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Cheap flights from Mackay to Cairns

MKY — CNS
18 Aug — 25 Aug1
1 adult

Cheap flight deals from Mackay to Cairns

Discover tips and strategies to find the most affordable flight options for your journey from Mackay (MKY) to Cairns (CNS). Learn about various techniques such as flexible date searches, comparing prices across and setting up price alerts. Use these methods to find the cheapest flights available for your travel needs. Data last updated 13 August 2025.

Popular in

December

Cheapest in

March

Average price

$576
Highest demand for flights based on searches. 14% potential increase in price ($141 potential increase over avg. return price).
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Cheapest flight prices on average. 5% potential price decrease ($47 potential savings vs. average return price).
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Average for round-trip flights in August 2025
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Best time to book a flight from Mackay to Cairns

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to Cairns from Mackay with our price prediction graph.
Estimated return price
Rates are based on past data. Find the cheapest month and day to book your flight based on your travel requirements, then search for cheap deals.

Cheapflights Insights

Everything you need to know about your flight from Mackay to Cairns

What is the cheapest month to book a flight from Mackay to Cairns?

Currently, March is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Mackay to Cairns (average of $166). Flying from Mackay to Cairns in October is currently the most expensive (average of $233). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly from MKY to CNS?

Find hourly flight availability from Mackay to Cairns. Discover flight options and departure times throughout the day, allowing you to choose a departure time that suits your schedule. Data last updated 13 August 2025.

A simple way to save on the total cost of your ticket is to fly from Mackay to Cairns in the evening. If you’re flexible enough to do this you can expect to save up to 42% on your trip compared to booking a flight in the afternoon.

Weekly flight availability from Mackay to Cairns

Explore weekly flight availability from Mackay to Cairns. Discover flights operating on different days of the week, giving you the flexibility to choose a travel day that best fits your plans. Compare info to find the most convenient option for your journey. Data last updated 13 August 2025.

The most flights from MKY to CNS are scheduled on a Monday (3 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Thursday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (1 on average).

What’s the top stopover airport for flights from Mackay to Cairns?

Share of one-stop return flights from Mackay to Cairns chosen by Cheapflights users in the past 12 months, using the same stopover each way.

Brisbane (BNE) – chosen by Cheapflights users on 94% of one-stop itineraries from Mackay to Cairns on Cheapflights.

What’s the cheapest stopover airport for flights from Mackay to Cairns?

Average return fare for one-stop flights from Mackay to Cairns, chosen by Cheapflights users in the past 12 months, with the same stopover each way.

Brisbane (BNE) is the most affordable one-stop option, with an average return flight price of $507.

What’s the fastest stopover option from Mackay to Cairns?

Shortest average travel time for one-stop one-way flights from Mackay to Cairns, based on itineraries clicked by Cheapflights users over the past 12 months, grouped by stopover airport.

Flights via Townsville (TSV) have the shortest average one-way travel time for one-stop routes: 4h 42m.

Which airport typically offers the quickest stopover for flights from Mackay to Cairns?

Average stopover duration for one-stop one-way flights from Mackay to Cairns, chosen by Cheapflights users in the last 12 months, grouped by stopover airport.

Flights via Townsville (TSV) offer the fastest connection on this route, with an average stopover time of 2h 15m.

Reviews of airlines servicing Cairns

Get insights into the airlines that provide service to Cairns. Read reviews, discover amenities, and learn about the overall travel experience offered by airlines. Use this information to make informed decisions when choosing an airline for your flight to Cairns. Reviews last updated 13 August 2025.
Read reviews from past customers who have flown with Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia from Mackay to Cairns. Users can see the overall rating for each airline as well as how each is rated in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.
Qantas Airways
7.5
Good
895 reviews
Check prices

Entertainment

7.2

Food

6.9

Crew

8.2

Overall

7.5

Boarding

7.7

Comfort

7.4

Reviews

1 / 20
2.0
Mediocre

Anonymous,July 2025

MEL - SYD

Flight cancelled 2hours before take off after checking in. Booked by airline on flight 6 hours later. No compensation or vouchers till we asked just before the flight took off.
Qantas Airways
7.5
Good
895 reviews
Qantas Airways
7.5
Good
895 reviews
Check prices

Entertainment

7.2

Food

6.9

Crew

8.2

Overall

7.5

Boarding

7.7

Comfort

7.4

Reviews

1 / 20
2.0
Mediocre

Anonymous,July 2025

MEL - SYD

Flight cancelled 2hours before take off after checking in. Booked by airline on flight 6 hours later. No compensation or vouchers till we asked just before the flight took off.
Virgin Australia
7.5
Good
411 reviews
Qantas Airways
7.5
Good
895 reviews
Check prices

Entertainment

7.2

Food

6.9

Crew

8.2

Overall

7.5

Boarding

7.7

Comfort

7.4

Reviews

1 / 20
2.0
Mediocre

Anonymous,July 2025

MEL - SYD

Flight cancelled 2hours before take off after checking in. Booked by airline on flight 6 hours later. No compensation or vouchers till we asked just before the flight took off.

Related info for your journey

Find useful and relevant information for your journey from Mackay to Cairns. Access travel guides, tips, and recommendations to enhance your travel experience. Get information about local attractions, weather, transportation options, and more.

  • How popular is this Mackay to Cairns flight route?

    This flight path from Mackay to Cairns was viewed by 30 users in the past month. Keep an eye out for changes in search interest prior to high and low season.

  • Can I find deals for flights from Mackay to Cairns that include hotel bookings?

    Yes. In addition to deals on Mackay to Cairns flights, Cheapflights offers holiday packages that include both flights and hotel.

  • How can I find direct flights from Mackay to Cairns?

    After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from Mackay to Cairns.

  • Can I find deals for business class flights from Mackay to Cairns?

    Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from Mackay to Cairns by cabin class. In addition to browsing deals, you can also filter by cabin class on the search results page after making a search.

  • What is the cheapest month to book a flight from Mackay to Cairns?

    Currently, March is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Mackay to Cairns (average of $166). Flying from Mackay to Cairns in October is currently the most expensive (average of $233). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

See more FAQs

Travelling to a place near Cairns?

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

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Top 2 airlines flying from Mackay to Cairns

Discover the top 2 airlines that operate flights from Mackay to Cairns. Compare their services, reliability, and customer satisfaction ratings to choose the airline that best suits your travel preferences and needs. Over the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made 647,157 searches. Data last updated 13 August 2025.
AirlineCheapestAverageFlexibilityOn-time
Virgin AustraliaCheapest$409Average$489FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time80%
Search Virgin Australia flights
Qantas AirwaysCheapest$694Average$787FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time74%
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Fly with Cheapflights

Find the best flight deals on Cheapflights, where travellers can enjoy low prices and a wide availability of flights to their desired destinations.

How does Cheapflights help users find flights from Mackay to Cairns?

Cheapflights goes through 900+ travel sites to look for the best flight deals for flights from Mackay to Cairns. Too many options? Cheapflights also provides filters for things like airlines, price ranges, and number of stops to help you make a decision easily.

Why should you use Cheapflights to find cheap flight tickets from Mackay to Cairns?

Cheapflights simply makes it quick and affordable to book flights from Mackay to Cairns by bringing together all flight options from hundreds of airlines and agencies online — and put it in one place for you to choose from. Plus, Cheapflights is 100% free to use for all.

Can Cheapflights find flights from Mackay to Cairns with no change fees?

Certainly. Search results for flights to Cairns from Mackay shown to you on Cheapflights can be narrowed down with different useful search filters, which includes flexible booking options.

Can Cheapflights notify me if prices for flights from Mackay to Cairns become cheaper?

Not ready to book yet? You can track prices for flights from Mackay to Cairns on Cheapflights with our Price Alert feature and get notified when better prices are available.

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