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Cheap Flights to South Island

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 5 days
Christchurch
Christchurch2 stops$719
Queenstown
Queenstown2 stops$889
Nelson
Nelson2 stops$891
Dunedin
Dunedin2 stops$1,054
Blenheim
Blenheim2 stops$936
Invercargill
Invercargill2 stops$1,369
Christchurch
Christchurch2 stops$719
Queenstown
Queenstown2 stops$889
Nelson
Nelson2 stops$891
Dunedin
Dunedin2 stops$1,054
Blenheim
Blenheim2 stops$936
Invercargill
Invercargill2 stops$1,369
Booking Insights

Price, demand and travel trends for flights to South Island

Use KAYAK data on prices, travel dates, airlines and seasonal trends to compare options and book flights to South Island with more confidence.

Are flights to South Island cheaper or more expensive than last year?

Fares to South Island are about 8% higher than they were in November last year, averaging $1,429 round-trip.

What's the cheapest month to fly to South Island?

February is the cheapest month to fly to South Island, with round-trip fares averaging $1,338. The most expensive months are December and July, when average round-trip fares rise to $1,940 and $1,775, respectively.

How do fares to South Island vary by day of the week?

Tuesday is the cheapest day to fly to South Island and Friday is the most expensive. Looking at KAYAK data from the past 12 months, Tuesday prices run 15% lower than Friday.

What's the best time of day to fly to South Island?

On average, night flights to South Island are the cheapest, at around $1,330. Evening flights are the most expensive, with tickets averaging $1,633.

When's the cheapest time to book a flight to South Island?

The cheapest fares from the United States to South Island are usually found 25 weeks before departure. KAYAK data over the last 12 months shows booking in this window has saved travelers around 49% compared with last-minute bookings (within 2 weeks of departure).

Key details for flights to South Island

Low season

June
Beat the crowds with an average 44% drop in travelers.
The most popular month to fly with an average 60% increase in travelers.

Your questions about flights to South Island, answered

Find helpful route details based on KAYAK data, including flight times, airports, airlines and booking questions.

  • How much should I budget for a flight to South Island?

    You can typically expect round-trip fares to South Island to cost from $1,212 to $1,930, based on KAYAK data from the past 12 months.

  • Which airlines fly nonstop to South Island?

    Based on the flight schedule for the next 3 months, just one airline regularly flies nonstop to South Island: United Airlines.

  • Is it cheaper to fly with a layover to South Island?

    Yes, nonstop flights to South Island average $1,633 over the past 12 months, but flights with a layover can cost less. The most affordable connecting airports are:

    • Melbourne (MEL) (avg. price $908)
    • Nadi (NAN) (avg. price $936)
    • Brisbane (BNE) (avg. price $1,096)

  • What cabin classes are available on flights to South Island?

    On flights to South Island you can book Economy Class, Premium Economy Class, Business Class or First Class.

  • Which landmarks do travelers visit most in South Island?

    Tekapo Springs, Hagley Park, Franz Josef Glacier and Larnach Castle are popular with KAYAK travelers.

Your guide to booking flights to South Island

Get tips on when to book, when to fly and what to know before your trip.
  • If you can plan ahead, the sweet spot for booking your flight is 25 weeks before your trip. KAYAK data shows fares in this window are around 49% lower than last-minute bookings (made within 2 weeks of departure). Not ready to commit? Set a Price Alert and we'll let you know when prices change.
  • If your travel dates are flexible, February is usually the cheapest month to fly, while December tends to be the most expensive. Check the best-time-to-travel chart on this page to see how fares change throughout the year.
  • Flying on a Tuesday is usually the cheapest, while Friday tends to run about 17% more expensive. If you can flex your travel days it's an easy saving. If not, widening your search to nearby airports or a layover can help.
  • Queenstown is the most popular destination in South Island. Start your trip here and then check out these other KAYAK traveler favorites: Christchurch, Te Anau and Wanaka.
  • Consider a layover to South Island, it can cost less than flying nonstop. Melbourne (MEL) is typically the cheapest place to connect.

Reviews of the top 4 airlines flying to South Island

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from the United States 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.
8.0
Fiji AirwaysOverall score based on 262 reviews
8.5Crew
7.5Food
7.4Entertainment
8.0Boarding
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

We supposedly bought and extra comfort seat but they don’t have true Econ plus seating.

4.0 OkayBritton, Oct 2026
Read more Fiji Airways reviews

We supposedly bought and extra comfort seat but they don’t have true Econ plus seating.

Very friendly cabin crew and great comfortable in-flight experience. Check-in experience at SFO can improve if a separate web check-in/bag drop line can be added.

The only thing plus on this flight was the crew. They made me feel welcome and took care of me on the flights. The biggest issue is that business class always boards first on all airlines. There needs to be separate doors for business and premium class to enter. I had to wait over 40 minutes for economy to be boarded. I didn’t pay 5000 dollars to wait. The other issue not enough food choices , no sandwiches or snacks in between - what the hell. I would never travel this airline again.

Roomy seats and crew is pleasant. Vegi food can be a lot better in terms choices. Inflight entertainment needs to have more options especially for 13+ hour flight. Very nice and warm blankets and seats are roomy than other A350 aircraft’s. Swift boarding and crew is pleasant to deal with.

Boarding had poor communication. Passengers didn't get clear directions to prepare for Boarding. The plane was an older model which had some issues with operating the seats (the staff was great). Due to age the seat cushions were compressed and less comfortable than expected.

Fiji Airways always goes above and beyond. If anything I'd say the food was less enjoyable than in the past. But that in no way lessened the experience with the cabin crew or the excellent attentiveness and service they provided throughout the entire trip!

Everything was great . Arrived on time was smooth plane was clean. Crew/Staff was friendly and helpful.

.very good and as I needed wheelchair assistance all staff excellent.. only suggestion is get rid of those plastic chairs hard to ride in and staff have trouble compared to others. Everything else very good experience. Will use Fiji Air again.

See previous comments. Didn’t take this flight because my other flight was so delayed. Ending up on two other flights as a result and was more than a day late.

1.5Hrs to get from plane into terminal. Long wait. Flight to NZ 1 he late

Delicious food, lamb with polenta. Nice wine. Attentive service with midnight tea orders. E-gate very smooth. A bit late departure though.

I like Air NZ, but rather old plane seating in Premium Economy. Not very comfortable , nor very roomy.

Great airline service by the staff. I highly recommend it

My experience with Underpricer was not great. The representative assigned to me did not tell me beforehand that selecting seats, which i could not do through ANZ, WOULD ADD SIGNIFICANT cost to my ticket (all flight segments were reg economy seats. The seat selections for the ticket, MCI-AKL, AKL-PER, PER-MCI, cost $284 USD. I WAS NOT TOLD AHEAD OF SELECTING SEATS chosen by the rep OF THE COSTS and never received an itemized invoice of the seat selections.). The costs of seat selection, an option solicited as a service, with no mention of costs, should have been disclosed to me prior to seat selection and certaily should have been itemized. For all I know, the $284 was not referred from the airline but made up and taken directly by Underpricer. Next, when i checked in, united couldnt find my ticket. This is probably why i didnt get a seat selection on that flight and couldnt check in online, despite Underpricer prompts to do so a week before departure, or at the kiosk at the airport. I had to wait for special help at the counter, then was told that because the flight segment, MCI-IAH, operated by United Airlines via the ANZ. ticket, had changed schedule slightly since I BOOKED MY FLIGHT, the MCI-IAH segment had been decoupled from the rest of the ticket because the IAH layover was now 12.5 hrs AND DID NOT QUALIFY AS A THROUGH FLIGHT TO AKL.. This meant my checked bag could not be checked through to AKL and id have to pick it up at IAH, THEN WAIT MOST OF the long layover WITH the large checked bag until ANZ counter in IAH OPENED for checkING just prior to the flight. Apparently, although underpricer had notified me of schedule changes, they did not update the ANZ TICKET, leading to this problem. Finallly, although I RECHECKED TH BAG IN At IAH 3.5-4 hours before the scheduled departure and the IAH-AKL segment was a direct flight, ANZ LOST MY bag and it took 4 days to find it and get it to me. Not fun.

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.

Overall the plane was good and the crew great. The big disappointment was the skycouch. Maybe it would be good if you were a parent with 2 small kids travelling but as a couple it's hopeless. It's impossible for 2 adults to lie down so one ends up sitting. We split our time with one lying and the other sitting. We both got more sleep sitting upright. We will never book one again and don't recommend it to anyone.

Our original flight was cancelled from SFO to AKL on 6/16/25. So we had to stay overnight at a hotel after a 12-hour layover plus 3-hour delay before the cancellation. Then had to fly to LA and then to AKL the following day losing an entire day of our vacation in NZ, that we can never get back.

Full flight. Flight attendants were harried. Otherwise, fine for the typical cramped seating conditions in coach.

Everything very good except the sofa couch not as comfortable as expected.

New Zealand crew were attentive. We were not informed that we needed transit document to pass through New Zealand. A checkin employee helped with this for which we were thankful.

The check-in staff was not particularly welcoming and I has to ask about the business class lounge instead of her offering me information on it. That is quite odd. The staffs at the lounge were also very aloft.

Although the flight was delayed and out of their control, we boarded and were underway in no time. The crew were great, the service A1 and the meal was superb ( I had the chicken dish). I would fly with Qantas again, anytime. Noel Swift

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

Enjoyed the flight with attentive flight staff. Thank you Qantas.

It was nice having space in the way back where it thinned out with passengers, most folks in the far back were able to lay down and sleep. That was a pleasant surprise. Made the 15 hr flight go by pretty smooth, watching a few movies and resting. I had previously never used an airplane toilet, but finally used one. It wasn't too bad. All workers were very helpful and friendly. Their hospitality was welcomed as well

I thought the overall standard in Premium Economy was very good indeed.

After Qantas staff asked us we have the option to book our hotel and then email per written letter. I was denied my right for a $300 voucher after the flight was delayed 24h. Wael Idriss On Nov 22

We were seated in the furthest back row of the plane. Our seats seemed to be the only ones that didn't recline, and our seat row was also closer to the seats in front of us than any other route. I'm a tall man, and this made the long overnight flight extremely uncomfortable and near impossible to sleep on. There was nothing indicated in booking that this row was tighter than the others.

We were downgraded from business class to premium economy with no advance notice. The staff at the gate were extremely rude, the crew on board not very interested in our comfort, mostly stood in the galley and talked with each other. The food was about the worst I have had and the portions were small ( and I am not a big eater). altogether sbout as disappointing an experience as is possible

Polite staff but incompetent staff. They changed my window seat to isle seat and then lied saying the seat was broken, yet I see someone else sitting there! They lost my luggage. Their standards have dropped a lot compared to pre-pandemic.

It is completely insane to me that first class does not include WiFi. Also does not include lounge access. Port for phone charging did not work. The crew was absolutely lovely, and the food was excellent.

I appreciate how quickly and kindly the people at the gate at DCA accommodated several of us who wanted to switch from the 6pm flight to the 5pm flight at the last minute. The flight crew was helpful to us too (dealing with luggage).

Very uncomfortable and cramped seats. Everything else was okay, the crew members were nice but nothing was exceptional.

Check in went smoothly. Flight attendant who was assigned my area barely paid any attention to me! She acted as though she was extremely busy and flustered. Maybe she was new?! I told her to change the language on my screen, she said she’d come back to help me but never did so I was able to solve the problem on my own. She came back and said she’d made adjustments on her end. Highly doubt it because I found the setting to change the language! Also, I noticed everyone was eating before we landed so I pushed my help button and she never came so I got up to find her to ask her if I can have breakfast. She said they are not serving breakfast but I can have a sandwich. Yes, that was her response as I saw everyone eating breakfast!!!

United staff were very communicative, the new starlink Wifi is amazing as I was able to work easily.

Starlink internet made the flight time shrink and I was able to work.

Tiny seat made for midgets. You can’t put a normal size human in such a tiny seat for 8 god damn hours! Hot plane, no air. Lost bags at Rome airport for 8 hours, lucky to have found them. Horrible flying experience, United Airlines should be embarrassed!

The issue is the flight is delayed, which causes me Missing the connecting flight by 3 mins. Remember the connecting flight is a US codeshare flight so UA should be able to inform the operating airline about the delay.

Seats are made for children. An 8 hour flight with tiny seats is more like a cattle car. Lost bags at Rome airport caused a 7 hour delay.

Not a fan of the diagonal partially enclosed business class seats or how they have to be converted to beds manually by crew. I prefer more isolation and user control for switching to lie flat.

More options for your flight to South Island

Complete your trip to South Island with a hotel stay or car rental