$112 Find Cheap Flights from Melbourne to Great Barrier Reef – 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 Melbourne to Great Barrier Reef departing on 1/12. 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 from Melbourne to Great Barrier Reef

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Cairns
Cairnsdirect$238
Townsville
Townsvilledirect$239
Hamilton Island
Hamilton Islanddirect$471
Hervey Bay
Hervey Baydirect$259
Bundaberg
Bundaberg1 stop$615
Gladstone
Gladstone1 stop$550
Cairns
Cairnsdirect$238
Townsville
Townsvilledirect$239
Hamilton Island
Hamilton Islanddirect$471
Hervey Bay
Hervey Baydirect$259
Bundaberg
Bundaberg1 stop$615
Gladstone
Gladstone1 stop$550

Book Cheap Melbourne to Great Barrier Reef Plane Tickets

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

Sat, 5 Sep - Fri, 11 Sep
Jetstar Logo
18:25 - 21:50
MEL
-
CNS
3h 25mdirect
Jetstar Logo
21:40 - 01:00
CNS
-
MEL
3h 20mdirect
$238Jetstar
Wed, 2 Sep - Tue, 8 Sep
Jetstar Logo
18:55 - 22:20
MEL
-
CNS
3h 25mdirect
Jetstar Logo
13:15 - 16:35
CNS
-
MEL
3h 20mdirect
$238Jetstar
Sun, 30 Aug - Tue, 8 Sep
Jetstar Logo
19:05 - 22:30
MEL
-
CNS
3h 25mdirect
Jetstar Logo
13:15 - 16:35
CNS
-
MEL
3h 20mdirect
$239Jetstar
Wed, 21 Oct - Sun, 25 Oct
Multiple Airlines Logo
20:15 - 22:40
MEL
-
CNS
3h 25mdirect
Multiple Airlines Logo
23:55 - 04:20
CNS
-
MEL
3h 25mdirect
$248Multiple Airlines
Wed, 21 Oct - Sun, 25 Oct
Multiple Airlines Logo
20:15 - 22:40
MEL
-
CNS
3h 25mdirect
Multiple Airlines Logo
23:55 - 04:20
CNS
-
MEL
3h 25mdirect
$253Multiple Airlines
Wed, 21 Oct - Sun, 25 Oct
Multiple Airlines Logo
20:15 - 22:40
MEL
-
CNS
3h 25mdirect
Multiple Airlines Logo
23:55 - 04:20
CNS
-
MEL
3h 25mdirect
$253Multiple Airlines
Sun, 25 Oct - Thu, 29 Oct
Virgin Australia Logo
21:25 - 23:55
MEL
-
CNS
3h 30mdirect
Virgin Australia Logo
19:50 - 00:15
CNS
-
MEL
3h 25mdirect
$256Virgin Australia
Fri, 25 Dec - Sun, 3 Jan
Virgin Australia Logo
21:25 - 23:55
MEL
-
CNS
3h 30mdirect
Virgin Australia Logo
23:55 - 04:20
CNS
-
MEL
3h 25mdirect
$259Virgin Australia
Tue, 1 Dec - Mon, 7 Dec
Qantas Airways Logo
09:20 - 14:15
MEL
-
HTI
5h 55m
1 stop
Qantas Airways Logo
15:00 - 21:25
HTI
-
MEL
5h 25m
1 stop
$479Qantas Airways
Tue, 1 Dec - Mon, 7 Dec
Qantas Airways Logo
09:20 - 14:15
MEL
-
HTI
5h 55m
1 stop
Qantas Airways Logo
15:00 - 23:25
HTI
-
MEL
7h 25m
1 stop
$481Qantas Airways
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Melbourne to Great Barrier Reef flights

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

What is the cheapest Melbourne Airport to Great Barrier Reef flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest ticket to Great Barrier Reef from Melbourne Airport found in the last 5 days was to Cairns, at $158 return. The most popular route is from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Cairns (CNS), and the cheapest return airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $158.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Great Barrier Reef?

The average price for all round-trip flights from Melbourne Airport to Great Barrier Reef depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to Great Barrier Reef is generally at night, when retur flights cost $285 on average. Morning departures are around 25% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Great Barrier Reef is generally in the morning, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $401.

Can I save money by flying with a stopover from Melbourne Airport to Great Barrier Reef?

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 $796, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Melbourne Airport to Great Barrier Reef?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Melbourne Airport to Great Barrier Reef, 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 Great Barrier Reef is February, when tickets cost $278 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and September, when the average cost of return tickets is $452 and $408 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Melbourne to Great Barrier Reef?

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

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to Great Barrier Reef on a Tuesday and more expensive on a Sunday. On your return trip to Melbourne, you should consider flying back on a Friday, and avoid Mondays for better deals.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Melbourne Airport to Great Barrier Reef?

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 Great Barrier Reef, 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 Melbourne Airport to Great Barrier Reef, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 16% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 13 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low season

February

Cheapest flight

$112
Best time to beat the crowds (24% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (14% more expensive on average)
Flight from Melbourne to Hervey Bay

Flights from Melbourne to Great Barrier Reef: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travellers who flew the route from Melbourne to Great Barrier Reef 
TimothyFlew with Jetstar
MEL
-
CNS
June 2026
Pack your own device, noise cancelling head phones, free water and a spine board to protect back from person behind,
AndrewFlew with Virgin Australia
MEL
-
CNS
June 2025
Save up and fly business. Sounds ridiculous,but if you are tall, it would be better.

FAQs - booking Great Barrier Reef flights

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Melbourne to Great Barrier Reef?

    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 Great Barrier Reef.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Melbourne to Great Barrier Reef 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 Great Barrier Reef?

    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 Great Barrier Reef 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 Great Barrier Reef?

    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 Great Barrier Reef up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Reviews of the top 3 airlines flying from Melbourne to Great Barrier Reef

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Melbourne to Great Barrier Reef. 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 Great Barrier Reef? 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.
7.6
Virgin AustraliaOverall score based on 466 reviews
7.5Comfort
6.4Food
8.2Crew
7.8Boarding
6.4Entertainment
Airline reviews

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

10.0 ExcellentAndrea, July 2026
MEL - OOL
Read more Virgin Australia reviews

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

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

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!

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

The level of incompetence of this airline is truly astounding.

2 hrs + delay! Times kept changing, Onboard menu was half depleted, Entertainment wifi was N/A Overall very frustrating flight and I never slate Virgin.

When I made the booking I was not aware I had to book our checked baggage separately. As we had no checked luggage booking, I had to pay A$120 per bag (total 2 bags) so you can imagine I was not pleased. I am an experienced traveller so something needs to be done to improve the booking app,

The seats are so uncomfortable. The food doesn't exist unless you pay. Disappointed

Last 10 minutes boarding they canceled the flight and didn’t organise anything

On time, lovely crew, economy-X seating worth the $ for the legroom. In flight entertainment not working, but I wasn’t going to use it anyway. Never had a bad Virgin experience.

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.

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.

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

I love flying with Qantas. There was no onscreen entertaining on this flight, and only a snack provided (not a meal) but still better than Jetstar or Virgin (in my opinion) so still happy.

Flight was cancelled about 1.5 hours before departure. Replacement flight provided scheduled 1 hour later. Late boarding, late departure and arrived Melbourne nearly 2 hours after originally scheduled.

Plane a little late departing, but not an issue. The pilots humour when he said “I will try to make up some time…. I know a few short cuts to Adelaide” made the passengers chuckle. This is what makes Qantas “Australian”.

No internet on international flights in this dsy and age is bad.

The international flight from Sydney to Dallas had great food. I have travelled a lot over the years and this has been the most memorable in my experience so far.

Initial flight was cancelled so moved to an alternative flight. As a result, stuck in a middle seat. Flight then place in holding pattern prior to landing resulting in a very late trip home.

Business lounge in Melbourne mediocre. Look at Emirates or Qatar, Qantas! Great friendly crew. Food was good but Emirates is a level above. Business seat good. But can’t compare to Qatar. Main reason for booking Qantas is loyalty and terrific connection via Perth to LHR.

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.

Flight was delayed both directions but once in the air was ok. Boarding out of Melbourne is just a mess.

Delayed twice. Poor communication and people made to change gates too often.

Late leaving and desintuon board showed ‘gate closed’ when they hadn’t even commenced boarding!

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

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

No food taken so can't rate also no entertainment so can't rate.

It was a super crowded time to travel out of Melbourne, but the flight was OK

It’s only a moment away until they ask you to stand on the scale and charge you a fee for how heavy you weigh.

Everything you need to know for your flight to Great Barrier Reef

Information on your arrival and departure airports