IST

R5 541 Find Cheap Flights to Istanbul Airport – Compare and Save

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 13/9. 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.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest return fare
R10 196
Typical prices: R10 106-R13 426
Etihad Airways
Wed 29/7Wed 5/8
JNB - IST • 1 stop
Cheapest direct flights
R13 163
Typical prices: R14 704-R20 884
South African
Mon 7/9Sun 20/9
JNB - IST • Direct
Top routes
Cheapest
Most popular
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When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 8 weeks in advance save around 7% compared to booking last minute.
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When to travel
Cheapest • 15% price drop
Most popular
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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, Jul 29 - Wed, Aug 5
Etihad Airways Logo
9:45 - 12:35
JNB
-
IST
25h 50m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
13:45 - 8:20
IST
-
JNB
19h 35m
1 stop
R10 196Etihad Airways
Wed, Jul 29 - Wed, Aug 5
Etihad Airways Logo
9:45 - 12:35
JNB
-
IST
25h 50m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
13:45 - 8:20
IST
-
JNB
19h 35m
1 stop
R10 246Etihad Airways
Wed, Oct 14 - Wed, Nov 4
Etihad Airways Logo
9:45 - 12:35
JNB
-
IST
25h 50m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
14:00 - 8:20
IST
-
JNB
19h 20m
1 stop
R10 262Etihad Airways
Thu, Oct 22 - Thu, Oct 29
Etihad Airways Logo
9:45 - 12:35
JNB
-
IST
25h 50m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
14:00 - 8:20
IST
-
JNB
19h 20m
1 stop
R10 295Etihad Airways
Wed, Aug 12 - Wed, Aug 26
Etihad Airways Logo
9:45 - 12:35
JNB
-
IST
25h 50m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
13:45 - 8:20
IST
-
JNB
19h 35m
1 stop
R10 311Etihad Airways
Sun, Sep 6 - Tue, Sep 15
Qatar Airways Logo
19:30 - 18:35
CPT
-
IST
22h 05m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
20:05 - 17:30
IST
-
CPT
22h 25m
1 stop
R10 344Qatar Airways
Wed, Sep 2 - Fri, Sep 11
Qatar Airways Logo
19:30 - 12:15
CPT
-
IST
15h 45m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
11:40 - 10:15
IST
-
CPT
23h 35m
1 stop
R10 360Qatar Airways
Fri, Aug 7 - Mon, Aug 10
Emirates Logo
18:40 - 21:35
DUR
-
IST
25h 55m
1 stop
Emirates Logo
19:35 - 16:35
IST
-
DUR
22h 00m
1 stop
R11 393Emirates
Tue, Aug 11 - Tue, Aug 18
Emirates Logo
18:40 - 21:35
DUR
-
IST
25h 55m
1 stop
Emirates Logo
16:25 - 16:35
IST
-
DUR
25h 10m
1 stop
R11 623Emirates
Thu, Aug 27 - Wed, Sep 9
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:00 - 12:35
DUR
-
IST
29h 35m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
13:45 - 14:45
IST
-
DUR
26h 00m
2 stops
R12 131Multiple 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.

What is the cheapest flight to Istanbul Airport?

These are the best return prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 5 days.

In the last 5 days, the cheapest flight deal to Istanbul Airport was found on the route from Cape Town, at R10 196 return. The most popular connection is from Johannesburg to Istanbul Airport, while KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as R10 196 in the last 5 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 306 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost R6 892 and departed from Cape Town. The most popular routes on KAYAK are Johannesburg to Istanbul Airport which costs R13 550 on average, and Cape Town to Istanbul Airport, which costs R14 635 on average.

See prices from:

What is the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul?

The average price of all round-trip flights to Istanbul Airport clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul is Tuesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as R12 350. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are R13 669 on average.

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 round-trip 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 R9 311 on average for return flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and December, where the average cost of tickets from South Africa is R12 770 and R11 868 respectively. For one-way flights, the best month to travel is August with an average price of R2 803.

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

The average price for all round-trip flights to Istanbul Airport depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to Istanbul Airport is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost R12 263 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 R12 595.

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 318 return, from Cape Town R13 146 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 8 weeks before departure, which saves you about 7% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 11 weeks before departure.

Good to know – Book Cheap Istanbul Airport Plane Tickets

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flightR5 541
Best time to beat the crowds (10% 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 5 days, the cheapest flight deal to Istanbul Airport was found on the route from Cape Town, at R10 196 return. The most popular connection is from Johannesburg to Istanbul Airport, while KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as R10 196 in the last 5 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 306. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost R6 892 and departed from Cape Town Intl Airport.

  • 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.

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 Durban R14 016, from Johannesburg OR Tambo R28 734, from Cape Town R29 430
  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Istanbul Airport 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 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 3618 reviews
8,0Comfort
8,4Crew
8,1Boarding
8,2Entertainment
7,9Food
Airline reviews

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.

10,0 ExcellentElena, Dec 2025
DXB - COK
Read more Emirates reviews

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.

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

This was my first time flying with Emirates. Overall, the experience was very good. I thought the seats in economy would have been a bit more comfortable, but, they seem to be on par with other airlines. The food was excellent and very satisfying. If you can afford it, I would definitely suggest upgrading to at lest premium economy seats for long haul flights.

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

No Vegetarian options onboard, made to wait for a long time for boarding

The plane was very old and uncomfortable. Service was very slow!

The internet connection did was not functioning as per normal.

The individual attention the crew gives to passengers is commendable and I find them positively helpful.

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.

The flight was delayed in Jhb and I could have had some help in Dubai trying to get to my connecting flight to London

The staff is professional and friendly. The food was excellent, with the exception of the octopus salad just prior to landing.

Turkish airline is so mismanaged . We had to onboard a flight outside from tarmac when there was heavy rains . By the time we climbed the flight we were drenched from the rain and we were so cold. The flight service was so terrible. The flight attendant never responded to any of the calls. There were no extra snack left for the kid . On one of the more than 13 hours flight my seat did ot recline and the person in the front had reclined their seat completely , for the whole more than 13 hour journey , I barely had any space to do anything . I will never travel with this airline ever again , such a bad experience

4 flights booked with specific seats together and a bassinet. All 4 flights were seated separately without a bassinet

We flew business class and it was impressive. So comfortable with delicious food and very attentive and polite staff. Will definitely fly Turkish airlines again.

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

Their weakness is in boarding. Business class rarely boards first and there are no announcements explaining delays, so customers are always left waiting and wondering why boarding has paused.

My experience was amazing. Very friendly hosts and impeccable service.

Everything was great except the meat served was tough and overcooked!

Friendly cabin crew and the flight was on time. Would recommend toanyone

Our charging and WiFi were not working in our business class seats, even after they "refreshed" it.

The crew were fabulous. We travelled Doha to Miami and the crew in board we exceptional too.

Qatar was pretty OK for their services but Arangrant was awful at theirs and frankly lied to me. Qatar offers four business class fares and only three of them allow lounge access. This is a horrible policy when you pay so much for business class and shame on them for denying the simple use of their lounges for this confusion. When I requested my business class ticket with Arangrant I knew this and specifically told them I would only purchase the lowest class business seat that would still permit me lounge access on all legs of my trip. They lied to me and said I did and then I was refused this service on my return flights. I had no less than 4-8 schedule changes and got screwed by a late departure from DCA on my double connection to JNB. I lost nearly a full day on my outbound and then had little to no use of the lounges on my outbound flights. To then be denied access on my return flights made the 27 hour trip home pretty awful. Kayak should no longer work with Arangrant as they are dishonest and liars. Qatar should price all four of their business class fares to include lounge access and stop the insanity they have forced on people. My return trip home nearly ruined my entire trip to South Africa and I blame Arangrant for telling me lies and for Qatar for offering insane rules and regulations on such expensive business class fares. For the money I paid to Qatar, I did not receive the full services I was promised. I will probably never use Arangrant and their ignorant services ever again. I will question whether I ever fly on Qatar Airways again as well. When you pay so much and get such little in return, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Arangrant gives the whole industry a bad name and Qatar is not far behind them. I can honestly say that the wretched service and way I was treated by both have soured me on travel companies and airlines. It is bad enough that we have an idiot, felon, racist and bigoted president and administration to contend with while he has started an illegal war, I did not expect to get screwed over by Arangrant and Qatar as well. Shame on all of you.

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.

Lobster starter in business class was not good, tough, served cold, and without butter. Movie selection was missing latest releases, did not offer older classic, high quality movies

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

As gold member there is no priority checkin. Meaning you either have to board with your zone or last with business class pax. As economy pax all the baggage bays are filled by the time you arrive

Other than low space, which is the problem with all airlines for economy class, the flight was excellent.

Terrible. The website insisted that I wasn't logging in correctly to confirm my flight. It also wouldn't let me register as a member. I was unable to get a boarding pass until 4 hours before the flight so I couldn't get through security and had to wait. It was unlike anything I've experienced in decades.

The 2nd flight from Doha to Mumbai was not of international level expected while booking with Qatar

food in Qatar was terrible. I had ordered asian vegetarian meal but the food lacked any flavor. Choices of entertainment was also very limited. emirates is way better in terms of food and entertainment.

We have paid premium price for a business class Cabinet and we have received the old 777 with the following apart business class that is not to standard. It was very disappointing and it’s a very bad reputation for a premium airline company. This aeroplane should be the commission from being as a business class. We will pass this knowledge to our colleagues because the quality of business class in Etihad is not consistent and it is a lucky dip that sometimes you’re getting a good aeroplane and sometimes you’re getting their 30 years old aeroplane. The crew of the aeroplane have apologise and said that they hate this aeroplane and they have complained about it multiple times as well. Obviously Etihad is putting the economy in front of the Customer Experience. For the future we will not take this risk anymore and will fly with established company like emirates.

It was an old plane with seats not comfortable and with little space for the legs. I must say that the previous flight I had was amazing on a very comfortable new plane

Very disappointing #1 - You have to pay extra to use the business lounge, or else you sit in the cold airport for 7 hours and fall sick #2 - Did an awful job with boarding, they turned on the "last call" notice on the monitor made the passengers come running to the gate, once the passengers came close the crew would tell them - hey we are not boarding yet, this included passengers with children also, this was happening all the time, it was pitiful to see #3 - Did not have the courtesy for the passengers in the business class, there is a reasons why people choose business class, because they need to get to work, that means sleep is very important for them, in the business class, the crew members would themselves cause so much noise by closing the door in a loud way, once the crew member does it then the other passengers are also doing it, #4 - the food did not smell good, #5 - The Abu Dhabi airport is small, so not a whole lot to do, especially when the layover is 7+ hours. #6 - Did not provide the slippers with pajamas, #7 - also the pajamas also I had to ask, only after asking it was provided. #8- Asked for an extra pillow because the pillow they provided was not tall enough, the crew member said there was no additional pillow and gave me something like a blanket, I tried my best to use that as a pillow, but my head kept on sliding and that messed up my sleep and did not get deep thorough sleep Overall the airlines did not have an understanding of how to care for the passengers, especially the business class ones. Overall it was a bad experience, I would much rather spend the money with Qatar airways, the experience with Qatar is so much better.

My baggage was not boarded and is still missing. I was only carring one piece of luggage and that is misplaced now I am stuck at mumbai without luggage. I had an onward journey from here

We booked a business class ticket via Underpricer. Somehow they screwed up our ticket from Abu Dhabi to Ahmedabad. We will be hesitant to book again with them.

i was not allowed to use lounge, although i had business class ticket, and nobody told me my ticket was not eligible to use lounge

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.

1.Aircraft Comfort: The aircraft type was quite small with non-reclining, cramped seats that significantly lacked comfort. 2.In-flight Entertainment: There was no provision of in-flight entertainment screens or Wi-Fi for the majority of the flight. 3.Boarding Process at New Abu Dhabi Airport: Despite the move to a new airport, which promised enhanced experiences, the use of buses instead of jet bridges did not meet expectations, causing inconvenience. 4.Gate Change Communication: A last-minute gate change was poorly communicated, resulting in a long and difficult walk.

It feels like the seat did not have any cushion just plywood. The seats are so compact that I could not even move at all and I am slim. Just imagine someone else. Singapore Air and Emirates are far far better than this. Do not even travel for free. For a 12 hour flight sitting on a plywood is horrible experience and on top of that the person at checking counter at NY was worst and rude. Plus they charge arms and leg for everything. I think they would also start charging for belts and oxygen also soon. First and last time flying with Ethiad.

The service and courtesy of the flight attendants was good. The check in staff were ok. Seat on the flight uncomfortable.

The following is a review for a flight from Johannesburg to Washington, DC with a connection at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and refueling landing at Rome, Italy. The flight was provided by Ethiopian Airlines. There were two of us: me and my wife on this flight. Everything was on time. Enough legroom between the seats, I was able to stretch my legs and sleep for at least some time during the 14 hour second flight (19 hours in total for both flights). Very decent meals that included two lunches and one breakfast on the flight from Addis Ababa to Washington and one lunch on the flight from Johannesburg to Addis Ababa. The lunch choices were beef, chicken and fish, I think the vegetarian option was available as well, accompanied with beans. The breakfast was a choice between egg and pancake, accompanied with a fruit salad. The egg breakfast was awesome, it came with a scrambled egg and a sausage. However, my wife mentioned unusual taste of the pancake breakfast meal, by all means those were not pancakes. What wasn't good: Externally initiated commercials on the infosystem screens, you couldn't turn the screen off. These commercials were accompanied by loud and annoying music, transmitted through the entire cabin. Obviously, there was no escape from this music as well. Additional moment: on the flight from Addis Ababa to Washington, DC, we landed at Rome for refueling. This was totally fine and it was in the flight itinerary. But, the flight attendant asked me to straighten the seat while we were at the steady position during the refueling. I can't rationalize this order except that some people just like to be a boss of some kind. Keeping the light lit in the economy cabin while keeping it dimmed in the first class also didn't improve my and my wife's feelings. Overall, the services were very good and the flight, despite its longevity, went on very smoothly.

They only gave us 30 minutes to make an international connecting flight. We didn’t make the connection but they did do a good job rebooking us despite the chaos. Our bags didn’t make it back and their process for customer support is pretty bad when it comes to luggage.

Forgotten Suite inside of the top compartment but went back to ask and they didn’t leave at the lost and found place. Also the checking in was so horrible. I had multi city and one of the passenger saint have visa go go go Dubai. The Ethiopian airlines never had information about requirement for US permanent resident so couldn’t go to Dubai. And when coming back to US we were told we can not use our Addis to Washington ticket and they forced us to get new ticket. Very horrible experience.

I had a comfortable seat that makes my trip wonderful. I appreciate the Ethiopia crew, they were very helpful

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.

Plane was late with no information or announcement … had to walk up n downstairs.., had not communicated this … and ppl had suitcase to carry .

Again, entertainment system didn't work. 50% of aircraft don't seem to have a functional entertainment system and the crew is absolutely uninterested in fixing. They just say Addis needs to fix it. Well, Addis had better get off it's butt and fix their aircraft.

My entertainment screen wasn't working and they couldn't fix it.

It is just ok, the sits are very uncomfortable, the temperature too low and there weren’t blankets. The food is mediocre and there are no screens to watch movies.

I've never been served three bread courses in a single meal before. Was really impressed by the novelty of that.

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