IST

R5 183 Find Cheap Flights to Istanbul Airport

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 6/11. 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

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

 
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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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

Thu, Sep 18 - Tue, Sep 30
Qatar Airways Logo
13:00 - 11:55CPT-IST
21h 55m1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
13:45 - 10:50IST-CPT
22h 05m1 stop
R9 901Qatar Airways
Find Deal
Tue, Sep 9 - Tue, Sep 16
Etihad Airways Logo
9:50 - 13:05JNB-IST
26h 15m1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
7:30 - 8:20IST-JNB
25h 50m1 stop
R9 972Etihad Airways
Find Deal
Mon, Oct 13 - Sat, Oct 25
Egyptair Logo
21:45 - 13:00JNB-IST
14h 15m1 stop
Egyptair Logo
4:30 - 7:10IST-JNB
27h 40m1 stop
R10 600Egyptair
Find Deal
Tue, Sep 23 - Tue, Oct 7
Ethiopian Air Logo
8:20 - 21:10JNB-IST
11h 50m1 stop
Ethiopian Air Logo
0:10 - 13:05IST-JNB
13h 55m1 stop
R10 797Ethiopian Air
Find Deal
Mon, Nov 3 - Fri, Nov 7
Egyptair Logo
21:45 - 17:50JNB-IST
19h 05m1 stop
Egyptair Logo
3:50 - 7:10IST-JNB
28h 20m1 stop
R11 300Egyptair
Find Deal
Thu, Sep 18 - Tue, Sep 30
Ethiopian Air Logo
8:20 - 21:10JNB-IST
11h 50m1 stop
Ethiopian Air Logo
0:10 - 13:05IST-JNB
13h 55m1 stop
R11 479Ethiopian Air
Find Deal
Wed, Jul 30 - Sat, Aug 2
Emirates Logo
13:25 - 14:25JNB-IST
24h 00m1 stop
Emirates Logo
23:20 - 20:50IST-JNB
22h 30m1 stop
R11 748Emirates
Find Deal
Wed, Aug 27 - Wed, Sep 3
Emirates Logo
13:05 - 14:25CPT-IST
24h 20m1 stop
Emirates Logo
23:20 - 11:35IST-CPT
37h 15m1 stop
R11 891Emirates
Find Deal
Sun, Sep 14 - Mon, Sep 22
Air France Logo
23:30 - 3:25JNB-IST
26h 55m2 stops
Air France Logo
4:20 - 8:30IST-JNB
29h 10m1 stop
R12 089Air France
Find Deal
Wed, Dec 24 - Tue, Jan 6
Air France Logo
8:50 - 3:50CPT-IST
18h 00m1 stop
Air France Logo
4:50 - 6:45IST-CPT
26h 55m1 stop
R12 806Air France
Find Deal
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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.

What is the cheapest flight to Istanbul Airport?

These are the best round-trip prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.

In the last 3 days, the cheapest flight deal to Istanbul Airport was found on the route from Cape Town, at R177 565 return. The most popular connection is from Johannesburg to Istanbul Airport and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as R9 972 in the last 3 days.

How much is a flight to Istanbul Airport?

The average and cheapest price for all round-trip flights to Istanbul Airport from each origin found by users searching on KAYAK in the last month.

A flight to Istanbul Airport costs R11 405 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost R7 002 and departed from Cape Town. The most popular routes on KAYAK are Johannesburg to Istanbul Airport which costs R13 518 on average, and Cape Town to Istanbul Airport, which costs R14 149 on average.

See prices from:

What is the cheapest month to fly to Istanbul Airport?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights to Istanbul Airport, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights to Istanbul Airport is February, where tickets cost R10 170 on average for return flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, where the average cost of tickets from South Africa is R14 761 and R12 448 respectively. For one-way flights, the best month to travel is February with an average price of R11 318.

What is a good deal for flights to Istanbul Airport?

If you’re looking for cheap airfare to Istanbul Airport, 25% of our users found tickets to Istanbul Airport for the following prices or less: From Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport R12 390 return, from Cape Town R13 036 return.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights to Istanbul Airport, 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 4 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 12 weeks before departure.

Good to know – Book Cheap Istanbul Airport Plane Tickets

Low seasonFebruary
High seasonSeptember
Cheapest flightR5 183
Best time to beat the crowds (11% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 1% lower on average.
Flight from Cape Town 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 Airport flights

  • What is the cheapest flight to Istanbul Airport?

    In the last 3 days, the cheapest flight deal to Istanbul Airport was found on the route from Cape Town, at R177 565 return. The most popular connection is from Johannesburg to Istanbul Airport and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as R9 972 in the last 3 days.

  • How far is Istanbul Airport from central Istanbul?

    There are 34 km between Istanbul city centre and Istanbul Airport.

  • How much is a flight to Istanbul?

    On average, a flight to Istanbul costs R11 405. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost R7 002 and departed from Cape Town Intl Airport.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul is Tuesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as R14 355. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are R15 593 on average.

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

    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 Airport.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Istanbul Airport 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 Airport?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly to Istanbul Airport 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 Airport?

    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 Airport up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

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

    The cheapest time of day to fly to Istanbul Airport is generally in the morning, when round-trip flights cost R560 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Istanbul Airport is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is R817.

  • How many direct flights to Istanbul Airport are there each week?

    Each week there are around 14 direct flights from within South Africa to Istanbul Airport. The most common day for departures is Saturday, with 14% of flights taking off on this day.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Istanbul Airport

  • Looking for cheap airfare to Istanbul Airport? 25% of our users found return tickets to Istanbul Airport for the following prices or less: From Johannesburg OR Tambo R26 217, from Cape Town R33 382
  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Istanbul Airport flight deals.

Prefer to fly direct to Istanbul?

 
Nonstop data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying nonstop to Istanbul.
Find which airlines fly direct to Istanbul Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

South Africa to Istanbul

Monday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +112 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +113 more

Tuesday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +116 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +117 more

Wednesday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +110 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +111 more

Thursday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +118 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +119 more

Friday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +116 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +117 more

Saturday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +111 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +112 more

Sunday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +116 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +117 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Istanbul to South Africa

Monday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +112 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +113 more

Tuesday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +116 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +117 more

Wednesday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +110 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +111 more

Thursday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +118 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +119 more

Friday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +116 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +117 more

Saturday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +111 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +112 more

Sunday

ANA, AZIMUTH, Aegean Airlines, +116 more

ANA, AZIMUTH, +117 more

See more direct flights

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 South Africa 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 3284 reviews
8,1Boarding
8,2Entertainment
7,8Food
8,0Comfort
8,3Crew
Airline reviews

Emirates is superb service. The A380 was very comfortable. The cabin crew is really helpful

10,0 ExcellentAli, May 2025HKG - DXB
Read more Emirates reviews

Emirates is superb service. The A380 was very comfortable. The cabin crew is really helpful

First time and very memorable, the finest flying experience ive ever had

Comfort poor, little leg room, cabin temperature too hot. No free entertainment. No complementary drinks. Overal experience poor and would not travel with them again.

Good food, real silverware, polite staff, smooth landing, charging plugs, good entertainment options.

The service was excellent. We flew coach on this leg of our trip and it was still very pleasant.

The ground staff on Islamabad is horrible. The on board services are excellent.

Better boarding process at Hyderabad airport Better time management by air hostesses in providing the meals

The food was amazing on our flight. So many options for movies and shows to stay entertained for 12 hours.

A very disappointing flight on this Emirates business class. Staff were not efficient and service was not the e usual Emirates experience. Good was particularly bad with very dry chicken and drinks that I had to press call button before getting a drink as my food sat and continue to get cold.

Not too happy with ground staff at Dubai airport. We had asked for wheel chair, and we were told to walk a long distance, poorly organised. And then at boarding to Mumbai flight wecwere treated rudely by the local Emirates staff forced to check in our cabin bags, we told them we were transiting.

The staff was great and probably that's the single most thing that distinguished this particular Qatar flight from my average typical experience. They genuinely wanted to please you and do their best.

Liked some flight attendants. 1 was rude I'll not say her name I don't want to get her jn trouble on my flight back to Dallas from Doha. Very rude to some races of people clearly. She needs a better attitude and bedside manners. Asking her questions and she responds "WHAT" twice rudely like I was bothering her and "is it going to be cranberry or mango juice with an attitude".

Qatar Airways did a very good job. Flights were slightly delayed with boarding but pilots made up time by arrival. The food was OK, no better or worse than other airlines. Although it would be nice to have three meals during 16 hours flight instead of two.

I recently travelled in Business Class with Qatar Airways, and overall, it was a pleasant experience. The cabin crew stood out for their kindness and professionalism, making the journey truly comfortable. The food exceeded expectations and was exceptional in both quality and presentation. The boarding staff was courteous, though I would like to mention that the staff member responsible for checking tickets during boarding could benefit from additional training to be more welcoming. A warm and hospitable approach would enhance the passenger experience significantly. However, one aspect of the journey was particularly frustrating. The in-flight entertainment system was disappointing, as the headphones provided did not work at all due to a loose connection. This significantly impacted the experience, especially since the flight also lacked Wi-Fi service. Addressing these issues would greatly enhance the overall travel experience. Lastly, I would suggest implementing a section-wise boarding process to streamline the boarding experience and minimise potential challenges. I appreciate the efforts Qatar Airways puts into delivering high-quality service and hope to see these improvements implemented in the future.

Well organized boarding, efficient and on time. Nice crew on the plane. Thank you!

The Qatar Airways staff pre-boarding and also on the flight from Dallas to Doha were incredibly mediocre and arrogant. Consider retraining these individuals Other flights were ok.

Worst air experience in whole life . Boarding and checking was hassle as they did 3 times. Crew team was clueless about passengers need. Despite of passengers raising hand , they were resetting the program

Seat experience average as they use old 777 for must flights despite full load. Qr fares are higher than other airlines for same routes so they should at least upgrade the planes . Food is average and same dishes for months on most routes I travelled at least - the Arabian rice dish “Maqboos” on every flight for months - I am sure there are other food Arabian dishes ?? It’s become boring ! Crew is always good which makes up for these things but hey confirm us what we need

The rows of seats in economy class are seriously close to one another making eating and resting just about impossible - there is hardly any legroom. Anyone larger than average size would have an incredibly uncomfortable flight. I had to basically share my seat with the lady passenger next to me as she was too big to fit into her allotted seat.

Being a platinum member, no attention given. No towel or tissue provided.

I had a terrible experience checking in at the airport for my flight. I booked my ticket initially through Kayak while it was promoted as a ticket that offers a carry on and 2 suit cases. (I have a screen shot as a proof of it) I selected it to buy three tickets and paid online. Couple of minutes later airfare assist which is the OTA offering the ticket called me saying My card declined. So I used a different card that went through. I was surprised that they increased the price ticket by a $167. They said the ticket no longer exists and because my card declined I had to buy a new one. So I did. The day my family and I were traveling I could not check in and when I went to the airport I was shocked to be told my ticket had no bags allowed and must pay $200 per bag for three people 6 bags mean I have to pay $1200. I called the travel agency as I feel I was scammed the confirmation didn’t say anything about the bags and they never told me the new ticket doesn’t not include any bag so they changed it after I selected it on your app without informing me. Very sneaky. The travel agency said they will reimburse me only for one bag person. Which means I still paid $600 I still feel very disappointed to pay such an expense. I have always used Kayak to buy my flight tickets and telling everyone how good your rates and app are however after this I feel I was mislead and paid more for something I should not have to. You allowing such an agency on your platform will surely hurt your reputation and level of integrity. I have all the proofs from the screen shot to the confirmation email from them, the or email offering to reimburse o e bag per person and the $1200 bag fees receipts that I paid on the desk. I must be refund the full amount and I look forward to your response.

second leg was more comfortable. Customer service in Abu Dhabi is okay.

Etihad seems to have a very strict luggage enforcement. I am a very light passenger compared to other passengers which are mainly heavier. I do not understood why airlines enforce the weight restriction so strictly. I was overweight luggage of 1.5kg, but am probably 10+kg lighter than the average passenger. Other airlines are far more accommodating. Poor customer service as far as I am concerned. If weight is such an important issue to an airline they should charge passengers by total amount of body weight plus luggage. To me just ridiculous.

Crew Check-In – Kolkata (CCU) The crew handling check-in in Kolkata was outstanding—efficient, courteous, and highly organized. Flight Segment – CCU to Abu Dhabi (AUH) A standard flight overall. Notably, only one in-flight meal option—a vegetarian curry—was available, which seemed unsuitable for a red-eye journey. The crew offered no alternatives, which was unexpected. Flight Segment – Abu Dhabi to Rome (AUH-FCO) Comfort improved on this leg, but service quality was average, falling short of Etihad’s premium standards. Crew attention was heavily absorbed by a difficult couple in Row 15 (port side), resulting in disproportionate focus. It was concerning that a steward had to personally return to apologize, a task better suited for supervisory staff. This highlights a development opportunity for supervisors Anna and Quashim in managing guest escalation professionally.

Certainly! Here’s a more concise and refined version of your report, maintaining a polished and professional tone: --- Crew Check-In – Kolkata (CCU) The crew handling check-in in Kolkata was outstanding—efficient, courteous, and highly organized. Flight Segment – CCU to Abu Dhabi (AUH) A standard flight overall. Notably, only one in-flight meal option—a vegetarian curry—was available, which seemed unsuitable for a red-eye journey. The crew offered no alternatives, which was unexpected. Flight Segment – Abu Dhabi to Rome (AUH-FCO) Comfort improved on this leg, but service quality was average, falling short of Etihad’s premium standards. Crew attention was heavily absorbed by a difficult couple in Row 15 (port side), resulting in disproportionate focus. It was concerning that a steward had to personally return to apologize, a task better suited for supervisory staff. This highlights a development opportunity for supervisors Anna and Quashim in managing guest escalation professionally.

Horrible. After paying for seats, I was cramped, my daughters legs kept hitting the seat in front, I had no overhead bin space and no help from stewards on board, the food was served cold, when asked for snacks was told to wait and never received any, the flight was cold with no temperature controls. Entertainment was outdated. I booked this through partnership with American Airlines but will avoid in the future.

Flight was delayed due to slow boarding process by etihad. Update food options and movies as well.

Extremely bad food, they never gave our bags in time, the online check-in did not let us check in because we had Indian OCI not sure why we were given the option to check in then, because we couldn’t check in online we had to go in person and we were not able to change our seats and sit with our family

Should have had business class line in immigration. Food quality suboptimal

Used to Etihad employees are very rude and unprofessional but now better than before over all is okay now

Very good overall.... apart from the cost of extra check ed in luggage where they charge £17 per kg, and no option to just buy an extra bag allowance (at least on the route I took)

Amazing! Big line at Check in was diminished in 10 minutes. Boarding was quick and efficient. Service and food great. Only minor point: seats could be a little broader and for me being small, something to put your feet on during the flight would be great.

Except for spending an extra day in Istanbul due to late departure from Athens on Saturday and missing the connection flight TK0044 to Cape Town and again arriving 45 min late on Monday in Cape Town, it was all good.

The best food I’ve ever been served on an airplane. The security at the gate was frustrating as was the heavy editing of the films and television shows offered.

The 2 agents on the check in counter were super nice , helpful and very polite. Boarding was like a 1 2 3, I would recommend Turkish airlines for your next trip.

It was an old airline with the old configuration of business class seats. Not really what we signed up for for the longest leg of the trip. Disappointing.

flight with heavy turbulence old boeing 777 rest wasnt clean dashboard doesn’t work

Very bad overall. The comfort level was undeniably uncomfortable. The in-flight entertainment was no good because my screen froze and “wasn’t able to reset”. The staff were rude and non-helpful. Instead of offering me an upgrade for all inconveniences for the ticket, and seat I paid extra for, I was offered a downgraded seat all the way at the back of the aircraft. The flight was delayed for so long, making the experience at the layover airport that much more unpleasant.

Food wasn’t nice and doesn’t have halal option

Light and recline did not work on my seat. Very uncomfortable and could not read in the dark

The flight itself was fine. The exception is that my luggage was destroyed, and I filed a claim that I haven't heard from anyone.

United was best airlines I have seen since I got there choose united airlines

No Asian Vegetarian food was available on this sector but only fish and chicken and pasta were offered.

Flight was delayed an hour. Also, I bought an extra legroom seat online; but the actually plane was a different configuration so I didn't get what I paid for . This happened on the Addis to Lusaka leg of my trip.

The plane was overbooked and the crew was very rude. My luggage was never put on the plane. I got to NY and waited 2 hours just to find out that my luggage was left.

My experience was great. The flight attendants were very helpful and nice, and the food was very good.

Very bad experience flight was over 5 hours delayed 😑 not a chance to be put on another flight we had to stay at the hotel we lost 2 days on our vacation. Never again I will fligh with Ethiopian airlines.

The flight delayef for over 2 hours so my route was changed leading to arriving to my destination without my luggage

I liked nothing of Ethiopian airlines except the price of the fare.

Food was really not appealing. There was a blocked sink in the toilet. Toilet is cramped and the wall between the 2 toilets are not secured properly.

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