$454 Find Cheap Flights from Istanbul to San Francisco

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Istanbul to San Francisco departing on 1/13. 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 San Francisco

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Istanbul to San Francisco.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Istanbul to San Francisco.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$606
Overall average: $740
KLM
Tue 12/2Sat 1/10
IST - SFO • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$761
Typical prices: $689-$1,094
Turkish Airlines
Wed 1/21Thu 2/19
IST - SFO • Non-stop
Top airlines
KLM
Cheapest • from $606 (round-trip)
KLM
Best reviews • 7.7 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Top routes
IST-SFO
Cheapest
IST-SFO
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
4 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 10% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
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Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Istanbul to San Francisco

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Istanbul to San Francisco 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 round-trip flight deals from Istanbul to San Francisco

Tue, Dec 2 - Sat, Jan 10
KLM Logo
5:55 pm - 11:50 amIST-SFO
28h 55m1 stop
KLM Logo
1:55 pm - 4:55 pmSFO-IST
16h 00m1 stop
$606KLM
Find Deal
Tue, Dec 23 - Wed, Dec 31
KLM Logo
4:50 am - 5:42 pmIST-SFO
23h 52m2 stops
KLM Logo
10:23 am - 4:55 pmSFO-IST
19h 32m2 stops
$607KLM
Find Deal
Tue, Jan 13 - Sat, Jan 31
KLM Logo
5:55 pm - 11:50 amIST-SFO
28h 55m1 stop
KLM Logo
3:40 pm - 3:50 amSFO-IST
25h 10m1 stop
$613KLM
Find Deal
Fri, Dec 5 - Wed, Jan 7
Multiple Airlines Logo
5:55 pm - 11:50 amIST-SFO
28h 55m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
3:40 pm - 3:50 amSFO-IST
25h 10m1 stop
$618Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Jan 13 - Mon, Apr 6
Air France Logo
4:50 am - 4:03 pmIST-SFO
22h 13m2 stops
Air France Logo
8:25 pm - 3:30 amSFO-IST
21h 05m1 stop
$619Air France
Find Deal
Wed, Dec 17 - Fri, Jan 9
KLM Logo
5:55 pm - 11:50 amIST-SFO
28h 55m1 stop
KLM Logo
3:40 pm - 3:50 amSFO-IST
25h 10m1 stop
$624KLM
Find Deal
Fri, Dec 5 - Thu, Jan 8
Lufthansa Logo
7:00 pm - 3:55 pmIST-SFO
31h 55m1 stop
Lufthansa Logo
6:50 pm - 10:45 pmSFO-IST
16h 55m1 stop
$626Lufthansa
Find Deal
Sun, Dec 14 - Mon, Dec 29
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:30 am - 9:22 pmIST-SFO
25h 52m2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:40 pm - 10:45 pmSFO-IST
21h 05m1 stop
$627Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Dec 16 - Sat, Jan 17
KLM Logo
4:50 am - 1:25 pmIST-SFO
19h 35m1 stop
KLM Logo
1:55 pm - 4:55 pmSFO-IST
16h 00m1 stop
$631KLM
Find Deal
Mon, Dec 15 - Tue, Jan 6
Lufthansa Logo
6:30 am - 12:40 pmIST-SFO
17h 10m1 stop
Lufthansa Logo
5:25 pm - 10:45 pmSFO-IST
18h 20m2 stops
$632Lufthansa
Find Deal
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Istanbul to San Francisco flights

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

What is the cheapest Istanbul to San Francisco flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest return flight from Istanbul to San Francisco costs $664 on the route between Istanbul Airport (IST) and San Francisco (SFO). It is also the most popular route.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Istanbul to San Francisco?

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

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to San Francisco on a Thursday and more expensive on a Sunday. On your return trip to Istanbul, you should consider flying back on a Monday, and avoid Fridays for better deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Istanbul to San Francisco?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Istanbul to San Francisco, 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 from Istanbul to San Francisco is January, where tickets cost $663 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and August, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $993 and $911 respectively.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Istanbul to San Francisco, 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 on the flight from Istanbul to San Francisco, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 10% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 15 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Cheapest flight$455
Flight from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco

When to book flights from Istanbul to San Francisco

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

FAQs for booking flights from Istanbul to San Francisco

  • What is the cheapest flight from Istanbul to San Francisco?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Istanbul to San Francisco was $455 for a one-way ticket and $606 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Istanbul and San Francisco?

    A passport is required to fly from Istanbul to San Francisco.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Istanbul to San Francisco?

    On your way to San Francisco, you’ll fly out from one of these Istanbul airports: Istanbul or Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen. You’ll be landing at San Francisco.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Istanbul to San Francisco?

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Istanbul to San Francisco?

    SkyTeam, oneworld, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between Istanbul and San Francisco, with SkyTeam being the most commonly used for this route.

  • What is the most popular layover when flying to San Francisco from Istanbul?

    Frankfurt am Main is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from Istanbul to San Francisco.

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

    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 from Istanbul to San Francisco.

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

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

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

    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 San Francisco with an airline and back to Istanbul with another airline.

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

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

Prefer to fly direct from Istanbul to San Francisco?

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

Direct departures

Istanbul to San Francisco

Monday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Tuesday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Wednesday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Thursday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Friday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Saturday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Sunday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

See more direct flights

Direct returns

San Francisco to Istanbul

Monday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Tuesday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Wednesday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Thursday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Friday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Saturday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Sunday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Istanbul to San Francisco

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Istanbul to San Francisco. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Istanbul to San Francisco? 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.
7.7
KLMOverall score based on 1411 reviews
7.7Comfort
8.4Crew
7.1Entertainment
7.8Boarding
7.3Food
Airline reviews

They forgot to serve food and the crew was very unfriendly. Never experienced such a bad KLM flight. Usually fly from Toronto. New York was different.

4.0 OkayMarcel, Oct 2025JFK - AMS
Read more KLM reviews

They forgot to serve food and the crew was very unfriendly. Never experienced such a bad KLM flight. Usually fly from Toronto. New York was different.

The immigration hall in Amsterdam was understaffed, so passport checking was slower than it should be for a major airport. They need to get the automatic readers up and running for non EU passport holders. Waiting in line after a long flight feels a bit abusive.

Over 1 Hr delay. No APU so no AC on ground. Plane was hot during boarding and then they closed the doors over 20 minutes before engine start so interior of plane was steamy hot and stuffy. Could have been helped by opening doors until ready to depart.

Ad experience - been flying many years with them but they are losing out to other carriers with their service and bagage / seating policy. My 2 12-yo kids were not placed with the parent. Absurdity.

KLM remains a quality flag carrier airline which maintains its standards whilst all their competitors are lowering theirs.

Our first flight was delayed so we missed our connecting flight. However it was easy to book a later flight on their app.

Klm start boarding while somw air issue in the plan

The service was great. However the lounge only gets passing grade

I appreciate that KLM was proactive in informing me of the 2 hour delay which enabled me to replan my travel. It was a bit stressful not knowing whether my connection from Montreal to Ottawa was happening. But the ground and air crew did a good job at comforting and assuring me.

Legroom not all it could be, especially when the seat in front is reclined. Otherwise it was good, food and beverage were nice.

United needs to step up their game. Delayed flight leaving Seattle, San Francisco. Older aircraft, not very comfortable.

The flight attendants were very rude, beyond comprehension. I took a business class from London to SFO for the first time on United. When I asked for a second piece of bread during dinner, the serving attendant threw a 3rd bread on my plate and said, “here. You can have this one too”! I couldn’t believe the rudeness of the attendant. Most all attendants were very rude, unhelpful, sing the food was absolutely disgusting. Never fly United internationally in business class. My flight back to SFO was a nightmare!!

7 hours delayed due to operational issues on United’s end. Basically laziness.

Flight from Rome to SFO was excellent compared To our flight to Europe from SFO. The food was much tastier. You can see how UNITED is skimping, though. Instead of getting something mid flight you had to ask for it. It was not automatically served. There was a cookie at the end of the arrival meal, for example that tasted like it just came out of a box. They used to serve a little container of nuts, now … a tiny container of nuts, mixed with pretzels. This was business class that you really have to pay for! But this is minor complaints compared to the overall. My major complaint is the position of the even numbered seats by the windows. You have to turn around to see your window & the positioning as some other controls are harder to get at. This is compared to the odd number seat that are perfectly aligned.

The food quality sucks. One must starve if they do not eat flesh Or wheat based products Some variety would be expected. The trivial amount of snacks and or food is inhumane

The internet service I paid for didn’t work at all and the flight crew was not very friendly.

Subject: Formal Complaint: Discriminatory and Unprofessional Conduct – Request for Immediate Action & Compensation Dear [Airline Customer Relations Team], I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent travel experience with [Airline], which was by far the worst I have ever encountered. What occurred was not only unprofessional, but in several instances discriminatory, unsafe, and unacceptable. On the first leg of my trip, I arrived only four minutes past check-in. Instead of making any attempt to resolve the matter, your representative flatly denied me boarding and made me wait while she attended to passengers who arrived after me. By the time a manager intervened, it was too late to board, costing me time, money, and unnecessary frustration. The second leg of my trip (Chicago–San Francisco) raised even more serious concerns. From the outset, it was apparent that the staff—particularly two attendants—prioritized Caucasian passengers while dismissing African American and minority passengers. • When a Caucasian passenger in the exit row refused to comply with federal safety requirements, I, as a first responder, immediately offered to switch seats and assume the responsibility. My offer was blatantly ignored, and instead, a Caucasian passenger seated further up was chosen. This was discriminatory and deeply insulting, especially as I was actively de-escalating the situation that could have delayed the flight further. • During a lengthy tarmac delay of over 90 minutes, passengers were given conflicting and unreasonable instructions that created unnecessary distress and tension. • Throughout the flight, a visibly intoxicated passenger directly in front of me was disruptive, rude to others, failed to comply with seatbelt and electronic device rules, and yet faced no enforcement from the crew. In stark contrast, I was singled out for repeated compliance checks even though I was following every rule. This unequal treatment was so obvious that multiple passengers around me spoke up in my defense. This pattern of behavior demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism, disregard for passenger safety, and discriminatory treatment. I expect far better from an airline of your stature. As a paying customer subjected to this unacceptable treatment, I am formally requesting: 1. A full investigation into the conduct of the staff on both flights. 2. A written apology acknowledging the discriminatory and unprofessional behavior I endured. 3. Appropriate compensation for the distress, inconvenience, and mishandling of my travel. If this matter is not addressed promptly and thoroughly, I will have no choice but to escalate my complaint further, including filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation and sharing my experience through other channels. I trust [Airline] will take this complaint seriously and provide a timely resolution.

1. when we went to check in, our 2 first class seats had been CANCELED and the flight was sold out. This was done without our prior knowledge. It was all we could do to restore one first class seat for my wife and I flew economy. 2, Our flight home was scheduled to leave at 10:30 pm. Due to tsunami warnings, the roads were closed and our flight status was uncertain as to whether it would leave as scheduled. It was announced that it would now leave at 11:20 pm and the roads were now open since the tsunami had come and gone. We made a mad dash to the airport and checked in. Delays were announced at 12:30 pm, 1:30 am, 2:30 am and at 3:30 am it was canceled. Since this was a flight due to natural (tsunami) causes, there was no compensation. We were told to return at 1:00 pm the next day and our baggage would be kept on the plane since the same plane was going to leave at 1:00 pm. We had to return to our hotel for the rest of the night. The same plane did not leave at 1:00 pm and our baggage was gone! All in all, it was a miserable performance by UA. Information was hard to obtain and no one knew what was going on and what was going to happen. Hundreds of passengers slept on the floor, chairs, etc. No food and no water was made available to the passengers. It was a situation where UA could care less what was going on. As a one million mile flyer, I had not experienced anything like this before and it was hugely disappointing!

I found the staff to not be very attentive at all. When paying for Business Class you expect a certain type of service and that was not found. They were almost rude even

Our experience on United Airlines was extremely poor. The plane was extremely cold throughout our entire flight- which multiple people complained about- and we had to wait 2 hours to get a blanket which was too thin and barely helped warm us up. As well as this, none of the entertainment features were working so we had to sit through a roughly 10 hour flight with nothing to keep our attention, including the actual flight path screen. It was an extremely disappointing experience and I would hope that this gets fixed if we ever choose United Airlines again.

They can my date of travel and let me standard in Istanbul for three days stop over and only pay for one day in a hotel with only one breakfast for three days.

the flight was cancelled and I was rebooked twice, once 26 hours later, then another 24 hours later. In total the flight was delayed for 40 hours. Never again will I use kayak or Turkish Airlines for my travel.

Worst experience with boarding once we left the wheel chair even traveling business we had to wait with all the crowd for the bus to take us to the plane then climb the stairs with our bags When you pay extra for comfort and convenience and you don’t get any is disappointing

Food is very turkish. No regard for other natinalities taste and preference. The entertainment can be improved- it was the same menu on 10/8/25 and 10/25/25. The boarding is the worst in the airline industry- I suggest you ask your staff to and watch how other airlines do it.

The best airline for international travel in terms of value you get in business class (service/cost)

I liked the overall flight experience. However, Turkish officials could do a better job at guiding non-Turkish speakers to their connecting flight gates in such a huge & vast airport.

Very small and cramped aisles and seats. Food was poor but the fresh hot roll and hummus was good. No cans of soda given but they had small bottles of water. Crew was nice and pleasant and kept bathroom clean.

We couldn’t fly to Chicago on our booked flight. The flight was overbooked.

Small seat space for 13 hours flight, they charged for baggage , very bad quality of food,

I was sitting almost in the back, the seats are very tight and there’s no legroom, it’s uncomfortable for a long distance

Airline food is airline food, but the plane was wonderful and the seating comfort outstanding. One of my best flights in quite a while.

Crew was outstanding, helpful and friendly. Food is deteriorating. The snack at the end of the flight was not good, a greasy moosh of toast cheese snd other unidentifiable ingredients. Coming from Germany a pretzl with butter would have been better. Entertainment had a great selection.

Smooth flight with enough time for connection. Ran out of meal options. In-flight and gate staff were friendly and helpful. Good service overall.

The seat space seemed small especially when the person ahead reclined but other than that, very good.

Luggage transfer in Chicago was not performed in time. I received my luggage at my destination two days later.

Give yourself over 2+ hours layover because if flight is slighlty delayed and you miss your connection, Lufthansa will do nothing for you

We would have missed our connection from Munich to Boston but we had a van outside the plan that wisked us to our terminal. Much appreciated and we didn’t even realize that Lufthansa had done this until the announcement on disembarkation. Well organized airline! Will definitely fly Lufthansa again!!!

Everything went well. I will fly with Lufthansa again. And use Kayak whenever I book flights

Bought a seat in a flight that got changed out so ended up paying for a seat I would have had if I hadn't paid.

Food was poor quality and the screens for entertainment didn’t work properly

main meals are horrible but then you dont fly for the food

It was good. Couldn’t Check in online and select seats

It was great. Enough space and room for legs . Great service to.

⭐ British Airways Review — A Journey of Highs, Lows, and Lessons ⭐ I recently flew Business Class round-trip from Boston to Mumbai with British Airways, and my experience was a tale of two extremes — from disappointment to exceptional service, and then back to inconsistency. Boston → London: A Surprisingly Poor Start My journey began on a disappointing note. On a 6-hour Business Class flight, I was surprised to discover that there wasn’t a single proper vegetarian meal option available. I was offered a few bakery items only after repeatedly requesting something to eat. The flight attendant shrugged, offered no solution, and eventually — quite literally — threw some bread at me after much delay. This was not only disheartening, it was extremely surprising given my wonderful Business Class experience with BA last year. I stepped off that flight genuinely hungry and had to make a mad dash to the lounge just to get a proper meal. London → Mumbai: A Complete Turnaround The next sector restored my faith in British Airways. The entire crew was warm, welcoming, attentive, and genuinely caring. A special shoutout to Phiroze and the entire team serving the Business Class cabin — their professionalism, hospitality, and thoughtful service were extraordinary. They truly embodied what makes British Airways a global leader, and I am deeply grateful for the experience they provided. This is the BA I know and love. Mumbai → London: A Strange Meal Schedule This sector was generally fine, but the meal timing was puzzling. Lunch at 10:30 AM — for a Business cabin — felt unusual, and most passengers, including myself, barely touched it. The rest of the service was smooth, but the scheduling definitely needs a rethink. London → Boston: Mixed Experience Again The flight itself was decent, but the Business Lounge at Heathrow for this leg was a letdown. Arrived during lunch hours: no hot vegetarian options available Lounge area: dirty dishes everywhere Even after politely alerting the staff, the dishes were ignored and left uncleared For a premium cabin passenger — and at one of the world’s busiest international hubs — this was disappointing. Overall Impression My journey with British Airways felt inconsistent — two great sectors sandwiched between two that fell short of the BA standard. When BA is good, it is world-class. When it misses, the gap is noticeable. I genuinely hope the airline takes this feedback as constructive insight. I continue to believe in British Airways, and I commend the outstanding crew on the London → Mumbai sector — they were the highlight of my entire trip. With a little more focus on vegetarian meal availability, lounge service, and consistency across crews, BA can ensure every Business Class passenger experiences the premium journey they promise.

We were in business class and I had seat # 1. This was a night flight and after dinner was served, lights were dimmed and I went to sleep. The crew were loud and noisy so I didn’t get much sleep. I expect the crew to enjoy themselves but would Appreciate some decency in staying quiet while the passengers sleep

Have travelled business class with other airlines who profess to be the best in the world. They can however not beat the service and comfort that BA provide.

Well unfortunately our connecting was cancelled and next flight delayed. Was in airport 9 hours. Flight itself was good. I’m sure it was a FAA problem.

Great on board entertainment Tasty food Cattle class obviously crammed but not as bad as shorter hall flights

I was attacked in the Miami airport and the staff did nothing. On my flight from London to Miami one of the flight attendants screamed at me and demanded I keep my seat in the upright position at all times during the fight so the man behind me was comfortable for the flight. I will never in my life use British airways again

Logan gate staff was unhelpful. Arrived early, come to find out the airbus scheduled was reassigned and I did not have a seat. The desk agent spoke to his supervisor who instructed him to give me a boarding pass to get up to gate area, he was polite. At the gate the fellow was sitting to the side with two other BA staff . I asked him if he could help me, his answer was” we are on a break, we are closed” then turned his back. I am almost 70, drove 4 1/2 hours to Boston and had been looking forward to this trip for 5 months. I have worked in service many times in my life and this is not how it is done. I eventually (1/2 hr) before boarding was able to get a seat. The rest of the flight experience was unremarkable.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Istanbul to San Francisco

Information on your arrival and departure airports