CNS

R12 251 Find Cheap Flights to Cairns

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight to Cairns departing on 15/1. 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
1 adult, Economy

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 for flights to Cairns
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to Cairns
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights to Cairns

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

Wed, Oct 29 - Wed, Nov 5
Cathay Pacific Logo
11:05 - 8:35JNB-CNS
37h 30m2 stops
Cathay Pacific Logo
12:35 - 7:40CNS-JNB
51h 05m2 stops
R16 311Cathay Pacific
Find Deal
Wed, Nov 5 - Sat, Nov 8
Cathay Pacific Logo
11:05 - 8:35JNB-CNS
61h 30m2 stops
Cathay Pacific Logo
17:00 - 7:40CNS-JNB
46h 40m2 stops
R16 745Cathay Pacific
Find Deal
Wed, Oct 29 - Wed, Nov 5
 Logo
11:05 - 8:35JNB-CNS
37h 30m2 stops
 Logo
19:15 - 8:20CNS-JNB
45h 05m3 stops
R23 582
Find Deal
Wed, Oct 29 - Wed, Nov 5
Singapore Airlines Logo
19:50 - 17:20JNB-CNS
37h 30m1 stop
Singapore Airlines Logo
18:35 - 6:10CNS-JNB
19h 35m1 stop
R24 224Singapore Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Oct 29 - Wed, Nov 5
 Logo
11:05 - 8:35JNB-CNS
37h 30m2 stops
 Logo
18:35 - 6:10CNS-JNB
19h 35m1 stop
R24 779
Find Deal
Wed, Oct 29 - Wed, Nov 5
 Logo
19:05 - 8:20JNB-CNS
53h 15m3 stops
 Logo
9:00 - 10:50CNS-JNB
57h 50m3 stops
R25 092
Find Deal
Mon, Dec 15 - Thu, Jan 15
 Logo
19:05 - 8:30JNB-CNS
53h 25m3 stops
 Logo
9:00 - 10:50CNS-JNB
57h 50m3 stops
R25 109
Find Deal
Wed, Nov 5 - Sat, Nov 8
Singapore Airlines Logo
19:50 - 17:20JNB-CNS
37h 30m1 stop
Singapore Airlines Logo
19:50 - 18:35CNS-JNB
54h 45m2 stops
R27 886Singapore Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Dec 15 - Thu, Jan 15
Qatar Airways Logo
13:45 - 11:05JNB-CNS
37h 20m2 stops
Qatar Airways Logo
9:15 - 8:40CNS-JNB
31h 25m2 stops
R28 007Qatar Airways
Find Deal
Mon, Dec 15 - Thu, Jan 15
Cathay Pacific Logo
11:05 - 10:45JNB-CNS
39h 40m2 stops
Cathay Pacific Logo
12:00 - 7:40CNS-JNB
27h 40m1 stop
R31 148Cathay Pacific
Find Deal

Everything you should know

When to book
3 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 3 weeks in advance save around 19% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
May
Cheapest • 22% price drop
October
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Cheapest return fare
R16 311
Overall average: R23 617
Cathay Pacific
Wed 29/10Wed 5/11
JNB - CNS • 2 stops
Cheapest one-way flight
R12 251
Typical prices: R15 079-21621
Cathay Pacific
Thu 15/1
JNB - CNS • 1 stop
Start a new search
KAYAK searches hundreds of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Cairns!
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to Cairns

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

What is the cheapest month to fly to Cairns?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights 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 to Cairns is May, where tickets cost R15 114 on average for return flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and October, where the average cost of tickets from South Africa is R26 411 and R23 617 respectively. For one-way flights, the best month to travel is May with an average price of R15 114.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights 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, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 19% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 19 weeks before departure.

Good to know – Book Cheap Cairns Plane Tickets

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flightR12 251
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 11% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly (27% more expensive on average)
Flight from Johannesburg to Cairns

When to book flights to Cairns

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

FAQs - booking Cairns flights

  • How far is Cairns Airport from central Cairns?

    Central Cairns is 4 km away from Cairns Airport.

  • What is the name of Cairns’s airport?

    There is only 1 airport in Cairns, called Cairns Airport (CNS). It can also be referred to as Cairns or Cairns Intl.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to Cairns?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Cairns is Tuesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as R20 438. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are R29 976 on average.

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

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

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

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights 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 with another airline.

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

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Cairns?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to Cairns is generally in the afternoon, when round-trip flights cost R1 223 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Cairns is generally at night, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is R1 581.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Cairns

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Cairns flight deals.

Prefer to fly direct to Cairns?

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

Direct departures

South Africa to Cairns

Monday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +28 more

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

Tuesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +25 more

ANA, Air Canada, +26 more

Wednesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air India, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +26 more

ANA, Air Canada, +27 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air India, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +25 more

ANA, Air Canada, +26 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air India, +26 more

ANA, Air Canada, +27 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Cairns to South Africa

Monday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +28 more

ANA, Air Canada, +29 more

Tuesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +25 more

ANA, Air Canada, +26 more

Wednesday

ANA, Air Canada, Air India, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

Thursday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +26 more

ANA, Air Canada, +27 more

Friday

ANA, Air Canada, Air India, +27 more

ANA, Air Canada, +28 more

Saturday

ANA, Air Canada, Air China, +25 more

ANA, Air Canada, +26 more

Sunday

ANA, Air Canada, Air India, +26 more

ANA, Air Canada, +27 more

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 3 airlines flying to Cairns

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to Cairns. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from South Africa to Cairns. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with 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.
8,1
Singapore AirlinesOverall score based on 1365 reviews
8,0Comfort
7,7Food
8,0Entertainment
8,2Boarding
8,6Crew
Airline reviews

I was in a middle seat where I felt a bit too cramped otherwise the trip was good

8,0 ExcellentAnonymous, Sept 2025SIN - BLR
Read more Singapore Airlines reviews

I was in a middle seat where I felt a bit too cramped otherwise the trip was good

The business class seats were very uncomfortable. When in lie flat position my legs were very restricted.

Lounge a access was excellent as was the attentiveness and service from the crew as always. The food and drink supplied were of good quality. The entertainment system had a good selection and I liked the mapping system supplied. However the screen wild have been bigger and the operation a little smoother to navigate. The seats were barely comfortable, but adequate.

So happy I flew with Singapore Airlines. The customer service is top notch. I am terrified of flying and the staff made me feel so at ease. Will only fly Singapore internationally moving forward.

It was very good experience on board to Sydney with SQ.

Everything was great keep up the good work 😁, can't ask for more.

Flight from SFO did not include entertainment as it was not working the entire duration of the flight. Was informed that there would be a $350 voucher for the inconvenience. Uncertain how the voucher will be provided.

It was an average flight. I would have expected more from this airline. Food, seats, service, etc was just average. I just give them some extra points for offering free WiFi on board with just a Krisflyer account.

I very much liked and appreciated the service on board. The seating arrangement in Business feels uncomfortable. It's not made for tall people, in any case.

Great airline. Excellent service, good food & lots of TV movies/shows to choose from.

I am Vegetarian also has Gluten free food. However they gave me chicken and fish which is gluten free, but i am a vegetrain and i requested crew Hindu meal vegetarian, they said they will come back. .but they never showed up even i asked 2nd time. They could have compensate. I also request airline industry to have another option Gluten Free for Vegetarin people as well. Because Vegetarin people will have gluen issue...

I was only given 2 meals, and my screen showed that there were 3 meals. Second meal was 1-2 hours late according to the screen.

The economy seats are incredibly tight. A large percent of the traveling public will not fit. I will not fly Cathay again because of this. You are literally squeezing passengers for profit. The CEO should fly some economy flights.

Cabin crew is very helpful and nice, it is another level of service compared to Air Canada

Entertainment for kids was good. Good was terrible, needs lots of work.

As before, my only problem was not being able to download my boarding passes prior to arrival at the airport. Everything else was perfect.

The only problem I had was not being able to download my boarding passes prior to arriving at the airport. Everything else was perfect.

If I had blood clots, that window seat would've killed me for certain.

The food and service was great. You have to pay a lot for in flight Internet though which is lame.

I've stomach problems after 2 hours of flight, Iris, the flight purser not only did her best to make me feel comfortable, she went above and beyond providing pain relievers medicines and ointment. She look and found a doctor passenger on the flight to provide advise. She even report on ground staffs about my condition and provide wheelchair upon arrival. Kudos to her and Cathay Pacific!

A few more inches of legroom is all i ask

One of the best Qantas business flights I've had. Quality product

Business class points redemption - good value for points paid, dubious value if out of your own pocket, domestic class business product okay for this length of flight. The flight left and arrived on time, crew were good, aircraft was a bit old and tired, but still miles ahead of their competitors in Virgin and Jetstar.

Airline running better than post Covid, proper boarding process now implemented, some aircraft feeling a bit old and tired, crew fine, online experience better.

Five hour flight instead of four hours due to westerly headwinds which wasn’t the fault of Qantas !

The wifi was out. Otherwise it was great flight. Richard, as CSM, was excellent.

Was bumped to a later flight because of inefficiency on part of the airline.

The Emerits/Qantas flight was cancelled to Wellington. We need a refund. Had to buy another airline ticket. How do we get the refund. Still not in Wellington.

Delayed QF59 flight once again, Qantas doesn't fail in maintaining there delayed departures and arrivals. USB points do not work nor do the power point sockets on the plane, Qantas staff admitted that on the flight. Don't expect to your charge devices. Saving grace, was the ice cream. Bottom line, if you expect to fly to HND and make it on time avoid Qantas and if you're interested in ice cream - visit 7/11.

Pretty excellent. I don’t know what the pilot could have done better with the bumping ( there was a storm) nor what happened to my ears coming down into bendigo. It doesn’t happen coming down into Sydney just the return flight. I wonder why?

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