Award flights from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)
In the last 30 days AwardTool saw award space on 6 programs for CNS→SFO. Lowest economy: 40,000 miles + $120.89 (American Airlines AAdvantage). Lowest business class: 268,000 miles + $116.59 (American Airlines AAdvantage); mixed cabin from 250,000 points + $143.09 (Alaska Atmos Rewards). Lowest first class: 250,000 points + $143.09 (Alaska Atmos Rewards) on a mixed-cabin itinerary.
In economy, the lowest award seen was 40,000 miles + $120.89 with American Airlines AAdvantage, against 42,500 points + $140.89 with Alaska Atmos Rewards, the next-lowest program. With American Airlines AAdvantage, business class started at 268,000 miles + $116.59, about 6.7 times the points of its lowest economy award (40,000 miles + $120.89).
Prices observed – ; newest observation .
Page regenerated from the Nov 12, 2026 data snapshot (normally daily). Summary last changed . Seats change quickly.
Compare programs by cabin
The lowest one-way award each program showed in each cabin, sorted by points.
Economy
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantageLowest observed | 40,000 pts + $120.89 | 2 stops |  AA AS FJ QF | — | 8 | See dates | |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 42,500 pts + $140.89 | 2 stops | ASFJQF | 9+ | 6 | See dates | |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 48,200 pts + $153.35 | 2 stops | AAASFJQF | 1 | 7 | See dates | |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 55,679 pts + $186.10 | 2 stops |  AC SQ UA VA | 9+ | 10 | See dates | |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 59,900 pts + $115.25 | 1 stop |  NHSQUAVA | 9+ | 6 | See dates | |
| United MileagePlus | 60,000 pts + $115.79 | 2 stops | AC BRNHSQ+2 | 9+ | 10 | See dates |
Premium Economy
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United MileagePlusLowest observed | 77,000 pts + $112.99 | 1 stop | BRNHSQUA+1 | 3 | 10 | See dates | |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 172,529 pts + $210.60 | 3 stops | ACUAVA | 8 | 9 | See dates | |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 300,600 pts + $268.98 | 1 stop | QF | 1 | 4 | See dates |
Not seen in premium economy: American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Atmos Rewards and Virgin Australia Velocity.
Business Class
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Atmos RewardsLowest, mixed cabin | 250,000 pts + $143.09Mixed cabin | 2 stops | ASFJQF | 2 | 2 | See dates | |
| American Airlines AAdvantageLowest observed | 268,000 pts + $116.59 | 1 stop | AAFJ | — | 4 | See dates | |
| United MileagePlus | 300,000 pts + $115.99 | 1 stop | NHSQUAVA | 2 | 10 | See dates | |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 333,937 pts + $206.10Mixed cabin | 3 stops | ACSQUAVA | 2 | 10 | See dates | |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 620,000 pts + $560.03 | 1 stop | QF | 1 | 4 | See dates | |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 1,617,700 pts + $130.65 | 1 stop | VA | 4 | 4 | See dates |
First Class
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Atmos RewardsLowest, mixed cabin | 250,000 pts + $143.09Mixed cabin | 2 stops | ASFJQF | 4 | 6 | See dates | |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 476,151 pts + $193.20 | 3 stops | ACUAVA | 1 | 1 | See dates |
Not seen in first class: American Airlines AAdvantage, Qantas Frequent Flyer, United MileagePlus and Virgin Australia Velocity.
Not seen means AwardTool hasn't observed this cabin on this route in the last 30 days. It doesn't mean the airline has no seats. Dates seen counts departure dates with an open award in that cabin at any price; newest observation is the latest time AwardTool saw one of them. Seats is the count the program reported when we observed it; some programs report at most 9.
Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO) at a glance
- From
- Cairns International, Cairns, Australia (CNS)
- To
- San Francisco International, San Francisco, California, United States (SFO)
- Programs with award space seen
- 6 of 6 programs tracked on this route
- Nonstop award space seen
- Not seen in the last 30 days
- Airlines seen on these awards
- American Airlines (AA), Air Canada (AC), Alaska Airlines (AS), EVA Air (BR), Fiji Airways (FJ), ANA (NH), Qantas (QF), Singapore Airlines (SQ), United Airlines (UA), Virgin Australia (VA)
- Departures with open awards
- Dec 2026 to May 2027
- Most dates with space
- 10 of 10 departure dates checked (Air Canada Aeroplan, economy)
- Latest departure with space
- Observation window
- Awards observed in the last 30 days
- Distance
- 7,024 miles (11,304 km), great-circle
- Destination guide
- Award flights to San Francisco (SFO)
Observed award examples
| Departure | Cabin | Program | Points + taxes | Seats | Stops | Observed (UTC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | Alaska Atmos Rewards | 60,000 pts + $144.29 | 9+ | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| Economy | Virgin Australia Velocity | 65,900 pts + $146.15 | 2 | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| Premium Economy | United MileagePlus | 77,000 pts + $117.19 | 9+ | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| Business | American Airlines AAdvantage | 268,000 pts + $116.59 | — | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| Business | Qantas Frequent Flyer | 810,900 pts + $559.77 | 1 | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| First | Alaska Atmos Rewards | 300,000 pts + $144.29 | 2 | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| First | Air Canada Aeroplan | 476,151 pts + $193.20 | 1 | 3 stops | Check this date |
Prices are one-way per traveler: the program's points or miles plus taxes and carrier fees in USD, as AwardTool observed them in the observation window. Award space changes constantly. A seat we saw may be gone, and space we haven't seen may exist. Always confirm with a live search before transferring points; most transfers can't be reversed.
Best months to fly from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO) on points
| Month | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60,000 pts + $144.29 (1 date)Atmos | 77,000 pts + $117.19 (5 dates)MileagePlus | 268,000 pts + $116.59 (2 dates)AAdvantage | 300,000 pts + $144.29 (2 dates)Atmos | |
| 40,000 pts + taxes not reported (2 dates)AAdvantage | 77,000 pts + taxes not reported (2 dates)MileagePlus | 300,000 pts + $134.99 (2 dates)MileagePlus | 300,000 pts + taxes not reported (1 date)Atmos | |
| 52,500 pts + taxes not reported (1 date)AAdvantage | — | — | — | |
| 40,000 pts + taxes not reported (3 dates)AAdvantage | 77,000 pts + taxes not reported (3 dates)MileagePlus | 250,000 pts + $143.09 (1 date)Atmos · Mixed cabin | 250,000 pts + $143.09 (3 dates)Atmos · Mixed cabin |
A month's taxes are those of an award AwardTool recorded at that month's lowest price for a departure that month. “Taxes not reported” means the data has none for that month; the award still has taxes and fees.
Points that transfer to these programs
| Program | Amex | Bilt | Capital One | Chase | Citi | Wells Fargo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | — | — |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | — | 1:1 · ~1 day | — | — | — | — |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | — | — | — | — | 1:1 · Instant | — |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 · Instant | — | 1:1 · ~1-2 days | — | 1:1 · Instant | — |
| United MileagePlus | — | 1:1 · Instant | — | 1:1 · Instant | — | — |
Check current transfer bonuses. Most transfers can't be reversed. AwardTool's list has no transfers from these US card programs to Virgin Australia Velocity.
Search, calendar and alerts from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)
Route calendar
Every departure date with open award seats on CNS→SFO for Air Canada Aeroplan and the other programs: a limited window on the free plan and 365 days with Pro.
Open the route calendarLive search
Search one date across programs to see current flights, seats and taxes before you transfer points.
Search Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)How many miles or points you need from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)
- In economy, American Airlines AAdvantage had the lowest observed award, 40,000 miles + $120.89; see how many miles you need with American Airlines AAdvantage.
- In premium economy, United MileagePlus had the lowest observed award, 77,000 miles + $112.99; see how many miles you need with United MileagePlus.
- In business class, American Airlines AAdvantage had the lowest observed award, 268,000 miles + $116.59, apart from a mixed-cabin award from 250,000 points + $143.09 with Alaska Atmos Rewards; see how many miles you need with American Airlines AAdvantage.
- In first class, Alaska Atmos Rewards had the lowest observed award, 250,000 points + $143.09, a mixed-cabin award; see how many points you need with Alaska Atmos Rewards.
Questions about award flights from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)
How many points does it take to fly from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)?
The lowest economy award AwardTool has seen was 40,000 miles + $120.89 with American Airlines AAdvantage. American Airlines AAdvantage showed economy award space on 8 departure dates at any price (newest observation Nov 6, 2026, 03:41 UTC). The lowest business-class award AwardTool has seen was 268,000 miles + $116.59 with American Airlines AAdvantage. Seen Nov 2, 2026, 21:14 UTC for a Dec 5, 2026 departure. American Airlines AAdvantage showed business-class award space on 4 departure dates at any price (newest observation Nov 6, 2026, 03:41 UTC). A mixed-cabin itinerary, with part of the trip in a lower cabin, was seen from 250,000 points + $143.09 with Alaska Atmos Rewards. Search live before transferring points.
Which loyalty programs had award space from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)?
6 programs in the last 30 days: American Airlines AAdvantage (economy 8 dates, business class 4 dates); Air Canada Aeroplan (economy 10 dates, premium economy 9 dates, business class 10 dates, first class 1 date); Alaska Atmos Rewards (economy 6 dates, business class 2 dates, first class 6 dates); Qantas Frequent Flyer (economy 7 dates, premium economy 4 dates, business class 4 dates); United MileagePlus (economy 10 dates, premium economy 10 dates, business class 10 dates); Virgin Australia Velocity (economy 6 dates, business class 4 dates). Dates count departure dates with an open award.
Can you fly nonstop from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO) on points?
AwardTool hasn't observed nonstop award space on this route in the last 30 days. The awards it saw connected with 1 to 3 stops on itineraries including American Airlines, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines and EVA Air. That doesn't mean nonstop space never appears.
How much are taxes and fees on award flights from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)?
Taxes and fees on each program's lowest award ranged in economy from $115.25 with Velocity (59,900 points + $115.25) to $186.10 with Aeroplan (55,679 points + $186.10); in business class from $115.99 with MileagePlus (300,000 miles + $115.99) to $560.03 with Qantas (620,000 points + $560.03). Amounts are one way per traveler in USD and can differ on other dates and routings.
Which credit card points can book awards from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)?
American Express Membership Rewards: Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1), Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1). Bilt Rewards: Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1), Alaska Atmos Rewards (1:1), United MileagePlus (1:1). Capital One Miles: Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1), Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1). Chase Ultimate Rewards: Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1), United MileagePlus (1:1). Citi ThankYou Points: American Airlines AAdvantage (1:1), Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1). These are US card programs; ratios come from AwardTool's transfer partner list. Check current bonuses first.
What's the best month to fly from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO) on points?
Counting only month prices from programs with award space on 2 or more dates that month, and leaving out unusually low outliers: in economy, the lowest award was for May 2027 departures, 40,000 miles + taxes not reported with AAdvantage (3 dates); in business class, the lowest award was for Dec 2026 departures, 268,000 miles + $116.59 with AAdvantage (2 dates). The month table shows every lowest price, including those. Based on dates we observed, not a forecast.
When do award seats open for flights from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)?
Booking windows before departure published by the programs with award space here (AwardTool's program data, reviewed Nov 6, 2026): Air Canada Aeroplan about 355 days, Qantas Frequent Flyer about 353 days, United MileagePlus about 337 days and 2 other programs. AwardTool saw award space on this route for departures as late as May 25, 2027; seats can open earlier or later, and released seats may already be booked. See award release dates by program.