CNS

£446 Find Cheap Flights to Cairns – Compare and Save

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1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Everything you should know

Cheapest return flight
£768
Typical prices: £1,145-£1,608
Multiple Airlines
Sun 4/11Sat 10/11
LGW - CNS • 2 stops
Cheapest one-way flight
£439
Typical prices: £629-£952
Multiple Airlines
Tue 20/2
STN - CNS • 3 stops
Top airlines
Best reviews • 8.2 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
Top routes
Cheapest • 18% average savings
Most popular
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 24 weeks in advance save around 23% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 16% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
+1
Good to know
+1
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We hope you enjoy your trip to Cairns!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Expert advice
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights to Cairns

 
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent return flight deals to Cairns

Wed, 4 Nov - Mon, 16 Nov
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:30 - 22:10LGW  London Gatwick-CNS Cairns
49h 40m2 stops Shanghai Pu Dong Melbourne
Multiple Airlines Logo
06:00 - 06:30CNS  Cairns-LGW London Gatwick
34h 30m2 stops Brisbane Shanghai Pu Dong
£768Multiple Airlines
Wed, 4 Nov - Tue, 10 Nov
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:30 - 22:10LGW  London Gatwick-CNS Cairns
49h 40m2 stops Shanghai Pu Dong Melbourne
Multiple Airlines Logo
06:00 - 14:00CNS  Cairns-LGW London Gatwick
42h 00m2 stops Brisbane Shanghai Pu Dong
£768Multiple Airlines
Mon, 1 Mar - Mon, 8 Mar
Singapore Airlines Logo
09:20 - 17:15LGW  London Gatwick-CNS Cairns
21h 55m1 stop Singapore Changi
Singapore Airlines Logo
18:20 - 06:25CNS  Cairns-LGW London Gatwick
22h 05m1 stop Singapore Changi
£1,008Singapore Airlines
Mon, 18 Jan - Mon, 8 Feb
Qatar Airways Logo
18:45 - 19:05LHR  London Heathrow-CNS Cairns
38h 20m2 stops Doha Hamad Intl Melbourne
Qatar Airways Logo
11:45 - 14:00CNS  Cairns-LHR London Heathrow
36h 15m2 stops Melbourne Doha Hamad Intl
£1,033Qatar Airways
Mon, 1 Mar - Mon, 8 Mar
Singapore Airlines Logo
09:10 - 17:15LHR  London Heathrow-CNS Cairns
22h 05m1 stop Singapore Changi
Singapore Airlines Logo
18:20 - 15:20CNS  Cairns-LHR London Heathrow
31h 00m1 stop Singapore Changi
£1,083Singapore Airlines
Tue, 10 Nov - Mon, 23 Nov
Qatar Airways Logo
20:10 - 23:05LHR  London Heathrow-CNS Cairns
40h 55m2 stops Doha Hamad Intl Brisbane
Qatar Airways Logo
17:25 - 13:25CNS  Cairns-LHR London Heathrow
30h 00m2 stops Brisbane Doha Hamad Intl
£1,086Qatar Airways
Mon, 2 Nov - Mon, 9 Nov
Qantas Airways Logo
13:40 - 11:20BHX  Birmingham-CNS Cairns
35h 40m2 stops Dubai Intl Brisbane
Qantas Airways Logo
06:00 - 11:40CNS  Cairns-BHX Birmingham
39h 40m2 stops Brisbane Dubai Intl
£1,217Qantas Airways
Fri, 6 Nov - Fri, 13 Nov
Qantas Airways Logo
13:40 - 09:00BHX  Birmingham-CNS Cairns
33h 20m2 stops Dubai Intl Brisbane
Qantas Airways Logo
06:00 - 18:45CNS  Cairns-BHX Birmingham
46h 45m2 stops Brisbane Dubai Intl
£1,305Qantas Airways
Mon, 2 Nov - Thu, 19 Nov
Cathay Pacific Logo
22:05 - 10:55LHR  London Heathrow-CNS Cairns
50h 50m2 stops Hong Kong Intl Melbourne
Cathay Pacific Logo
13:50 - 17:20CNS  Cairns-LHR London Heathrow
37h 30m2 stops Brisbane Hong Kong Intl
£1,510Cathay Pacific
Wed, 4 Nov - Thu, 19 Nov
Cathay Pacific Logo
11:00 - 10:55LHR  London Heathrow-CNS Cairns
37h 55m2 stops Hong Kong Intl Melbourne
Cathay Pacific Logo
15:40 - 17:20CNS  Cairns-LHR London Heathrow
35h 40m2 stops Brisbane Hong Kong Intl
£1,510Cathay Pacific
Booking Insights

Price, demand, and travel trends for United Kingdom to Cairns flights

Use KAYAK data on prices, travel dates, airlines, and seasonal trends to compare options and book flights from the United Kingdom to Cairns with more confidence.

What is the cheapest flight to Cairns?

London Gatwick Airport to Cairns is the cheapest route at £768 return, found in the past 5 days on KAYAK. London Heathrow Airport to Cairns is the most popular connection with return deals from £1,033.

How much is a flight to Cairns?

A return flight to Cairns costs £1,338 on average, based on data over the past 12 months on KAYAK. Return fares from Manchester average £1,301, while Glasgow Intl Airport runs a bit higher at £1,341.

What is the cheapest day to fly to Cairns?

Wednesday is the cheapest day to fly to Cairns at £1,249 return on average over the past 12 months on KAYAK. Friday is the most expensive at £1,475.

What is the cheapest month to fly to Cairns?

•May is the cheapest month to fly to Cairns with an average price of £1,130 return.
•December (£1,649) and July (£1,596) are the most expensive.
•Based on KAYAK data over the past 12 months.

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

Evening flights to Cairns are the cheapest at £1,219 return on average. Afternoon flights are the most expensive at £1,398.

What is a good deal for flights to Cairns?

Flights under £1,145 are considered a good deal. 25% of KAYAK users found return flights to Cairns at or below these prices, with the lowest fares from:
•London £1,134.

When are flights to Cairns the cheapest?

Flights to Cairns are cheapest 24 weeks before departure. Booking in this window typically costs about 23% less than the average last-minute fare (within 2 weeks of the flight), based on KAYAK data.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight to Cairns

 
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Our travel experts
Chris Dong

Chris Dong

Expert on Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific

Chris is a consumer travel reporter covering aviation, trending travel news, hotels, and loyalty programmes – all for leading global publications like Travel + Leisure, The Washington Post, AFAR, and more. In addition to writing, Chris is a video host for Travel + Leisure, giving consumers an inside look at the latest in air travel.

Bill Fink

Bill Fink

Expert on Qantas Airways

Bill is an award-winning travel writer with extensive credits covering airlines and the aviation industry for publications including AARP, AFAR, The Points Guy and Yahoo. Based in Portland, Oregon, Bill has travelled to more than 75 countries - and been late for his flight in most of them. He once achieved top-level frequent flier status for all of American, Delta and United Airlines during a single year.

Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Expert on Qatar Airways

Stefanie Waldek is a freelance space, travel, and design writer based in Saratoga Springs, NY. Her words have appeared in Space.com, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, and House Beautiful, among other publications. An expert in aviation and expedition cruising, Stefanie is frequently up in the air or out at sea, likely en route to Antarctica or the Arctic.

Duncan Madden

Duncan Madden

Expert on Emirates

Duncan is a freelance travel writer, copywriter and book author in constant search of travel stories and the perpetual sensation of being on holiday. He’s never happier than when on a dusty trail in search of empty waves or ducking under the piste tape in search of snowbound solitude. British born, living in Germany, but happiest heading for the horizon. His first book, Found in Translation, explores the etymologies and stories of country names around the world and is out now.

Jessica Macdonald

Jessica Macdonald

Expert on Lufthansa

Currently based in Scotland after living in South Africa and the United States, Jessica has been writing travel and aviation content for more than 10 years. She regularly contributes to Travel + Leisure and TripSavvy, and has had work published by Condé Nast Traveller and The Independent. She has travelled to more than 50 countries across six continents.

Key details for flights to Cairns

Low season

February

Cheapest flight

£439
Best time to beat the crowds (14% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (8% more expensive on average)
Flights from London Stansted Airport 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

Your questions about flights to Cairns, answered

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

  • How do I know if a flight to Cairns is a good deal?

    A good deal on a flight to Cairns is around £1,145 return. This fare is in the lowest 25% of return flight prices searched on KAYAK, averaged across the cities most often searched as origins by KAYAK users.

  • Where can I fly from to get the cheapest fares to Cairns?

    Based on fares booked in the past 5 days, the cheapest flights to Cairns are from:
    • London, from £768 return

  • How expensive are last-minute flights to Cairns?

    Last-minute fares to Cairns – booked within 2 weeks of departure – run 12% above the average return fare of £1,338.

  • What is the difference between the most popular and the most frequent airline at Cairns?

    Singapore Airlines operates the most flights from the United Kingdom to Cairns at 0 per week, and for this route Singapore Airlines is also the airline most often selected by KAYAK users searching for flights from the United Kingdom to Cairns. The two are sometimes different because flight volume reflects an airline's schedule, while popularity reflects traveller choice.

Your guide to booking Cairns flights

From booking to airport arrival, find tips to help you plan your flight with more confidence.
  • For the best chance at a low fare to Cairns, aim to book around 24 weeks before you fly. That window historically saves about 23% versus last-minute pricing based on KAYAK booking data over the last 12 months.
  • For flights to Cairns, recent KAYAK data shows that stronger deals tend to be around £1,145 return. If you see a fare below that threshold, it's a good deal – book before the price climbs back up.
  • If you can choose when to go, aim to travel to Cairns in May. Return fares historically average £1,130 that month – typically the cheapest month to travel based on the last 12 months.
  • Before you book:

    • Check the route's typical price range so you can spot a deal.
    • Confirm baggage fees and seat selection costs on budget carriers.
    • Verify whether you need any travel documents beyond an ID.
    • Pick a departure airport, since your nearest may not be the cheapest origin.
  • Shift your departure to afternoon to save up to £179 per return. Afternoon flights to Cairns average £1,219 compared to £1,398 for midday flights. See the time-of-day chart above for the full breakdown.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying to Cairns

 
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.
8.2
Singapore AirlinesOverall score based on 1607 reviews
8.1Entertainment
8.3Boarding
8.0Comfort
8.6Crew
7.8Food
Airline reviews

It was good but n it to the same standard as London to Singapore

8.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Sept 2026
Read more Singapore Airlines reviews

It was good but n it to the same standard as London to Singapore

a longer gap btw the supper and breakfast would have been better - felt like the sleep was way too fragmented on this red eye flight

I loved the full Taylor Swift selection but felt that the other selections were limited, didn’t span the popular music eras nor a wide enough range of music genres. BUT the seat and bed were GREAT (it was wide, long enough, had great storage, firm enough to uphold body postural comfort). Outstanding crew and really great food - gourmet innovative dim sum breakfast so different from the boring standard fare offered by many other business class products.

The consistency with Singapore Airlines is fantastic. Crew are always brilliant and food delicious in business class

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

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

Fantastic patience when one of the passengers behind me was an absolute horrible, horrible person and the girls just kept smiling and doing their job with patience and kindness. Well, done to the crew.

Didn't like much at all Nowhere near enough legroom, narrow seats. Aisles not wide enough for safe food trolley access and husband had his knee hit cos not enough leg room. Would take a lot to convince us to fly Singapore Airlines again which is a pity cos it was always our go-to airline

Once again the meal served was delicious - we got chicken rice

A very small gate at Singapore airport, lots of people packed into a small area…. A Petrie dish for infection. The flight was late although the captain did make up time. We had an aisle and middle economy class seat on the plane. The flight appeared to be very full. The seats were small, hard and very uncomfortable with minimal leg room. I’m a small woman and felt really cramped. My husband is a big man and stated he was unable to move at all in his seat. We were given 2 meals during the flight from Singapore to Brisbane. Our first meal was okay at best but the second meal was inedible. I think it was supposed to be veg in pastry but the pastry was full of air with minimal if any filling. The staff were pleasant and efficient. Getting off the plane went without any problems. It did take an extended period of time for our bags to come out onto the carousel. For the best ‘airline’ in the world, it was pretty poor. If Singapore is the best, what are the others like?

The staff were fantastic and the food was tasty. My check in experience was good too.

The quality of food is going down comparing with old history of excellent food. It was cold and a bad quality. The crew is always excellent and caring.

The crew were absolutely fantastic. They actively asked if passengers wanted refills and if they were comfortable. I was extremely impressed.

Emirates A380s are always wonderful to fly on. Their crews, food and service are always excellent. They are typically on time and the only thing I would change (maybe newer or upgraded aircraft have this) is bluetooth so I can pair my noise cancelling headphones without a cable.

The journey was nice, all the crews were very good and services are excellent

Wonderful Premium Economy experience. Felt as good as Business Class for food and entertainment. Comfortable sleeping too

No kids provided. Instead we were told to have contacted the airline that we have kids and require kids meals. We were not the only ones who inquired about kids meals. It’s odd. Emirates and other airlines give kids meals as standard and before the adult food comes out. The rice in our meals was gluggy and under cooked. The chicken was also raw. Sadly not the best experience with Finn Air. The hostesses tried to compensate with the snacks and drinks but missed the mark by a long way. Especially when paying Emirates/Qantas prices

Can’t complain Only downside was the Kiosk passport check and customs clearance at Melbourne. When will they improve that service🤔

Always my favourite airline. On time, lovely staff, clean comfortable seats. Well done

Premium economy on Emirate A380 is simply the best non-business class product. In fact its probably better than many business class if the seat isnt lying flat. The food and service is close to perfect!

Everything was good; they still provided a sandwich snack. Good crew

The plane was dirty, the seats were torn and broken, the service was the most terrible ever, the bathroom dirty, they will not even serve water you had to request it, the meals were terrible, overall less than Zero, I will never fly Cathay Pacific again.

one hour transit not good. cathay pacific is not helpful at all

Special request meals are really below average. Vegetarian options are very limited if you didn't prebook.

It would be nice if they could have a choice of both gluten AND dairy free menu. Lots of people have problems with BOTH. I also could not get on their website to check. Phone verification issues etc( not all of us have our phones on roaming. I tried over an hour!

As a solo traveller, I always prefer to have an aisle seat, but the flight was so full, there weren’t any available. I understand that the seatbelt sign sometimes has to go on if turbulence is anticipated but after the second food service, it was on continuously for about an hour and a half and there didn’t seem to be any turbulence at all! With seats reclined, my fellow passenger in the aisle seat asleep and the seatbelt sign on I felt very trapped, extremely uncomfortable and in desperate need of the bathroom. The positives were that the staff were very friendly, the entertainment was great and we actually took off on time and arrived in HKG earlier than expected.

Bathroom was not cleaned as often as other airlines does. It was gross for a less than full flight capacity.

There is very little in the title" Premium" in the Economy experience with Cathay, Melbourne to Hong Kong. The seats are uncomfortable and the cabin with outdated 1990's decor and trim. The food service was sloppy and the leg room providing little to no advantage over regular economy seating. Infact, the Sunday flight was not fill occupancy and I would have done better saving the significant additional costs for the PREMIUM ticket and taken advantage of the seating. If you are a regular premium economy traveler of EMIRATES expecting the same experience on CATHAY, you will be disappointed. Emirates far superior.

Very comfortable flights. Not so many new releases in terms of films.

The aircraft was slightly newer but the food was very bad. Bland and uninteresting. Nothing special at all.

Small twin prop plane. Basic flight. Food was half a chicken & pesto sandwich. As the flight departed after 12pm alcohol was available. No on board entertainment. No wifi services.

I liked the refreshments as the flight was short and the free WiFi. The seats were comfortable.

Was disappointed that we couldn't use our lounge passes as the booking was a group booking.

I never flew with alliance. Kayak is a joke and none of the flights or times were correct. Won’t ever use kayak again

My experience was great overall. Tanya was particularly friendly and helpful the entire trip. I was very pleased with her customer service skills. The plane was an older aircraft but the entire way was comfortable with barely any turbulence at all. Qantas should speed up its fleet renovation. Totally recommend using this airline.

I liked boarding the plane. The staff were rude, the food was appalling and the chairs the most uncomfortable I have ever experienced

Flight was canceled. I was not alerted. It was only kayak that alerted me

After already paying for excess luggage prior to flight, i was advised AT check in that i had to pay $816 or forfeit my flight! The lady at the counter was SO rude and had already started offboarding me when i said i would pay it after asking her three times for the exact amount! Have lodged a formal complaint yet heard nothing. Will not ever travel via Qantas again

I love flying with Qantas. There was no onscreen entertaining on this flight, and only a snack provided (not a meal) but still better than Jetstar or Virgin (in my opinion) so still happy.

I really appreciated the fact that when I checked my bags at the Quantas counter after arriving from an international flight an hour early, the agent noticed I had a very long layover. He then found an earlier flight that allowed me to get to Cairns several hours earlier than I planned. That was amazing because I had already traveled over 20 hours and wasn’t looking forward to such a long layover. It allowed me to see my daughter and grandchildren much earlier (it had been two years since I visited last).

Very lovely aircraft and crew. Seats were comfortable and the food was great and served swiftly. Delayed flight due to a passenger coming off the flight but overall a great experience

Crew and food was good, ok leg room if you don’t have a big box under the seat. And the seats are so narrow (I’m only 70kg), will consider an alternate airline next time

Boarding from DOH to SYD the Business Class were pointed in a separate gate but no one there to receive us. Otherwise it was ok.

The flight was delayed and one member of the crew was a bit rude. But apart from that all good.

Terrible experience resolving missed connection after flight was delayed. 3 hour queue at transit desk, not enough staff, no organisation, worst ever flying experience.

The rows of seats in economy class are seriously close to one another making eating and resting just about impossible - there is hardly any legroom. Anyone larger than average size would have an incredibly uncomfortable flight. I had to basically share my seat with the lady passenger next to me as she was too big to fit into her allotted seat.

Food was good, attendants were friendly. Seats were not comfortable. Did not receive any amenities such as eyemask or earplugs that would have helped sleep. Additionally a large group of passengers boarded very late into boarding and were a disruption for almost the whole flight. Flight attendants did their best but the kids were making so much noise, kicking seats, and half the time no adult was sat with them so they weren’t being managed.

I staff or crew they were very friendly and humbly, they done theirs service very well, I appreciate them and thank you to the company or Qatar 🇶🇦 Government for providing as good service in their flight ,once again, thank you 😊 🙏 😀 😉 👍

Boarding delayed, no communication. I left the lounge, and heard a final call, boarding started after a 30 minutes.

Very tight seating. Crew seemed too dis interested and too slow to remove main meal trays.

Travelling to a place near Cairns?

Book flights to Cairns if you plan to visit one of these locations
Palm Cove
Mission Beach
Trinity Beach

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