boarding pass repeatedly on departure and return. Obviously suits the airline rather than the local traveller. The flight and crew were good though a helper on return was offhand having to push the wheel chair did the bare minimum we felt.

Flight on time. New plane. No entertainment screen just device. No offer of water. Didn’t order food.

Although a local trip via international flight it was fairly straight forward albeit more checks than desirable for local travel. On arrival Perth collecting luggage the trollies were hidden in one end of the long hall.

Over four hours late. No entertainment without paying and same for food. Asked to check in at original time even though we were told it was going to be very late leaving. Way too long time to hang around the airport. Arriving to Sydney luggage did not arrive for an hour. Had to get staff to go and find out what was going on. All this made for a very long day and night for a eight hour flight.

I was disappointed to find that the QR code for purchasing in-flight entertainment did not function, leaving me without access to the amenities I had anticipated. (both flights)

I had opted to pay extra for a ticket on Jetstar A321-Neo in the first row, believing it would enhance my travel experience. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The constant line-up for the toilet resulted in people frequently standing next to me, causing significant discomfort throughout the flight. It was difficult to relax with the persistent disturbance from passengers bumping into my seat. Furthermore, I was disappointed to find that the QR code for purchasing in-flight entertainment did not function, leaving me without access to the amenities I had anticipated. Given these circumstances, I will not be purchasing seats in the first two rows in the future, nor will I choose to fly with your airline again.

Jet star delayed both trips with poor communication. Passengers were made to change gates often and then left to stand with no seating. As someone getting over surgery this was very trying.

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

Everything you need to know for your flight to South Island

Cabin class types available on flights to South Island

Cabin classes available on flights to South Island. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.