$952 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 26/5. 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
$1,819
Typical prices: $2,769-$1,920
China Southern
Wed 22/7Fri 4/9
AKL - IST • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way flight
$952
Typical prices: $955-$1,210
Turkish Airlines
Tue 26/5
AKL - IST • 1 stop
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 6 weeks in advance save around 28% compared to booking last minute.
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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

Wed, 22 Jul - Fri, 4 Sep
China Southern Logo
21:20 - 22:10
AKL
-
IST
33h 50m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
14:20 - 15:30
IST
-
AKL
40h 10m
1 stop
$1,819China Southern
Sun, 19 Jul - Sat, 8 Aug
China Southern Logo
21:20 - 22:10
AKL
-
IST
33h 50m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
00:30 - 15:30
IST
-
AKL
30h 00m
1 stop
$1,843China Southern
Sun, 19 Jul - Sat, 8 Aug
China Southern Logo
21:20 - 06:35
AKL
-
IST
42h 15m
2 stops
China Southern Logo
00:30 - 15:30
IST
-
AKL
30h 00m
1 stop
$1,855China Southern
Tue, 6 Oct - Tue, 24 Nov
Multiple Airlines Logo
07:00 - 16:10
AKL
-
IST
43h 10m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
17:20 - 16:50
IST
-
AKL
37h 30m
2 stops
$1,916Multiple Airlines
Mon, 3 Aug - Sun, 23 Aug
China Southern Logo
09:00 - 07:15
AKL
-
IST
31h 15m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
14:20 - 15:30
IST
-
AKL
40h 10m
1 stop
$1,958China Southern
Wed, 22 Jul - Mon, 24 Aug
China Southern Logo
21:20 - 22:10
AKL
-
IST
33h 50m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
14:20 - 15:30
IST
-
AKL
40h 10m
1 stop
$1,975China Southern
Wed, 22 Jul - Mon, 24 Aug
China Southern Logo
21:20 - 07:15
AKL
-
IST
42h 55m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
14:20 - 15:30
IST
-
AKL
40h 10m
1 stop
$1,977China Southern
Wed, 22 Jul - Mon, 24 Aug
China Southern Logo
21:20 - 22:10
AKL
-
IST
33h 50m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
14:20 - 15:30
IST
-
AKL
40h 10m
1 stop
$1,979China Southern
Thu, 10 Sep - Sat, 26 Sep
China Southern Logo
09:00 - 07:15
AKL
-
IST
31h 15m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
14:20 - 06:30
IST
-
AKL
31h 10m
1 stop
$2,043China Southern
Tue, 6 Oct - Tue, 24 Nov
Qatar Airways Logo
23:15 - 12:10
AKL
-
SAW
22h 55m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
13:40 - 21:10
SAW
-
AKL
21h 30m
1 stop
$2,646Qatar Airways
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 6 weeks before departure, which saves you about 28% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 25 weeks 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 (SAW), with an average flight price of $186.

Good to know – Book Cheap Istanbul Plane Tickets

Cheapest flight$952
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 3559 reviews
7.9Food
8.2Entertainment
8.1Boarding
8.0Comfort
8.3Crew
Airline reviews

Very bad service and food variety will never come back again

2.0 MediocreAmbrose, Apr 2026
DXB - LGW
Read more Emirates reviews

Very bad service and food variety will never come back again

Everything was perfect. Staff were informative and professional and flight boarding, flying and de-embarking was smooth. I would certainly travel with Emirates again.

My baby was with me it was really good experience with emirates

Very good from the beginning to the end. Amazing experience

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

Food was great. More vegetarian options on menu would be great!

Both flights to and back from Lyon with buses taking extra time and delaying flight at DXB. Food serving needed work.

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.

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.

Impressive as always. It is the airline of my choice, The dessert on the 2nd flight DOH-IAH was somewhat dry (the cake with cream etc) Check-in and boarding experience was fantastic, with the exception of CCU airport where chk-in staff refused to help with aisle seats stating the flight was full and accommodations were beyond him. Once I boarded there were plenty of available aisles. I was disappointed that this could not be done by self during online chk-in nor at the airport. Nothing more to add. Overall a good experience, TY QTR

excellent! movie selection just ok, but everything else was wonderful.

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.

In the business class it was everything wonderful. However in the economy is a hell. BTW. When I asked to search for tickets, I ordered business and I was offered options with economy, that was not clear in the order, so I could've acted faster to rectify it.

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 appreciated the vailability of wheelchair services for persons with mobility issues all the way up to the aircraft. What could be better would be the food choices.

Awesome hospitality, awesome staff, awesome food & awesome travel time. Thanks

My baggage is lost. Flight cancelled, Rebooked ticket through long routes. Mental stress, emotional hurt

My flight was with American Airlines 120. The flight was delayed 3 hours and I missed my connection. When I arrived in Doha, the AA staff told me to call an 800 number to rebook a different flight, which was unacceptable. Eventually a Qatar Air staff member helped rebook me on a flight to Manila, that was 12 hours later. They offered me a hotel and meal voucher which I declined, because I didn’t want to leave the airport. Long story short, I spent 12 hours in the Doha airport waiting for my next flight.

Poor seats. Not helpful crew. The food was awful.overall very very bad experience. Traveled with the family of 5

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.

Poor connecting flight logistics and ground transportation for such enormous airport. Airline does not consider time required to complete the security check or transition from one to gate to another

Food wasn’t good but not their fault as I should have pre selected

The seats seems abit small and the reclining is too much, the seat in front of me came back too much and made it uncomfortable for me.

The crew were kind and very helpful. Did not expect food service. Was served a warm soft sandwich bread , was delicious. Overall the service, the staff were great. Highly recommend others to try Turkish Airline

As a first time flyer with Turkish Airlines. My experience was very good due to the factor that there were to many passengers on the my first flight compared to my connecting flight. However, I know that nothing is perfect and all companies are trying to accommodate their passengers to the best way possible. I will always say, a FEW INCHES will go LONG WAY. That's something all airliners should consider, and not only the money aspect!!! A long time commitment is better than one time service! Thank you

Bag service at Iad airport was not nice at all. They served economy class first unvip first. This happened many times with different airports

We had requested a wheel chair assist for my husband who has Parkinson’s. The first seat we came to we got off the plane was staffed by 3 men-one was on his cell phone, one was sleeping and the fellow we spoke with was rude and seemed as if he didn’t care that we had a plane to catch in one hour. A person with a wheel chair came and took us to the center area for wheelchairs. Here we waited for 20-25 minutes while our flight went to “boarding.” Finally a woman came with a cart and we zipped through the airport.

Staff at the airport wasn't helpful or friendly. Probably the worst airport experience I have ever had, going and coming. The staff on the plane was better. Still not super friendly or personable. However, they were not rude like airport staff. They ran out of certain menu items. Maybe could have been prepared better? Overall just ok.

Staff could have been friendlier and offered drinks more often

It was a pleasant experience. In flight entertainment could have been better

I was traveling alone with an infant, so the crew was incredibly helpful. Both the international and subsequent domestic flights were impeccable.

Plane was good. But food was bad and air host was so rude. I will never fly with China Eastern again

The flight was delayed by 2 hours, although to their credit they delayed my connecting flight so people could reach it. Also their site is a nightmare to navigate on a phone. Everything else was good.

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.

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.