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Find cheap flights from Sydney to South Island from $276

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Sydney to South Island departing on 12/6. 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
Sun 16/6
Sun 23/6

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Best South Island Flight Deals

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours

Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$437
Christchurch
Christchurch1 stop$463
Dunedin
Dunedin1 stop$695
Nelson
Nelson2 stops$848
Invercargill
Invercargill1 stop$861
Blenheim
Blenheim1 stop$866

Good to know

Low season

May

High season

December

Cheapest flight

$276
Best time to beat the crowds (8% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (27% more expensive on average)
Flight from Sydney to Christchurch

FAQs - booking South Island flights

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to South Island 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 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 to South Island 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 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 to South Island 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 cheap flights to South Island

  • Morning departure is around 39% more expensive than an evening flight, on average*.
*Average of the lowest prices shown in KAYAK’s search results for departures within the next 30 days

Top 5 airlines serving from Sydney to South Island

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Sydney 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.
8.2
Air New ZealandOverall score based on 626 reviews
8.4Boarding
8.8Crew
8.1Comfort
7.9Entertainment
7.6Food
Airline reviews

Short flight so no entertainment, turbulence so no food service - overall flight as expected

8.0 ExcellentMichelle, Apr 2024NPL - AKL
Read more about Air New Zealand reviews

Short flight so no entertainment, turbulence so no food service - overall flight as expected

Great meal. Best seats ever! They need to teach other airlines how to do that.

Overall excellent but the Captain kept the seat belt sign on for far too long, especially at the beginning and end of the flight. It was 2 hours after take-off before the crew were able to start the service (on an 11 hour night flight, reducing our sleeping time) and the seat belt sign on went on during breakfast (90 mins before landing) and was not turned off again until we landed. This made for an uncomfortable journey of trying to limit fluid intake because it was unclear when the toilets would be available for use.

Food was not good. We asked for Muslim food and it was weird tasteless type of boiled veges.

Crew were pleasant, happy to be there and were a joy to be around. Entire operation was professional, well thought out and ran like a Swiss clock.

Couldn’t request a vegan meal somehow but I noticed other people getting them

United flight from SFO to PDX was cancelled. I will ask for a refund. Had to book on Alaska

They announced food service but then never came around. We also couldn’t land so kept trying to get to runway and then had to come up and go around happened like 3 times and cause the child next to me to start throwing up

There was a snafu with confirming seats at check which left us in limbo for the second leg of our trip. I believe the ANZ app is not well integrated with the systems at the terminal resulting in this disconcerting error.

Flight attendants are always pleasant and helpful. Pilot kept us updated.

I liked everything accept the delay try to improve in that area

Flight never took off. Boarded after multiple 30 minutes interval delays for hours.. then after an hour onboard, captain announce cancellation and back on the bus to the terminal with no information and everyone to fend for self.. Emirates did absolutely nothing to communicate either electronically or announcement. It’s unprecedented I know with the flood but lack of communication creates anxiety and extra pain for staff. Emirates should do better.. no supervisors monitoring floor and passengers abusing them which isn’t right but should Have had supervisors monitoring

Flight from Dubai to Zagreb very bad cabin crew. Bad food

The experience was not as pleasant returning as leaving. Went through clearance twice, crew was not as customer focused.

The crew manager let the staff down by not ensuring special dietary requirements meal were coming in drips . The poor cabin crew did not stop . If organised the cabin could take a short break ..The cabin crew were AWESOME UNLIKE THIER TWO MANAGES!

The entertainment selections are amazing. But the live TV is sometimes spotty. If you’re going to have it, then have it. If you can’t make it consistent, then, perhaps it’s better not to have it. The crew are always cordial when approached, but they seem to do the minimum and sit around, talking to each other in the back of the plane during the flight. I realize that delays are not always predictable, but I missed my flight in Dubai because we left 90 minutes late from Washington. I will say that Emirates took very good care of me in Dubai. But I would rather not be delayed.

More space all around is practically essential on long international fights, and Emirates definitely delivers. But food selection and taste was only average. Otherwise, the flight was smooth and the cabin crew service was fine.

Emirates is usually on time, but not this trip. Also, during the flight the attendants disappear unless called upon. Very strange. I have watched the quality of Emirates service diminish over the last five years.

We had a connecting flight which is got delayed they didn’t transfer me to another flight and up I have to by 3 new tickets and I have to pay extra luggage fees cost me rs 100000

Overall experience was bad , one does not expect after travelling for 14 hrs in Boing 777-300 ER to be pushed in to a craft with a extermly poor seating pitch, no room for hand baggage in the luggege bins and extermly poor service quality. This patch made my overall expereince mediocre and would definetly look for better choices when flying in or out of Delhi in future.

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

The international flight from Sydney to Dallas had great food. I have travelled a lot over the years and this has been the most memorable in my experience so far.

Initial flight was cancelled so moved to an alternative flight. As a result, stuck in a middle seat. Flight then place in holding pattern prior to landing resulting in a very late trip home.

There was nothing I didn’t like, prices a little lower would help

BA Airbus A380 BC upstairs had 2 3 2 layout. The seat was comfy but access for those in middle or window seats had to climb over others fest to get to ailse when seats in bed mode. The layout was not nearly as private as other layouts. The staff was amazing as well as the food. Most airline food is average but this was restaurant quality.

Following a marathon flight riddled by delays and changes from Santiago, Chile, my flight to Melbourne from Sydney was on schedule but I was transferred to the next flight. The reason by ticketing and the floor manager was I missed the entry to flight by one minute! That's right, the emphasised that if I was 1 minute earlier I would be on the flight. I asked what was the point them emphasising 1minute overdue and how that helped me or the situation. They didn't care at all. Replying that if it was one minute earlier they would've done something and smirking delivering the information. Australian's do call Australia home, Qantas calls Australian's suckers.

1) crackly headphone jack 2) one of the emergency seats recline. Usually second row does. But in this case neither did 3) food was scrambled eggs or fruit. 4) fruit should not be the option to eggs 5)miserable unpleasant crew not a smile. Thought that was a virgin thing

Qantas are unable to service and unfit for purpose, they cannot transport Australians on time to overseas destinations. On top of the inflated ticketing, the Sydney flight to Santiago was impacted because the plane was delayed arriving and then further bungling by Qantas admitting the ground new ground crew in charge of cleaning were not trained. The impact on passengers with connecting flights was tremendous and long ques of frustrated passengers waiting for rescheduling. **Qantas has become the Australian Spirit of disappointment**

The staff we fantastic and seemed to work very well with each other

Business lounge in Melbourne mediocre. Look at Emirates or Qatar, Qantas! Great friendly crew. Food was good but Emirates is a level above. Business seat good. But can’t compare to Qatar. Main reason for booking Qantas is loyalty and terrific connection via Perth to LHR.

The service and smooth landing. Food was delicious and the staff was friendly. We arrived earlier than scheduled.

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.

Would be better if can provide small free snacks on a long flight

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 was allocated an exit row seat and was told to move so it could be given away to someone who had purchased two extra legroom seats and one regular seat but wanted the three to sit together. I was also charged for entertainment after booking but before checking in, and the ground crew couldn't do anything about refunding it. When the whole plane was given access to the entertainment as an apology for the flight being four hours late, I was told they couldn't do anything about that either, so I was charged for something I didn't want even though it would have been free anyway

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 flying experience of my life. FIVE HOURS delayed! Rude and unhelpful staff and poor communication from the grounds team. Never flying Jetstar again

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

Book cheap flights from Sydney to South Island

Recent return flight deals

24/5Fri
directJetstar
2h 55mSYD-ZQN
1/6Sat
directJetstar
3h 15mZQN-SYD
$437
24/5Fri
directJetstar
2h 55mSYD-ZQN
31/5Fri
directJetstar
3h 15mZQN-SYD
$458
25/6Tue
1 stop
9h 30mSYD-CHC
26/6Wed
direct
3h 40mCHC-SYD
$472
12/8Mon
directAir New Zealand
3h 05mSYD-CHC
20/8Tue
directAir New Zealand
3h 40mCHC-SYD
$482
29/7Mon
directAir New Zealand
3h 05mSYD-CHC
6/8Tue
directAir New Zealand
3h 40mCHC-SYD
$485
16/6Sun
1 stop
9h 55mSYD-CHC
23/6Sun
direct
3h 40mCHC-SYD
$506
17/6Mon
1 stopVirgin Australia
6h 45mSYD-ZQN
23/6Sun
1 stopVirgin Australia
17h 25mZQN-SYD
$559
17/6Mon
directVirgin Australia
3h 00mSYD-ZQN
23/6Sun
1 stopVirgin Australia
17h 25mZQN-SYD
$565
28/5Tue
directQantas Airways
3h 05mSYD-CHC
30/5Thu
directQantas Airways
3h 30mCHC-SYD
$692
1/6Sat
directQantas Airways
3h 00mSYD-CHC
6/6Thu
directQantas Airways
3h 30mCHC-SYD
$710

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Recent one-way flight deals

12/6Wed
1 stopJetstar
27h 20mSYD-CHC
$276
14/8Wed
1 stopJetstar
25h 20mSYD-CHC
$277
17/8Sat
directAir New Zealand
3h 05mSYD-CHC
$292
14/8Wed
directAir New Zealand
3h 05mSYD-CHC
$301
19/7Fri
1 stopVirgin Australia
6h 30mSYD-ZQN
$319
30/7Tue
1 stopVirgin Australia
5h 45mSYD-ZQN
$321
23/7Tue
directQantas Airways
3h 00mSYD-CHC
$352
3/6Mon
directQantas Airways
3h 05mSYD-ZQN
$376
4/7Thu
directEmirates
3h 05mSYD-CHC
$980
2/7Tue
directEmirates
3h 05mSYD-CHC
$1,705

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Last minute flights from Sydney to South Island

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

19/5Sun
directJetstar
2h 55mSYD-ZQN
24/5Fri
directJetstar
3h 15mZQN-SYD
$458
22/5Wed
directJetstar
2h 55mSYD-ZQN
29/5Wed
directJetstar
3h 15mZQN-SYD
$499
19/5Sun
directAir New Zealand
3h 00mSYD-ZQN
24/5Fri
multi-stopAir New Zealand
27h 20mZQN-SYD
$545
21/5Tue
multi-stop
16h 05mSYD-CHC
28/5Tue
direct
3h 40mCHC-SYD
$562
21/5Tue
multi-stop
34h 20mSYD-CHC
28/5Tue
direct
3h 40mCHC-SYD
$563
21/5Tue
multi-stopVirgin Australia
7h 10mSYD-ZQN
23/5Thu
multi-stopVirgin Australia
7h 50mZQN-SYD
$616
21/5Tue
multi-stopVirgin Australia
6h 10mSYD-ZQN
28/5Tue
multi-stopVirgin Australia
7h 50mZQN-SYD
$620
19/5Sun
multi-stopAir New Zealand
18h 55mSYD-ZQN
24/5Fri
multi-stopAir New Zealand
27h 20mZQN-SYD
$623
22/5Wed
directQantas Airways
3h 05mSYD-CHC
31/5Fri
directQantas Airways
3h 30mCHC-SYD
$703
21/5Tue
directQantas Airways
3h 05mSYD-ZQN
28/5Tue
directQantas Airways
3h 15mZQN-SYD
$767

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Sydney - South Island Flights

Departure:

Sydney (SYD)Australia

Cabin classes:

$587
$493
$744
$57