Find Cheap Flights from Melbourne to Cairns (MEL - CNS)

Flights overview

Useful information for finding cheap flights from Melbourne to Cairns and booking your next trip

Cheapest round-trip flights	$156	Jetstar Nonstop 4 hr Thu, Apr 23 — Wed, Apr 29	The cheapest round-trip flight from Melbourne to Cairns is currently $156
Cheapest one-way flight	$78	Jetstar Nonstop 4 hr Wed, Apr 22	The cheapest one-way flight from Melbourne to Cairns is currently $78
Last-minute weekend getaway	$177	Jetstar Nonstop 4 hr Thu, Apr 16 — Sun, Apr 19	The cheapest last-minute weekend getaway from Melbourne to Cairns is currently $177
Cheapest business class flights	$814	Virgin Australia Nonstop 4 hr Fri, Jun 19 — Fri, Jun 26	The cheapest business class round-trip flight from Melbourne to Cairns is currently $814

Fastest flight	3 hr 20 min	The fastest nonstop flight from Melbourne to Cairns takes 3 hr 20 min
Nonstop flights	Every day	There are direct flights on this route every day.

When is the cheapest time to fly?

The cheapest month to fly from Melbourne to Cairns is typically May. The most expensive month to fly is typically July.

May Cheapest	Typical prices: $165–200
July Most expensive	Typical prices: $195–395

Popular airlines from Melbourne to Cairns

Jetstar

Nonstop

from $156

Typical price: $170–385

32 weekly nonstop flights

MEL - CNS Every day

300 weekly connecting flights

AVV, MEL - CNS Every day
Virgin Australia

Nonstop

from $208

Typical price: $235–365

18 weekly nonstop flights

MEL - CNS Every day

160 weekly connecting flights

MEL - CNS Every day
Qantas

Nonstop

from $335

Typical price: $415–620

11 weekly nonstop flights

MEL - CNS Every day

173 weekly connecting flights

MEL - CNS Every day
Fiji Airways

Typical price: $1,100–4,800

5 weekly connecting flights

MEL - CNS Every Wed, Fri, Sun
Air New Zealand

4 weekly connecting flights

MEL - CNS Every Mon, Fri

Popular airports near Melbourne

Melbourne Airport (MEL)

Melbourne Australia 27 min 11 mi
Avalon Airport (AVV)

Melbourne Australia 47 min 31 mi
Albury Airport (ABX)

Albury Australia 3 hr 27 min 163 mi
Bendigo Airport (BXG)

Bendigo Australia 1 hr 53 min 81 mi

Popular airports near Cairns

Cairns Airport (CNS)

Cairns Australia 9 min 2 mi
Townsville Airport (TSV)

Townsville City Australia 4 hr 3 min 173 mi
Cooktown Airport (CTN)

Cooktown Australia 3 hr 57 min 109 mi

Frequently asked questions about flying from Melbourne to Cairns

The cheapest flights from Melbourne to Cairns are usually in May. Typical ticket prices in May range from $165 to $200.

The cheapest round-trip flight from Melbourne to Cairns recently found on Google Flights was with Jetstar from $156. The cheapest one-way flight was with Jetstar from $78.

Some of the cheapest round-trip deals we found with different airlines:

The cheapest Jetstar flight from Melbourne to Cairns is $156, flying from Apr 23 to Apr 29.
The cheapest Virgin Australia flight from Melbourne to Cairns is $208, flying from Apr 23 to Apr 29.
The cheapest Qantas flight from Melbourne to Cairns is $335, flying from Apr 25 to May 2.

The cheapest round-trip flight from Melbourne to Cairns starts at $156 from Thu, Apr 23 to Wed, Apr 29. The cheapest one-way flight starts at $78 and departs on Wed, Apr 22.

3 hr 20 min is the shortest flight time from Melbourne to Cairns.

Winter (Jun–Aug) is when most people visit Cairns. Apr–Oct is peak visibility time for divers, and whale-watching season is roughly Jun–Sep. Summer (Dec–Feb) can be hot and humid, and the monsoonal wet season is Nov–Apr.

It's easy to use Google Flights to find the cheapest days to fly from Melbourne to Cairns.
Just click the Departure label near the top of the page to open the calendar. Choose a start date and a return date to see how the round-trip fare changes on those specific days.
Adjust the trip type to see one-way fares. The cheapest available flights are highlighted and easy to spot. Once you settle on dates, click the Search button to see flight options and book the deal.

You can also turn on price tracking to get alerts if the price changes for a route or flight.

What counts as the best airline for your flights from Melbourne to Cairns really depends on your individual needs. You may have a favorite carrier or a loyalty program you like, but price, convenience, and airports served also come into play. Flexibility and booking terms – Can you change flights if you want to stay longer or get a refund if you have to postpone your trip? – are also factors that help determine which airline is best to fly from Melbourne to Cairns.

In terms of nonstop flights, Jetstar is the most popular. Jetstar offers 32 nonstop flights and 300 connecting flights per week. Jetstar flies from Avalon Airport (AVV) , Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Cairns Airport (CNS) .

Other popular airlines flying from Melbourne to Cairns are:

Virgin Australia offers 18 nonstop flights and 160 connecting flights per week. Virgin Australia flies from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Cairns Airport (CNS) .
Qantas offers 11 nonstop flights and 173 connecting flights per week. Qantas flies from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Cairns Airport (CNS) .
Fiji Airways offers 5 connecting flights per week. Fiji Airways flies from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Cairns Airport (CNS) .
Air New Zealand offers 4 connecting flights per week. Air New Zealand flies from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Cairns Airport (CNS) .

The number of connecting flights refers to distinct flights with at least one stop between Melbourne and Cairns.

The cheapest round-trip flight from Melbourne to Cairns recently found on Google Flights was with Jetstar from $156. The cheapest one-way flight was with Jetstar from $78.

Some of the cheapest round-trip deals we found with different airlines:

The cheapest Jetstar flight from Melbourne to Cairns is $156, flying from Apr 23 to Apr 29.
The cheapest Virgin Australia flight from Melbourne to Cairns is $208, flying from Apr 23 to Apr 29.
The cheapest Qantas flight from Melbourne to Cairns is $335, flying from Apr 25 to May 2.

Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas fly direct from Melbourne to Cairns.

There are 32 Jetstar direct flights from Melbourne to Cairns per week. Flights are available every day.
There are 18 Virgin Australia direct flights from Melbourne to Cairns per week. Flights are available every day.
There are 11 Qantas direct flights from Melbourne to Cairns per week. Flights are available every day.

Use the Stops filter while searching for flights, to see only nonstop options in your results.

The cheapest last-minute deal between Melbourne and Cairns at price $177 is offered by Jetstar from Thu, Apr 16 to Sun, Apr 19.

Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas fly direct from Melbourne to Cairns.

There are 32 Jetstar direct flights from Melbourne to Cairns per week. Flights are available every day.
There are 18 Virgin Australia direct flights from Melbourne to Cairns per week. Flights are available every day.
There are 11 Qantas direct flights from Melbourne to Cairns per week. Flights are available every day.

Use the Stops filter while searching for flights, to see only nonstop options in your results.

There are direct flights from Melbourne to Cairns on a daily basis.

The cheapest direct (nonstop) round-trip flights between Melbourne and Cairns start at $156 from Thu, Apr 23 to Wed, Apr 29 with Jetstar.

It's easy to find nonstop flights with Google Flights! Once you've searched for flights from Melbourne to Cairns, just select the nonstop flights only option in the 'Stops’ filter in the search form and view all available direct flights and their prices.

The cheapest business class round-trip flights between Melbourne and Cairns start at $814 from Fri, Jun 19 to Fri, Jun 26 with Virgin Australia.

The cheapest economy class round-trip flights between Melbourne and Cairns start at $156 from Thu, Apr 23 to Wed, Apr 29.

To book business class trips from Melbourne to Cairns, look for the default Economy selection at the top, and change it to your desired cabin class such as Premium Economy, Business Class, or First Class. You can then select your departure and arrival dates, consider available options, and book your business travel.

You can also adjust the trip type to view one-way fares.

The best last-minute getaway deal for the next weekend between Melbourne and Cairns starts at $177 from Thu, Apr 16 to Sun, Apr 19 with Jetstar.

The cheapest last-minute deal between Melbourne and Cairns at price $177 is offered by Jetstar from Thu, Apr 16 to Sun, Apr 19.

To find last-minute flight deals from Melbourne to Cairns, start by entering the city names, select the desired departure and return dates, and hit the Search button to view flight options.

You can check for last-minute flights for the same day or adjust the trip type to see one-way fares.