Cheap Flights to Queenstown

Why Travel to Queenstown? 

Queenstown is a South Island adventure and scenic hotspot. It has world class adrenaline sports (bungy jumping, jet-boating, heli-flights and canyoning), close proximity to winter sports (alpine skiing and mountain biking in season) and fantastic scenery (lake-and-mountain views that make even a walking adventure memorable). Also, Queenstown is both adrenaline driven and relaxing activities, prestigious wine, cosy establishments for food and wine, boat rides and historical visits of high country farms. 

It suits those who want a thrill, food/wine lovers and families alike. Lord of the Rings fans will know the movie landscapes in the immediate vicinity, and photographers will chase sunrise and star-filled nights in places few other towns can match. To add to this energetic town centre, it has a hub of cafes, festivals and arts. You see why so many people book their flights to Queenstown because it has an irresistible combination of epic outdoors and relaxed city-living sophistication.

How to Find the Cheapest Flights to Queenstown 

There are a number of ways to find cheap flights to Queenstown, with one of the most convenient being to sign up to the Oceans Travel newsletter and use our flight search tool to track Queenstown flight deals. These will help you see when fares may have dropped on popular inbound routes. For example, to Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, and London. Be open to your travel dates! Certain months, such as May or early spring, are used to target the shoulder season, and departing during weekdays (like in Tuesdays or Wednesdays). This can allow you to save up to 20% of the costs compared to traveling along the weekends. 

To find the best fare on long-haul itineraries, look at combining and matching one way flights (e.g. London to Auckland via one carrier and Auckland to Queenstown via another) to allow greater savings than what you might immediately get through a return. Finally, consider open-jaw or multi-city tickets in case visiting more than one NZ location during the same trip. It can sometimes save you on the overall fare whilst providing more flexibility in your itinerary

When to Visit Queenstown

The best time to visit Queenstown, New Zealand, late spring through early autumn (November–April). This is when the weather is perfectly mild and the activity crowds are less. Furthermore, you have a better chance of getting cheap flights to Queenstown and accommodation offers. Winter (June-September when there is a peak snow in July-August) is the best time to be with ski lovers searching for fresh powder and alpine landscapes. Particularly in the area of "The Remarkables" and "Coronet Peak", but with much higher prices and accommodation.

Summer (December-February) has more long and warm days. It is an ideal time to visit if you want to hike, explore the lake or the wineries. Making it family friendly and ideal to casual visitors as well. The shoulder months are favourite for adventurers and photographers when it comes to fewer people and the beautiful transition of seasons. Regardless of your travel style, the most affordable and flexible way to select flights to Queenstown is to target those shoulder months, like May.

New Zealand is located in the Southern Hemisphere, so its seasons are opposite those in the Northern Hemisphere. Including Europe, North America, and most of Asia. For example, when it is summer in Queenstown (Dec-Feb), it will be winter in the Northern Hemisphere. This is something you need to consider when planning your trip.

Most Popular Routes and Airlines

Queenstown Airport (ZQN)'s most popular route is Auckland to Queenstown route. It serves approximately 71 flights a week or around 40% of the traffic to Queenstown airport. Air New Zealand is the main operator on this route with Jetstar providing services as well. Other domestic routes that are busy are the Christchurch and Wellington connecting flights that are dependable to inbound passengers.

Internationally the most popular gates are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The main carriers are Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Qantas, Fiji Airways and Virgin Australia. A small number of long-haul passengers transit in Asia. Such as Hong Kong, Los Angeles, or Dubai, usually switching in Auckland or in the Australian hubs. Long-haul customers travelling to North America or Europe tend to transfer at Auckland, or via hub cities in Australia. With Air New Zealand offering schedules that point LAX and other North American destinations to Queenstown. So the connections to the rest of the world are likely to be stopovers. In general, when flying to Queenstown, the most convenient and frequent flights are to be found out of major New Zealand or east-Australian capitals.

Top Things to See and Do in Queenstown

Queenstown has a lot of attractive sites to visit that your memories will never forget. Jump off the original bungee jumping bridge in Kawarau Bridge or ride a jet-boat in the misty-looking Shotover Gorge. Take a flight in a helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft over the alps to see glaciers or ski on alpine terrain. Ride the Gondola up Bobs Peak for panoramic views and why not explore interactive experiences in local film studios (hello LOTR!). Glide across Lake Wakatipu on a vintage steamship or stomp the trails to get some world-class hiking and mountain-biking.

Wine and food enthusiasts should not miss a lunch at one of the vineyards with lake views. In winter, you can ski down the slopes at "Coronet Peak" or "The Remarkables". And at other times of the year you can glide down the "Skyline" luge with the family. Along with, sky diving to see spectacular views, or go on an outing on the Central Otago wine tour and on the lake cruise. These activities make Queenstown a hub to a larger experience. When you book flights to Queenstown consider that most people base their visit on the season that fits their main interest. Such as, skiing in winter, hiking and cruises in the shoulder months. So you get the best mix of weather, availability and value.

Neighbourhoods and Surroundings

Queenstown is surrounded by small towns and compact lakeside suburbs with each community offering a different pace. Frankton is located beside the airport and marina. It is the local transport and services centre. Kelvin Heights is quieter, up-market in terms of housing style and has more of a golf course atmosphere. Jack's Point is a more recent residential development and golf-estate style environment with access to easy trails. Arthur`s Point and Shotover Country are better suited to those who want rapid mountain access and near-town convenience. 

Lake Hayes and its environs is more scenery-oriented with a more rural feel but still within a close reach of the city. A very short drive opens up the options of larger towns and bases to explore the area. For example, Arrowtown (historic gold-rush Village with local shops), Glenorchy at the north end of the lake (gives a more remote feel base). Along with, Kingston to the south, and the larger resort town of Wanaka about an hour drive away. So, the people who have booked flights to Queenstown and wondering where to stay, can change the pace and use this as useful planning for the visit.