$302 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 Australia to South Island departing on 18/1. 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, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to South Island, as well as popular online travel agencies
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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
Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$408
Christchurch
Christchurchdirect$369
Nelson
Nelson2 stops$728
Dunedin
Dunedindirect$428
Invercargill
Invercargill1 stop$761
Blenheim
Blenheim1 stop$808
Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$408
Christchurch
Christchurchdirect$369
Nelson
Nelson2 stops$728
Dunedin
Dunedindirect$428
Invercargill
Invercargill1 stop$761
Blenheim
Blenheim1 stop$808

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, 2 Jun - Tue, 16 Jun
Jetstar Logo
11:50 - 16:45
SYD
-
ZQN
2h 55mdirect
Jetstar Logo
17:45 - 19:00
ZQN
-
SYD
3h 15mdirect
$428Jetstar
Sun, 22 Feb - Fri, 27 Feb
Jetstar Logo
06:15 - 11:10
SYD
-
ZQN
2h 55mdirect
Jetstar Logo
20:50 - 22:05
ZQN
-
SYD
3h 15mdirect
$435Jetstar
Thu, 26 Mar - Tue, 14 Apr
Multiple Airlines Logo
12:05 - 17:20
MEL
-
CHC
3h 15mdirect
Multiple Airlines Logo
15:35 - 17:30
CHC
-
MEL
3h 55mdirect
$485Multiple Airlines
Thu, 26 Mar - Tue, 14 Apr
Multiple Airlines Logo
12:05 - 17:20
MEL
-
CHC
3h 15mdirect
Multiple Airlines Logo
09:50 - 21:35
CHC
-
MEL
13h 45m2 stops
$492Multiple Airlines
Wed, 6 May - Sun, 10 May
Virgin Australia Logo
10:10 - 15:40
BNE
-
ZQN
3h 30mdirect
Virgin Australia Logo
16:30 - 18:25
ZQN
-
BNE
3h 55mdirect
$549Virgin Australia
Tue, 20 Jan - Sat, 31 Jan
Air New Zealand Logo
17:55 - 23:05
SYD
-
CHC
3h 10mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
15:05 - 08:45
CHC
-
SYD
19h 40m1 stop
$560Air New Zealand
Mon, 26 Jan - Mon, 2 Feb
Air New Zealand Logo
17:55 - 23:05
SYD
-
CHC
3h 10mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
13:00 - 21:45
CHC
-
SYD
10h 45m1 stop
$561Air New Zealand
Wed, 4 Mar - Wed, 18 Mar
Virgin Australia Logo
10:10 - 16:40
BNE
-
ZQN
3h 30mdirect
Virgin Australia Logo
17:30 - 18:15
ZQN
-
BNE
3h 45mdirect
$561Virgin Australia
Sun, 24 May - Sun, 31 May
Qantas Airways Logo
06:00 - 14:30
AVV
-
ZQN
6h 30m1 stop
Qantas Airways Logo
20:50 - 09:45
ZQN
-
AVV
14h 55m1 stop
$730Qantas Airways
Wed, 11 Mar - Wed, 18 Mar
Qantas Airways Logo
08:10 - 21:05
AVV
-
ZQN
10h 55m1 stop
Qantas Airways Logo
07:00 - 20:20
ZQN
-
AVV
15h 20m1 stop
$734Qantas Airways
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 Australia found in the last 72 hours was to Queenstown, at $271 return. The most popular route is Brisbane (BNE) to Queenstown (ZQN) and the cheapest return airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $271.

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 $508 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks was $160 for the route Coolangatta (OOL) to Christchurch (CHC). The most popular routes on KAYAK are Melbourne to Christchurch which costs $559 on average, and Coolangatta to Christchurch, which costs $398 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 $444 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and April, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $689 and $584 respectively.

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 25% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 23 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 $196.

Good to know

Low seasonMay
Cheapest flight$302
Best time to beat the crowds (8% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (20% more expensive on average)
Flight from Sydney to Queenstown

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 Monday when return tickets can be as cheap as $644. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Friday, when return prices are $682 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 $488 on average. On average, there is no price difference when choosing to fly in the morning or the evening on this flight route. The most expensive time of day to fly to South Island is generally at night, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $638.

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 Coolangatta $332, from Melbourne $609, from Brisbane $634
  • 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 3435 reviews
8.3Crew
7.9Food
8.0Comfort
8.2Entertainment
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

Could not board flight due to visa issue and emirates staff at the airport refused to help rebook flight because it was made by another provider. It took hours of communicating with my provider and Emirates staff each of whom said it was the others responsibility. As the time passed, I was eventually told it was too late for rebooking as I needed to do this at least three hours before the flight. Emirates staff also said the would unboard me but I believe I was recorded as a no show. Our first flight from Sydney to Dubai was more cramped than other airlines which was surprising considering their reputation.

2.0 MediocreAngela, Nov 2025
IST - DXB
Read more Emirates reviews

Could not board flight due to visa issue and emirates staff at the airport refused to help rebook flight because it was made by another provider. It took hours of communicating with my provider and Emirates staff each of whom said it was the others responsibility. As the time passed, I was eventually told it was too late for rebooking as I needed to do this at least three hours before the flight. Emirates staff also said the would unboard me but I believe I was recorded as a no show. Our first flight from Sydney to Dubai was more cramped than other airlines which was surprising considering their reputation.

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

Had to do shuttle bus both times during the transfer. It was waaay longer than acceptable. These 777s need a refurbishment really badly. Emirates and Dubai Airport used to be top notch. Now overcrowded and outdated.

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

Food was excellent. Leg room in economy, not so good; I’m 6’-1”.

Delayed and missed connecting flight. But Emirates took care until next day flight. Thank you

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 🤬

The food was not as good as Air New Zealand. The veg pasta was pass-able but the veg cibotta sandwich was dry, hard and not up to par. The coach staff were attentive and accommodating.

Air conditioning was turned to the wrong setting. Way too hot. The entertainment system kept resetting and didn’t work half the flight. Said something to the crew. They didn’t do anything to help. Plane had a mechanical problem that resulted in 2.5 hour delay. Boarded the plane, had to disembark and get back on.

Good and appreciate the effort Air Zealand puts into using more environmentally friendly food containers and utensils. yay! One of the better airlines for this for sure. Still some bad stuff, but at least Air NZ is trying. :) Also really enjoyed the bluetooth option for personal headsets. :)

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

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.

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👍

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.

Not a comfortable trip, the seats are not good, and they look old.

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

They didn’t sent my luggage I got it 24 hours later

Plane was late and they wouldn’t check our bags through to Tokyo

Overall experience was good but what really impressed me the most was the care the flight attendants took of a sick passenger who was sitting in front of me. The flight attendants would come and check on her quite regularly providing her support and comfort. Brilliant service!

Only answered OK and poor as there was no entertainment and I didnt have any food

4.5 hr international flight. We got a glass of water. Ranks up there with Ryan Air, Easy Jet, Spirit and Frontier. Expected better.

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

Very good… seems the virgin staff particularly in the lounge and in flight exceeded expectations.

I liked everything about the experience but would have liked some free snacks!

Crew was great but flight was delayed almost three hours due to a technical issue and we had to go back to the terminal and wait for another one.

Being told why we delayed three hours and not even given an apology by someone. Not a word. Not my airline of choice ever.

Flight was canceled. I was not alerted. It was only kayak that alerted me

Flight was 2.5 hours late leaving. We spent 50 minutes of that sitting on the plane with no explanation. They did reduce the time in the air so we arrived a little less late which was something. The cheese and crackers were okay but the wine was terrible.

Excellent as always, I won't fly to Australia, and back to the US on any other airline. The flight crew is always top notch, and have a way to make one feel extra special. Thank you for your service, I would rate Qantas Airways a 10+.

Basic airline, aircraft and service. AA gets you from point A to B. My flight was delayed by 2 hours too.

No internet on flight, which makes log travels really hard.

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

A few more inches of legroom is all i ask

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

Business class points redemption - good value for points paid, dubious value if out of your own pocket, domestic class business product okay for this length of flight. The flight left and arrived on time, crew were good, aircraft was a bit old and tired, but still miles ahead of their competitors in Virgin and Jetstar.

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.

Excellent help with Wife needing disability access at Brisbane airport

The flight was delayed by 2 hours but the Jetstar crew were fantastic.

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

It was better than I expected. Thought $5 for a small cup of tea was a bit much!

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.