AKL - CNS

Find cheap flights from Auckland to Cairns

1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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 in flight searches from Auckland 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 Auckland to Cairns, as well as popular online travel agencies
Travelers love KAYAK
41,299,237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

Save 23% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Bundle and saveSave money when you bundle your flight + hotel.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Everything you should know

Nonstop flights
2 days a week
Tue, Sat
You can fly direct with Air New Zealand. Average duration is 5h 35m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top layover airports
Christchurch (CHC)
Cheapest • Avg $415 (round-trip)
Brisbane (BNE)
Shortest trip • 8h 38m (one-way)
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Avoid delays
China Eastern
Most punctual • 98% on-time
Afternoon flights
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
4 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 15% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
May
Cheapest • 15% price drop
July
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Start a new search
KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Cairns!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Auckland to Cairns (AKL-CNS)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Auckland 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 round-trip flight deals from Auckland to Cairns

Multiple Airlines Logo
AKL
-
CNS
2247 mimulti-stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
CNS
-
AKL
2247 mimulti-stop
Multiple Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Auckland to Cairns flights

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

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Auckland 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 Auckland to Cairns is May, where tickets cost $470 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and June, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $629 and $602 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Auckland to Cairns?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

No, with an average price for the route of $1,105, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Auckland 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 on the flight from Auckland to Cairns, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 15% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 5 weeks before departure.

Find deals

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 3% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 4% increase in price.

When to book flights from Auckland to Cairns

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

  • How many flights are there between Auckland and Cairns per day?

    There is a maximum of 1 nonstop flight a day that takes off from Auckland and lands in Cairns, with an average flight time of 5h 35m. The most common departure time is 7:00 am and most flights take off in the morning. Each week, there are 2 flights.

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

    Yes

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

    The Airbus A321neo is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Auckland to Cairns flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Auckland to Cairns?

    Star Alliance is the only airline alliance operating flights between Auckland and Cairns.

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

    You can catch a nonstop flight from Auckland to Cairns on on Tuesday, and Saturday.

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Cairns from Auckland 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 Auckland 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 Auckland with another airline. Booking your flights between Auckland 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 Auckland 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 Auckland up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Auckland to Cairns

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $285 or less one-way.

Prefer to fly direct from Auckland to Cairns?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from Auckland Intl to Cairns.
Find which airlines fly direct from Auckland Intl Airport to Cairns Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Auckland Intl to Cairns

Tuesday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Saturday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Cairns to Auckland Intl

Tuesday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Saturday

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top airline flying from Auckland to Cairns

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Auckland 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 Auckland 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.
8.0
Air New ZealandOverall score based on 606 reviews
8.0Comfort
8.2Boarding
7.4Food
7.4Entertainment
8.5Crew
Airline reviews

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

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Feb 2026
ZQN - AKL
Read more Air New Zealand reviews

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

This flight was the second leg of a trip that began in Auckland, New Zealand. I was unable to find a way to select seats in advance. The boarding passes we were given in Auckland did not have seat assignments for the second flight. There was no way to check on it until personnel showed up at the gate in Los Angeles, immediately before boarding time. The flight was overbooked by one, and since I was traveling with my sister, we needed two seats. We waited in considerable anxiety for everyone else to board and when one person did not show up, we had to take whatever was left. At least we finally got on the flight although we were the very last to board. We were not able to sit together, of course.

The Premium Economy seats were very comfortable and the food was quite tasty. I did not use the entertainment system, but I was able to charge my phone and tablet with the seatback connection.

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

Nothing better than Air New Zealand. Top scores in every category.

We had difficulty checking in as United didn’t recognize the confirmation number and the agent was not helpful. We went to the United Assistance desk where the agent was able to process our reservation. We also weren’t allowed to choose seats in advance.

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.

Your entertainment could be better. I flew on Air New Zealand in January so was expecting a better choice in February...but no luck. Same choices and also could have a better selection. Otherwise, lovely service, the purser came to our seats to welcome us. Overall, very nice. Direct flight from Auckland to YVR was fantastic!

Air New Zealand over sold our flight and tried to bump us to yesterday. After several calls we got booked to United about 6 hrs before our original flight. No apologies!

Please add more Bollywood movies and recent movies to the entertainment.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Auckland to Cairns

Information on your arrival and departure airports

Auckland (AKL)
Cairns (CNS)