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CNS - SYD

Find cheap flights from Cairns to Sydney 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 Cairns to Sydney departing on 5/15. 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 Sydney

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Cairns to Sydney, 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 Cairns to Sydney, 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 Cairns to Sydney (CNS-SYD)

Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Cairns to Sydney 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
4:10 pm - 7:05 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
6:10 am - 9:15 amSYD-CNS
3h 05mnonstop
$164Jetstar
Find Deal
Sun, Jun 23 - Tue, Jun 25
4:10 pm - 7:05 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
10:30 am - 1:35 pmSYD-CNS
3h 05mnonstop
$165Jetstar
Find Deal
Wed, Jul 24 - Fri, Jul 26
4:10 pm - 7:05 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
7:45 pm - 10:50 pmSYD-CNS
3h 05mnonstop
$171Jetstar
Find Deal
Sun, Jun 23 - Sun, Jun 30
6:35 am - 9:35 amCNS-SYD
3h 00mnonstop
7:45 pm - 10:50 pmSYD-CNS
3h 05mnonstop
$180Jetstar
Find Deal
Mon, Jul 1 - Tue, Jul 2
6:35 am - 9:35 amCNS-SYD
3h 00mnonstop
7:45 pm - 10:50 pmSYD-CNS
3h 05mnonstop
$181Jetstar
Find Deal
Tue, Jul 2 - Wed, Jul 3
11:50 am - 4:40 pmCNS-SYD
4h 50m1 stop
6:30 pm - 11:55 pmSYD-CNS
5h 25m1 stop
$254Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Thu, May 9 - Sun, May 12
7:15 pm - 10:10 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
8:00 am - 11:55 pmSYD-CNS
15h 55m1 stop
$304Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Thu, May 9 - Sun, May 12
6:00 am - 10:20 pmCNS-SYD
16h 20m1 stop
7:00 am - 11:55 pmSYD-CNS
16h 55m1 stop
$349Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Thu, May 9 - Sun, May 12
6:00 am - 4:50 pmCNS-SYD
10h 50m1 stop
7:00 am - 6:00 pmSYD-CNS
11h 00m2 stops
$555Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Thu, May 9 - Sat, May 11
1:30 pm - 4:25 pmCNS-SYD
2h 55mnonstop
9:45 am - 12:50 pmSYD-CNS
3h 05mnonstop
$586Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Thu, May 9 - Sun, May 12

Flights from Cairns to Sydney - Travel Insights & Trends

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Cairns to Sydney 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 Cairns to Sydney?

The average price of all flights from Cairns to Sydney clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
For Cairns to Sydney, Monday is the cheapest day to fly on average and Tuesday is the most expensive. Flying from Sydney back to Cairns, the best deals are generally found on Sunday, with Wednesday being the most expensive.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from Cairns to Sydney, 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 Cairns to Sydney is August, where tickets cost $204 on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and January, where the average cost of tickets is $327 and $298 respectively.

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

To calculate daily average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each day before departure over the last year for flights from Cairns to Sydney, 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 Cairns to Sydney, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 75 days before departure.

Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from Cairns to Sydney?

The cheapest price for the route for each airline clicked by KAYAK users in the last 72 hours.
In the last 3 days, Jetstar offered the best one-way deal for that route, at $83. KAYAK users also found Cairns to Sydney round-trip flights on Jetstar from $164 and on Virgin Australia from $254.

Which airlines fly most frequently between Cairns and Sydney?

Jetstar connects Cairns to Sydney with up to 2 flights per day. Virgin Australia also offers 2 flights per day, while Qantas Airways follows with 1 flight per day.

Which airlines fly non-stop between Cairns and Sydney?

Airline and price data is aggregated from results in KAYAK’s search results from the last 2 weeks for flights from Cairns to Sydney.
There are 3 airlines that fly nonstop from Cairns to Sydney. They are: Jetstar, Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia. The cheapest price of all airlines flying this route was found with Virgin Australia at $97 for a one-way flight. On average, the best prices for this route can be found at Virgin Australia.

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

Each day, there are between 6 and 8 nonstop flights that take off from Cairns and land in Sydney, with an average flight time of 2h 55m. The most common departure time is 4:00 pm and most flights take off in the afternoon. Each week, there are 50 flights. The most frequent day of departure is Thursday, when 16% of all weekly flights depart. The fewest flights depart on a Tuesday.

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

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 Cairns to Sydney take?

The average nonstop flight takes 2h 55m, covering a distance of 1,224 miles.

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

Early birds can take the earliest flight from Cairns at 10:15 am and will be landing in Sydney at 1:10 pm.

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

If you prefer to fly at night, the latest flight from Cairns to Sydney jets off at 7:15 pm and lands at 10:10 pm.

Good to know

Low season

October

High season

March

Cheapest flight

$83
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 11% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 4% lower on average.
Flight from Cairns to Sydney

When to book flights from Cairns to Sydney

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Cairns to Sydney 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 Cairns to Sydney

  • Does Cairns Airport offer free Wi-Fi?

    Whether you need to make a last-minute booking, get some more information on your destination or finish up some work, you can stay connected with the free Wi-Fi offered in all areas of both Cairns Airport terminals. Access is unlimited and granted after a short and simple registration process.

  • Does Cairns Airport have parents’ facilities?

    If you’re travelling with infants, you can take care of changing, feeding and the rest of your parental responsibilities in one of the several parenting rooms at Cairns Airport. Parents’ facilities are conveniently located both before and after security control in T1 International and T2 Domestic.

  • How much is a taxi fare to Sydney city centre from the airport?

    Taxis can be easily hired at the taxi ranks outside the arrivals area on Level 1 of the terminal building for travellers who prefer a private transfer to their final destination. The duration of the trip between Sydney Airport and the city centre can be anywhere from 20 to 25 minutes, with fares at around $45-55.

  • Does Sydney Airport have an on-site hotel?

    For travellers with early return flights, or those that simply wish to stick close to the terminal, the Mantra Hotel and Ibis Hotel are a short walk from Sydney Airport’s Domestic Terminals 2 & 3. Ibis offers both standard and budget accommodation to serve travellers on any budget. Rates can fluctuate depending on the season, so try to book early for a good price.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Cairns to Sydney?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Cairns to Sydney was $83 for a one-way ticket and $164 for a round-trip.

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

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

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Cairns to Sydney?

    Cairns and Sydney are both served by 1 main airport. You will leave Cairns from Cairns and will be arriving at Sydney Kingsford Smith.

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

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

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Cairns to Sydney?

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

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

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

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

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Cairns to Sydney are Virgin Australia and Jetstar. With an average price for the route of $179 and an overall rating of 7.7, Virgin Australia is the most popular choice. Jetstar is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $207 and an overall rating of 6.7.

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

    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 Cairns to Sydney.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Sydney from Cairns 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 Cairns to Sydney?

    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 Sydney with an airline and back to Cairns with another airline. Booking your flights between Cairns and SYD 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 Cairns to Sydney?

    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 Sydney from Cairns 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 CNS to Sydney

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $99 or less one-way and $165 or less round-trip.
  • Non-stop flights from Cairns to Sydney are quick and easy to find with domestic airlines like TigerAir Australia and Jetstar. Flights between the two cities are generally affordable and will arrive at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport. Sydney Airport serves the entire Sydney area and is located approximately 8 km from the city centre.
  • Once your flight lands, you can easily reach hotels and destinations in central Sydney by using public transport. One of the most popular ways to reach the city centre is to take the train. Trains leave from the northern end of the terminal approximately every ten minutes and cost around $19.
  • Renting a car is a good alternative if your travels around Sydney involve areas not served by public transport routes. There is a long list of different rental car agencies that operate at Sydney Airport, including Hertz, Budget and Avis. The car rental kiosks are located on the Arrivals level in Terminal 1.
  • Parking at Cairns Airport is affordable and accessible compared to other busy Australian airports. All car parks are located a short walk away from the terminals, and can be conveniently booked ahead of time via the Cairns Airport online booking system. Fees for parking start at approximately $7 per day.
  • If you’re booking a return or transit flight from Cairns to Sydney, you can grab a bite to eat and relax in one of the many airport lounges located at Sydney Airport. There are varying entrance requirements for the seven different lounges, but six of them can be accessed with single-entry passes starting at approximately $50.
See more tips

Prefer to fly non-stop from Cairns to Sydney?

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

Nonstop departures

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

Nonstop returns

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
See more direct flights

Top airlines flying from Cairns to Sydney

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Cairns to Sydney. 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 Cairns to Sydney? 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
6.8food
7.9boarding
7.6comfort
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.

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.

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

There is no not applicable button to tick. Due to turbulence there was no food/drink offered. That’s expected and was fine 👌🏻

Plane was cancelled apparently no seat available on any flight so late in the day I would have missed my connecting flight

The flight was canceled. And I had to book on Jetstar to get home

Easy process and no delays. Economy-X seats could do with some lumbar support and the padding in the seat pan was compressed so a little uncomfortable, but LOVE the legroom.

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.

The price difference/saving isn't sufficient to compensate the experience difference, don't recommend unless flight is under 3 hours. Huge queues for check in and the priority lane of other ailines blocked checked in Jetstar passengers from proceeding through to screening. Gate change to a "dungeon gate" that didn't have toilets in the vicinity. 45minute delay in boarding, no updates or explaination, let alone apology for any inconvenience. 1 scanner working for a full fight to board, no coordination. Loaded on to crowded buses to get on the plane in the middle of the tarmac, up stairs with no explaination. 4 bus trips. No system for boarding in sections. Over an hour late departing. Nothing complimentary, not even water or in-flight music. Pay wave not available and no cash sales. Staff onboard were friendly and professional.

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

It may have been a result of earlier issues with a previous plane, causing delays, but the staff were not nearly as smiley as the previous Jetstar flight I was on. Also, they started boarding before the plane was empty...so we moved from one line into another line. They should have just waited until the plane was empty to avoid waiting in two lines.

Book cheap flights from Cairns to Sydney

Recent one-way flight deals

 
Only flying one-way? Below are some of the best one-way flight deals from Cairns to Sydney found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
5/15Wed
nonstopJetstar
2h 55mCNS-SYD
$83
6/16Sun
nonstopJetstar
2h 55mCNS-SYD
$87
5/13Mon
nonstopJetstar
2h 55mCNS-SYD
$96
5/3Fri
nonstopVirgin Australia
2h 55mCNS-SYD
$107
5/10Fri
nonstopVirgin Australia
2h 55mCNS-SYD
$108
10/5Sat
1 stopVirgin Australia
5h 50mCNS-SYD
$126
5/24Fri
1 stop
7h 45mCNS-SYD
$131
6/22Sat
1 stopQantas Airways
13h 50mCNS-SYD
$180
9/25Wed
1 stopQantas Airways
13h 50mCNS-SYD
$181
7/15Mon
2 stops
7h 00mCNS-SYD
$204

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Last minute flights from Cairns to Sydney

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 Cairns to Sydney that are departing in the next 10 days.
4/26Fri
multi-stop
5h 30mCNS-SYD
4/28Sun
nonstop
3h 05mSYD-CNS
$244
4/26Fri
nonstop
2h 55mCNS-SYD
4/28Sun
nonstop
3h 05mSYD-CNS
$255
4/26Fri
multi-stopVirgin Australia
5h 40mCNS-SYD
4/28Sun
multi-stopVirgin Australia
5h 25mSYD-CNS
$295
4/26Fri
multi-stop
6h 55mCNS-SYD
4/28Sun
multi-stop
19h 10mSYD-CNS
$741
4/26Fri
multi-stop
10h 10mCNS-SYD
4/28Sun
multi-stop
22h 00mSYD-CNS
$1,476

Search by stops

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Search by price

Cairns - Sydney Flights

Departure:

Cairns (CNS)Australia

Destination:

Sydney (SYD)Australia

Return flight deals:

Sydney - Cairns

Cabin classes:

$874
$78

Browse origins:

  • Flights » 
  • Cairns

Browse destinations:

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  • Worldwide » 
  • Sydney