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$296+ 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 12/2. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
— CHC
3 Feb — 10 Feb1
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

Flights to South Island in 2026

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 4 January 2026.

Tue 9/611:50SYD - ZQN
Nonstop2h 55mJetstar
Tue 16/617:45ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mJetstar
Deal found 1/1$427
Wed 27/506:15SYD - ZQN
Nonstop2h 55mJetstar
Wed 27/520:50ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mJetstar
Deal found 3/1$429
Tue 17/315:00SYD - ZQN
Nonstop2h 55mJetstar
Thu 26/320:50ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mJetstar
Deal found 2/1$443
Wed 11/306:15SYD - ZQN
Nonstop2h 55mJetstar
Wed 18/320:50ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mJetstar
Deal found 2/1$446
Wed 27/506:15SYD - ZQN
Nonstop2h 55mJetstar
Sat 30/517:45ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mJetstar
Deal found 3/1$448
Sun 8/306:15SYD - ZQN
Nonstop2h 55mJetstar
Wed 11/320:50ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mJetstar
Deal found 3/1$460
Sun 8/306:15SYD - ZQN
Nonstop2h 55mJetstar
Mon 16/320:50ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mJetstar
Deal found 3/1$466
Fri 30/106:15SYD - ZQN
Nonstop2h 55mJetstar
Fri 6/220:50ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mJetstar
Deal found 2/1$467
Sun 1/206:15SYD - ZQN
Nonstop2h 55mJetstar
Thu 12/220:50ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mJetstar
Deal found 1/1$478
Fri 30/106:15SYD - ZQN
Nonstop2h 55mJetstar
Wed 4/220:50ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mJetstar
Deal found 3/1$493
Wed 18/318:50SYD - CHC
1 stop11h 05mAir New Zealand
Sun 29/306:30CHC - SYD
Nonstop3h 40mAir New Zealand
Deal found 3/1$535
Tue 14/418:10SYD - CHC
Nonstop3h 10mAir New Zealand
Sat 9/506:30CHC - SYD
Nonstop3h 40mAir New Zealand
Deal found 2/1$545

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 4 January 2026
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

Find flight deals to South Island

Find the latest flights to South Island in 2026, 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 4 January 2026.

Return from

$535

One-way from

$296

Popular in

December

Cheapest in

March

Average price

$623
Air New Zealand
  • Air New Zealand
  • 18/3-29/3
  • 1 total stop
  • 14h 45m total
  • Sydney to Christchurch
Search Deals
Jetstar
  • Jetstar
  • 12/2
  • 1 total stop
  • 7h 35m total
  • Sydney to South Island
Search Deals
Highest demand for flights based on searches. 11% potential increase in price ($75 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 January 2026
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 4 January 2026.
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

Wed 27/5

06:15-11:10

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Wed 27/5

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$429

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Wed 6/5

06:15-11:10

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Wed 20/5

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$446

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Wed 27/5

06:15-11:10

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Sat 30/5

17:45-19:00

Nonstop3h 15m

$448

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Thu 16/4

06:15-11:10

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Thu 30/4

17:45-19:00

Nonstop3h 15m

$467

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sat 25/4

11:50-16:45

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Sun 3/5

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$497

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Tue 9/6

06:20-16:50

1 stop8h 30m

Queenstown Intl

Tue 16/6

17:45-19:00

Nonstop3h 15m

$506

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Mon 13/4

06:15-11:10

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Thu 23/4

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$527

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sun 1/2

06:15-11:10

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Thu 12/2

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$529

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Wed 4/3

06:15-11:10

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Sun 8/3

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$529

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Mon 2/2

15:00-19:55

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Fri 6/2

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$529

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 2/1

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 7 hours 41 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.

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 $325
Jetstar
Jetstar
From $219
Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia
From $242
Qantas Airways
Qantas Airways
From $332

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 4 January 2026.
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
3,455 reviews
Check prices

Comfort

8.0

Entertainment

8.2

Boarding

8.1

Crew

8.3

Food

7.9

Overall

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
3,455 reviews
Emirates
8.1
Very Good
3,455 reviews
Check prices

Comfort

8.0

Entertainment

8.2

Boarding

8.1

Crew

8.3

Food

7.9

Overall

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
564 reviews
Emirates
8.1
Very Good
3,455 reviews
Check prices

Comfort

8.0

Entertainment

8.2

Boarding

8.1

Crew

8.3

Food

7.9

Overall

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
432 reviews
Emirates
8.1
Very Good
3,455 reviews
Check prices

Comfort

8.0

Entertainment

8.2

Boarding

8.1

Crew

8.3

Food

7.9

Overall

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
962 reviews
Emirates
8.1
Very Good
3,455 reviews
Check prices

Comfort

8.0

Entertainment

8.2

Boarding

8.1

Crew

8.3

Food

7.9

Overall

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
6.5
Okay
498 reviews
Emirates
8.1
Very Good
3,455 reviews
Check prices

Comfort

8.0

Entertainment

8.2

Boarding

8.1

Crew

8.3

Food

7.9

Overall

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 $187, however they can be found for as little as $110.

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

    For those looking to save time traveling to South Island, Sydney Kingsford Smith offers the quickest one-way flight (2 hours 55 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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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.

Can Cheapflights notify me if prices for flights to South Island become cheaper?

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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