What percentage of Brisbane to Cairns flights are direct?

In the trailing 90 days, approximately 45.6% of flights from Brisbane to Cairns were direct. For flights that included stopovers, the median number of stopovers was 1. This indicates that while direct options are available, a significant portion of routes involve at least one connection.

What's the flight time from Brisbane to Cairns?

The typical direct flight time from Brisbane to Cairns is 2 hours and 30 minutes, covering a distance of 1392 kilometers. Flights with one stop, however, have a significantly longer median duration of 9 hours and 45 minutes. Travelers should consider these differences when planning their journey.

Should I set a price alert for Brisbane to Cairns flights?

Yes, setting a price alert for Brisbane to Cairns flights is recommended. Historically, deals on this route have been classified as frequent across the trailing 30 days. This suggests that prices can fluctuate, and an alert could help capture a favorable price when it becomes available.

Flights From Brisbane

To Cairns

Cheap Flights from Brisbane to Cairns

Browse current best options from Brisbane. Become a member to unlock all deals and get alerts when new deals appear.

Deals from

Brisbane

RatePunk searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Cairns

Prices updated 7 days ago

483 airlines compared

80%+ AI score for best value

Fares are subject to change and may not be available for all dates. (Data last updated Oct 26, 2026.)

Today’s best flight deals from Brisbane to Cairns

Explore current cheapest deals departing from Brisbane to Cairns

2027-01-12 – 2027-01-13
BNE - Cairns
74% AI deal score
A$269
A$185
Round trip
2027-01-12 – 2027-01-19
BNE - Cairns
74% AI deal score
A$260
A$188
Round trip
2027-01-19 – 2027-01-26
BNE - Cairns
75% AI deal score
A$271
A$188
Round trip
2027-01-12 – 2027-01-26
BNE - Cairns
72% AI deal score
A$241
A$188
Round trip
2027-01-19 – 2027-02-17
BNE - Cairns
72% AI deal score
A$244
A$189
Round trip
2027-01-12 – 2027-01-20
BNE - Cairns
73% AI deal score
A$252
A$191
Round trip
2027-01-12 – 2027-01-24
BNE - Cairns
68% AI deal score
A$240
A$191
Round trip
2027-01-19 – 2027-01-24
BNE - Cairns
75% AI deal score
A$280
A$192
Round trip
2027-01-08 – 2027-01-13
BNE - Cairns
74% AI deal score
A$268
A$192
Round trip
2027-01-12 – 2027-01-21
BNE - Cairns
73% AI deal score
A$250
A$192
Round trip

Brisbane to Cairns: Overview

Insights for flights from Brisbane to Cairns

Right now, only 4% of recent fares for flights from Brisbane to Cairns are considered a good price. If you are looking for cheap flights from Brisbane to Cairns, prices are currently above the typical level, with fares typically ranging from $259–$617, and a median of $397.

When is the cheapest time to fly from Brisbane to Cairns? The data indicates that April is the most affordable month, with a median fare of just $156. Other relatively inexpensive months include January, with a median fare of $311, and May, where the median fare is $318.

A typical journey from Brisbane to Cairns takes about 2h 30m, including connections. The route is classified as short-haul, covering a distance of 1392 kilometers. For direct flights from Brisbane to Cairns, the travel time is also 2h 30m, while connecting itineraries typically take 10h 25m.

For flights between Brisbane and Cairns, a meaningful share are non-stop, with 45.6% of recent fares being direct. For itineraries that include connections, the typical number of stopovers is 1. New deals for this route appear almost daily, indicating frequent opportunities to find competitive prices.

How much is a round trip from Brisbane to Cairns

Regular price: A$219 - A$912

Prices for flights from Brisbane to Cairns are currently below the regular range.

The regular price range for flights from Brisbane to Cairns is AUD219-AUD912. The current lowest deal is AUD188 with Jetstar. This deal is for travel from Jan 19-Jan 26.

now A$188

Low A$219

High A$912

The cheapest time to fly from Brisbane to Cairns

The cheapest month to fly from Brisbane to Cairns is May, with a median price of $135. The most expensive month is September, with a median price of $535. Prices are generally lower from January to November.

May

Cheapest

Flights from A$135

September

Most Expensive

Flights from A$535

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct flights from Brisbane to Cairns

Jetstar

Last-minute flights going from Brisbane to Cairns

Tue, Oct 27

⌛ Last-Minute

BNE - Cairns

Brisbane (BNE) - Cairns (CNS)

QantasLink

A$771

A$931

One-way

Tue, Oct 27

⌛ Last-Minute

BNE - Cairns

Brisbane (BNE) - Cairns (CNS)

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

A$777

A$1,071

One-way

Tue, Oct 27

⌛ Last-Minute

BNE - Cairns

Brisbane (BNE) - Cairns (CNS)

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

A$776

A$1,088

One-way

Wed, Oct 28

⌛ Last-Minute

BNE - Cairns

Brisbane (BNE) - Cairns (CNS)

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

A$397

A$661

One-way

Wed, Oct 28

⌛ Last-Minute

BNE - Cairns

Brisbane (BNE) - Cairns (CNS)

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

A$399

A$1,014

One-way

Wed, Oct 28

⌛ Last-Minute

BNE - Cairns

Brisbane (BNE) - Cairns (CNS)

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

A$398

A$1,206

One-way

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Brisbane to Cairns

5 nights

Dec 2 - Dec 7

A$318 → A$221

31%

7 nights

Jan 19 - Jan 26

A$271 → A$178

34%

5 nights

Jan 19 - Jan 24

A$280 → A$188

33%

3 nights

Jan 23 - Jan 26

A$278 → A$188

32%

Popular Airports to fly from Brisbane to Cairns

Brisbane - Cairns route insights

💸 Price insights

Recent fares are above the typical level

Recent fares from Brisbane to Cairns are above the typical level, with a median of $397.

📅 Best time to fly

April is historically the cheapest month

Historically, April is the cheapest month to fly, with a median price of $156.

⏱️ Flight duration

Direct flights take 2h 30m

Direct flights to Cairns typically take 2h 30m, while connecting flights average 10h 25m.

✈️ Airlines & availability

Direct flights are available

Direct flights are available on this route, making up 45.6% of recent flight options.

🏆 Airline highlight

Jetstar offers direct flights

Jetstar is an airline offering direct flights for the Brisbane to Cairns route.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals appear frequently

Deals for flights on this route appear frequently, with good prices available 4% of the time.

Brisbane main airports to depart from

Brisbane (BNE)

Cheapest

Brisbane Airport (BNE) is a convenient option for flights from Brisbane to Cairns.

📍 ~13 km from city center (reachable by car or train)

💸 Flights from ~A$188

Brisbane Archerfield Airport (ACF)

Brisbane Archerfield Airport (ACF) is an alternative departure airport for your trip to Cairns.

📍 ~11 km from city center (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~A$1,707

Cairns main airports to arrive at

Cairns (CNS)

Cheapest

Cairns Airport is a convenient arrival point for flights from Brisbane to Cairns.

📍 ~5 km from city center (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~A$190

Airports nearby Cairns used as alternative

Townsville (TSV)

Townsville is a useful alternative with frequent jet services to major Australian hubs, though it's a 4-5 hour drive.

📍 ~350 km from Cairns (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~A$189

Business & First Class Flight Deals to Cairns

Discover luxury on the budget with premium cabin class on flights from Brisbane to Cairns.

Elite

Best Elite deals to Cairns

Exclusive daily First Class, Business Class, and Premium Economy flight deals, refreshed every 24 hours.

From BNE

Elite

Oct 31

Cairns, Australia

49% AI deal score

$1,096

$975

Save $121

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Dec 03

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$747

$703

Save $44

From BNE

Elite

Mar 22

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$580

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 22

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$580

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 20

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$580

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 21

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$580

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 22

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$580

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 27

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$588

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 25

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$588

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 26

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$588

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 26

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$588

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 26

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$588

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to Cairns

Historically, the optimal booking window for flights from Brisbane to Cairns is typically 28-59 days before departure. During this period, the average price for a ticket was around $394. Prices tend to increase significantly closer to the departure date, with flights booked 0-6 days out averaging $765. Even 7-13 days before departure, the average price was $684, indicating that planning ahead can lead to substantial savings.

Across the trailing quarter, a good deal for a flight from Brisbane to Cairns was considered to be $259 or less. The median price for this route during the same period was $397. Prices above $617 were observed to be in the higher range. Comparing potential flight costs to these thresholds can help travelers identify favorable prices.

Historically, April has been the cheapest month to fly from Brisbane to Cairns, with a median price of $156. January and May also offered relatively lower median prices at $311 and $318, respectively. The annual median price for this route was $397, indicating that certain months offer significant savings compared to the yearly average.

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Flights to Cairns from other cities

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Brisbane to Cairns: Overview

Insights for flights from Brisbane to Cairns

How much is a round trip from Brisbane to Cairns

Regular price: A$219 - A$912

Prices for flights from Brisbane to Cairns are currently below the regular range.

The regular price range for flights from Brisbane to Cairns is AUD219-AUD912. The current lowest deal is AUD188 with Jetstar. This deal is for travel from Jan 19-Jan 26.

now A$188

Low A$219

High A$912

The cheapest time to fly from Brisbane to Cairns

May

Cheapest

Flights from A$135

September

Most Expensive

Flights from A$535

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct flights from Brisbane to Cairns

Jetstar

Last-minute flights going from Brisbane to Cairns

Tue, Oct 27

⌛ Last-Minute

BNE - Cairns

Brisbane (BNE) - Cairns (CNS)

QantasLink

A$771

A$931

One-way

Tue, Oct 27

⌛ Last-Minute

BNE - Cairns

Brisbane (BNE) - Cairns (CNS)

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

A$777

A$1,071

One-way

Tue, Oct 27

⌛ Last-Minute

BNE - Cairns

Brisbane (BNE) - Cairns (CNS)

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

A$776

A$1,088

One-way

Wed, Oct 28

⌛ Last-Minute

BNE - Cairns

Brisbane (BNE) - Cairns (CNS)

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

A$397

A$661

One-way

Wed, Oct 28

⌛ Last-Minute

BNE - Cairns

Brisbane (BNE) - Cairns (CNS)

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

A$399

A$1,014

One-way

Wed, Oct 28

⌛ Last-Minute

BNE - Cairns

Brisbane (BNE) - Cairns (CNS)

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

A$398

A$1,206

One-way

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Brisbane to Cairns

5 nights

Dec 2 - Dec 7

A$318 → A$221

31%

7 nights

Jan 19 - Jan 26

A$271 → A$178

34%

5 nights

Jan 19 - Jan 24

A$280 → A$188

33%

3 nights

Jan 23 - Jan 26

A$278 → A$188

32%

Popular Airports to fly from Brisbane to Cairns

Brisbane - Cairns route insights

💸 Price insights

Recent fares are above the typical level

Recent fares from Brisbane to Cairns are above the typical level, with a median of $397.

📅 Best time to fly

April is historically the cheapest month

Historically, April is the cheapest month to fly, with a median price of $156.

⏱️ Flight duration

Direct flights take 2h 30m

Direct flights to Cairns typically take 2h 30m, while connecting flights average 10h 25m.

✈️ Airlines & availability

Direct flights are available

Direct flights are available on this route, making up 45.6% of recent flight options.

🏆 Airline highlight

Jetstar offers direct flights

Jetstar is an airline offering direct flights for the Brisbane to Cairns route.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals appear frequently

Deals for flights on this route appear frequently, with good prices available 4% of the time.

Brisbane main airports to depart from

Brisbane (BNE)

Cheapest

Brisbane Airport (BNE) is a convenient option for flights from Brisbane to Cairns.

📍 ~13 km from city center (reachable by car or train)

💸 Flights from ~A$188

Brisbane Archerfield Airport (ACF)

Brisbane Archerfield Airport (ACF) is an alternative departure airport for your trip to Cairns.

📍 ~11 km from city center (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~A$1,707

Cairns main airports to arrive at

Cairns (CNS)

Cheapest

Cairns Airport is a convenient arrival point for flights from Brisbane to Cairns.

📍 ~5 km from city center (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~A$190

Airports nearby Cairns used as alternative

Townsville (TSV)

Townsville is a useful alternative with frequent jet services to major Australian hubs, though it's a 4-5 hour drive.

📍 ~350 km from Cairns (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~A$189

Business & First Class Flight Deals to Cairns

Discover luxury on the budget with premium cabin class on flights from Brisbane to Cairns.

Elite

Best Elite deals to Cairns

Exclusive daily First Class, Business Class, and Premium Economy flight deals, refreshed every 24 hours.

From BNE

Elite

Oct 31

Cairns, Australia

49% AI deal score

$1,096

$975

Save $121

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Dec 03

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$747

$703

Save $44

From BNE

Elite

Mar 22

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$580

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 22

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$580

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 20

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$580

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 21

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$580

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 22

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$580

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 27

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$588

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 25

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$588

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 26

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$588

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 26

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$588

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From BNE

Elite

Mar 26

Cairns, Australia

43% AI deal score

$588

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to Cairns

Cheap Flights from Brisbane to Cairns

Today’s best flight deals from Brisbane to Cairns

Brisbane to Cairns: Overview

Insights for flights from Brisbane to Cairns

How much is a round trip from Brisbane to Cairns

The cheapest time to fly from Brisbane to Cairns

Direct flights from Brisbane to Cairns

Last-minute flights going from Brisbane to Cairns

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Brisbane to Cairns

Popular Airports to fly from Brisbane to Cairns

Brisbane - Cairns route insights

Recent fares are above the typical level

April is historically the cheapest month

Direct flights take 2h 30m

Direct flights are available

Jetstar offers direct flights

Deals appear frequently

Brisbane main airports to depart from

Cairns main airports to arrive at

Airports nearby Cairns used as alternative

Business & First Class Flight Deals to Cairns

Best Elite deals to Cairns

Oct 31

Dec 03

Mar 22

Mar 22

Mar 20

Mar 21

Mar 22

Mar 27

Mar 25

Mar 26

Mar 26

Mar 26

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to Cairns

When should I buy Brisbane to Cairns tickets?

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

What's the cheapest month to fly from Brisbane to Cairns?

What percentage of Brisbane to Cairns flights are direct?

What's the flight time from Brisbane to Cairns?

Should I set a price alert for Brisbane to Cairns flights?

Related routes

More routes from Brisbane

Flights to Cairns from other cities

Brisbane to Cairns: Overview

Insights for flights from Brisbane to Cairns

How much is a round trip from Brisbane to Cairns

The cheapest time to fly from Brisbane to Cairns

Direct flights from Brisbane to Cairns

Last-minute flights going from Brisbane to Cairns

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Brisbane to Cairns

Popular Airports to fly from Brisbane to Cairns

Brisbane - Cairns route insights

Recent fares are above the typical level

April is historically the cheapest month

Direct flights take 2h 30m

Direct flights are available

Jetstar offers direct flights

Deals appear frequently

Brisbane main airports to depart from

Cairns main airports to arrive at

Airports nearby Cairns used as alternative

Business & First Class Flight Deals to Cairns

Best Elite deals to Cairns

Oct 31

Dec 03

Mar 22

Mar 22

Mar 20

Mar 21

Mar 22

Mar 27

Mar 25

Mar 26

Mar 26

Mar 26

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to Cairns

When should I buy Brisbane to Cairns tickets?

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

What's the cheapest month to fly from Brisbane to Cairns?