$268 Find Cheap Flights from Sydney 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 Sydney to South Island departing on 9/6. 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, 0 bags

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 Sydney 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 Sydney to South Island, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Sydney to South Island

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$475
Christchurch
Christchurch1 stop$538
Dunedin
Dunedin1 stop$540
Nelson
Nelson1 stop$870
Blenheim
Blenheim1 stop$838
Invercargill
Invercargill2 stops$806
Queenstown
Queenstowndirect$475
Christchurch
Christchurch1 stop$538
Dunedin
Dunedin1 stop$540
Nelson
Nelson1 stop$870
Blenheim
Blenheim1 stop$838
Invercargill
Invercargill2 stops$806

Book Cheap Sydney to South Island Plane Tickets

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

Tue, 9 Jun - Sat, 13 Jun
Jetstar Logo
11:50 - 16:45
SYD
-
ZQN
2h 55mdirect
Jetstar Logo
17:45 - 19:00
ZQN
-
SYD
3h 15mdirect
$475Jetstar
Tue, 9 Jun - Tue, 16 Jun
Jetstar Logo
11:50 - 16:45
SYD
-
ZQN
2h 55mdirect
Jetstar Logo
17:45 - 19:00
ZQN
-
SYD
3h 15mdirect
$487Jetstar
Sun, 10 May - Thu, 14 May
Jetstar Logo
06:15 - 11:10
SYD
-
ZQN
2h 55mdirect
Jetstar Logo
17:45 - 19:00
ZQN
-
SYD
3h 15mdirect
$490Jetstar
Mon, 4 May - Fri, 8 May
Jetstar Logo
11:50 - 16:45
SYD
-
ZQN
2h 55mdirect
Jetstar Logo
20:50 - 22:05
ZQN
-
SYD
3h 15mdirect
$494Jetstar
Mon, 4 May - Sun, 17 May
Air New Zealand Logo
19:20 - 19:20
SYD
-
CHC
22h 00m
1 stop
Air New Zealand Logo
06:30 - 08:10
CHC
-
SYD
3h 40mdirect
$538Air New Zealand
Sun, 26 Apr - Sun, 3 May
Air New Zealand Logo
07:50 - 07:25
SYD
-
CHC
21h 35m
1 stop
Air New Zealand Logo
21:15 - 08:45
CHC
-
SYD
13h 30m
1 stop
$550Air New Zealand
Fri, 24 Apr - Fri, 1 May
Multiple Airlines Logo
06:20 - 18:50
SYD
-
DUD
10h 30m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
19:55 - 08:05
DUD
-
SYD
14h 10m
1 stop
$723Multiple Airlines
Sat, 25 Apr - Sat, 2 May
Multiple Airlines Logo
17:50 - 11:15
SYD
-
DUD
15h 25m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
15:05 - 22:15
DUD
-
SYD
9h 10m
1 stop
$734Multiple Airlines
Mon, 24 Aug - Wed, 26 Aug
Qantas Airways Logo
19:25 - 16:55
SYD
-
NSN
19h 30m
1 stop
Qantas Airways Logo
09:30 - 18:10
NSN
-
SYD
10h 40m
1 stop
$944Qantas Airways
Mon, 24 Aug - Wed, 26 Aug
Qantas Airways Logo
19:25 - 16:55
SYD
-
NSN
19h 30m
1 stop
Qantas Airways Logo
09:30 - 18:10
NSN
-
SYD
10h 40m
1 stop
$951Qantas Airways
Booking Insights

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

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

What is the cheapest Sydney to South Island flight route?

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

The cheapest ticket to South Island from Sydney found in the last 72 hours was to Queenstown, at $306 return. The most popular route is from Sydney (SYD) to Queenstown (ZQN), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $306.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to South Island?

The average price for all round-trip flights from Sydney to South Island depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to South Island is generally in the afternoon, when retur flights cost $471 on average. Morning departures are around 2% 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 $574.

Can I save money by flying with a stopover from Sydney 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 $949, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Sydney to South Island?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Sydney 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 Sydney to South Island is May, when tickets cost $430 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of return tickets is $679 and $661 respectively.

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

The average price of all round-trip flights from Sydney 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 Wednesday, 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 Sydney to South Island. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Thursday and avoiding Tuesdays for the best deals.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Sydney 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 Sydney 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 a flight from Sydney to South Island, you should book around 6 weeks before departure, which saves you about 28% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 23 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flight$268
Best time to beat the crowds (11% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 7% lower on average.
Flight from Sydney to Queenstown

FAQs - booking South Island flights

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Sydney 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 Sydney 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 Sydney 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 Sydney 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 Sydney to South Island up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying from Sydney to South Island

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Sydney 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 Sydney 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 3542 reviews
8.0Comfort
8.2Entertainment
8.1Boarding
7.9Food
8.3Crew
Airline reviews

They changed the flight time without telling us and were unwilling to help with rebooking because we booked through orbits/kayak

2.0 MediocreLaurel, Dec 2025
JFK - DXB
Read more Emirates reviews

They changed the flight time without telling us and were unwilling to help with rebooking because we booked through orbits/kayak

Emirates did great! I liked the service, the food, cleanness, and the flight was on time. Much better airline than Qatar Airways I flew with last year.

Bathrooms were amazing and first class seat was very comfortable. Food was edible but not up to the standards of other first class meals on other airlines. But Caviar was amazing! So much caviar. Dom Perignon 2015 was room temperature. It would have been amazing if it was chilled down a bit more. Slippers were amazing and amenity kit requested was beautiful. Requested Pajamas never came so can’t tell you how nice they were. Loved the design of the seat and personal storage. Suite was much smaller than other airline’s first class and tv screen was tiny and remote difficult to use. I probably wouldn’t pay for this flight again.

It was delayed for 2 hrs. Flight attendants were not attentive.

We boarded but due to a technical issue we spent 4.5hrs on the ground waiting for the issue to be resolved

No kids provided. Instead we were told to have contacted the airline that we have kids and require kids meals. We were not the only ones who inquired about kids meals. It’s odd. Emirates and other airlines give kids meals as standard and before the adult food comes out. The rice in our meals was gluggy and under cooked. The chicken was also raw. Sadly not the best experience with Finn Air. The hostesses tried to compensate with the snacks and drinks but missed the mark by a long way. Especially when paying Emirates/Qantas prices

the seat is quite narrow compared to others. entertainment and food were very good

Emirates First Class is always a treat with Caviar and service is always personalised.

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 .

Great service. Food could be improved but overall a very good airline

Wonderful trip. Everyone from checking in to the gate to the flight itself was amazing - kind, helpful, and has a beautiful smile.

The seats are feeling very hard to sit on. All the padding is flat, like sitting on a park bench for over an hour

Space between seats on Air New Zealand is generally tight. The crew on this flight was excellent! Very attentive and nice. You get free wine or beer and chips and of course the Air New Zealand candies. 1 hour and 35 min flight approximately.

All good, except entertainment system could have been better. More choices.

I was not even on that flight and did not even book a ticket. Kayak did a phenomenal job

The disembarking steps in Wellington were precarious and I felt quite insecure. There was no one on the tarmac to greet us and help. The embarking ramp in Blenheim was much more satisfactory. The rest of the flight was fine.

Entertainment screen froze and had to be reset. Noticed it happened to other passengers as well.

My flying experience was not great. The temperature was ridiculously low. I had a sweater and a big jacket and even then. Since my ticket was an economy ticket, I suppose I didn’t deserve a blanket as they were only available for business. The result, o got a cold I have not been able to shake off in 6 days which has absolutely ruined my stay in Japan as I hasn’t had the chance to leave my hotel room. Everything else that was good, had overshadowed by this. BE A LITTLE MORE HUMAN

The food was not as good as Air New Zealand. The veg pasta was pass-able but the veg cibotta sandwich was dry, hard and not up to par. The coach staff were attentive and accommodating.

Good flight. On time. No problems. Plane was clean. Service was as you would expect. However nothing special, just a good flight.

Very friendly staff. No food service and no entertainment. Only 1hr 20min flight

High fees for excess checked baggage and somehow ridiculous rules for carry on bags.

Flight was late, food and drink an extra charge, my carry on is five rows behind me, and the seats are too narrow. Don’t ask me to be happy about it

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

Our 6.30am flight was boarded then cancelled to fly at 10.55am . We were flying to Brisbane to attend a funeral at 12 noon an hour away . This means missing the funeral due to unreliability of Virgin . Unimpressed !!

It was with Link Airways and the Saab 340 jet was noisy and little comfort.

They didn’t sent my luggage I got it 24 hours later

Plane was late and they wouldn’t check our bags through to Tokyo

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!

My experience was great overall. Tanya was particularly friendly and helpful the entire trip. I was very pleased with her customer service skills. The plane was an older aircraft but the entire way was comfortable with barely any turbulence at all. Qantas should speed up its fleet renovation. Totally recommend using this airline.

When I originally booked this flight, I was expecting to travel on Qantas. When the itinerary changed and the long-haul segment was operated by American Airlines, we were disappointed but remained open-minded. Unfortunately, the overall service experience fell far short of expectations. This was a long-haul international flight. Getting up periodically to use the restroom or stretch is inevitable, especially on flights of this duration. However, each time we stood up, we felt as though we were inconveniencing the crew. The tone and body language often suggested that we were in the way or disrupting something simply by moving about the cabin. As a result, I avoided getting up as often as I needed to and was physically very sore upon arrival. Meal service was similarly impersonal. The options were presented in single words “beef or veggie,” “pasta or beef” without any description of what was actually being served. There was little engagement or courtesy beyond that. Even simple expressions of gratitude were often not acknowledged. I am accustomed to no-frills travel and do not expect luxury. What was disappointing was not the absence of extras, but the absence of basic warmth and professionalism. On a long-haul international flight, small moments of courtesy and humanity make a significant difference. In this case, the experience felt transactional and dismissive rather than welcoming. I hope this feedback is taken constructively, as there is a meaningful difference between efficient service and indifferent service.

Qantas is always subpar beyond comfy chairs for a domestic flight

an hour late, then had to disembark on back stairs and take 4 flights up to get to main airport. No warning, and difficulty for those with canes and poor knees.

Business seats not as comfortable or private as most competitors (e.g. Qantas was outstanding), and movie selection was much more limited than Qantas or United has been recently

I'd like to see AA's flight safety record clearly and prominently posted online.

Hard to move and get out of my seat when the passenger in front is in recline position.

It was a good flight and no complaints. It just wasn't anything that was better than any other flight.

The crew were wonderful - if only the customers were as well behaved as the attendants!! Ha ha! If you could just talk to God and ask for less turbulence next time.... Juuuuust kidding....

Flight was canceled. I was not alerted. It was only kayak that alerted me

One of the better flights I’ve had w Jetstar. Smooth boarding, early take off, on time landing, very courteous crew, clean plane.

local frequent travellers know that Jetstar’s flights between MEL and LST are turnaround flights so those in the morning tend to run on time and become delayed increasingly through the day. We observed how the staff at check in and boarding try to assist, guide and facilitate travellers - they were courteous, efficient, amiable while enforcing Jetstar’s baggage requirements. They try to speed up boarding by having passengers board from both front and back. We would take Jetstar again.

The issue was a 4 hour delay to takeoff with very sketchy information provided about the available of the flights delay. Passengers were not informed of gate changes and how long the delay might be. It ended with a late night 2 hour drive to our home which was not ideal for elderly people.

Flight was fine with boarding starting a few minutes early. Not a fan of the crew pushing political messaging regarding indigenous naming of Brisbane city… really pushed it like I haven’t heard on Jetstar before.

The flight ticket were not reimbursed on Jan 22nd from Auckland to Wellington. Very Very dissatisfied.Please reimburse the ticket of my onward travel.

Improved experience over our last years flight when also we flew local but on an international scheduled flight. The double processing is still unwelcome i.e. by security and then by border force having to produce a licence and boarding pass repeatedly on departure and return. Obviously suits the airline rather than the local traveller. The flight and crew were good though a helper on return was offhand having to push the wheel chair did the bare minimum we felt.

Flight on time. New plane. No entertainment screen just device. No offer of water. Didn’t order food.

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

Although a local trip via international flight it was fairly straight forward albeit more checks than desirable for local travel. On arrival Perth collecting luggage the trollies were hidden in one end of the long hall.

Jet star delayed both trips with poor communication. Passengers were made to change gates often and then left to stand with no seating. As someone getting over surgery this was very trying.

Everything you need to know for your flight to South Island

Information on your arrival and departure airports