$590 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Cairns - Compare and Save

Flights from San Francisco to Cairns usually depart from San Francisco (SFO) and arrive at Cairns (CNS).

Two cabin classes are available on flights from San Francisco to Cairns:

• Economy Class
• Business Class

One-stop flights from San Francisco to Cairns most commonly connect through:

• Brisbane (BNE) - 36% of one-stop connections
• Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) - 36% of one-stop connections
• Nadi (NAN) - 18% of one-stop connections
• Auckland Intl (AKL) - 9% of one-stop connections

Brisbane (BNE) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

On the San Francisco to Cairns route, being flexible with your departure day can save you up to 79%. Saturday is the cheapest day at $1,037 round-trip on average, while Tuesday is the most expensive at $4,721: a $3,684 difference. Cheaper weekend fares like these are typical of routes dominated by weekday business travel.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the San Francisco to Cairns route, 15% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 3 hours 20 minutes.

Some of the most popular sights in Cairns are Cairns Esplanade, Cairns Convention Centre and Reef Hotel Casino. These are among the most viewed places in Cairns on KAYAK.

A nonstop flight from San Francisco to Cairns takes 0h 00m, covering 7,019 miles.

Yes, a valid passport is required for this international route. Many destinations require at least six months of validity beyond your travel dates. Check your passport expiry well before booking.

One-way fares from San Francisco to Cairns are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $682, which is 27% below the typical average for this route.

United Airlines is the only airline operating San Francisco to Cairns flights. 85% of its flights are on time.

Afternoon flights have the fewest delays on this route. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day as one late flight pushes the next, so earlier departures are usually more reliable.

Flying via Brisbane (BNE) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time at 18h 28m, compared with 18h 49m via Auckland Intl (AKL) and 19h 09m via Nadi (NAN).

Cairns is 17 hours ahead of San Francisco (Eastern Australia Time vs Pacific Time). Plan for the time shift when scheduling connections or first-day activities.

Cairns Airport (CNS) hosts 5 major car rental companies, with daily rates starting from around $13 for economy cars. Top options include:
· Bargain Car Rentals
· East Coast Car Rentals
· Simba Car Hire
· Ace Rental Cars
· Budget

Round-trip flights from San Francisco to Cairns range from $1,154 to $1,672, with an average of $1,467 over the past 12 months. Anything below $1,154 counts as a good deal.