$232 Find Cheap Flights from Melbourne 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 Melbourne to South Island departing on 17/7. 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

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 in flight searches from Melbourne 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 in flight searches from Melbourne to South Island, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Flights Deals

Best South Island Flight Deals from Melbourne

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$479
Christchurch
Christchurchdirect$405
Nelson
Nelson1 stop$685
Dunedin
Dunedin1 stop$565
Invercargill
Invercargill1 stop$709
Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$479
Christchurch
Christchurchdirect$405
Nelson
Nelson1 stop$685
Dunedin
Dunedin1 stop$565
Invercargill
Invercargill1 stop$709

Cheap Flights from Melbourne to South Island

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights from Melbourne 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 from Melbourne to South Island

Thu, 17 Jul - Wed, 23 Jul
Jetstar Logo
11:05 - 16:20MEL-CHC
3h 15mdirect
Jetstar Logo
08:20 - 10:05CHC-MEL
3h 45mdirect
$405Jetstar
Find Deal
Sat, 19 Jul - Wed, 23 Jul
Jetstar Logo
11:05 - 16:20MEL-CHC
3h 15mdirect
Jetstar Logo
08:20 - 10:05CHC-MEL
3h 45mdirect
$408Jetstar
Find Deal
Mon, 23 Jun - Sun, 29 Jun
Air New Zealand Logo
09:10 - 14:25MEL-ZQN
3h 15mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
15:40 - 17:10ZQN-MEL
3h 30mdirect
$522Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Thu, 28 Aug - Sat, 30 Aug
Air New Zealand Logo
18:25 - 23:50MEL-CHC
3h 25mdirect
Air New Zealand Logo
06:10 - 08:05CHC-MEL
3h 55mdirect
$523Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Tue, 9 Sep - Thu, 11 Sep
Virgin Australia Logo
11:35 - 16:45MEL-ZQN
3h 10mdirect
Virgin Australia Logo
18:00 - 19:35ZQN-MEL
3h 35mdirect
$542Virgin Australia
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Mon, 4 Aug - Thu, 28 Aug
Virgin Australia Logo
11:35 - 16:45MEL-ZQN
3h 10mdirect
Virgin Australia Logo
18:00 - 19:35ZQN-MEL
3h 35mdirect
$545Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Thu, 30 Oct - Wed, 5 Nov
Emirates Logo
18:55 - 00:15MEL-CHC
3h 20mdirect
Emirates Logo
06:05 - 08:00CHC-MEL
3h 55mdirect
$606Emirates
Find Deal
Mon, 14 Jul - Tue, 15 Jul
Qantas Airways Logo
18:40 - 00:10MEL-CHC
3h 30mdirect
Qantas Airways Logo
06:20 - 08:10CHC-MEL
3h 50mdirect
$648Qantas Airways
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Sun, 7 Dec - Fri, 19 Dec
Qantas Airways Logo
18:55 - 00:15MEL-CHC
3h 20mdirect
Qantas Airways Logo
06:05 - 08:00CHC-MEL
3h 55mdirect
$669Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Sun, 27 Jul - Thu, 31 Jul
Emirates Logo
07:30 - 12:40MEL-ZQN
3h 10mdirect
Emirates Logo
07:05 - 15:05ZQN-MEL
10h 00m1 stop
$722Emirates
Find Deal
Useful Info

KAYAK's insights & trends for Melbourne to South Island flights

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

What is the cheapest Melbourne Airport to South Island flight route?

The cheapest price for flight routes found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks for round-trip flights from Melbourne Airport to South Island.

The cheapest ticket to South Island from Melbourne Airport found in the last 72 hours was to Queenstown, at $272 return. The most popular route is from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Queenstown (ZQN), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $272.

Can I save money by flying with a stopover from Melbourne Airport to South Island?

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 $1,844, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Melbourne Airport to South Island?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Melbourne Airport 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 Melbourne Airport to South Island is May, when tickets cost $436 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and January, when the average cost of return tickets is $617 and $556 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Melbourne to South Island?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Melbourne Airport to South Island clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

If your flying dates are flexible, you should consider flying to South Island on a Sunday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Saturday is the most expensive day to fly from Melbourne to South Island. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Tuesday and avoiding Wednesdays for the best deals.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Melbourne Airport 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 from Melbourne Airport 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 the flight from Melbourne Airport to South Island, you should book around 3 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 25 weeks before departure.


Good to know

Low seasonMay
High seasonDecember
Cheapest flight$232
Best time to beat the crowds (8% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (27% more expensive on average)
Flight from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Christchurch

FAQs - booking South Island flights

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Melbourne 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 Melbourne 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 Melbourne 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 Melbourne 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 Melbourne 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 time of day to fly to South Island?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to South Island is generally in the evening, when retur flights cost $178 on average. Morning departures are around 91% 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 $339.

Top 5 airlines serving from Melbourne to South Island

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Melbourne to South Island. 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 Melbourne 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 3264 reviews
8.1Boarding
8.0Comfort
7.8Food
8.2Entertainment
8.3Crew
Airline reviews

Very pleasant.The crews are very helpful.Food are very good.

10.0 ExcellentPaul, June 2025BKK - DXB
Read more Emirates reviews

Very pleasant.The crews are very helpful.Food are very good.

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 🤬

Everything I was good except food quality is very poor

Boarding for business class passengers can be improved. Also, when debarking the aircraft, Economy passengers are let off first due the way the configuration of the cabin upstairs.

Very uncomfortable aircraft. No free entertainment or drinks. Food okay. Won't fly with them again.

The plane seemed pretty old and the food was not good

Thay crew was so nice.Air hostess il ham was so nice.my mom was little scray with airplan turbulence she help us alot.

The plane was clean and well maintained the crew members were professionals and friendly and the food was good

The business class upgrade meant a good sleep on the way home after a long week away. Excellent service, great food, and comfortable seat/bed for the journey.

I love the “boarding from the back” idea - it’s so much better than the “Zones” idea that many others use. Also, the inflight wifi was a first for me! Very nice to have on a 13-hour flight!

Again, Air New Zealand was great. They kept bathrooms clean, food was actually very good, New Zealand wines a big hit

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.

Arriving at Coolangatta, rows 20 forward, took the airbridge across to the terminal. It was suggested to those from rows 21 back, that we take the rear stairs and to be careful crossing the tarmac. That was all well and good. However, when we got across to the terminal we then had to climb three large flights of stairs to meet up with those coming across the airbridge. No elevator! There were people carrying babies and elderly carrying hand luggage that needed assistance from others.. There was no option to turn back.

It was good for a short domestic flight. As no food ar entertainment provided, there should be a n/a rating available for those.

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.

Flew premium economy, well worth the extra. Much better seat size & space. Meals & snacks were lovely. Crew really pleasant. Internet is not great, not really useful for anything. Couldn't even send messages.

Everything was fine. Wish the wifi was free and included in the ticket price.

Traditional economy class. Not a full flight so spare seats. Food and drinks were good

Was bumped to a later flight because of inefficiency on part of the airline.

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

The Emerits/Qantas flight was cancelled to Wellington. We need a refund. Had to buy another airline ticket. How do we get the refund. Still not in Wellington.

Delayed QF59 flight once again, Qantas doesn't fail in maintaining there delayed departures and arrivals. USB points do not work nor do the power point sockets on the plane, Qantas staff admitted that on the flight. Don't expect to your charge devices. Saving grace, was the ice cream. Bottom line, if you expect to fly to HND and make it on time avoid Qantas and if you're interested in ice cream - visit 7/11.

Pretty excellent. I don’t know what the pilot could have done better with the bumping ( there was a storm) nor what happened to my ears coming down into bendigo. It doesn’t happen coming down into Sydney just the return flight. I wonder why?

Touch screens were very difficult to use, generally being laggy and unresponsive- it was quite an art to get it to play the thing you wanted rather than some thing at random. Selection of films and Tv was good when touchscreen decided to finally respond.

Their aircraft are old and amenities lack way behind other international carriers leaving from BNE. Even in economy

Airport and crew experience was excellent. We had to queue for the runway - no one’s fault, but it did mean we were 30 minutes late leaving

Overall good experience with flight and airport wheelchair staff. Also got Indian food in the flights

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.

Checked Baggage line up was long but moved quickly, rest of the process, boarding, crew was excellent

Virgin has always provided a smooth and comfortable flight. This one was no different. Seats are comfortable. Staff are great. This is my favourite airline.

Virgin changed the flight to an Alliance flight. Smaller plane, tea coffee and water the only refreshments available and not sure what happened to the extra money I paid to sit in a selected seat with extra leg room. This is obviously a regular switch as it happened on our flight there and back. Do not recommend.

Late boarding, late departure due to weather and slow boarding, packed 5+hour flight, only 2 toilets for main cabin, tight leg room, no free food except tea, coffee, and water, arrived 75 minutes late.

stuck in the aircraft for over three hours due to engineering work, significantly delayed and made a lot of passengers missed the connecting transport, no mention any compensation

Very quiet plane!! One of the quietest planes we have been on.

Jetsatar refused to take my foldable stroller in the plane, despite following all the rules on dimensions and packaging. Similar thing happened on our previous fight. However, at that instance, they offered to check in the stroller. At this fight, the staff was rude, trying to rush us to board the flight. They made excuses that the stroller was not allowed and even offer to leave it behind and ship it back at our own cost. Fortunately, we had someone else attending. Since the flight was about to take off, they left it behind and send it back to us on the next available flight.

Overall, it was good. The only concern was that I couldn't charge my phone because the USB port didn't work after we took off. One of the crew members tried to restart it but never came back to me with an update.

Comfortable seats, boarding was easy and staff were very nice.

Flight was fine but a domestic flight was called by Jetstar international. This meant going through immigration and custom scanning twice. Long queues were experienced which were frustrating. We were using a wheelchair and exit at Perth needed a scissor lift as no air bridge provided. No fast lane at Perth for wheelchair. The staff were helpful but this system is poor.

The crew were great. The seat was older than an old Holden with a big metal bar sticking right into my back. The passenger next to me complained that hers was the same. The pre purchase system for food was disappointing as the pie/quiche took 20 mins to warm up, arrived too hot and with no utensils. It was one of the most uncomfortable flights I've ever been on.

Not very good, no food and not drink ( caffe or tea). Never ever fly with jet star.

Fabulous I have no issues with JetStar great service always use them to fly

Flight was as expected - we got what we paid for which was a base fare

Everything you need to know for your flight to South Island

Information on your arrival and departure airports

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