$942 Find Cheap Flights to Istanbul

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight to Istanbul departing on 15/5. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Istanbul

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to Istanbul
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to Istanbul
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Everything you should know

Cheapest return fare
$1,597
Overall average: $2,231
China Southern
Sun 19/7Sat 25/7
AKL - IST • 2 stops
Cheapest one-way flight
$942
Typical prices: $967-$1,265
Multiple Airlines
Fri 15/5
AKL - IST • 3 stops
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KAYAK searches hundreds of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Istanbul!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights to Istanbul

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights to Istanbul that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent return flight deals to Istanbul

Sun, 19 Jul - Sat, 25 Jul
China Southern Logo
21:20 - 06:35
AKL
-
IST
42h 15m
2 stops
China Southern Logo
00:30 - 15:40
IST
-
AKL
30h 10m
1 stop
$1,597China Southern
Tue, 12 May - Tue, 9 Jun
China Southern Logo
21:20 - 06:35
AKL
-
IST
42h 15m
2 stops
China Southern Logo
15:30 - 06:30
IST
-
AKL
30h 00m
2 stops
$1,606China Southern
Mon, 3 Aug - Mon, 17 Aug
China Southern Logo
09:00 - 07:15
AKL
-
IST
31h 15m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
14:20 - 15:40
IST
-
AKL
40h 20m
1 stop
$1,648China Southern
Tue, 7 Jul - Thu, 30 Jul
China Southern Logo
21:20 - 07:15
AKL
-
IST
42h 55m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
14:20 - 06:30
IST
-
AKL
31h 10m
1 stop
$1,650China Southern
Wed, 6 May - Mon, 11 May
China Southern Logo
21:20 - 07:15
AKL
-
IST
42h 55m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
00:30 - 15:40
IST
-
AKL
30h 10m
1 stop
$1,658China Southern
Mon, 3 Aug - Mon, 17 Aug
China Southern Logo
09:00 - 06:35
AKL
-
IST
30h 35m
2 stops
China Southern Logo
15:30 - 15:40
IST
-
AKL
39h 10m
2 stops
$1,663China Southern
Mon, 20 Apr - Mon, 27 Apr
Multiple Airlines Logo
08:55 - 11:50
AKL
-
SAW
35h 55m
3 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
07:55 - 23:30
SAW
-
AKL
30h 35m
3 stops
$2,098Multiple Airlines
Sat, 2 May - Tue, 16 Jun
Turkish Airlines Logo
15:35 - 11:40
CHC
-
IST
29h 05m
2 stops
Turkish Airlines Logo
16:55 - 23:55
IST
-
CHC
46h 00m
2 stops
$2,258Turkish Airlines
Wed, 29 Apr - Tue, 15 Sep
Turkish Airlines Logo
06:10 - 11:40
CHC
-
IST
38h 30m
2 stops
Turkish Airlines Logo
16:55 - 14:35
IST
-
CHC
36h 40m
2 stops
$2,259Turkish Airlines
Sat, 2 May - Tue, 16 Jun
Turkish Airlines Logo
06:10 - 11:40
CHC
-
IST
38h 30m
2 stops
Turkish Airlines Logo
16:55 - 23:55
IST
-
CHC
46h 00m
2 stops
$2,263Turkish Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to Istanbul

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights to Istanbul to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

How far in advance should I book a flight to Istanbul?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights to Istanbul, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 91 days before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in Istanbul?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in Istanbul is Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport, with an average flight price of $191.

Good to know – Book Cheap Istanbul Plane Tickets

Cheapest flight$942
Flight from Auckland to Istanbul Airport

When to book flights to Istanbul

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel to Istanbul based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated return price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or returns with a duration up to 40 days. The information is for flights to Istanbul based on your location. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs - booking Istanbul flights

  • Which Istanbul airport is closest to central Istanbul?

    32 km away from Istanbul’s city centre, Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport is the closest of the 2 major airports in the city. There are 34 km separating Istanbul city centre to Istanbul Airport.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights to Istanbul?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights to Istanbul.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket to Istanbul?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Istanbul is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights to Istanbul?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Istanbul with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight to Istanbul?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Istanbul up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Istanbul

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Istanbul flight deals.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying to Istanbul

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to Istanbul. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from New Zealand to Istanbul. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with to Istanbul? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.1
EmiratesOverall score based on 3540 reviews
8.1Boarding
8.0Comfort
7.9Food
8.2Entertainment
8.4Crew
Airline reviews

Flight and entertainment great. Food needs to be improved, only one choice on the menu. Staff worked well throughout.

8.0 ExcellentRoy, Feb 2026
DXB - STN
Read more Emirates reviews

Flight and entertainment great. Food needs to be improved, only one choice on the menu. Staff worked well throughout.

Chaos at the gate while boarding - no clear signs or announcements

The crew were absolutely fantastic. They actively asked if passengers wanted refills and if they were comfortable. I was extremely impressed.

I liked everything: the service, the food, the cleanness. I flew last year with Qatar Airways, so I can compare. Emirates did much better! Especially their meals and service.

Emirates did great! I liked the service, the food, cleanness, and the flight was on time. Much better airline than Qatar Airways I flew with last year.

The main issue was that the flight from trivandrum to Dubai was delayed which resulted in arriving late in Dubai. Coincidentally the flight leaving out of Dubai to jfk was also delayed for different reason. Despite we reached the gate ( through wheel chair assistance) along with 10 other passengers we were not let in. The gate was open and yet was refrained from entering. We were then requested to flight the next morning. Meal vouchers were provided but the hotel reservations were not made and took a lot longer to receive that. If Emirates knew about the delay and was certain the passengers will not be able to board the next flight shouldn't they have prepared these ahead of time?

The plane was old so the entertainment system was difficult to operate. The crew did advise earlier. The plane was landed and parked away from the gates, which added 20+ mins to the overall arrival

There is an issue with A380 when it arrives in Munich, because a business class passengers like me have to wait for the first class passengers to disembark, which takes some time while you are also offloading economy passengers this causes an issue at customs where your business class passengers end up behind a large bulk of economy passengers This is a frustration and the early dislocation should be and is supposed to be a benefit of business class

I would have liked less packaged snacky stuff, more fruit. The crew was great.

Emirates A380s are always wonderful to fly on. Their crews, food and service are always excellent. They are typically on time and the only thing I would change (maybe newer or upgraded aircraft have this) is bluetooth so I can pair my noise cancelling headphones without a cable.

My journey with Qatar Airways from Ahmedabad to Jacksonville on 3rd February 2026 was truly exceptional. The entire experience reflected comfort, care, and world-class service. Complimentary high-quality Wi-Fi throughout the journey was a welcome luxury, especially on a long-haul flight. The vegetarian meals were thoughtfully prepared, delicious, and served with attention to detail, along with a fine selection of snacks and beverages. What truly elevated the experience was the cabin crew — graceful, courteous, and genuinely attentive, delivering outstanding hospitality at every step. This journey perfectly showcased the premium standard Qatar Airways is known for, and it left a lasting impression. I would gladly fly with them again.

The boarding experience did not follow the Zones that were listed on the boarding passes. This was a two-level aircraft with many passengers. Because zones were not called out by the airline staff, there was simply a mob trying to board and it was not a pleasant experience.

Flight departed punctually on time. Unfortunately it seems because the destination airport is a secondary airport the airline sees it fit to operate a plane with lower comfort and offerings. There was no inflight entertainment, wifi or let alone a screen to at least track flight status for remaining flight time.

Nice airline. I was in a really weird seat which had extra leg room, but no basket or stowage. And the people next to me were pretty noisy during the flight, so it was hard to rest. I wish staff came around to pick up trash more often as I had no where to put it except my lap or the floor.

It was very good. It was a long flight and being a tight with little leg room.

I am a big person and have back pain and swelling in my legs, so this was a challenging flight due to confined space. I didn't find the crew very friendly either. I will think twice before flying long distances with Qatar again, due to the lack of legroom.

I wish I knew in advance that the connecting flight was by indigo air

Plane was good Crew was good Food was just ok Could have had more entertainment options But overall good

Excellent service. The personal adaptation of menus and the individual timing of service of them is fantastic.

no qatar did noting wrong Kayak messed up my whole vacation . Went early to check in at The Cairo, Egypt airport to find our I had not tickets to board , Kayak and/or Affirm never sent the money for my flight that I paid for and booked. So I had no flight at 12am in a foreign country and I had to scramble and find anther very costly other option just so that could fly home. Fucken horrible experience.

did not get a notification about seat selection ahead of time. We didn't end up sitting together.

I was denied boarding at the Brisbane airport and it seems like I won’t get any refunds from the airline

In my return flight they couldn’t identify my ticket or boarding pass, I had to go to 3 different counters until I was able to get my boarding pass. The food was on, it was the bear minimum. They didn’t even recognise that I was a Muslim and can’t eat meat, chicken or pork. In one of the trays I believe they served me pork. The staff were very pleasant, but they need to be aware of their surroundings more carefully, one of them stuck her lower belly right into my face! I was shocked and very uncomfortable.

Overall I had good experience with China Southern airline. Nothing to claim. I hoped they could improve the meal quality that is.

Wow very impressed by the quality and attentiveness of service of China Southern. Lived the blankets! Will definitely fly with them again. Despite language barriers, a few attendants know enough English to understand our rudimentary Mandarin and respond to basic questions. Although they don’t explain the beverage and meal service on the website or ticketing documents, they offered regular beverage cart and snacks during the beginning hours and end hours of the long, transoceanic flight. A full meal at the beginning and end of the flight as well, and a midflight small sandwich (dinner roll sized) but we weren’t hungry and didn’t try that one. The expectation is that every sleeps during the middle of the flight. We were on a “redeye” departure from LAX with a morning arrival in China, so I don’t know if this service pattern is the same for other flights. The domestic flight we took from Guangzhou to Harbin offered conventional refreshments and meals like a US flight service. Note that they didn’t offer diet sodas. If you like to stay hydrated, I recommend bringing plenty of your own. It is served in small cups like any other drink. You can ask for a bottle but they’re tiny - about 6 ounces.

China Southern was not the problem. I booked my flight through Kayak and also received a booking reference and alert details regarding departure time and gate numbers… however Kayak NEVER actually booked my flight! We were stranded at the airport without a flight for a long awaited holiday!

The connection between LA and Atlanta was too much stress

Terrible boarding experience,,food is very poor that I I . Never going book this airline again.

The crew were kind, patient and responsive. The service was excellent, even though we travelled the cheapest economy class. We arrived at our destination 40 min early, which for a 15+ hour flight is a great bonus. The boarding seemed a bit "loose", but got us boarded on time, and the plane was off exactly @ 0:30 hrs.

The airport didn‘t give me the ticket. I called customer service to ask for a refund but they kept giving me a perfunctory response and refused to refund me.

Surprised for charged $341.00 FOR my luggage. THY opportunist, taken advantage of the people not knowing luggage must be paid.. I flew 7 months ago with Lufthansa same place to Los Angeles my family lives and work in L.A. no luggage PAYS BIG zero .. I WILL NEVER TAKE ANY FLIGHTS ✈️ FROM TURKISH AIRLINES EVER AGAIN 😒 Please Don't recommend TURKISH Airlines to nobody.. I am a retired person. With very limited S.S. check for a month..$341.00 is my kitchen expenses for at list 5 weeks i am a vegetarian salads and sandwiches.. thank you very much for your investigation asking my experience about the flight with ROTTEN Airlines 😀

Business Class pods are horrible. If you're petite, you might be able to sleep on the uncomfortable seat and bed. Crew and food are fantastic.

I have travelled many times on Turkish, but they always board at least 30-40 minutes past the stated time. If informed properly, passengers can choose to spend more time in the .lounge instead of standing around by the gate waiting to board. The new lounge at DFW was a big disappointment. The aircraft itself was a shock. In the past I have flown this sector with regular business class seating configuration of 1-2-1, The 2-3-2 seating is very disappointing after paying such high prices for tickets. The DFW to Istanbul segment was slightly better, but the Istanbul to Delhi segment was no better than premium economy. I will try to travel more on airlines which give business class passengers more value for their money.

Very Bad experience bqz I was missed my next flight.

Good overall. Seat spacing a bit tight between IST and ISB.

Excellent staff despite some trying passenger situations. Very impressed with their good attitudes and kindness.

Awful experience in Indigo, check in lines were very long with inadequate staffing. Had to wait in a warm stuffy plane on the tarmac as the flight was delayed.

They have adopted a crazy "no paper boarding passes at all cost policy". We spent half an our at the checkin stall – my elderly mother and her grandchildren were flying. She had no phone reception for some reason (besides being an inexperienced smartphone user), the kids had dumbphones, And they still won't issue a paper boarding pass. We had to do a lengthy dance with getting the boarding pass SMS on my phone and transferring them to her phone via WiFi. This was horrible, honestly. I can't imagine how they could manage it without me being there. Trees (and airline profits) should be less important than people.

Crew were unfriendly, touch screen for movies didn't work very well, seats were tight and uncomfortable

It was disapointing during the wait in Cancun. It took several hours to clean and they told us during that time we could not stand, use the bathroom, have service etc.

The ticket was last minute buy so no concerns about the pricing this time, but the crew in general could have been more accommodating, helpful.

CTU-KMG-CNX with 1.5 hr connection at KMG. Doable but just barely bc immigration exit from China is at the last flight leg, here: KMG to CNX. We hauled out of the domestic terminal to reenter at the international departures (luggage checked thru to CNX thankfully). Immigration had only two agents, even though KMG gets a HUGE number of foreigners. It took forever for such a shot line. Then security also took a while, so I just just made the connection. Recommend if you exit China with domestic international transfer, plan for 2+ hrs to avoid a heart attack. Airline personnel don’t suffer if you miss the flight, you do. Plan accordingly.

China Eastern as a member of Sky Alliance airlines should have the same standards overall of their partners, Besides the seats comforts everything else is bellow the standard for a business class travelers. A BIG ISSUE FOR NON-CHINESE PASSENGERS IS THE ABILITY TO CHECK IN ONLINE, by making so difficult or almost impossible there is no chance to get a seat assignment ahead of time then go to the airport and get what is left. THIS IS NOT a SKY TEAM modality.

China Eastern as a member of Sky Alliance airlines should have the same standards overall of their partners, Besides the seats comforts everything else is bellow the standard for a business class travelers.

2 parts to the journey. First leg covered in a newer plane with decent staff + POOR FOOD QUALITY but the second half didn’t leave a positive impression at all as the plane itself was an older built and the crew didn’t serve properly. Language is an issue with China Eastern flights as always, but unmotivated crew just makes it even bad.

Small plane with only two lavatories at the back. You must have a good plan to use it before or after the meal, if you make a bad decision, you will end up with standing in front of the toilet for a while till the food carts empty. The good thing is even there’s a slightly delayed, the plane is still arriving on time which is superb!!

The only personel that smiled at all were the flights attendants. Desk agents, lounge people none of them had a smile or even a hello. They were like dealing with dead fish. Again flight attendants were good. All other personnel looked like they didn’t want to be there or help.

good flight. food is only so so. I actually did not eat the snack. it does not look too good on the passenger next to me.

Food no variations only beef of chicken no veggie meals

Super surprised with the entire experience. Business class is incredible. Flight attendants around the world could learn customer service from these people. Simply fabulous experience all the way around.

Everything you need to know for your flight to Istanbul

Cabin class types available on flights to Istanbul

Cabin classes available on flights to Istanbul. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.