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SYD - CNS

Find cheap flights from Sydney to Cairns from $83

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 Cairns departing on 6/12. 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.
1 adult
0 bags
Sat 5/25
Sat 6/1

Search 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 in flight searches from Sydney to Cairns, 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 Cairns, as well as popular online travel agencies
In the last 7 days travelers have searched 44,979,812 times on KAYAK, and here is why:

Save 22% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

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Cheap flight deals from Sydney to Cairns (SYD-CNS)

Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Sydney 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 and deals for you by selecting your travel dates.
Choose your dates
6:10 am - 9:15 amSYD-CNS
3h 05mnonstop
6:55 pm - 9:50 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
$165Jetstar
Find Deal
Sun, May 5 - Wed, May 8
7:45 pm - 10:50 pmSYD-CNS
3h 05mnonstop
6:55 pm - 9:50 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
$166Jetstar
Find Deal
Fri, May 24 - Fri, May 31
7:45 pm - 10:50 pmSYD-CNS
3h 05mnonstop
6:35 am - 9:35 amCNS-SYD
3h 00mnonstop
$172Jetstar
Find Deal
Wed, Jul 3 - Mon, Jul 8
3:10 pm - 6:15 pmSYD-CNS
3h 05mnonstop
4:10 pm - 7:05 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
$175Jetstar
Find Deal
Sat, Jun 1 - Wed, Jun 5
8:45 pm - 10:25 amSYD-CNS
13h 40m1 stop
6:55 pm - 9:50 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
Fri, May 31 - Sun, Jun 9
8:45 pm - 10:25 amSYD-CNS
13h 40m1 stop
6:55 pm - 9:50 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
Fri, May 24 - Fri, May 31
3:20 pm - 6:35 pmSYD-CNS
3h 15mnonstop
7:15 pm - 10:10 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
$216Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Fri, May 17 - Sun, May 19
3:00 pm - 8:10 pmSYD-CNS
5h 10m1 stop
7:15 pm - 10:10 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
$233Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Wed, May 15 - Sun, May 19
3:25 pm - 6:30 pmSYD-CNS
3h 05mnonstop
7:20 pm - 10:15 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
$323Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Thu, Jul 18 - Thu, Jul 25
8:30 am - 10:00 pmSYD-CNS
13h 30m1 stop
2:05 pm - 5:00 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
$334Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Tue, Jul 9 - Tue, Jul 16

Flights from Sydney to Cairns - Travel Insights & Trends

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

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

The average price of all flights from Sydney to Cairns clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to Cairns on a Sunday and more expensive on a Wednesday. On your return trip to Sydney, you should consider flying back on a Monday, and avoid Tuesdays for better deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Sydney to Cairns?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from Sydney 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 from Sydney to Cairns is October, where tickets cost $208 on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and January, where the average cost of tickets is $351 and $311 respectively.

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

To calculate daily average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each day before departure over the last year for flights from Sydney to Cairns, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each month.
To get a below average price on the flight from Sydney to Cairns, you should book around 3 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 79 days before departure.

Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from Sydney to Cairns?

The cheapest price for the route for each airline clicked by KAYAK users in the last 72 hours.
In the last 72 hours, the best return deals on flights connecting Sydney to Cairns were found on Jetstar ($165) and Virgin Australia ($216). Jetstar proposed the cheapest one-way flight at $83.

Which airlines fly most frequently between Sydney and Cairns?

In normal times, Jetstar flies from Sydney to Cairns up to 3 times per day, Virgin Australia up to 2 times per day, and Qantas Airways 1 time per day.

Which airlines fly non-stop between Sydney and Cairns?

Airline and price data is aggregated from results in KAYAK’s search results from the last 2 weeks for flights from Sydney to Cairns.
There are 3 airlines that fly nonstop from Sydney to Cairns. They are: Jetstar, Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia. The cheapest price of all airlines flying this route was found with Jetstar at $105 for a one-way flight. On average, the best prices for this route can be found at Jetstar.

How many flights are there between Sydney and Cairns per day?

Each day, there are between 6 and 9 nonstop flights that take off from Sydney and land in Cairns, with an average flight time of 3h 08m. The most common departure time is 3:00 pm and most flights take off in the morning. Each week, there are 52 flights. The most frequent day of departure is Friday, when 17% of all weekly flights depart. The fewest flights depart on a Tuesday.

Which cabin class options are there for flights between Sydney and Cairns?

The average price of flights for each cabin class for the route found by users searching on KAYAK over the last 2 weeks.
There are 3 cabin class options for the route. These are Business, Economy and Prem Economy. Perform a search on KAYAK to find the latest prices and availability for all cabin fares, which differ across airlines.

How long does a flight from Sydney to Cairns take?

Nonstop flights from Sydney generally make it to Cairns in 3h 05m. The flying distance between the two cities is 1,224 miles.

What’s the earliest departure time from Sydney to Cairns?

Early birds can take the earliest flight from Sydney at 6:10 am and will be landing in Cairns at 9:15 am.

What’s the latest departure time from Sydney to Cairns?

If you prefer to fly at night, the latest flight from Sydney to Cairns jets off at 7:45 pm and lands at 10:50 pm.

Good to know

Low season

February

High season

December

Cheapest flight

$83
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 11% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 36% increase in price.
Flight from Sydney to Cairns

When to book flights from Sydney to Cairns

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Sydney to Cairns based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from Sydney to Cairns

  • What lounges are available in the domestic terminals of Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport?

    If you’d like to relax in comfort before your flight, there are various lounge options in the domestic terminals of Sydney Airport. Terminal 3 has Qantas Business Lounge and The Qantas Club Lounge, which are both located in the departures area, opposite Gates 4 and 5. Terminal 2 has Virgin Australia Lounge, located after security near the main security checkpoint. Please check with your airline for your eligibility to use their lounge.

  • How do you get to Sydney Airport from the Sydney centre?

    There are many options to get from Sydney centre to Sydney Airport. The metro will get you to the airport from Central Station in about 15min. Be sure to get use your Opal card, if you have one, for discounted fares. You can also take a taxi or rideshare service; the cost depends on what part of Sydney you are heading to.

  • How is Cairns Airport accessible for people with disabilities?

    The airport has accessible toilets and public phones. It also has a number of hearing loops that reduce distortion and background noise for those using hearing aids. You can also request a disability-friendly taxi through the taxi concierge staff in the taxi area.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Sydney to Cairns?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Sydney to Cairns was $83 for a one-way ticket and $165 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Sydney and Cairns?

    A passport is not required to fly from Sydney to Cairns.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Sydney to Cairns?

    Only Scoot offers inflight Wi-Fi service on the Sydney to Cairns flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Sydney to Cairns?

    The Boeing 737-800 Passenger/BBJ2 (winglets) is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Sydney to Cairns flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Sydney to Cairns?

    oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam are the airline alliances operating flights between Sydney and Cairns, with oneworld being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Sydney to Cairns?

    There are nonstop flights from Sydney to Cairns on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Sydney to Cairns, Virgin Australia or Qantas Airways?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Sydney to Cairns are Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways. With an average price for the route of $260 and an overall rating of 7.7, Virgin Australia is the most popular choice. Qantas Airways is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $394 and an overall rating of 7.6.

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

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

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

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Sydney 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 to Sydney with another airline. Booking your flights between Sydney and CNS can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Sydney 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 from Sydney up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding a cheap flight from SYD to Cairns

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $91 or less one-way and $168 or less round-trip.
  • If you are travelling with infants or young children, there are parents rooms and baby changing facilities in both Domestic Terminals 2 and 3 of Sydney Airport (SYD).
  • If you’re craving a coffee on arrival in Cairns, there is a Macchinetta in the arrival area of Cairns Airport (CNS) serving coffees as well as focaccias and paninis.
  • A great initiative at Sydney Airport is the Airport Ambassador Program. They are volunteers who give of their time each week to give passengers a warm welcome and assist anyone needing help with finding accommodation, facilities, transport or attractions. Look out for them in their bright blue shirts.
See more tips

Prefer to fly non-stop from Sydney to Cairns?

Find which airlines fly direct from Kingsford Smith to Cairns, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Nonstop departures

Sydney Kingsford Smith to Cairns

Monday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

Tuesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

Wednesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air France, +15 more

ANA, Air Canada, +16 more

See more direct flights

Nonstop returns

Cairns to Sydney Kingsford Smith

Monday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +12 more

ANA, Air Canada, +13 more

Tuesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +12 more

ANA, Air Canada, +13 more

Wednesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +12 more

ANA, Air Canada, +13 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +13 more

ANA, Air Canada, +14 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +12 more

ANA, Air Canada, +13 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +12 more

ANA, Air Canada, +13 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, +12 more

ANA, Air Canada, +13 more

See more direct flights
See more direct flights

Top 3 airlines serving from Sydney to Cairns

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Sydney to Cairns. 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 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.
7.7
Virgin AustraliaOverall score based on 678 reviews
7.9boarding
7.6comfort
6.8food
6.8entertainment
8.4crew
Airline reviews

This time is good . Don’t cancel flight with out early notice .

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Mar 2024BNE - MEL
Read more about Virgin Australia reviews

This time is good . Don’t cancel flight with out early notice .

Very good experience, considering the short flight the meals were served promptly after takeoff.

X class seats in row 3 with the new configuration are very poor in fact I feel 3B and 3E should no longer be considered as X class seat as there is no forward seat pocket available to these seats and greatly reduced leg room due the intrusion of the business class armrests/table module

It was pretty good. Everyone friendly. Like all airlines, the draconian limitations on baggage and weight and not giving even a free soda kind of drags down the experience a bit.

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

Estheticly the plane looks great, although the seats are way too upright. If the seats were just slightly more reclined then the comfort level would increase tenfold. I had the stiffest neck after just a short flight due to this. A nap was almost out of the question.

Cabin crew were very professional and welcoming. They certainly appeared to have lifted their game. Congratulations

I know not directly a Virgin "thing" but I hold Virgin responsible for their subcontractors. Had to wait 45 minutes waiting for baggage at PER before the belt conveyor even started. This is unacceptable and hopefully Virgin engages with whoever to pull their fingers out. I realise PER staff are generally slow at the best of times but this was ridiculous. Maybe more seating for those waiting, a cafe in the baggage area for a light meal while we wait or at the very least a troop of dancing girls to entertain the punters while they stare at the conveyor belt start light almost willing it to fire up.

Very poor. Flight was cancelled due to captain exceeding hours. Told to fend for ourselves for 12 hours until a new flight could be done. This meant overnight accommodation in Hobart. Next plane was delayed and no food onboard. No apologies from Virgin. Extremely disappointing.

Flight was cancelled due to a mechanical fault - Virgin rebooked me on a flight 6 hours later so I cancelled and flew with another carrier

Following a marathon flight riddled by delays and changes from Santiago, Chile, my flight to Melbourne from Sydney was on schedule but I was transferred to the next flight. The reason by ticketing and the floor manager was I missed the entry to flight by one minute! That's right, the emphasised that if I was 1 minute earlier I would be on the flight. I asked what was the point them emphasising 1minute overdue and how that helped me or the situation. They didn't care at all. Replying that if it was one minute earlier they would've done something and smirking delivering the information. Australian's do call Australia home, Qantas calls Australian's suckers.

Qantas are unable to service and unfit for purpose, they cannot transport Australians on time to overseas destinations. On top of the inflated ticketing, the Sydney flight to Santiago was impacted because the plane was delayed arriving and then further bungling by Qantas admitting the ground new ground crew in charge of cleaning were not trained. The impact on passengers with connecting flights was tremendous and long ques of frustrated passengers waiting for rescheduling. **Qantas has become the Australian Spirit of disappointment**

The service and smooth landing. Food was delicious and the staff was friendly. We arrived earlier than scheduled.

Don’t like last minute airline change. Not able to choose seat earlier.

It's only a short trip from Sydney to Melbourne, which i have done many times. The trip met my expectations

I really appreciated the fact that when I checked my bags at the Quantas counter after arriving from an international flight an hour early, the agent noticed I had a very long layover. He then found an earlier flight that allowed me to get to Cairns several hours earlier than I planned. That was amazing because I had already traveled over 20 hours and wasn’t looking forward to such a long layover. It allowed me to see my daughter and grandchildren much earlier (it had been two years since I visited last).

Qantas cancelled my flight for no good reason and rebooked me into a middle seat.

Everything as good as can be if one flies economy bit not enough toilets!! People were queuing during the whole flight - there are really not enough toilets!!!

They actually held the plane for a few minutes and had someone at the escalators from Qantas checking to see if we were almost at the gate and radioed ahead to tell them that we were on our way. We called down to the person and gave her our names, coming as fast as we could.

Have watched 90% of the movies need to update more movies for the long haul

a constant reminder that you need to work harder so you can avoid this airline

Note that food has to be purchased in flight. No free food. And no entertainment in flight. So I’ve treated these two items as okay which, in this case, means neutral/not applicable.

My Dad needed assistance to board the plane. The Jetstar staff were excellent with him and made the experience a lot easier😁

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

Boarding was easy and unstressful, though the early "final call" was a bit off-putting. The crew were pleasant, and the seats were comfortable. The prices for food and drink were reasonable, apart from tea and coffee, where simple percolated coffee was charged at espresso prices. Deboarding was OK, though some Jetstar passengers appear to have a bad habit of pushing forward from their assigned rows, making it more difficult to get out for passengers that have paid a premium to sit up-front. Jetstar might want to look to address this to stop it from spreading.

I got to the airport earlier than I expected, and they let me change to an earlier flight with no trouble.

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

Worst experience ever flying Melbourne to Phuket. 5 hours delayed! Didn’t land till 1am in the morning. Staff were rude and unhelpful

Plane was late leaving darwin so we didn’t get home till 1130pm 2nd time in a fortnight that has happened. Hard when you have to work the next day

Worst airline ever. No need to go into detail as everything is terrible. Do not do it - whatever the price.

Book cheap flights from Sydney to Cairns

Recent one-way flight deals

 
Only flying one-way? Below are some of the best one-way flight deals from Sydney to Cairns found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
6/12Wed
nonstopJetstar
3h 05mSYD-CNS
$83
4/30Tue
nonstopJetstar
3h 05mSYD-CNS
$90
5/1Wed
nonstopJetstar
3h 05mSYD-CNS
$92
4/30Tue
nonstopJetstar
3h 05mSYD-CNS
$96
5/2Thu
nonstopVirgin Australia
3h 15mSYD-CNS
$108
6/12Wed
1 stop
13h 40mSYD-CNS
$116
5/24Fri
1 stop
13h 40mSYD-CNS
$121
5/8Wed
1 stopVirgin Australia
4h 55mSYD-CNS
$126
7/4Thu
2 stopsQantas Airways
9h 25mSYD-CNS
$350
6/14Fri
3 stopsQantas Airways
11h 55mSYD-CNS
$535

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Last minute flights from Sydney to Cairns

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

 
These last-minute flight deals are the cheapest flights found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours for flights from Sydney to Cairns that are departing in the next 10 days.
4/29Mon
nonstopJetstar
3h 05mSYD-CNS
5/19Sun
nonstopJetstar
2h 55mCNS-SYD
$200
4/30Tue
nonstopJetstar
3h 05mSYD-CNS
5/4Sat
nonstopJetstar
2h 55mCNS-SYD
$218
4/27Sat
nonstopJetstar
3h 05mSYD-CNS
5/1Wed
nonstopJetstar
2h 55mCNS-SYD
$222
4/27Sat
nonstopJetstar
3h 05mSYD-CNS
5/1Wed
multi-stopJetstar
6h 15mCNS-SYD
$240
4/30Tue
multi-stopVirgin Australia
4h 55mSYD-CNS
5/4Sat
multi-stopVirgin Australia
4h 40mCNS-SYD
$283
4/29Mon
nonstopJetstar
3h 05mSYD-CNS
5/4Sat
nonstopJetstar
2h 55mCNS-SYD
$284
4/26Fri
multi-stopVirgin Australia
5h 10mSYD-CNS
4/30Tue
multi-stopVirgin Australia
7h 20mCNS-SYD
$291
4/29Mon
multi-stopVirgin Australia
4h 55mSYD-CNS
5/4Sat
multi-stopVirgin Australia
4h 40mCNS-SYD
$295
4/29Mon
multi-stopVirgin Australia
5h 25mSYD-CNS
5/4Sat
nonstopVirgin Australia
2h 55mCNS-SYD
$338
4/26Fri
nonstop
3h 05mSYD-CNS
4/28Sun
multi-stop
8h 05mCNS-SYD
$350

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Sydney - Cairns Flights

Departure:

Sydney (SYD)Australia

Destination:

Cairns (CNS)Australia

Return flight deals:

Cairns - Sydney

Cabin classes:

$902
$1,237
$155

Browse origins:

  • Flights » 
  • Sydney

Browse destinations:

  • Flights » 
  • Worldwide » 
  • Cairns