When is the best time to fly to Christchurch?
Peak season
Christchurch’s peak tourist season coincides with the summer holiday months of December through to February, when warm temperatures and clear skies are the norm and local tourists are on their annual vacation. Accommodation and flight tickets can get booked out and crowds experienced at many of the city’s most popular tourist destinations. The Easter weekend is another particularly busy time, while the surrounding ski fields see their peak conditions and biggest crowds over the winter months of June through to August.
Off season
Both Spring and Autumn are quieter times to visit Christchurch when the weather is still warm and good accommodation and flight deals can be found. Changing leaves throughout the city’s historic streets are beautiful from March through to May, while its reputation as the “Garden City” is evident during the Spring flower blooms from September through to November.
When is the best time to book a flight to Christchurch?
If you book well in advance of your travel dates, you can often find cheap flights to Christchurch throughout the year, but an increased demand throughout the Summer school holidays and Easter break makes prices go up. For the cheapest flights to Christchurch, opt to travel during the Spring or Autumn months, and weekday flight tickets are often slightly cheaper than weekends.
How long is the flight to Christchurch?
Flights from Auckland to Christchurch 1h 20m
Flights from Wellington to Christchurch 55m
Flights from Dunedin to Christchurch 1h 5m
Flights from Rotorua to Christchurch 1h 45m
Flights from Queenstown to Christchurch 1h 5m
Which airlines operate to Christchurch?
There are multiple daily flights to Christchurch from both Auckland and Wellington with Air New Zealand and Jetstar. Of these two airlines, Jetstar tends to offer the cheapest flights to Christchurch, particularly if you only have carry-on luggage, but there are good deals available with Air New Zealand if you book early. There are also multiple daily flights to Christchurch from Dunedin, Rotorua and Queenstown with Air New Zealand.
How to get from the airport to the city centre?
The Christchurch Airport is located 12 kilometres northwest of the city centre in the suburb of Harewood.There are regular local buses that connect the Christchurch Airport to the city centre along a number of different routes. They depart from outside the international arrival terminal and take around 30 minutes, and tickets can be purchased from the driver.
There is also a free Airport Hopper bus that operates from the airport’s long term carpark, departing every 30 minutes and taking 10 minutes.
For door to door service, there is a Super Shuttle which meets every flight coming into Christchurch Airport with tickets available online or from the driver, as well as metered taxis that offer the fastest option.