Find flights
Deals
Insights
When to book
FAQs & Tips
Direct Flights
Airlines

SYD - CNS

Find cheap flights from Sydney to Cairns

1 adult
Sun 26/5
Sun 2/6

Search 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 in flight searches from Sydney to Cairns, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Sydney to Cairns, as well as popular online travel agencies
In the last 7 days, travellers have searched 44,979,812 times on KAYAK, and here's why:

Save 16% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Free to useThere are no hidden charges or fees.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Flights from Sydney to Cairns - Travel Insights & Trends

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

What is the cheapest month to fly from Sydney to Cairns?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from Sydney 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 from Sydney to Cairns is October, where tickets cost $350 on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and January, where the average cost of tickets is $590 and $523 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Sydney to Cairns?

To calculate daily average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each day before departure over the last year for flights from Sydney to Cairns, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each month.
To get a below average price on the flight from Sydney to Cairns, you should book around 3 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 79 days before departure.

Which airlines fly most frequently between Sydney and Cairns?

Jetstar (3 flights per day), Virgin Australia (2 flights per day), and Qantas Airways (one flight per day) are the most frequent flyers of this route.

Which airlines fly direct between Sydney and Cairns?

Airline and price data is aggregated from results in KAYAK’s search results from the last 2 weeks for flights from Sydney to Cairns.
There are 3 airlines that fly direct from Sydney to Cairns. They are: Jetstar, Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia. The cheapest price of all airlines flying this route was found with Virgin Australia at $208 for a one-way flight. On average, the best prices for this route can be found at Virgin Australia.

How many flights are there between Sydney and Cairns per day?

Each day, there are between 6 and 9 nonstop flights that take off from Sydney and land in Cairns, with an average flight time of 3h 08m. The most common departure time is 15:00 and most flights take off in the morning. Each week, there are 52 flights. The most frequent day of departure is Friday, when 17% of all weekly flights depart. The fewest flights depart on a Tuesday.

Which cabin class options are there for flights between Sydney and Cairns?

The average price of flights for each cabin class for the route found by users searching on KAYAK over the last 2 weeks.
There is only one cabin class option available for the route, which is Economy. Perform a search on KAYAK to find the latest prices and availability for all cabin fares, which differ across airlines.

What’s the earliest departure time from Sydney to Cairns?

Early birds can take the earliest flight from Sydney at 06:10 and will be landing in Cairns at 09:15.

What’s the latest departure time from Sydney to Cairns?

If you prefer to fly at night, the latest flight from Sydney to Cairns jets off at 19:45 and lands at 22:50.

Good to know

Low season

February

High season

December
Best time to beat the crowds (11% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (36% more expensive on average)

When to book flights from Sydney to Cairns

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Sydney 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. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from Sydney to Cairns

  • What lounges are available in the domestic terminals of Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport?

    If you’d like to relax in comfort before your flight, there are various lounge options in the domestic terminals of Sydney Airport. Terminal 3 has Qantas Business Lounge and The Qantas Club Lounge, which are both located in the departures area, opposite Gates 4 and 5. Terminal 2 has Virgin Australia Lounge, located after security near the main security checkpoint. Please check with your airline for your eligibility to use their lounge.

  • How do you get to Sydney Airport from the Sydney centre?

    There are many options to get from Sydney centre to Sydney Airport. The metro will get you to the airport from Central Station in about 15min. Be sure to get use your Opal card, if you have one, for discounted fares. You can also take a taxi or rideshare service; the cost depends on what part of Sydney you are heading to.

  • How is Cairns Airport accessible for people with disabilities?

    The airport has accessible toilets and public phones. It also has a number of hearing loops that reduce distortion and background noise for those using hearing aids. You can also request a disability-friendly taxi through the taxi concierge staff in the taxi area.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Sydney to Cairns?

    Only Scoot offers inflight Wi-Fi service on the Sydney to Cairns flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Sydney to Cairns?

    The Boeing 737-800 Passenger/BBJ2 (winglets) is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Sydney to Cairns flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Sydney to Cairns?

    oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam are the airline alliances operating flights between Sydney and Cairns, with oneworld being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Sydney to Cairns?

    There are direct flights from Sydney to Cairns on a daily basis.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Sydney 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 from Sydney to Cairns.

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

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

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

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

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Sydney 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 from Sydney up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding a cheap flight from Sydney to Cairns

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $142 or less one-way.
  • If you are travelling with infants or young children, there are parents rooms and baby changing facilities in both Domestic Terminals 2 and 3 of Sydney Airport (SYD).
  • If you’re craving a coffee on arrival in Cairns, there is a Macchinetta in the arrival area of Cairns Airport (CNS) serving coffees as well as focaccias and paninis.
  • A great initiative at Sydney Airport is the Airport Ambassador Program. They are volunteers who give of their time each week to give passengers a warm welcome and assist anyone needing help with finding accommodation, facilities, transport or attractions. Look out for them in their bright blue shirts.
See more tips

Prefer to fly direct from Sydney Kingsford Smith to Cairns?

Find which airlines fly direct from Kingsford Smith to Cairns, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Sydney Kingsford Smith to Cairns

Monday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

Tuesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

Wednesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Cairns to Sydney Kingsford Smith

Monday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +12 more

ANA, Air Canada, +13 more

Tuesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +12 more

ANA, Air Canada, +13 more

Wednesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +12 more

ANA, Air Canada, +13 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +13 more

ANA, Air Canada, +14 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +12 more

ANA, Air Canada, +13 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +12 more

ANA, Air Canada, +13 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +12 more

ANA, Air Canada, +13 more

See more direct flights
See more direct flights

Top airlines flying from Sydney to Cairns

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Sydney to Cairns. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. 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 Sydney 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.
7.7
Virgin AustraliaOverall score based on 678 reviews
8.4crew
6.8entertainment
7.9boarding
6.8food
7.6comfort
Airline reviews

This time is good . Don’t cancel flight with out early notice .

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Mar 2024BNE - MEL
Read more about Virgin Australia reviews

This time is good . Don’t cancel flight with out early notice .

Very good experience, considering the short flight the meals were served promptly after takeoff.

X class seats in row 3 with the new configuration are very poor in fact I feel 3B and 3E should no longer be considered as X class seat as there is no forward seat pocket available to these seats and greatly reduced leg room due the intrusion of the business class armrests/table module

It was pretty good. Everyone friendly. Like all airlines, the draconian limitations on baggage and weight and not giving even a free soda kind of drags down the experience a bit.

Last 10 minutes boarding they canceled the flight and didn’t organise anything

Estheticly the plane looks great, although the seats are way too upright. If the seats were just slightly more reclined then the comfort level would increase tenfold. I had the stiffest neck after just a short flight due to this. A nap was almost out of the question.

Cabin crew were very professional and welcoming. They certainly appeared to have lifted their game. Congratulations

I know not directly a Virgin "thing" but I hold Virgin responsible for their subcontractors. Had to wait 45 minutes waiting for baggage at PER before the belt conveyor even started. This is unacceptable and hopefully Virgin engages with whoever to pull their fingers out. I realise PER staff are generally slow at the best of times but this was ridiculous. Maybe more seating for those waiting, a cafe in the baggage area for a light meal while we wait or at the very least a troop of dancing girls to entertain the punters while they stare at the conveyor belt start light almost willing it to fire up.

Very poor. Flight was cancelled due to captain exceeding hours. Told to fend for ourselves for 12 hours until a new flight could be done. This meant overnight accommodation in Hobart. Next plane was delayed and no food onboard. No apologies from Virgin. Extremely disappointing.

Flight was cancelled due to a mechanical fault - Virgin rebooked me on a flight 6 hours later so I cancelled and flew with another carrier

a constant reminder that you need to work harder so you can avoid this airline

Note that food has to be purchased in flight. No free food. And no entertainment in flight. So I’ve treated these two items as okay which, in this case, means neutral/not applicable.

My Dad needed assistance to board the plane. The Jetstar staff were excellent with him and made the experience a lot easier😁

No food taken so can't rate also no entertainment so can't rate.

Boarding was easy and unstressful, though the early "final call" was a bit off-putting. The crew were pleasant, and the seats were comfortable. The prices for food and drink were reasonable, apart from tea and coffee, where simple percolated coffee was charged at espresso prices. Deboarding was OK, though some Jetstar passengers appear to have a bad habit of pushing forward from their assigned rows, making it more difficult to get out for passengers that have paid a premium to sit up-front. Jetstar might want to look to address this to stop it from spreading.

I got to the airport earlier than I expected, and they let me change to an earlier flight with no trouble.

It was a super crowded time to travel out of Melbourne, but the flight was OK

Worst experience ever flying Melbourne to Phuket. 5 hours delayed! Didn’t land till 1am in the morning. Staff were rude and unhelpful

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

Worst airline ever. No need to go into detail as everything is terrible. Do not do it - whatever the price.

Book cheap flights from Sydney to Cairns

One-way flight deals

directAmerican Airlines
3h 05mSYD-CNS
directQatar Airways
3h 15mSYD-CNS
directAir Canada
3h 15mSYD-CNS
directAir France
3h 05mSYD-CNS
directEmirates
3h 05mSYD-CNS
directJetstar
3h 05mSYD-CNS
directChina Eastern
3h 05mSYD-CNS
directVirgin Australia
3h 15mSYD-CNS
directAir New Zealand
3h 05mSYD-CNS
directUnited Airlines
3h 15mSYD-CNS
directEtihad Airways
3h 15mSYD-CNS
directCathay Pacific
3h 05mSYD-CNS
directLATAM Airlines
3h 05mSYD-CNS
directQantas Airways
3h 05mSYD-CNS
directChina Southern
3h 05mSYD-CNS
directHawaiian Airlines
3h 15mSYD-CNS
directANA
3h 15mSYD-CNS
directSingapore Airlines
3h 15mSYD-CNS
directBritish Airways
3h 05mSYD-CNS

Search by stops

Search by airline

Sydney - Cairns Flights

Departure:

Sydney (SYD)Australia

Destination:

Cairns (CNS)Australia

Cabin classes:

$3,427
$533

Browse origins:

  • Flights » 
  • Sydney

Browse destinations:

  • Flights » 
  • Cairns