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$294+ 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 6/5. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
— CHC
16 Apr — 23 Apr1
1 adult

Flights to South Island in 2025

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 11 April 2025.

Return from

$482

One-way from

$294

Popular in

December

Cheapest in

August

Average price

$709
Emirates
  • Emirates
  • 19/5-21/5
  • Nonstop
  • 6h 25m total
  • Sydney to Christchurch
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Jetstar
  • Jetstar
  • 6/5
  • 1 total stop
  • 7h 50m total
  • Sydney to South Island
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Highest demand for flights based on searches. 10% potential increase in price ($120 potential increase over avg. return price).
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Cheapest flight prices on average. 3% potential price decrease ($35 potential savings vs. average return price).
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Average for return flights in April 2025
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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 11 April 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

Find flight deals to South Island

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 11 April 2025.

Fri 30/506:15SYD - ZQN
Nonstop2h 55mJetstar
Sun 1/620:50ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mJetstar
Deal found 10/4$404
Sat 10/507:20SYD - ZQN
Nonstop3h 00mVirgin Australia
Mon 19/514:25ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 20mVirgin Australia
Deal found 9/4$465
Mon 19/507:50SYD - CHC
Nonstop3h 05mEmirates
Wed 21/517:45CHC - SYD
Nonstop3h 20mEmirates
Deal found 9/4$482
Mon 19/511:50SYD - CHC
1 stop7h 25mMultiple Airlines
Wed 21/520:30CHC - SYD
1 stop15h 05mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 9/4$490
Mon 26/508:10SYD - CHC
1 stop14h 00mJetstar
Wed 4/608:20CHC - SYD
1 stop9h 55mJetstar
Deal found 11/4$515
Mon 12/508:30SYD - ZQN
Nonstop3h 00mMultiple Airlines
Sun 18/520:40ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 15mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 9/4$524
Mon 9/617:55SYD - CHC
Nonstop3h 10mAir New Zealand
Wed 11/610:30CHC - SYD
1 stop24h 15mAir New Zealand
Deal found 9/4$535
Sat 17/516:15SYD - ZQN
Nonstop3h 00mQantas Airways
Sat 24/507:05ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 25mQantas Airways
Deal found 9/4$583
Sun 11/518:55SYD - CHC
Nonstop3h 04mQantas Airways
Mon 26/516:40CHC - SYD
Nonstop3h 30mQantas Airways
Deal found 10/4$633
Thu 1/518:05SYD - ZQN
1 stop12h 20mAir New Zealand
Mon 5/515:25ZQN - SYD
Nonstop3h 20mAir New Zealand
Deal found 10/4$638
Mon 19/518:55SYD - DUD
1 stop12h 50mMultiple Airlines
Sat 24/518:45DUD - SYD
1 stop14h 45mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 10/4$687
Sat 7/618:45SYD - BHE
1 stop12h 20mMultiple Airlines
Sat 21/609:55BHE - SYD
1 stop9h 40mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 10/4$753

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 11 April 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

Wed 21/5

06:15-11:10

Nonstop2h 55m

Queenstown Intl

Sun 1/6

20:50-22:05

Nonstop3h 15m

$396

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sat 10/5

07:20-12:20

Nonstop3h 00m

Queenstown Intl

Mon 19/5

14:25-15:45

Nonstop3h 20m

$465

SydneyChristchurch

SYD - CHC

SYDCHC

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Mon 19/5

07:50-12:55

Nonstop3h 05m

Christchurch

Wed 21/5

17:45-19:05

Nonstop3h 20m

$482

SydneyChristchurch

SYD - CHC

SYDCHC

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Mon 19/5

11:50-21:15

1 stop7h 25m

Christchurch

Wed 21/5

20:30-09:35

1 stop15h 05m

$490

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Mon 12/5

08:30-13:30

Nonstop3h 00m

Queenstown Intl

Sun 18/5

20:40-21:55

Nonstop3h 15m

$524

SydneyChristchurch

SYD - CHC

SYDCHC

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Mon 9/6

17:55-23:05

Nonstop3h 10m

Christchurch

Wed 11/6

10:30-08:45

1 stop24h 15m

$535

SydneyChristchurch

SYD - CHC

SYDCHC

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Wed 14/5

09:05-19:55

1 stop8h 50m

Christchurch

Wed 21/5

08:20-13:50

1 stop7h 30m

$572

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sat 17/5

16:15-21:15

Nonstop3h 00m

Queenstown Intl

Sat 24/5

07:05-08:30

Nonstop3h 25m

$583

SydneyChristchurch

SYD - CHC

SYDCHC

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sun 27/7

18:55-23:59

Nonstop3h 04m

Christchurch

Sun 3/8

16:40-18:10

Nonstop3h 30m

$603

SydneyQueenstown

SYD - ZQN

SYDZQN

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Thu 1/5

18:05-08:25

1 stop12h 20m

Queenstown Intl

Mon 5/5

15:25-16:45

Nonstop3h 20m

$638

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 10/4

Showing 1-10 of 35 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 9 hours 50 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 Sunday evenings, when prices are typically cheapest. Budget-minded travellers will want to avoid Friday evenings, 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 Thursday (33 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Sunday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (16 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 $265

Jetstar

Jetstar

From $167

Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia

From $205

Qantas Airways

Qantas Airways

From $256

What are the cheapest airlines that fly to South Island?

The cheapest airlines flying from Sydney to South Island are Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways.

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 11 April 2025.
Get a feel of what it's like to fly with Fiji Airways, Emirates and Air New Zealand to South Island by reading reviews from past customers. 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.
Fiji Airways
8.0
Very Good
180 reviews
Check prices

Comfort

8.0

Food

7.5

Entertainment

7.5

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.5

Boarding

8.2

Reviews

1 / 15
6.0
Good

Anonymous,Dec 2024

NAN - LAX

Asked for water before dinner was served, didn’t get it. Dinner served but no drinks was asked or served with dinner. When asked if I wanted my seat made for bedtime, asked for water again. This time I got it. Filled the breakfast form but was still asked what I wanted. Comparing this experience with Fiji air flight from LA to Melbourne. Worse was missing my flight connection to Baltimore since Fiji air opted to wait for a passenger that couldn’t pass security. Instead of leaving at 9:40 pm, we left at 11. So spent overnight at a hotel for next day’s flight. Another expense!
Fiji Airways
8.0
Very Good
180 reviews
Fiji Airways
8.0
Very Good
180 reviews
Check prices

Comfort

8.0

Food

7.5

Entertainment

7.5

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.5

Boarding

8.2

Reviews

1 / 15
6.0
Good

Anonymous,Dec 2024

NAN - LAX

Asked for water before dinner was served, didn’t get it. Dinner served but no drinks was asked or served with dinner. When asked if I wanted my seat made for bedtime, asked for water again. This time I got it. Filled the breakfast form but was still asked what I wanted. Comparing this experience with Fiji air flight from LA to Melbourne. Worse was missing my flight connection to Baltimore since Fiji air opted to wait for a passenger that couldn’t pass security. Instead of leaving at 9:40 pm, we left at 11. So spent overnight at a hotel for next day’s flight. Another expense!
Emirates
8.0
Very Good
3,197 reviews
Fiji Airways
8.0
Very Good
180 reviews
Check prices

Comfort

8.0

Food

7.5

Entertainment

7.5

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.5

Boarding

8.2

Reviews

1 / 15
6.0
Good

Anonymous,Dec 2024

NAN - LAX

Asked for water before dinner was served, didn’t get it. Dinner served but no drinks was asked or served with dinner. When asked if I wanted my seat made for bedtime, asked for water again. This time I got it. Filled the breakfast form but was still asked what I wanted. Comparing this experience with Fiji air flight from LA to Melbourne. Worse was missing my flight connection to Baltimore since Fiji air opted to wait for a passenger that couldn’t pass security. Instead of leaving at 9:40 pm, we left at 11. So spent overnight at a hotel for next day’s flight. Another expense!
Air New Zealand
8.0
Very Good
463 reviews
Fiji Airways
8.0
Very Good
180 reviews
Check prices

Comfort

8.0

Food

7.5

Entertainment

7.5

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.5

Boarding

8.2

Reviews

1 / 15
6.0
Good

Anonymous,Dec 2024

NAN - LAX

Asked for water before dinner was served, didn’t get it. Dinner served but no drinks was asked or served with dinner. When asked if I wanted my seat made for bedtime, asked for water again. This time I got it. Filled the breakfast form but was still asked what I wanted. Comparing this experience with Fiji air flight from LA to Melbourne. Worse was missing my flight connection to Baltimore since Fiji air opted to wait for a passenger that couldn’t pass security. Instead of leaving at 9:40 pm, we left at 11. So spent overnight at a hotel for next day’s flight. Another expense!
Qantas Airways
7.5
Good
818 reviews
Fiji Airways
8.0
Very Good
180 reviews
Check prices

Comfort

8.0

Food

7.5

Entertainment

7.5

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.5

Boarding

8.2

Reviews

1 / 15
6.0
Good

Anonymous,Dec 2024

NAN - LAX

Asked for water before dinner was served, didn’t get it. Dinner served but no drinks was asked or served with dinner. When asked if I wanted my seat made for bedtime, asked for water again. This time I got it. Filled the breakfast form but was still asked what I wanted. Comparing this experience with Fiji air flight from LA to Melbourne. Worse was missing my flight connection to Baltimore since Fiji air opted to wait for a passenger that couldn’t pass security. Instead of leaving at 9:40 pm, we left at 11. So spent overnight at a hotel for next day’s flight. Another expense!
Virgin Australia
7.5
Good
396 reviews
Fiji Airways
8.0
Very Good
180 reviews
Check prices

Comfort

8.0

Food

7.5

Entertainment

7.5

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.5

Boarding

8.2

Reviews

1 / 15
6.0
Good

Anonymous,Dec 2024

NAN - LAX

Asked for water before dinner was served, didn’t get it. Dinner served but no drinks was asked or served with dinner. When asked if I wanted my seat made for bedtime, asked for water again. This time I got it. Filled the breakfast form but was still asked what I wanted. Comparing this experience with Fiji air flight from LA to Melbourne. Worse was missing my flight connection to Baltimore since Fiji air opted to wait for a passenger that couldn’t pass security. Instead of leaving at 9:40 pm, we left at 11. So spent overnight at a hotel for next day’s flight. Another expense!

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, Virgin Australia 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 $184, however they can be found for as little as $55.

  • 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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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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