AKL - CNS

$258 Find Cheap Flights from Auckland to Cairns – Compare and Save

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Auckland to Cairns departing on 2/8. 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

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Everything you should know

Cheapest return fare
$615
Typical prices: $686-$929
Jetstar
Mon 17/8Sat 29/8
AKL - CNS • 1 stop
Cheapest direct flights
$784
Air New Zealand
Sun 9/8Tue 18/8
AKL - CNS • Direct
Direct flights
5 days a week
Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun
You can fly direct with Air New Zealand. Average duration is 5h 35m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Avoid delays
China Eastern
Most punctual • 96% on-time
Night flights
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
2 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 2 weeks in advance save around 14% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
October
Cheapest • 17% price drop
August
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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KAYAK searches hundreds of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Cairns!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Auckland to Cairns (AKL-CNS)

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

Mon, 17 Aug - Sat, 29 Aug
Jetstar Logo
17:25 - 08:30
AKL
-
CNS
17h 05m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
06:00 - 16:45
CNS
-
AKL
8h 45m
1 stop
$615Jetstar
Mon, 17 Aug - Sat, 22 Aug
Jetstar Logo
17:25 - 08:30
AKL
-
CNS
17h 05m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
06:00 - 16:45
CNS
-
AKL
8h 45m
1 stop
$641Jetstar
Sun, 23 Aug - Sat, 5 Sep
Jetstar Logo
15:20 - 10:40
AKL
-
CNS
21h 20m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
09:40 - 00:20
CNS
-
AKL
12h 40m
1 stop
$644Jetstar
Sat, 22 Aug - Sun, 30 Aug
Jetstar Logo
17:45 - 08:30
AKL
-
CNS
16h 45m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
06:00 - 16:10
CNS
-
AKL
8h 10m
1 stop
$648Jetstar
Sat, 5 Sep - Thu, 10 Sep
Jetstar Logo
17:45 - 08:30
AKL
-
CNS
16h 45m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
07:00 - 20:20
CNS
-
AKL
11h 20m
1 stop
$654Jetstar
Sun, 23 Aug - Sun, 6 Sep
Jetstar Logo
15:20 - 10:40
AKL
-
CNS
21h 20m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
09:40 - 00:20
CNS
-
AKL
12h 40m
1 stop
$657Jetstar
Tue, 25 Aug - Tue, 8 Sep
Jetstar Logo
06:15 - 17:00
AKL
-
CNS
12h 45m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
06:00 - 16:25
CNS
-
AKL
8h 25m
1 stop
$660Jetstar
Tue, 18 Aug - Sat, 29 Aug
Jetstar Logo
17:25 - 08:30
AKL
-
CNS
17h 05m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
09:40 - 00:20
CNS
-
AKL
12h 40m
1 stop
$661Jetstar
Mon, 17 Aug - Sat, 29 Aug
Jetstar Logo
17:25 - 08:30
AKL
-
CNS
17h 05m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
06:00 - 16:45
CNS
-
AKL
8h 45m
1 stop
$679Jetstar
Sun, 23 Aug - Thu, 3 Sep
Jetstar Logo
15:20 - 10:40
AKL
-
CNS
21h 20m
1 stop
Jetstar Logo
07:00 - 20:20
CNS
-
AKL
11h 20m
1 stop
$681Jetstar
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Auckland to Cairns flights

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

How much is a return flight from Auckland to Cairns?

This analysis is based on the cheapest return trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from Auckland to Cairns departing in August.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Auckland 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 Auckland to Cairns is October, where tickets cost $660 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and September, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $900 and $893 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a stopover from Auckland to Cairns?

The average return price for all direct flights, flights with one stopover, and flights with two stopovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

No, with an average price for the route of $966, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Auckland 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 on the flight from Auckland to Cairns, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 14% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 17 weeks before departure.

Find deals

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$258
Best time to beat the crowds (13% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (7% more expensive on average)
Flight from Auckland to Cairns

When to book flights from Auckland to Cairns

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Auckland 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 Auckland to Cairns

  • How many flights are there between Auckland and Cairns per day?

    There is a maximum of 1 direct flight a day that takes off from Auckland and lands in Cairns, with an average flight time of 5h 35m. The most common departure time is 07:00 and most flights take off in the morning. Each week, there are 5 flights.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Auckland to Cairns?

    In the last 5 days, the lowest price for a flight from Auckland to Cairns was $258 for a one-way ticket and $615 for a return.

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

    The Airbus A321neo is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Auckland to Cairns flight route.

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

    You can catch a direct flight from Auckland to Cairns on on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Cairns from Auckland 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 Auckland 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 Auckland with another airline.

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

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Auckland to Cairns

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $347 or less one-way.

Prefer to fly direct from Auckland Intl to Cairns?

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

Direct departures

Auckland Intl to Cairns

Monday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Tuesday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Thursday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Saturday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Sunday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Cairns to Auckland Intl

Monday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Tuesday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Thursday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Saturday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Sunday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top airline flying from Auckland to Cairns

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Auckland 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 Auckland 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.
6.5
JetstarOverall score based on 551 reviews
6.4Comfort
7.3Crew
6.7Boarding
5.7Food
5.0Entertainment
Airline reviews

Knees in back from passenger behind, limited seat pockets, no entertainment.

6.0 GoodTimothy, June 2026
MEL - CNS
Read more Jetstar reviews

Knees in back from passenger behind, limited seat pockets, no entertainment.

Great. Seats are a little cramped with only a very small recline. Service was great. Food was fine.

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.

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

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

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

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

The price difference/saving isn't sufficient to compensate the experience difference, don't recommend unless flight is under 3 hours. Huge queues for check in and the priority lane of other ailines blocked checked in Jetstar passengers from proceeding through to screening. Gate change to a "dungeon gate" that didn't have toilets in the vicinity. 45minute delay in boarding, no updates or explaination, let alone apology for any inconvenience. 1 scanner working for a full fight to board, no coordination. Loaded on to crowded buses to get on the plane in the middle of the tarmac, up stairs with no explaination. 4 bus trips. No system for boarding in sections. Over an hour late departing. Nothing complimentary, not even water or in-flight music. Pay wave not available and no cash sales. Staff onboard were friendly and professional.

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

Captains address to passengers was excellent. Knee room in seating was very uncomfortable.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Auckland to Cairns

Information on your arrival and departure airports

Auckland (AKL)
Cairns (CNS)