$57 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 6/1. 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$123
Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$144
Nelson
Nelsondirect$139
Dunedin
Dunedindirect$203
Invercargill
Invercargilldirect$230
Blenheim
Blenheimdirect$236
Christchurch
Christchurchdirect$123
Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$144
Nelson
Nelsondirect$139
Dunedin
Dunedindirect$203
Invercargill
Invercargilldirect$230
Blenheim
Blenheimdirect$236

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

Tue, 20 Jan - Sat, 31 Jan
Jetstar Logo
19:45 - 20:35
WLG
-
CHC
0h 50mdirect
Jetstar Logo
18:15 - 19:05
CHC
-
WLG
0h 50mdirect
$123Jetstar
Mon, 12 Jan - Thu, 15 Jan
Jetstar Logo
19:45 - 20:35
WLG
-
CHC
0h 50mdirect
Jetstar Logo
06:45 - 07:35
CHC
-
WLG
0h 50mdirect
$125Jetstar
Mon, 2 Mar - Sat, 14 Mar
Jetstar Logo
16:10 - 17:35
AKL
-
CHC
1h 25mdirect
Jetstar Logo
06:15 - 07:35
CHC
-
AKL
1h 20mdirect
$130Jetstar
Sun, 25 Jan - Mon, 2 Feb
Jetstar Logo
06:10 - 07:35
AKL
-
CHC
1h 25mdirect
Jetstar Logo
09:50 - 11:10
CHC
-
AKL
1h 20mdirect
$132Jetstar
Sat, 17 Jan - Sun, 18 Jan
Jetstar Logo
19:45 - 20:35
WLG
-
CHC
0h 50mdirect
Jetstar Logo
06:45 - 07:35
CHC
-
WLG
0h 50mdirect
$132Jetstar
Sun, 25 Jan - Sat, 31 Jan
Jetstar Logo
20:55 - 22:20
AKL
-
CHC
1h 25mdirect
Jetstar Logo
11:50 - 13:10
CHC
-
AKL
1h 20mdirect
$133Jetstar
Fri, 15 May - Sun, 17 May
Air New Zealand Logo
11:00 - 12:55
HLZ
-
CHC
1h 55mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
08:40 - 10:30
CHC
-
HLZ
1h 50mdirect
$170Air New Zealand
Mon, 20 Apr - Thu, 7 May
Air New Zealand Logo
09:15 - 10:40
WLG
-
ZQN
1h 25mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
16:05 - 17:25
ZQN
-
WLG
1h 20mdirect
$180Air New Zealand
Sun, 1 Mar - Wed, 11 Mar
Multiple Airlines Logo
06:40 - 08:35
AKL
-
ZQN
1h 55mdirect
Multiple Airlines Logo
17:30 - 19:20
ZQN
-
AKL
1h 50mdirect
$185Multiple Airlines
Mon, 20 Apr - Tue, 21 Apr
Air New Zealand Logo
09:15 - 10:40
WLG
-
ZQN
1h 25mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
11:25 - 12:45
ZQN
-
WLG
1h 20mdirect
$231Air New Zealand
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to South Island

Get data-powered insights and trends for 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 $58 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 $73.

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 $309 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks was $53 for the route Wellington (WLG) to Blenheim (BHE). The most popular routes on KAYAK are Wellington to Blenheim which costs $244 on average, and Auckland to Blenheim, which costs $378 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 $180 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $322 and $314 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 45% 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 Dunedin Airport (DUD), with an average flight price of $160.

Good to know

Low seasonNovember
Cheapest flight$57
Best time to beat the crowds (5% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (1% more expensive 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 
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 $300. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Sunday, when return prices are $357 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 $175 on average. Morning departures are around 10% 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 $217.

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 Auckland $230, from Napier $262, from Wellington $311
  • 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 544 reviews
8.6Crew
8.0Comfort
7.4Food
7.5Entertainment
8.2Boarding
Airline reviews

They are my favourite airline in the world by a million miles.

10.0 ExcellentLinda, Dec 2025
AKL - YVR
Read more Air New Zealand reviews

They are my favourite airline in the world by a million miles.

Do the bumpy weather the whole trip they were very few times when the seatbelt sign wasn't on

Great except paying $240 usd for 2 pounds over on a checked luggage. Outrageous.

Like: Aircraft was better than others I've flown in. Crew was great, food was very good. Air New Zealand is now my favorite airline. On our long flight from AKL to YVR there was enough room for those of us in Economy to stretch a bit. My sister is disabled and they took very good care of her and me. Best entertainment offering of all the other airlines. Not so much; Flight from AKL to YRV was delayed BUT they recovered really well so no complaints here. Pretty petty point to complain about. Only negative I have. I will recommend to friends.

Nice friendly staff and crew. Love the 787 flight. Get meals and lots of drinks!

Great entertainment options on the screen. uSB A and C chargers. Free WiFi! Crew were excellent.

Service was excellent and they’re very helpful and nice

Check in crew member was very helpful, nice and excellent service👍

Overall the plane was good and the crew great. The big disappointment was the skycouch. Maybe it would be good if you were a parent with 2 small kids travelling but as a couple it's hopeless. It's impossible for 2 adults to lie down so one ends up sitting. We split our time with one lying and the other sitting. We both got more sleep sitting upright. We will never book one again and don't recommend it to anyone.

Aircon set too high so VERY warm and VERY uncomfortable.

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.

Very disappointed with my recent Jetstar experience. Firstly, it was extremely frustrating that we had to pay extra for basic things like in-flight entertainment and meals. Other airlines provide these essentials even with standard tickets, but Jetstar offered no comfort or amenities without additional charges. For a long international journey, this made the experience very uncomfortable. On top of that, there was a delay on our flight from Melbourne to Bangkok due to parts replacement, which was already inconvenient. But the biggest issue was the massive 5 hours and 15 minutes delay on our return flight, which completely disrupted our plans, caused unnecessary stress, and impacted both our time and health. Jetstar provided vouchers, but they were not nearly sufficient to cover proper meals or any meaningful service at Bangkok Airport. After such a long delay, this felt extremely inadequate and did not compensate for the inconvenience we faced. Overall, this has been one of my worst travel experiences. I am extremely disappointed and will not be booking with Jetstar in the future. I strongly request Jetstar to provide additional compensation for the significant delays and the discomfort we had to go through.

Excellent help with Wife needing disability access at Brisbane airport

Late leaving and desintuon board showed ‘gate closed’ when they hadn’t even commenced boarding!

Flight was delayed more than 1.5 hours. Gate changed multiple times

The good thing is that the flight got us from Darwin to Brisbane. However, it would have to be the most uncomfortable flight I have ever taken and if I can possibly avoid flying Jetstar again, I will.

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

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.

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.