Business-class award flights from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)
In the last 30 days AwardTool saw business-class award space on 6 programs for CNS→SFO. Lowest: 268,000 miles + $116.59 with American Airlines AAdvantage, which showed business-class award space on 4 dates. 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.
Prices observed – ; newest observation .
Page regenerated from the Nov 12, 2026 data snapshot (normally daily). Summary last changed . Seats change quickly.
- Lowest observed
- 268,000 miles + $116.59
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- Programs with space
- 6 of 6
- programs seen on this route
- Most dates seen
- 10 of 10
- dates checked · Air Canada Aeroplan
- Nonstop
- Not seen
- in the last 30 days
In business class, the lowest award seen was 268,000 miles + $116.59 with American Airlines AAdvantage, against 300,000 miles + $115.99 with United MileagePlus, 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).
Compare programs for business class
The lowest one-way business-class award each program showed on CNS→SFO, sorted by points.
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Atmos RewardsLowest, mixed cabin | 250,000 pts + $143.09Mixed cabin | 2 stops |  AS FJ QF | 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 |  NH SQ UA VA | 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 |
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.
Observed business-class award examples
| Departure | Program | Points + taxes | Seats | Stops | Observed (UTC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 268,000 pts + $116.59 | — | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| United MileagePlus | 300,000 pts + $134.99 | 3 | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 375,000 pts + $122.19 | — | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 397,477 pts + $200.30 | 1 | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 397,477 pts + $200.30 | 1 | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 400,000 pts + $136.59 | 1 | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| United MileagePlus | 400,000 pts + $117.19 | 5 | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 810,900 pts + $559.77 | 1 | 1 stop | 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.
How often business-class award space showed up
Departure dates in the next 365 days that AwardTool checked for each program in the last 30 days, how many had business-class award space at any price, and the latest departure with space.
| Program | Dates with space | Share of dates checked | Latest departure with space |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 2 of 10 | 20% | |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 4 of 13 | 30% | |
| United MileagePlus | 10 of 10 | 100% | |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 10 of 10 | 100% | |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 4 of 10 | 40% | |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 4 of 9 | 44% |
Business class compared with economy, by program
Each program's lowest one-way business-class and economy awards on CNS→SFO, in its own points or miles, and how many times the economy points the business-class award needed. — in the last column means one of the two is a mixed-cabin award or was not seen on 2 or more dates.
| Program | Business | Economy | Business ÷ economy points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 250,000 points + $143.09Mixed cabin | 42,500 points + $140.89 | — |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 268,000 miles + $116.59 | 40,000 miles + $120.89 | 6.7× |
| United MileagePlus | 300,000 miles + $115.99 | 60,000 miles + $115.79 | 5× |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 333,937 points + $206.10Mixed cabin | 55,679 points + $186.10 | — |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 620,000 points + $560.03 | 48,200 points + $153.35 | 13× |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 1,617,700 points + $130.65 | 59,900 points + $115.25 | 27× |
Best months for business class from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)
| Month | Lowest observed | Program | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 268,000 pts + $116.59 | American Airlines AAdvantage | 2 | |
| 300,000 pts + $134.99 | United MileagePlus | 2 | |
| 250,000 pts + $143.09Mixed cabin | Alaska Atmos Rewards | 1 |
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.
Lowest business class award by month and program
Each program's lowest one-way business-class award by departure month, in its own points or miles, with the taxes of that month's lowest award and the program's open dates that month under it. A price without taxes had none reported for that month. — means the program showed no business-class space that month.
| Program | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Atmos Rewardspoints | 400,000+ $136.59 · 1 date | — | 250,000+ $143.09 · 1 date · Mixed cabin |
| American Airlines AAdvantagemiles | 268,000+ $116.59 · 2 dates | 310,0001 date | 375,0001 date |
| United MileagePlusmiles | 400,000+ $117.19 · 5 dates | 300,000+ $134.99 · 2 dates | 300,0003 dates |
| Air Canada Aeroplanpoints | 397,477+ $200.30 · 5 dates | 372,4492 dates | 333,937+ $206.10 · 3 dates · Mixed cabin |
| Qantas Frequent Flyerpoints | 810,900+ $559.77 · 1 date | 663,7001 date | 620,000+ $560.03 · 2 dates |
| Virgin Australia Velocitypoints | — | 1,742,7001 date | 1,617,700+ $130.65 · 3 dates |
Airlines seen in business class
Airlines that appeared on the award itineraries AwardTool observed, and the programs that showed them.
- American Airlines (AA): American Airlines AAdvantage
- Air Canada (AC): Air Canada Aeroplan
- Alaska Airlines (AS): Alaska Atmos Rewards
- Fiji Airways (FJ): Alaska Atmos Rewards and American Airlines AAdvantage
- ANA (NH): United MileagePlus
- Qantas (QF): Alaska Atmos Rewards and Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Singapore Airlines (SQ): United MileagePlus and Air Canada Aeroplan
- United Airlines (UA): United MileagePlus and Air Canada Aeroplan
- Virgin Australia (VA): United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan and Virgin Australia Velocity
Business class on nearby routes
The lowest business-class award AwardTool observed on related routes, as each route's page shows it: the return direction, other airports in the same cities, and more routes from Cairns (CNS) and to San Francisco (SFO). One way, in the program's points or miles, with that award's taxes when the data has them.
| Route | Lowest observed | Program | Dates seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (SFO) to Cairns (CNS)Return direction | 300,000 miles + $49.30Mixed cabin | United MileagePlus | 8 |
| Cairns (CNS) to Sydney (SYD)Also from CNS | 15,000 points + $48.80Nonstop | Alaska Atmos Rewards | 282 |
| Cairns (CNS) to Brisbane (BNE)Also from CNS | 20,000 miles + $27.60Nonstop | American Airlines AAdvantage | 12 |
| Cairns (CNS) to Melbourne (MEL)Also from CNS | 20,000 miles + $27.30Nonstop | American Airlines AAdvantage | 11 |
| Cairns (CNS) to Perth (PER)Also from CNS | 49,500 points + $58.81 | Virgin Australia Velocity | 316 |
| London Heathrow (LHR) to San Francisco (SFO)Also to SFO | 39,655 miles + $1,622.59 | Lufthansa Miles & More | 270 |
| Madrid (MAD) to San Francisco (SFO)Also to SFO | 27,111 miles + $966.59 | Lufthansa Miles & More | 141 |
| Barcelona (BCN) to San Francisco (SFO)Also to SFO | 27,111 miles + $965.49 | Lufthansa Miles & More | 183 |
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.
Questions about business-class award flights from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)
How many points for business class from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)?
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 programs had business-class award space from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)?
Alaska Atmos Rewards (2 dates), American Airlines AAdvantage (4 dates), United MileagePlus (10 dates), Air Canada Aeroplan (10 dates), Qantas Frequent Flyer (4 dates) and Virgin Australia Velocity (4 dates), in the last 30 days.
Can you fly business class nonstop from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO) on points?
AwardTool hasn't observed nonstop business-class award space on this route in the last 30 days. That doesn't mean nonstop space never appears.
How much are taxes and fees on business-class award flights from Cairns (CNS) to San Francisco (SFO)?
Taxes and fees on each program's lowest award ranged 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.
What's the best month to fly business class 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, the lowest business-class award AwardTool observed 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.