$181 Find Cheap Flights from Cairns to Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) – Compare and Save

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Cairns to Melbourne Airport:

• Earliest: departs at 07:00 and lands at 10:28
• Latest: departs at 21:40 and lands at 01:08.

The flight takes about 3h 28m.

Only Economy class is available on flights from Cairns to Melbourne Airport.

A direct flight from Cairns to Melbourne Airport takes 3h 28m, covering 3,719 km.

No. A passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

Return flights from Cairns to Melbourne Airport range from $262 to $401, with an average of $324 over the past 12 months. Anything below $262 counts as a good deal.

Last-minute fares on this route (booked within 2 weeks of departure) run 16% above the route average of $324. Book 22 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

On this route, direct flights are cheaper than stopover options on average. Direct fares average $314 return, compared with $532 via a stopover through Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD).

Qantas Airways is slightly above the route average for timely arrivals, while Jetstar has a lower on-time arrival rate. On-time arrival rates on Cairns to Melbourne Airport flights are:

• Qantas Airways: 84% on time
• Jetstar: 82% on time
• Virgin Australia: 82% on time

On average, flights on this route are punctual 82% of the time.

There is no standard. Checked bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge $42–$141 for the first checked bag in Economy. Premium fares and elite status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

The Boeing 737-800 Passenger/BBJ2 (winglets) family is used most often on this route, operated mainly by Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways. Other aircraft seen on the route include Airbus A320-100/200 variants.

Morning is the busiest departure period on Cairns to Melbourne Airport flights, with 67% leaving in that window. Afternoon departures account for 17%, Evening flights for 16%, and Night flights for 0%.

Yes. Based on fares seen in the past 5 days, return flight prices on this route showed a wide range, from about $262 to $2,307. That means the highest observed fare was about 9x higher than the lowest one.

One-way fares from Cairns to Melbourne Airport are currently in line with typical prices for this route. Average one-way fares are about $216.

Melbourne Airport (MEL) hosts 5 major car hire companies, with daily rates starting from around $19 for economy cars. Top options include:
• Bargain Car Rentals
• East Coast Car Rentals
• EverythingFleet
• Ace Rental Cars
• Alpha

Flights from Cairns to Melbourne Airport usually depart from Cairns (CNS) and arrive at Melbourne (MEL).

Morning flights have the fewest delays on this route. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day as one late flight pushes the next, so earlier departures are usually more reliable.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the Cairns to Melbourne Airport route, 18% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 1 hour 40 minutes.

Connecting flights from Cairns to Melbourne Airport most commonly pass through:

• Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) – 67% of one-stop connections
• Brisbane (BNE) – 33% of one-stop connections
Together, these airports account for 100% of one-stop bookings on this route.

Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 11% on the Cairns to Melbourne Airport route. Friday is the cheapest departure day at $310 return on average, while Thursday is the most expensive at $348, a difference of $38. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

3 airlines operate flights between Cairns and Melbourne Airport. The airlines offering direct flights on this route include:

• Jetstar
• Virgin Australia
• Qantas Airways

Flying via Brisbane (BNE) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time of 5h 31m, compared to 7h 06m via Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD).

Some of the most popular sights in Melbourne Airport are Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Crown Casino, and Marvel Stadium. These are among the most viewed places in Melbourne Airport on KAYAK.

Among airlines operating Cairns to Melbourne Airport flights:

• Virgin Australia: offers free seat selection

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• Jetstar: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• Virgin Australia: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• Qantas Airways: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route, and airline, so travellers should check the fare details before booking.

SkyBus offers express bus services between Melbourne Airport and the city centre that take 40min and cost around A$ 15 for a one-way trip. Taxi ranks can be found at all terminals. A trip to the city centre will take 30min and cost around A$ 40, with an additional fee for airport pickups. Rideshare services also have dedicated pickup points. If you prefer to hire a car, a number of leading car rental companies are conveniently located opposite Terminal 2.

If you are driving to Cairns Airport, you can leave your vehicle safely at the airport for the duration of your trip. Whether you’re visiting Melbourne for a weekend getaway, a week-long trip or planning an extended stay, travellers can get great savings on short and long-term parking if you pre-book online. Parking rates start from about A$ 77 per week.

Yes, there are direct flights to Melbourne from Cairns. A number of airlines, including Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia offer direct flights along the route from tropical Northern Queensland to Melbourne. Some flights also have a layover in Sydney or Brisbane.

Your carry-on allowance will depend on your airline and your fare. For example, Jetstar generally allows one carry-on item up to 7 kg with the option to pay for an additional bag. Qantas offers a range of allowable configurations, with a maximum of two bags and one personal item, a 10 kg restriction per bag and a 14 kg limit in total.

You won’t find premium economy, but Qantas and Virgin offer business-class fares featuring a range of premium advantages. Some Australian airlines also offer variations on the basic economy fare. For example, Virgin Australia’s Flex fare gives you checked luggage, free seat selection and flexibility with changing and cancelling your flight.

You must abide by Australia’s child car seat laws, even if you’re taking a taxi or getting a ride to and from the airport. This means kids under the age of seven must use a booster or a rear or forward-facing car seat suitable for their age and height.

Each Australian airline has its own rules regarding pets. However, you will generally find that they only allow service animals to travel with you in the passenger cabin. All other pets must generally travel in an appropriate-sized container in the cargo hold. To book pet travel, you can either contact your airline directly or use a commercial pet transport company.