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$308+ Cheap flights to South Island

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 20/1. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
— CHC
17 Jan — 24 Jan1
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

Flights to South Island in 2025

Enter your travel dates to find the best prices.

Cheapest flights to South Island
Explore the most affordable flight options available to South Island. Find the lowest fares based on data from user searches, with prices last updated on 18 December 2025.

Wed 31/1211:00SYD - ZQN
1 stop6h 00mVirgin Australia
Thu 1/114:00ZQN - SYD
1 stop6h 40mVirgin Australia
Deal found 17/12$627
Wed 17/1210:00SYD - ZQN
1 stop7h 00mVirgin Australia
Wed 24/1214:00ZQN - SYD
1 stop6h 55mVirgin Australia
Deal found 16/12$630
Thu 25/1210:30SYD - ZQN
1 stop24h 40mMultiple Airlines
Wed 11/220:50ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 17/12$639
Wed 17/1210:30SYD - ZQN
1 stop6h 30mVirgin Australia
Sun 21/1219:30ZQN - SYD
1 stop18h 10mVirgin Australia
Deal found 16/12$670
Mon 22/1210:00SYD - ZQN
1 stop6h 35mVirgin Australia
Fri 26/1214:00ZQN - SYD
1 stop6h 40mVirgin Australia
Deal found 17/12$673
Tue 30/1209:00SYD - ZQN
1 stop7h 35mVirgin Australia
Thu 1/114:00ZQN - SYD
1 stop6h 40mVirgin Australia
Deal found 17/12$692
Sun 28/1221:30SYD - ZQN
1 stop13h 40mVirgin Australia
Thu 1/114:00ZQN - SYD
1 stop9h 55mVirgin Australia
Deal found 16/12$700
Sun 21/1215:00SYD - ZQN
1 stop23h 40mVirgin Australia
Tue 23/1214:00ZQN - SYD
1 stop7h 25mVirgin Australia
Deal found 15/12$701
Sat 20/1209:00SYD - ZQN
1 stop8h 00mVirgin Australia
Wed 24/1217:30ZQN - SYD
1 stop6h 55mVirgin Australia
Deal found 17/12$718
Mon 29/1209:00SYD - ZQN
1 stop7h 35mVirgin Australia
Thu 1/114:00ZQN - SYD
1 stop6h 40mVirgin Australia
Deal found 17/12$728
Tue 30/1218:55SYD - CHC
Nonstop3h 00mQantas Airways
Wed 28/116:35CHC - SYD
Nonstop3h 30mQantas Airways
Deal found 16/12$757
Thu 25/1215:35SYD - CHC
1 stop6h 50mQantas Airways
Wed 31/1206:05CHC - SYD
Nonstop3h 30mQantas Airways
Deal found 17/12$857

Find flights to South Island

Browse one-way and return flights deals to South Island on Cheapflights. Flight deals are based on user searches and were last updated on 18 December 2025
Explore South Island
Look for other cheap flights to Christchurch
Look for other cheap flights to Queenstown
Look for other cheap flights to Dunedin
Look for other cheap flights to Nelson
Look for other cheap flights to Blenheim
Look for other cheap flights to Invercargill
Look for other cheap flights to Timaru

Find flight deals to South Island

Find the latest flights to South Island in 2025, with up-to-date prices and availability. In the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made a total of 647,157 searches and data was last updated on 18 December 2025.

Return from

$561

One-way from

$308

Popular in

December

Cheapest in

March

Average price

$834
Air New Zealand
  • Air New Zealand
  • 11/3-14/3
  • 1 total stop
  • 11h 25m total
  • Sydney to Christchurch
Search Deals
Jetstar
  • Jetstar
  • 20/1
  • Nonstop
  • 2h 55m total
  • Sydney to South Island
Search Deals
Highest demand for flights based on searches. 10% potential increase in price ($74 potential increase over avg. return price).
Search Deals
Cheapest flight prices on average. 3% potential price decrease ($21 potential savings vs. average return price).
Search Deals
Average for return flights in December 2025
Search Deals

Cheapflights Fare Finder

 
Locate flights to South Island that fit your budget, with regularly updated fares and availability. In the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made a total of 647,157 searches and data was last updated on 18 December 2025.
Use the filters below to find and compare flights to South Island that are best for you.

Fly from

Sydney

Route

Depart

Return

Price

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sun 15/3

06:15-11:10

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Thu 19/3

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$452

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Mon 16/3

15:00-19:55

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Fri 20/3

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$470

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sat 16/5

11:50-16:45

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Mon 18/5

17:45-19:00

Nonstop3h 15m

$472

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Wed 28/1

06:15-11:10

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Wed 11/2

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$481

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Thu 5/2

15:00-19:55

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Thu 12/2

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$481

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sun 8/3

06:15-11:10

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Wed 11/3

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$490

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sat 31/1

15:00-19:55

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Sat 7/2

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$500

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Tue 24/3

15:00-19:55

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Sat 28/3

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$500

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Fri 6/3

06:15-11:10

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Fri 13/3

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$500

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sat 25/4

11:50-16:45

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Mon 27/4

17:45-19:00

Nonstop3h 15m

$502

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 15/12

Showing 1-10 of 60 results
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Best time to book a flight to South Island

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to South Island 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 to South Island

How long is the flight to South Island?

On average, a flight from Sydney to South Island takes 8 hours 19 minutes. Flights to South Island from other popular cities in Australia will vary in length. Below are a few examples of popular routes and their flight times.

When is the cheapest time to fly to South Island?

Use this chart to determine the cheapest time to fly return from Sydney to South Island. Price data was last updated on 16 December 2024.

Users looking for the lowest fares to South Island should consider flying on Thursday at midday, when prices are typically cheapest. Budget-minded travellers will want to avoid Thursday mornings, when prices are usually at their highest.

Weekly flight availability to South Island

The most flights from Sydney to South Island are scheduled on a Monday (29 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Monday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (29 on average).

What are the most popular airlines that fly to South Island?

The most popular airlines flying from Sydney to South Island are Air New Zealand, Jetstar and Virgin Australia.

Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
From $329
Jetstar
Jetstar
From $222
Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia
From $246
Qantas Airways
Qantas Airways
From $306

What are the cheapest airlines that fly to South Island?

The cheapest airlines flying from Sydney to South Island are Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand.

Rainfall in South Island by month

Plan your trip to South Island by taking into account the average rainfall totals by month.

In terms of precipitation, rainfall in South Island ranges from 40.0 - 60.0 mm per month. May is typically the wettest month, when rainfall can reach 60.0 mm. February is typically the driest time to visit South Island when rainfall is around 40.0 mm.

Temperature in South Island by month

Plan your trip to South Island by taking into account the average temperature totals by month.

If weather is an important factor for your trip to South Island, use this chart to help with planning. For those seeking warmer temperatures, January is the ideal time of year to visit, when temperatures reach an average of 17.0 C. Travellers hoping to avoid the cold should look outside of June, when temperatures are typically at their lowest (around 6.0 C).

Reviews of airlines servicing South Island

Get insights into the airlines that provide service to South Island. 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 South Island. Reviews last updated 18 December 2025.
Read reviews from past customers who have flown Emirates, Air New Zealand, andVirgin Australia to New Zealand. You can also see how each airline compares in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.
Emirates
8.1
Very Good
3,440 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.9

Entertainment

8.2

Comfort

8.0

Crew

8.3

Overall

8.1

Boarding

8.1

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Anonymous,Dec 2025

ATH - EWR

Smooth flight, good entertainment choices. Bad legroom in economy and mediocre food.
Emirates
8.1
Very Good
3,440 reviews
Emirates
8.1
Very Good
3,440 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.9

Entertainment

8.2

Comfort

8.0

Crew

8.3

Overall

8.1

Boarding

8.1

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Anonymous,Dec 2025

ATH - EWR

Smooth flight, good entertainment choices. Bad legroom in economy and mediocre food.
Air New Zealand
8.0
Very Good
553 reviews
Emirates
8.1
Very Good
3,440 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.9

Entertainment

8.2

Comfort

8.0

Crew

8.3

Overall

8.1

Boarding

8.1

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Anonymous,Dec 2025

ATH - EWR

Smooth flight, good entertainment choices. Bad legroom in economy and mediocre food.
Virgin Australia
7.6
Good
428 reviews
Emirates
8.1
Very Good
3,440 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.9

Entertainment

8.2

Comfort

8.0

Crew

8.3

Overall

8.1

Boarding

8.1

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Anonymous,Dec 2025

ATH - EWR

Smooth flight, good entertainment choices. Bad legroom in economy and mediocre food.
Qantas Airways
7.5
Good
947 reviews
Emirates
8.1
Very Good
3,440 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.9

Entertainment

8.2

Comfort

8.0

Crew

8.3

Overall

8.1

Boarding

8.1

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Anonymous,Dec 2025

ATH - EWR

Smooth flight, good entertainment choices. Bad legroom in economy and mediocre food.
Jetstar
6.6
Okay
492 reviews
Emirates
8.1
Very Good
3,440 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.9

Entertainment

8.2

Comfort

8.0

Crew

8.3

Overall

8.1

Boarding

8.1

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Anonymous,Dec 2025

ATH - EWR

Smooth flight, good entertainment choices. Bad legroom in economy and mediocre food.

FAQs about flying to South Island

  • Can I find cheaper flights to South Island if I am willing to have stopovers?

    Yes, flights with stopovers are often cheaper than direct flights. Keep an eye out for flight deals to South Island on Cheapflights that require 1 or 2 stops for potential cost savings.

  • What is the best airline to fly to South Island?

    Based on reviews from Cheapflights users, Jetstar is rated the highest out of the airlines that fly to South Island.

  • How much is a return flight to South Island?

    A return flight to South Island will typically cost around $189, however they can be found for as little as $111.

  • Where does the fastest flight to South Island depart from?

    For those looking to save time traveling to South Island, Canberra offers the quickest one-way flight (0 hours 45 minutes).

  • Does Christchurch have car hire?

    Yes. Those touching down at Christchurch can take advantage of the car hire services offered upon their arrival.

  • Are there hotels close to Christchurch?

    Yes. Christchurch has hotels nearby for those requiring accommodations. Novotel Christchurch Airport is the closest property to Christchurch (0.0 km away from Christchurch).

See more FAQs

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How does Cheapflights help users find flights to South Island?

Cheapflights helps you search for flights to South Island via 900+ travel sites so you don’t have to. After performing a flight search, users can also filter their flight selection by filtering for price, number of stops, airlines, and so on.

Why should you use Cheapflights to find cheap flight tickets to South Island?

It’s simple! Cheapflights, which is free to use for everyone, saves millions of users time and money every year by helping them find the cheapest and most suitable flights to South Island.

Can Cheapflights find flights to South Island with no change fees?

Users can book flights with no change fees policies with our dedicated filters. Book flights to South Island flexibly with Cheapflights today.

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Yes, and it’s super simple to set up Price Alerts. Click the bell icon next to the flight deals above and provide your email address. That’s it!

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