$234 Find Cheap Flights to South Island – 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 Australia to South Island departing on 10/12. 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.
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Cheap Flights to South Island

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$424
Christchurch
Christchurchdirect$369
Dunedin
Dunedindirect$343
Nelson
Nelson1 stop$700
Blenheim
Blenheim1 stop$747
Invercargill
Invercargill2 stops$783
Timaru
Timaru2 stops$806
Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$424
Christchurch
Christchurchdirect$369
Dunedin
Dunedindirect$343
Nelson
Nelson1 stop$700
Blenheim
Blenheim1 stop$747
Invercargill
Invercargill2 stops$783
Timaru
Timaru2 stops$806

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

Thu, 3 Dec - Mon, 7 Dec
Jetstar Logo
17:50 - 00:05
OOL
-
CHC
3h 15mdirect
Jetstar Logo
16:10 - 16:45
CHC
-
OOL
3h 35mdirect
$404Jetstar
Thu, 22 Oct - Mon, 26 Oct
Jetstar Logo
17:55 - 00:10
OOL
-
CHC
3h 15mdirect
Jetstar Logo
16:10 - 16:45
CHC
-
OOL
3h 35mdirect
$417Jetstar
Sun, 6 Sep - Thu, 17 Sep
Virgin Australia Logo
11:35 - 16:45
MEL
-
ZQN
3h 10mdirect
Virgin Australia Logo
17:40 - 19:10
ZQN
-
MEL
3h 30mdirect
$439Virgin Australia
Sun, 6 Sep - Wed, 9 Sep
Virgin Australia Logo
11:35 - 16:45
MEL
-
ZQN
3h 10mdirect
Virgin Australia Logo
17:40 - 19:10
ZQN
-
MEL
3h 30mdirect
$465Virgin Australia
Sat, 15 Aug - Sun, 23 Aug
Multiple Airlines Logo
09:05 - 17:35
SYD
-
CHC
6h 30m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
16:35 - 18:10
CHC
-
SYD
3h 35mdirect
$500Multiple Airlines
Thu, 10 Sep - Thu, 17 Sep
Multiple Airlines Logo
11:35 - 16:45
MEL
-
ZQN
3h 10mdirect
Multiple Airlines Logo
17:40 - 19:10
ZQN
-
MEL
3h 30mdirect
$503Multiple Airlines
Wed, 21 Oct - Sat, 7 Nov
Air New Zealand Logo
18:10 - 23:35
MEL
-
CHC
3h 25mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
06:00 - 08:00
CHC
-
MEL
4h 00mdirect
$535Air New Zealand
Thu, 3 Sep - Sun, 6 Sep
Air New Zealand Logo
18:30 - 23:55
MEL
-
CHC
3h 25mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
06:10 - 08:05
CHC
-
MEL
3h 55mdirect
$539Air New Zealand
Thu, 17 Sep - Mon, 21 Sep
Emirates Logo
10:20 - 15:25
SYD
-
CHC
3h 05mdirect
Emirates Logo
16:35 - 18:10
CHC
-
SYD
3h 35mdirect
$600Emirates
Tue, 25 Aug - Tue, 1 Sep
Emirates Logo
19:15 - 00:20
SYD
-
CHC
3h 05mdirect
Emirates Logo
06:00 - 07:35
CHC
-
SYD
3h 35mdirect
$613Emirates
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 5 days.

The cheapest ticket to South Island from Australia found in the last 5 days was to Queenstown, at $277 return. The most popular route is Brisbane (BNE) to Queenstown (ZQN) and the cheapest return ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $277.

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 $526 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks was $193 for the route Coolangatta (OOL) to Christchurch (CHC). The most popular routes on KAYAK are Melbourne to Christchurch which costs $568 on average, and Perth to Christchurch, which costs $848 on average.

See prices from:

What is the cheapest month to fly from Australia to South Island?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from Australia 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 Australia to South Island is May, when tickets cost $372 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $480 and $409 respectively.

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

The average price for all round-trip flights from Australia to South Island depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to South Island is generally in the evening, when retur flights cost $583 on average. Morning departures are around 4% 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 $604.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Australia 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 Australia to South Island, you should book around 6 weeks before departure, which saves you about 30% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 26 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 $212.

Good to know

Low season

May

Cheapest flight

$234
Best time to beat the crowds (5% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (20% more expensive on average)
Flight from Coolangatta to Christchurch

FAQs - booking South Island flights

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Australia 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 Australia 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 Australia 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 Australia 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 Australia 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 Wednesday when return tickets can be as cheap as $596. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, when return prices are $639 on average.

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 Melbourne $373, from Perth $700, from Brisbane $743
  • 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 5 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 Australia 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 Australia 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.
8.1
EmiratesOverall score based on 3640 reviews
7.9Food
8.2Entertainment
8.4Crew
8.1Boarding
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

It was delayed for 2 hrs. Flight attendants were not attentive.

6.0 GoodAnonymous, Nov 2025
SYD - CHC
Read more Emirates reviews

It was delayed for 2 hrs. Flight attendants were not attentive.

We boarded but due to a technical issue we spent 4.5hrs on the ground waiting for the issue to be resolved

No kids provided. Instead we were told to have contacted the airline that we have kids and require kids meals. We were not the only ones who inquired about kids meals. It’s odd. Emirates and other airlines give kids meals as standard and before the adult food comes out. The rice in our meals was gluggy and under cooked. The chicken was also raw. Sadly not the best experience with Finn Air. The hostesses tried to compensate with the snacks and drinks but missed the mark by a long way. Especially when paying Emirates/Qantas prices

They cancelled our flight, rebooked, cancelled that one. We are now flying New Zealand Air and need a refund please. How do we get it?

Wifi was not operational for the whole trip. Other than this, flight was well received .

Food no so good. Extra charge to much for front seats cost me £163 then other people sat near me for nothing 🤬

Comfort and customer service from most if the crew was great. The crew reassigning passengers should consider the presence of infants when reassigning seats. Unfortunately a couple of oversized passengers were relocated next to us, making this segment a bit uncomfortable, as there was not only extra leg space required. I ended up swapping seats with my husband so our baby wouldn't be impacted. My husband travelled quite uncomfortable as the reassigned neighbour shoulder and arm ended up on my husband's seat

Seats are not as easy to move as you would hope in premium econo Y

The plane was very old and uncomfortable. Service was very slow!

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

We got to experience Premium Economy from Sydney to Auckland and it was a great experience wiht Air New Zealand. The crew was friendly and helpful.

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

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

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

Lost my luggage and brought someone else luggage to my airport.

The issue was with getting our boarding pases. There were issues with our arrangements that were made through Kayak. I am sorry to say that we will not use you again because of this. The flight itself was good and the flight attendants excellent.

Economy was much nicer on the Air New Zealand planes.

At Coolangatta International it is difficult to hear voice boarding announcements when away from screen announcements.

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

Just a hiccup being added to the NZ Traveller Declaration a bit late.

Very good it will be my choice of airline while in Australia.

Flight cancelled due to broken seat. $8 refreshment voucher barely bought a coffee. 3 hours to next flight. Also then delayed.

There were no food or entertainment on this short flight. Friendly staff even before getting on the flight. The seats were snug but it was quick flight

Good flight. On time. No problems. Plane was clean. Service was as you would expect. However nothing special, just a good flight.

Very friendly staff. No food service and no entertainment. Only 1hr 20min flight

High fees for excess checked baggage and somehow ridiculous rules for carry on bags.

Flight was late, food and drink an extra charge, my carry on is five rows behind me, and the seats are too narrow. Don’t ask me to be happy about it

I bought flights in August and there wasn’t a flight in the system

Gluten free options less explicit on business class, but great service

Excellent. Shelley was very attentive and caring regarding my sister who required pre approved oxygen during the flight. Shelley checked up on her regularly throughout the flight and made her feel more relaxed and comfortable.

My flight with Qantas was excellent, the crew were exceptional, the food was very good, and the seats were surprisingly spacious and comfortable. I was extremely disappointed when my checked bag did not make it onto my connecting flight, but was pleased with the ease of filing a report of a missing bag with Qantas at the Auckland airport - there, my pleasure ended. I can see, with an apple tag on my bag, that it is still in Sydney and has not moved in more than 30 hours. I shared the tracking information with Qantas and was assured when I filed the missing bag report that my bag would be delivered first thing the next morning on the next flight from Sydney to Auckland. Qantas' missing bag tracking feature still lists its status as "searching for your bag, check back later" more than a full 24 hours after filing the report despite my having shared tracking information, a photo of the bag, and calling the customer care line and being assured that an "urgent action message" had been sent to the team in Sydney. The lack of communication from Qantas' customer service department and the lack of action after an incredibly expensive business class ticket price is outrageous and has, definitively, affected my willingness to consider flying Qantas in the future, much less on long-haul international flights with high cost airfare.

Helpful staff when I felt unwell. Qantas need to have an audio/music channel so you can listen to various music/.artists

It was a good flight and no complaints. It just wasn't anything that was better than any other flight.

Not great. The inflight entertainment was all on an app, and I did not want to watch a film on my phone. Also, the range of options of films was limited.

by the time they got to our row, they were out of some of the food options. games and movies were great but maybe more game options like tetris or pac man would be great

Great as usual, some delays but well communicated and made up for in the air

Inflight entertainment, poor that there are no headrest screens on aircraft used for an international flight.

We paid for business class seats for the comfort that comes with that but couldn’t use the bathroom as it was full all the time.

Excellent plane, smooth boarding Friendly crew Clean flight till end Food can be little better

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

Smooth flight with great staff shame about the hard seats

Cabin crew were really good. Flying in to Perth from Adelaide on domestic flight. The arrival for wheel chair use however has no air bridge provided. Unloading meant a scissor lift. Otherwise a good service.

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

The Ryanair of Australia. Not impressed. Forced me to gate check my bag as it was over their weight limit. Charged me $125 for the privilege. Then said plane hold was locked and it would have to go out in the next flight, which was the following day. Explained that I was on a cruise the next day and the plane would not arrive until after the ship left, and that it would be impossible to catch up with the cruise at any point. Lady at the gate unimpressed. So to sum up they were ready to charge me $125 to lose a bag. Finally got it resolved by appealing to management, but the whole episode was not good for the blood pressure. The gate lady said they followed the Ryanair business model which means first time passengers get penalized for doing things that other airlines routinely allow.

Jane at Sydney International airport check in was amazing. She set up the whole experience to be a positive one.

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

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.

Flight departing too early at 06.15 Difficult to get to airport

Plane was more than 3 hrs delayed as the only plane on that day. Had to wait 1 hrs in the plane which was very unpleasent.

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.