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$860 Find Cheap Flights to Istanbul Airport – Compare and Save

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Everything you should know

Cheapest return flight
$2,031
Typical prices: $1,955-$2,638
China Southern
Sun 11/2Wed 21/2
AKL - IST • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way flight
$860
Typical prices: $1,136-$1,623
Multiple Airlines
Mon 22/1
CHC - IST • 2 stops
Top airlines
Best reviews • 8.2 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
Top routes
Cheapest • 22% average savings
Most popular
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 22 weeks in advance save around 25% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 9% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
+1
Good to know
+1
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We hope you enjoy your trip to Istanbul Airport!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights to Istanbul

 
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent return flight deals to Istanbul

Thu, 11 Feb - Sun, 21 Feb
China Southern Logo
13:05 - 07:10Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
28h 05m1 stop Guangzhou Baiyun
China Southern Logo
14:25 - 07:00Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
30h 35m1 stop Guangzhou Baiyun
$2,031China Southern
2 days ago
Thu, 11 Feb - Sun, 21 Feb
China Southern Logo
13:05 - 07:10Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
28h 05m1 stop Guangzhou Baiyun
China Southern Logo
14:25 - 07:00Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
30h 35m1 stop Guangzhou Baiyun
$2,033China Southern
11 hours ago
Thu, 11 Feb - Sun, 21 Feb
Qatar Airways Logo
13:15 - 12:20Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
33h 05m1 stop Doha Hamad Intl
Qatar Airways Logo
12:00 - 06:50Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
32h 50m1 stop Doha Hamad Intl
$2,051Qatar Airways
3+ days ago
Thu, 11 Feb - Sun, 21 Feb
Qatar Airways Logo
13:15 - 12:20Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
33h 05m2 stops Melbourne Doha Hamad Intl
Qatar Airways Logo
13:50 - 06:50Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
31h 00m2 stops Doha Hamad Intl Melbourne
$2,058Qatar Airways
11 hours ago
Sat, 6 Mar - Thu, 20 May
China Eastern Logo
22:00 - 08:10Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
44h 10m1 stop Shanghai Pu Dong
China Eastern Logo
14:00 - 15:45Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
40h 45m1 stop Shanghai Pu Dong
$2,075China Eastern
14 hours ago
Sat, 6 Mar - Thu, 20 May
Multiple Airlines Logo
17:20 - 12:50Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
29h 30m2 stops Sydney Kingsford Smith Abu Dhabi Zayed Intl
Multiple Airlines Logo
14:00 - 15:45Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
40h 45m1 stop Shanghai Pu Dong
$2,128Multiple Airlines
14 hours ago
Mon, 19 Apr - Mon, 3 May
Multiple Airlines Logo
17:20 - 12:35Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
28h 15m2 stops Sydney Kingsford Smith Abu Dhabi Zayed Intl
Multiple Airlines Logo
14:00 - 15:45Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
40h 45m1 stop Shanghai Pu Dong
$2,138Multiple Airlines
2 days ago
Thu, 31 Dec - Tue, 12 Jan
Air China Logo
14:15 - 08:20Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
28h 05m1 stop Beijing Capital
Air China Logo
14:55 - 12:00Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
35h 05m1 stop Beijing Capital
$2,179Air China
3+ days ago
Tue, 12 Jan - Sat, 23 Jan
Air China Logo
14:15 - 08:20Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
28h 05m1 stop Beijing Capital
Air China Logo
14:45 - 17:35Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
40h 50m1 stop Beijing Capital
$2,290Air China
9 hours ago
Mon, 5 Apr - Sun, 25 Apr
China Eastern Logo
21:00 - 08:00Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
44h 00m1 stop Shanghai Pu Dong
China Eastern Logo
14:00 - 15:45Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
40h 45m1 stop Shanghai Pu Dong
$2,337China Eastern
3+ days ago
Booking Insights

Price, demand, and travel trends for flights to Istanbul Airport

Use KAYAK data on prices, travel dates, airlines, and seasonal trends to compare options and book flights with more confidence.

What is the cheapest flight to Istanbul Airport?

Auckland to Istanbul Airport is the cheapest route at $2,031 return, found in the past 5 days on KAYAK. KAYAK data shows this is also the most popular route.

How much is a flight to Istanbul Airport?

On average, a return flight from New Zealand to Istanbul Airport costs $2,234, based on KAYAK data over the past 12 months. Return fares from Auckland average $2,195, while Dunedin runs a bit higher at $2,221.

What is the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul Airport?

Monday is the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul Airport at $2,188 return on average over the past 12 months on KAYAK. Saturday is the most expensive at $2,339.

What is the cheapest month to fly to Istanbul Airport?

•February is the cheapest month to fly to Istanbul Airport with an average price of $2,033 return.
•December ($2,541) and September ($2,390) are the most expensive.
•Based on KAYAK data over the past 12 months.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Istanbul Airport?

Night flights to Istanbul Airport are the cheapest at $2,154 return on average. Evening flights are the most expensive at $2,733.

What is a good deal for flights to Istanbul Airport?

Flights under $1,955 are considered a good deal. 25% of KAYAK users found return flights to Istanbul Airport at or below these prices, with the lowest fares from:
•Auckland $1,937
•Dunedin $1,953.

When are flights to Istanbul Airport the cheapest?

Flights to Istanbul Airport are cheapest 22 weeks before departure. Booking in this window typically costs about 25% less than the average last-minute fare (within 2 weeks of the flight), based on KAYAK data.

Key details for flights to Istanbul Airport

Low season

March

Cheapest flight

$860
Beat the crowds with an average 21% drop in traveller numbers.
The most popular month to fly with an average 30% increase in traveller numbers.
One-way flight from Christchurch 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

Your questions about flights to Istanbul Airport, answered

Find helpful route details based on KAYAK data, including flight times, airports, airlines, and booking questions.

  • How do I know if a flight to Istanbul Airport is a good deal?

    A good deal on a flight to Istanbul Airport is around $1,955 return. This fare is in the lowest 25% of return flight prices searched on KAYAK, averaged across the cities most often searched as origins by KAYAK users.

  • How expensive are last-minute flights to Istanbul Airport?

    Last-minute fares to Istanbul Airport (booked within two weeks of departure) are typically 19% higher than the average return fare of $2,234.

  • What is the difference between the most popular and the most frequent airline at Istanbul Airport?

    American Airlines operates the most flights from New Zealand to Istanbul Airport at 0 per week, while China Southern is the airline most often selected by KAYAK users searching for flights from New Zealand to Istanbul Airport. The two are often different because flight volume reflects an airline's schedule, while popularity reflects traveller choice.

  • Which airports serve Istanbul and the surrounding area?

    Flights to Istanbul can arrive at several major airports serving the metro area, including Istanbul (IST) and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen (SAW).

Your guide to booking Istanbul Airport flights

From booking to airport arrival, find tips to help you plan your flight with more confidence.
  • For the best chance at a low fare to Istanbul Airport, book around 22 weeks before departure. Based on KAYAK data from the last 12 months, fares are historically about 25% lower during this window than last-minute fares.
  • For flights to Istanbul Airport, a good return fare is around $1,955. If you find a fare below that, you're getting a strong deal.
  • If your travel dates are flexible, consider flying to Istanbul Airport in February. Return fares historically average $2,033, making February the cheapest month to travel based on KAYAK data from the last 12 months.
  • Before you book:

    • Check the route's typical price range so you can spot a deal.
    • Confirm baggage fees and seat selection costs on budget carriers.
    • Verify whether you need any travel documents beyond an ID.
    • Pick a departure airport, since your nearest may not be the cheapest origin.
  • Shift your departure to evening to save up to $579 on a return flight. Evening flights to Istanbul Airport average $2,154 compared to $2,733 for afternoon flights.
  • Once you arrive in Istanbul Airport, a few great places to start are Sultan Ahmet Camii, Taksim Square, and Tüpraş Stadyumu. These are popular with first-time visitors and can give you a good feel for the area.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying to Istanbul

 
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 3686 reviews
8.2Boarding
8.2Entertainment
7.9Food
8.4Crew
8.1Comfort
Airline reviews

What a great trip . From check in to the upgrade we received a big shout out to Cleverson who was able to help us navigate the whole process super patient and was just one of the best customer service experiences we received in a very long time . The amazing staff on the flight who went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable amazing food and service if you have te opportunity to upgrade it's a must and well worth it.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Apr 2026
Read more Emirates reviews

What a great trip . From check in to the upgrade we received a big shout out to Cleverson who was able to help us navigate the whole process super patient and was just one of the best customer service experiences we received in a very long time . The amazing staff on the flight who went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable amazing food and service if you have te opportunity to upgrade it's a must and well worth it.

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

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.

Premium economy was worth it-comfort was definitely better than economy class. The seats were more comfortable, blankets and pillows thicker

Thay crew was so nice.Air hostess il ham was so nice.my mom was little scray with airplan turbulence she help us alot.

The flight experience was good, but connection time was cut shorted because of delayed start.. it would have been helpful if the flight showed which gate/terminal we need to go for connecting flight and flight timing was less than 30 minutes to connect which made ourselves stressful to catch next flight 😔

Very good ..nice comfort..crew service was good..and no delays in time ..they always on time..

More leg room and comfortable seats at least for long flights

For such a long flight I feel the spacing of seats could’ve been better to make it more comfortable for passengers. Very little space to move & stretch legs.

Check in and check out procedures Check in and onboarding was delayed by interval of 15 minutes .. total delayed by 90 minutes Bags took more than 2 hours to come out at Bali airport .. a very big wait after a 30 hour flight Bags were delayed for a very big crowd … 2 flights came in and their passengers were out sooner than ours

It was good. Just a very long stay over in China to get the second leg to London

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

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.

The back of the chair - premium economy could not move back - not worth the price

Crew: Everybody was polite. People just need to get efficient and less reworking things. Entertainment: Could have move movies and games. The “music” section is a joke, only ONE available. Food: The food provided on the flights boarding in china needs a serious reworking. Too much oil, bad for your stomach, tastes too artificial and the eggs were a giant mass of green dough.

Food was terrible. Fish was equal to a sausage and scrumbled eggs were terribly green with a quite weird fllavour. Everybody with me hated all options. The best food was the bread with butter.

I love flying Chinese airlines in general but China Southern is probably the worst of the lot. The service is poor and food is below par.

Wuhan - Dubai. Old plane: 1. Only USB charger. No power outlet to plug in.. 2. Super narrow seat layout 3. Toilet cover consistently fell down and hit my back when sitting on it.. :( 4. Entertainment system touch screen not sensitive, and need to press hard or use finger tips to hit. Crew were very nice and accommodating though.

No good but was short flight. Both of our China Southern flights were on time. No surprises.

On plane great. Everything else needs improvement. Missed both connecting flights because of flight delays. The directions to go to the hotel desk were terrible. On the flight here I mistakenly went to wrong “hotel” both and got hoodwinked into paying for transportation and stayed in lesser hotel. The staff at airport were not helpful and signage is not clear. Next time I will fly different airline. Not sure how they got such a high rating with how they manage flights at Istanbul. Also the flight temp is hotter than any other carrier I have flown.

First Flight got delayed had to get rebook for another plane ride to connect the next day the process was not helpful at all had to figure the whole processs myself poor service plane was small and customer service was horrible will not fly this airline again

Boarding took long and there was a long queue. The seat didn't recline. The crew didn't have access to any medicine.

Excellent overall. Boarding was a mess. Queue up too early, takes too long for them to start boarding but they want everyone to queue up and wait and wait.

The boarding process was a disaster. I was comfortably seated in the lounge at Athens when I got a notice the flight was boarding so I rushed to the gate. When I arrived, it was NOT boarding and we waited an additional 10 minutes before boarding started. There were no announcements regarding the order in which passengers should board and it was a bums’ rush. A total mess.

Turkish Airlines changed our business class seats at the last minute and said it was a computer glitch. No other airlines has had this glitch. The steak was like leather and nobody could eat it. The boarding process was extremely slow and we had to stand and wait in line for over an hour in EWR and almost as long in IST. Again while coming back our seats were changed from row 3 to row 6 for no reason. The food was a lot better from IST to EWR. The service was poor from EWR to IST and good coming back.

Boardings in Newark and Istanbul were kind of chaos. Dedicated lines for assigned seats seems to be a smart idea, but most of the people were getting confused and were going back and forth. The agents were yelling where to go. The food was limited. Whatever we asked, they were out of it. For example, I would imagine that most of the people would prefer chicken over pasta. By the time they reached us, only pasta was available. For a long flight, in our case almost 11 hours, it’s very uncomfortable to remain put in the seat where not enough space to stretch the legs. But this is the another story about economy and upgraded flights.

The quality of Turkish Airlines has definitely diminished. The planes are older and the 2x2x2 business class is antiquated and not in keeping with the prices. The food onboard is not as good as it used to be. Cold dishes, flavor not very good and weird selections and accompaniments. Our flight ran out of champagne before dinner. How is that even possible! Cocktails were served without Nuys. The nuts were presented 1/2 hour later. Poor selection of liquor with inferior cheap brands. Gordons gin is unacceptable. Over all I wouldn't choose them again. The end of an era!

When getting to our seats a blanket, headphones and pillow where there already. The food was very good and plentiful. I liked when they came around w/hot towels to freshen up with. Slippers, socks and an eye mask was a nice surprise. My husband and I have mobility issues and the transporters were absolutely wonderful and helpful w/the wheelchairs at each stop. Getting from one gate to the next they were a blessing.

Alright. I don’t like the boarding process. Gate staff shout out in Turkish where to line up etc. no microphone used. You can’t hear it. No English translation. It’s a bit archaic!

The plane cleanness, punctuality and crew attention was great. The airline is offering free fast wifi on the flight, however apparently without much policy on the use. Quite a few passengers felt the liberty to watch shorts or other content without headphones from their devices as well as talking for long durations over phone calls. This made a 4-hour, fully booked flight somehow difficult to bear.

One hour before landing was the most scary part of my life. The plane just dropped from the air . No explanation or apologies from the captain. Women and children screaming everywhere. Would like to know what happened

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.

Initial booking was confusing and had to get new CC issued.

No separate queue for business class/platinum passengers. I had to stay in the long queue to board. I requested breakfast before landing, but the crew didn't offer, except a coffee with milk. No tea with milk was available. Had asked for cookies, but didn't receive them. The crew in the business class was not good in terms of service..

Seats were not comfortable and touch free remote wasn’t working.

Trop from plane to gate at Qatar airport was very long .

I was not able to check in online before the travel. It showed some error. I remember I could not do this during my onward journey. I called Qatar and they said there was a glitch.

BLR boarding is total pathetic. Should not fly Qatar from Bengaluru. Check in staff is too rude there

The flight was mostly good, but I sat next to a couple of passengers who were semi unpleasant. We sat next to the emergency exit. One man was drunk and when he got up to get something from the overhead compartment, he tripped and fell on me while I was sleeping, waking me up. The other man seemed sick as he was sneezing a lot and clearing his throat and nose often. This made the flight a bit unpleasant unfortunately. Otherwise I’m usually very happy with QA. Thanks

The real problem is that the WIFI for a westerner is terrible. To not be able to properly use Instagram, Whatssap on such a long flight makes the flight miserable. The flight attendants are all like busy bees, efficient.

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.

Flight was on time. My group paid for seat’s so that us four can be seated next to each other. We all got separated. We all got middle seats, which made it more difficult to be able to get up and stretch or use the restroom. We tried talking to the employees at China Eastern and they were of no help. We will not be taking this flight or recommend this route to others in the future. Also I will be contacting customer service on how I can get our money back for paying for assigned seats.

The crew were excellent, service amazing, blankets and pillow good, cabin temperature perfect, the flight on time, food was unusual selection however plentiful, price for tickets unbeatable through Kayak. Older aeroplanes used by China Eastern was the only down side.

Good airline for the price. The Air stewardess are great, nothing is to much trouble. Will use again.

Gatwick London-Shanghai -Bangkok.. Would have liked entertainment screens, but I know these planes are not that new. Cheap flights at the time of booking, Emirates wanted double so you get what you paid for. I would fly again with them, but if Emirates was the same price I would go with them.

Couldn’t fly since they wouldn’t issue a boarding ticket. Something to do with not taking the departing flight since it was cancelled due to weather. No notice or anything about the trip being invalid. The app made it seem like I was all good for it. Never trusting travel agency

2 hours delay on the 1st plane out of the day!!!!!

I will never fly through China again. Maybe it was the mandatory retinal scan just to transfer to another flight or the complete set of fingerprints they require. There are many better and inexpensive flights to Asia if you look.

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