Practical tips
- If you are flying to Cairns from abroad, you will most likely land at its main international airport—Cairns Airport
CNS- the major gateway to Tropical North Queensland. It is located just outside of the city and you can easily reach Cairns (5 km away along the Captain Cook Highway), Palm Cove (16 km or 25 minutes drive), and Port Douglas (64 km or 1-hour drive). A taxi to Cairns city costs approximately A$25.
Cairns Airport has two passenger terminals, one for domestic flights (used by Qantas, Virgin Blue and Jetstar), and the second for international (Qantas, Jetstar, Air New Zealand, and Air Nuigini) — linked by a 5-minute walk along a covered and paved walkway. After landing, follow the signs to the baggage claim area, where you can collect your luggage. Baggage trolleys are available for a small fee, and baggage storage is available for reasonable rates (A$6-A$10 for three hours, A$10-A$14 for up to 24 hours). If you need to freshen up after your flight, there are excellent shower and bathroom amenities located throughout the terminals.
To reach Cairns's central business district, you can opt for a taxi (the taxi rank is just outside the terminals), or budget-friendly alternatives such as Australia Coach (shuttle bus service to the city center, A$8 per person), Sun Palm Express Coaches (transportation to Northern Beaches, Palm Cove, Port Douglas, and Cape Tribulation).
CNS, located in the suburb of Aeroglen, approximately 7 km (4 miles) north of Cairns' central business district in Queensland, Australia.
- Planning to explore the region? Popular destinations can be easily reached with regional low-cost carriers (LCCs) by the likes of Jetstar Airways, and Rex Airlines.
Flights to Cairns
from United States and Canada
- There are no direct flights from the US or Canada to Cairns. However, most major hubs in Asia have non-stop flights to Cairns, as do some larger airports in the Middle East – your journey will have at least one stop.
- Cairns is well-served via one-stop flights from North America. Flights to Cairns with one layover depart from most major North American airports, including Atlanta
ATL, DallasDFW, DenverDEN, ChicagoORD, Los AngelesLAX, Las VegasDFW, MiamiMIA, SeattleSEA, HoustonIAH, New YorkJFK, and San FranciscoSFOin the United States and TorontoYYZ, VancouverYVR, CalgaryLAS, and MontrealYULin Canada. - The best airlines to fly to Cairns from the US and Canada are: Emirates, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Qantas. They are top full-service carriers, offering exceptional customer service, in-flight comfort, a generous checked baggage allowance, and reliable customer support channels – all included in the ticket price.
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What is the best time to book flights to Cairns?
The best time to book flights to Cairns is between 2 to 8 months before your travel date. The prime booking window (the most likely time to find the bargains) for Cairns flights is 4–6 months before takeoff. Book when you notice a significant drop in price.
Airfare prices for Cairns flights fluctuate due to demand, seasonal trends, and competition, causing numerous price drops and increases as your departure date approaches. The airlines use sophisticated revenue management systems to adjust pricing for optimal seat sales.
Generally, as seats are sold, prices tend to become more expensive.
Don’t book too early
Most airlines start selling their flights 9–12 months in advance. However, booking a ticket too early in that window can be an expensive mistake – airlines typically start by setting prices at a relatively high level to capture early demand from those willing to pay more to secure their seats.
Peak seasons are expensive
Peak travel seasons are always expensive – due to higher base prices set by airlines for dates they expect to be popular. Try to avoid the high season during summer and major holidays including holidays in Australia. If you must travel during peak times, book your flight well in advance.
Avoid last minute
Avoid booking flights to Cairns less than 30 days before takeoff. Prices spike sharply then, as airlines are taking advantage of any last-minute travelers who have no choice but to pay up.
Prime Booking Window
For long-haul flights to Cairns, the best time to book your ticket is around 4–6 months before departure. This is the “Prime Booking Window.” After some seats have already been sold, airlines start dropping prices to stimulate demand. They may also offer promotions and sales. This is the ideal time for bargain hunting.
Fly on weekdays
It makes a difference which day of the week you board the plane. Midweek travel (especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays) is less busy and likely cheaper than flying on weekends. Airlines charge higher prices for weekend travel due to the high demand from people going on short getaways or visiting family and friends.
Opt for early morning flights
To save on airfare, select a late night or early morning (1–5 a.m.) flight. Airlines often offer discounts on their first flight of the morning (up to 15-20%) simply because of lower demand—most people are not willing to go to the airport so early. Moreover, morning flights tend to have fewer delays, and airport queues are usually shorter.
Flights to Cairns from Europe
- There are no direct flights from Europe to Cairns — you’ll need to get a connecting flight from elsewhere in the Middle East or in Asia.
- Airlines that frequently fly from the UK, Germany, France, and other European countries to Cairns include British Airways, Emirates, Finnair, KLM, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, SAS, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, and Qantas.
- Consider departure airports in neighboring countries to increase your chance of spotting the best deal. Especially look for large airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines. For example, if you live in Western Europe, check air tickets to Cairns from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Paris, and Rome. Leverage frequent promotions from European budget carriers like RyanAir, EasyJet, and Eurowings to reach a major hub; from there, take a cheaper long-haul flight to your final destination, potentially saving hundreds of euros.
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The cheapest time to fly to Cairns
The cheapest time to fly to Cairns is during the winter months of June to August. This is the low season in Cairns with fewer tourist crowds, as the colder temperatures keep most travelers away. Due to decreased demand for flights, airlines offer significant discounts and promotions on airfares. Flying to Cairns between June and August can save you at least 20% compared to the high season.
To get decent weather conditions and still avoid crowds of tourists and high airfares, book your flight for the shoulder seasons: September and November (spring) and between February and April (autumn). It is just before people start traveling for their holidays.
Remember that since Cairns is located in the Southern Hemisphere – seasons are the opposite of those in the Northern Hemisphere.
Prearrange your Australian tourist visa
Most travelers flying to Cairns from overseas are required to obtain an Australian visa. It needs to be arranged in advance unless you are a citizen of New Zealand (who can obtain a visa on arrival).
The type of tourist visa to apply for would depend on your passport and the length of your intended stay:
- Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). Available to citizens of certain countries. Allows multiple visits to Australia, each visit can last up to 3 months within a 1-year period. There is an application service charge of A$20.
- eVisitor. Free visa available for passport holders from most European countries. Allows multiple visits to Australia, each visit can last up to 3 months within a 1-year period.
- Visitor Visa. Open to all nationalities. When applying you may be granted a stay of 3, 6 or 12 months. Cost: A$150.
- Transit Visa. Free visa that will let you transit through Australia for up to 72 hours.
You can apply online, or on paper, by visiting an Australian embassy. Even if most applications are resolved in a few weeks, it is recommended to submit your application at least 2 months before your flight to Cairns.
The 80-hour rule for Qantas seat selection
Did you know that Qantas reserves certain desirable seats for their elite frequent flyers? These “good” seats are usually at the front of the plane and you may not see them as available during the booking process (they are usually greyed out).
The good news, there is a simple solution to gain access to those seats as the restrictions are lifted precisely 80 hours before the departure. So, if you want to snap up the best seat on your flight to Cairns, log in to Qantas Manage Booking 80 hours before departure, check for previously unavailable seats, and change your seat selection.
Virgin Australia has an unofficial rule similar to Qantas – where any seats previously reserved for frequent flyers are released to all passengers 48 hours before departure (when online check-in opens).
Extra checked bag for an infant
Flying to Cairns with children? Virgin Australia aims to become the first choice for family travelers. It has the most generous policy regarding infant luggage allowances – a 23kg checked bag, and 3 infant items are allowed, free of charge.
This policy applies to the airline’s domestic and international short-haul and long-haul flights.
Use regional airports to visit Central Australia
There are no major airports that service Australia’s epic heartland. So, if you wish to visit, you’ll have to take a domestic flight to a regional airport.
Alice Springs Airport ASP is the best choice for the never-ending desert landscapes of Red Centre, Ayers Rock Airport AYG is the gateway for Uluru, and Mount Isa Airport ISA is serving western Queensland.
Avoid Australia’s public holidays
Prices skyrocket during holidays in Australia – adjust your travel dates to avoid expensive tickets. Airlines start to raise their flight prices to Cairns for the Australian summer – December to February – when travelers from across the country and around the world flock to the city for the end-of-year holidays.
Hotel and apartment rates also soar during the Australian school vacations: April (Easter school holidays), July (Winter school holidays), September/October and December (Summer school holidays).
If you plan to visit Cairns during these popular holidays, book your flight at least 2-3 months before departure to avoid high fares.
Long waiting times when calling the helpline?
Social media is usually a faster way to reach the airline when a problem arises. Use Twitter or Facebook Messenger to contact the airline customer service and get a response and solution within minutes (see detailed guides for Qantas, Virgin, and Jetstar).
When it comes to Twitter there’s one more trick to get in touch with the airline faster: mention the airline in a tweet about your issue (add “@airline_handle”, for example: “@Qantasairways”). The social media team will often notice it immediately, ask you for a direct message, and respond privately.
Qantas Explorer Pass: discounted domestic fares in Australia
Are you planning to visit more destinations after arriving in Cairns? The Qantas Explorer Pass can be an excellent way to save some money. With this pass, you can book multiple domestic flights in Australia or New Zealand at discounted rates – great for hopping between some of the region’s most iconic cities, beaches, and landscapes.
The Qantas Explorer Pass allows travelers to create their personalized itinerary with multiple stopovers, choosing from over 30 destinations, including major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, as well as Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington. However, the pass is only available for domestic flights within Australia or New Zealand – you can’t use it to fly internationally between the two countries.
To access the Qantas Explorer Pass, you must be traveling from overseas to Australia or New Zealand with Qantas. Use the airline website to book your international flight to Cairns, and choose the multi-city option to get access to Explorer Pas cheaper fares.
Qantas Customer Support via SMS
Qantas recently introduced a convenient SMS service as a part of its customer support. SMS-es appear to be replied to much quicker than calls, live chat messages, e-mails, or even social media DMs.
To text Qantas via SMS, use 0477 QANTAS or 0477 726 827. The SMS service is available to customers within Australia only.
Domestic flights from Cairns
Most domestic routes in Australia are operated by local carriers. When traveling to popular tourist destinations such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Darwin, and Canberra from Cairns Airport, you’ll likely fly with one of these domestic airlines: Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Rex Airlines, Bonza, and Alliance Airlines.
This is often the best transportation method, providing speed, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. Local airlines often offer multiple daily flights to key destinations, providing flexibility in scheduling and competitive pricing. They also serve smaller regional airports, enabling access to a wider range of Australian destinations.
Flights to Cairns
from major hubs in Asia
- Many popular tourist destinations in the Asia Pacific have convenient direct flights to/from Cairns: Auckland
AKL, BaliDPS, Port MoresbyPOM, SingaporeSIN, OsakaKIX, and TokyoHND/NRT. - Asia is probably the best continent for short-haul and mid-haul flying. The sheer scale of this most populous region on Earth is reflected in the type of aircraft operating many shorter routes: intra-Asia flyers benefit from comfortable, wide-bodied aircraft by the likes of Boeing 777, 787 or Airbus A350, A330, and A380. When booking your flight to Cairns look for these bigger planes as they will almost always give you the best experience in every cabin, including better seat pitches, higher ceilings, and larger overhead bin space.
- Asia is also home to most of the world’s best airlines. There are only ten airlines that received the prestigious 5-star mark of quality from Skytrax, and all of them are from Asia: ANA, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines. Choosing one of these airlines for your trip to Cairns will guarantee a pleasant journey – delicious meals served during the flight, great in-flight entertainment, and above-average airline customer service.
- Asia is extremely well served by low-cost regional airlines. If you are visiting Australia and want to see several other countries on a tight budget, they often have great sales with rock-bottom prices, while still offering a relatively comfortable flight experience. Among the best Asian budget airlines you can book without hesitation are AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Citilink, FlyDubai, Indigo, Jetstar Airways, Scoot, SpiceJet, and VietJet Air. The cons? Being no-frills airlines they may not provide free baggage allowance, inflight meals, or onboard entertainment. The departure times may also be quite inconvenient as they try to save money by flying at off-peak hours.
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Flights to Cairns dataset
