$2,685 Find Cheap Flights from South Africa to Cairns

This is the cheapest return flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight to Cairns departing on 25/7. 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 Cairns

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to Cairns, 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 Cairns, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Cheap Flights from South Africa to Cairns

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

Fri, 25 Jul - Fri, 1 Aug
Emirates Logo
13:25 - 22:50JNB-CNS
49h 25m2 stops
Emirates Logo
12:15 - 10:15CNS-JNB
54h 00m2 stops
$2,685Emirates
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KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to Cairns

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

What is the cheapest month to fly to Cairns?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights to Cairns, 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 to Cairns is February, where tickets cost $1,478 on average for return flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and January, where the average cost of tickets from South Africa is $2,527 and $2,048 respectively. For one-way flights, the best month to travel is February with an average price of $1,478.

How far in advance should I book a flight to Cairns?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights to Cairns, 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, you should book around 8 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 15 weeks before departure.

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Good to know

Low seasonNovember
High seasonOctober
Best time to beat the crowds (4% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (1% more expensive on average)

FAQs - booking Cairns flights

  • How far is Cairns Airport from central Cairns?

    You’ll need to travel 4 km to reach the Cairns city centre from Cairns Airport.

  • What is the name of Cairns’s airport?

    When flying to Cairns, you'll arrive at Cairns Airport (CNS). The airport is also known as Cairns or Cairns Intl.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to Cairns?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Cairns is Sunday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $1,907. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Friday, where round-trip prices are $2,659 on average.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights to Cairns?

    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 to Cairns.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Cairns is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights to Cairns?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Cairns 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 to Cairns?

    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 to Cairns 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 Cairns?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to Cairns is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost $1,157 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Cairns is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,298.

  • How many direct flights to Cairns are there each week?

    Each week there are around 470 direct flights from within South Africa to Cairns. The most common day for departures is Tuesday, with 16% of flights taking off on this day.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Cairns

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Cairns flight deals.

Top airline flying from South Africa to Cairns

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to Cairns. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from South Africa to Cairns. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with to Cairns? 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
Singapore AirlinesOverall score based on 1302 reviews
7.7Food
8.0Entertainment
8.2Boarding
7.9Comfort
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

Both the staff at check-in counter and on board were pleasant and helpful. My chicken and mashed potato was good, sauce was tasty, but the zucchini, carrot n other accompanying vegetables were over-cooked a little. (I understand the meal has to be prepared earlier). Yet I would fly on Singapore Airlines again and recommend it to family and friends.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Apr 2025HKG - SIN
Read more Singapore Airlines reviews

Both the staff at check-in counter and on board were pleasant and helpful. My chicken and mashed potato was good, sauce was tasty, but the zucchini, carrot n other accompanying vegetables were over-cooked a little. (I understand the meal has to be prepared earlier). Yet I would fly on Singapore Airlines again and recommend it to family and friends.

Excelent service and plenty of food and drinks during the flight. Flight crew very attentive to our needs. Leg room between rows are very disappointing.

Construction at PDX resulting in very lung walk from the rental car to the gate. SFO, extremely long walk between terminals to get to connecting Singapore airlines flight. My smart watch recorded a total of 3 miles.

So happy I flew with Singapore Airlines. The customer service is top notch. I am terrified of flying and the staff made me feel so at ease. Will only fly Singapore internationally moving forward.

It was very good experience on board to Sydney with SQ.

Everything was great keep up the good work 😁, can't ask for more.

Flight from SFO did not include entertainment as it was not working the entire duration of the flight. Was informed that there would be a $350 voucher for the inconvenience. Uncertain how the voucher will be provided.

It was an average flight. I would have expected more from this airline. Food, seats, service, etc was just average. I just give them some extra points for offering free WiFi on board with just a Krisflyer account.

Check in was easy through self-check-in kiosks just like domestic flights. Staff onboard were fantastic. Some "book the cook" good options weren't great, others really good. Entertainment options a bit limited to what I've experienced on Qantas. Overall a good flight though, especially for the price.

I very much liked and appreciated the service on board. The seating arrangement in Business feels uncomfortable. It's not made for tall people, in any case.

Travelling to a place near Cairns?

Book flights to Cairns if you plan to visit one of these locations
Mission Beach
Trinity Beach

Everything you need to know for your flight to Cairns

Information on the airport you'll fly into in Cairns

Cairns (CNS)

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