$801 Find Cheap Flights from South Africa to Cairns

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight to Cairns departing on 6/11. 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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Flights Deals

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, 7 Nov - Tue, 11 Nov
Cathay Pacific Logo
11:05 - 10:45JNB-CNS
39h 40m2 stops
Cathay Pacific Logo
14:50 - 07:40CNS-JNB
48h 50m2 stops
$1,499Cathay Pacific
Find Deal
Fri, 7 Nov - Tue, 11 Nov
Cathay Pacific Logo
11:05 - 10:45JNB-CNS
39h 40m2 stops
Cathay Pacific Logo
14:50 - 07:40CNS-JNB
48h 50m2 stops
$1,505Cathay Pacific
Find Deal
Sat, 13 Sep - Sat, 20 Sep
Qantas Airways Logo
18:45 - 22:50JNB-CNS
20h 05m1 stop
Qantas Airways Logo
17:35 - 16:15CNS-JNB
30h 40m1 stop
$1,803Qantas Airways
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Sat, 13 Sep - Sat, 20 Sep
Cathay Pacific Logo
11:20 - 11:35JNB-CNS
40h 15m2 stops
Cathay Pacific Logo
17:35 - 07:40CNS-JNB
46h 05m2 stops
$1,915Cathay Pacific
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Fri, 12 Sep - Fri, 19 Sep
Singapore Airlines Logo
19:50 - 17:00JNB-CNS
61h 10m1 stop
Singapore Airlines Logo
18:15 - 18:35CNS-JNB
32h 20m1 stop
$1,929Singapore Airlines
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Fri, 12 Sep - Fri, 19 Sep
 Logo
11:20 - 08:35JNB-CNS
37h 15m2 stops
 Logo
10:15 - 08:20CNS-JNB
30h 05m2 stops
$2,004
Find Deal
Sat, 13 Sep - Sat, 20 Sep
Qantas Airways Logo
18:45 - 22:50JNB-CNS
20h 05m2 stops
Qantas Airways Logo
17:35 - 16:15CNS-JNB
30h 40m1 stop
$2,061Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Fri, 7 Nov - Tue, 11 Nov
Qantas Airways Logo
17:30 - 08:20JNB-CNS
30h 50m1 stop
Qantas Airways Logo
17:35 - 15:00CNS-JNB
53h 25m2 stops
$2,073Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Fri, 7 Nov - Tue, 11 Nov
Qantas Airways Logo
17:30 - 08:20JNB-CNS
30h 50m1 stop
Qantas Airways Logo
17:35 - 15:00CNS-JNB
53h 25m2 stops
$2,080Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Fri, 12 Sep - Fri, 19 Sep
 Logo
19:50 - 09:45JNB-CNS
29h 55m3 stops
 Logo
10:15 - 08:20CNS-JNB
30h 05m2 stops
$2,326
Find Deal
Booking Insights

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 $1,495 on average for return flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and October, where the average cost of tickets from South Africa is $2,354 and $2,086 respectively. For one-way flights, the best month to travel is February with an average price of $1,495.

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, which saves you about 24% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 15 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 13% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly (4% 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 $1,928. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Friday, where round-trip prices are $2,688 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 438 direct flights from within South Africa to Cairns. The most common day for departures is Thursday, 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.

Reviews of the 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 1338 reviews
7.7Food
8.0Entertainment
8.2Boarding
8.6Crew
7.9Comfort
Airline reviews

The usual excellent experience with Singapore Airlines. The airplane was on time and actually early to Haneda Airport. The onboarding experience was pleasant with no delays, perhaps owing to the fact that the flight was not full. Nevertheless, the air crew were their usual outstanding standards in serving the passengers.

8.0 ExcellentWee Keng, June 2025SIN - HND
Read more Singapore Airlines reviews

The usual excellent experience with Singapore Airlines. The airplane was on time and actually early to Haneda Airport. The onboarding experience was pleasant with no delays, perhaps owing to the fact that the flight was not full. Nevertheless, the air crew were their usual outstanding standards in serving the passengers.

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.

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.

Great airline. Excellent service, good food & lots of TV movies/shows to choose from.

Really enjoyed the flight. Our flight attendant on the way back SIN-LAX was exceptional I didn’t get her name but she was so kind and went above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable. I had a bit of a panic attack and she checked on me a few times to make sure I was ok. Really appreciated her attention and service. Thank u

I was a member of Krisflyer for ten years, but my last flight to Tokyo was a disaster. I had to stand in line for four hours before check-in because they were late opening the counter, and there were more than 50 people behind me. The plane was extremely small, and the food could have been better. When I dropped off my stroller before boarding the plane, I expected to receive it upon exiting for my transfer. However, they returned the stroller to the checked baggage because they said I was late getting off the plane. Of course, I was late; they assigned me a seat at the back of the aircraft, and I was traveling with a baby! The worst part was when I arrived in Jakarta. They damaged my stroller and refused to approve my claim, so I had to pay for stroller rental because of the damage they caused. I don’t know what happened to Singapore Airlines, but I felt like I was flying with a budget airline.

Travelling to a place near Cairns?

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Everything you need to know for your flight to Cairns

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