$373 Find Cheap Flights from San Diego to Istanbul

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Diego to Istanbul departing on 7/19. 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

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These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Diego to Istanbul.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Diego to Istanbul.
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Cheap Flights from San Diego to Istanbul (SAN-IST)

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

Sun, Nov 23 - Mon, Dec 1
 Logo
7:00 am - 10:45 pmSAN-IST
28h 45m2 stops
 Logo
9:25 pm - 10:53 amIST-SAN
48h 28m2 stops
Wed, Oct 15 - Wed, Oct 22
British Airways Logo
4:40 pm - 12:25 amSAN-IST
21h 45m1 stop
British Airways Logo
8:25 am - 6:00 pmIST-SAN
19h 35m1 stop
$785British Airways
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Sun, Jul 27 - Sun, Dec 7
Delta Logo
9:59 am - 3:25 amSAN-IST
31h 26m2 stops
Delta Logo
5:10 am - 10:58 pmIST-SAN
28h 48m2 stops
$786Delta
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Sat, Aug 30 - Fri, Sep 19
Delta Logo
1:05 pm - 3:25 amSAN-IST
28h 20m2 stops
Delta Logo
4:20 am - 11:41 pmIST-SAN
29h 21m2 stops
$801Delta
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Wed, Aug 27 - Fri, Oct 31
American Airlines Logo
4:20 pm - 12:25 amSAN-IST
22h 05m2 stops
American Airlines Logo
8:10 am - 10:43 pmIST-SAN
24h 33m2 stops
$803American Airlines
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Fri, Nov 28 - Sat, Dec 13
American Airlines Logo
6:10 pm - 12:40 amSAN-IST
19h 30m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
7:35 am - 9:51 pmIST-SAN
25h 16m2 stops
$835American Airlines
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Fri, Nov 28 - Sat, Dec 13
United Airlines Logo
10:23 am - 10:45 pmSAN-IST
25h 22m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
6:30 am - 7:52 pmIST-SAN
24h 22m3 stops
$838United Airlines
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Fri, Aug 15 - Fri, Aug 29
United Airlines Logo
10:00 pm - 5:00 pmSAN-IST
33h 00m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
6:10 am - 7:55 amIST-SAN
35h 45m2 stops
$851United Airlines
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Fri, Aug 22 - Sat, Oct 4
Lufthansa Logo
8:00 am - 9:20 pmSAN-IST
27h 20m2 stops
Lufthansa Logo
6:10 am - 6:29 pmIST-SAN
22h 19m2 stops
$894Lufthansa
Find Deal
Sat, Aug 30 - Fri, Sep 19
Lufthansa Logo
5:56 pm - 9:20 pmSAN-IST
41h 24m2 stops
Lufthansa Logo
2:00 pm - 5:29 pmIST-SAN
37h 29m2 stops
$939Lufthansa
Find Deal
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KAYAK's insights & trends for San Diego to Istanbul flights

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

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

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

If your flying dates are flexible, you should consider flying to Istanbul on a Wednesday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Monday is the most expensive day to fly from San Diego to Istanbul. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Wednesday and avoiding Mondays for the best deals.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Diego to Istanbul, 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 San Diego to Istanbul is November, where tickets cost $892 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are August and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,266 and $1,205 respectively.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from San Diego to Istanbul, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from San Diego to Istanbul, you should book around 7 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 9 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Cheapest flight$373
Flight from San Diego to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport

When to book flights from San Diego to Istanbul

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Diego to Istanbul 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 San Diego to Istanbul

  • Which airlines offer family-friendly flights from San Diego to Istanbul?

    If you are on a family vacation to Istanbul from San Diego, consider reserving your flight with American Airlines. One of the benefits of flying with American Airlines is the seating arrangement. The airline allows you to sit next to your child under 15. Also, American Airlines allows you to bring on board kids' convenient items, including pads, car seats, and strollers. The airline also offers in-flight entertainment, including Homer educational videos.

  • How can I catch the earliest flights from San Diego to Istanbul?

    Suppose you have an early flight the following morning; in this case, consider booking a hotel near SAN to escape the hassle of commuting amid rush hours. And the good news is that you have a wide range of options. For instance, Handlery Hotel San Diego, Hilton San Diego Airport/Harbor, and Old Town Inn are top places offering affordable accommodation services.

  • Which other Turkish Cities can I visit from Istanbul International Airport?

    Once you are at IST, you can go to several other cities because, besides being a destination for international travelers, the airport also serves as a departure for several domestic flights. You can visit these and other cities from IST; Bursa, Mugla, Ankara, Nevsehir, Alanya, Trabzon, Bodrum, and Bursa. These cities are accessible by flight, train, taxi, or rental car.

  • What is the best transport from Istanbul International Airport to Istanbul downtown?

    Take Havaist Line Bus at Sultanahmet the IST 1S to Taksim Square, taking approximately 1h 10min. You can also take the Metro from the M11 to Gayrettepe Station and change to M2, which drops you at Taksim Metro Station in about 40 minutes. Taxis are also available, but you’ll pay a little more, taking about 50 minutes.

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

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Diego to Istanbul was $373 for a one-way ticket and $734 for a round-trip.

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

    Yes, you'll most likely have to show a valid passport before boarding the plane in San Diego and on arrival in Istanbul.

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

    When flying out of San Diego you will be using San Diego. You will be landing at one of these airports: Istanbul or Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen.

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

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

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

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

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

    London is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from San Diego to Istanbul.

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

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from San Diego to Istanbul.

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

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

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Istanbul with an airline and back to San Diego with another airline.

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

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Istanbul from San Diego up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from San Diego to Istanbul

  • San Diego International Airport (SAN) is the leading air transportation hub for San Diego domestic, regional, and international flights. The common airlines to expect include Qatar Airways, Delta, United Airlines, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Emirates, JetBlue, and KLM.
  • If you are looking for sustainable flights from San Diego to Istanbul, consider flying economy class with JetBlue. The airline is one of the green and most eco-friendly flights on the route. Also, they are replacing their older aircraft with newer ones for fuel efficiency.
  • The layover cities when traveling from San Diego to Istanbul vary depending on the airline you are traveling in. The common layover cities, include Dublin, Frankfurt, Munich, London, New York, Salt Lake, Helsinki, Vancouver, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Miami.
  • Istanbul is served by 2 major airports, including Istanbul International Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW). The advantage of landing at SAW is that you'll enjoy shorter queues at the checkpoints. If you want to visit major destinations like Hagia Sophia, consider flying to IST since it's closer to this renowned site.
  • Suppose you intend to travel with your furry family from San Diego to Istanbul, consider booking a flight with United Airways. The airline not only allows your dog or cat in the cabin in a carrier, the airline, it has reasonable additional charges for the pets and also allows you to carry a small blanket for pet relief.

Top 5 airlines serving from San Diego to Istanbul

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Diego to Istanbul. 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 San Diego 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.
8.0
DeltaOverall score based on 7963 reviews
7.3Food
8.5Crew
7.9Entertainment
8.2Boarding
7.9Comfort
Airline reviews

Most aspects were good however if they assign boarding zones they ought to enforce them or why bother? My luggage from SAN-JFK-MAD was lost in NY so I without my main bag for two days upon arrival in Spain. They were helpful in tracking it and eventually delivered it to my hotel. The flub was because of a delay upon arrival in NYC. I had booked 2 1/2 hours between flights but we had to hold on the taxiway for an hour after landing while waiting for a clear gate which likely caused the baggage error.

8.0 ExcellentMathew, Jun 2025SAN - JFK
Read more Delta reviews

Most aspects were good however if they assign boarding zones they ought to enforce them or why bother? My luggage from SAN-JFK-MAD was lost in NY so I without my main bag for two days upon arrival in Spain. They were helpful in tracking it and eventually delivered it to my hotel. The flub was because of a delay upon arrival in NYC. I had booked 2 1/2 hours between flights but we had to hold on the taxiway for an hour after landing while waiting for a clear gate which likely caused the baggage error.

Excellent flight, the planes were newer, they did a nice job with boarding, great service overall.

It would be nice if was given wires ear buds. Overall was a good experience was able to sleep on the plane

737-800 in first class was pretty dumpy. Seat had an uncomfortable angle, storage under the seat was blocked so even my very modest backpack didn't fit, power outlet was flaky. Weird tiny seat pockets that couldn't hold a gallon ziploc bag, emesis bag missing, etc. etc. No in-flight service due to turbulence. Crew was excellent, boarding was smooth despite a full flight.

Delta flight was on time, seats were comfortable, and crew was nice.

Bathrooms dirty sinks clogged. No one seemed to clean them. Plane very old

Thank you for not flipping the plane on the run way. You guys get a 5 star rating for the flight!!!

Boarding is, as it always is… horrible. Gate lice. Slow moving zones. Too many people with carry ons

It was terrible, if they ran flights on time it would make a big difference.

Delta seems to be improving in many areas, except they are super bad with the food available. Bring back normal food service on long flights.

Bad experience; they are not good anymore. They charge too much for luggage seat are so uncomfortable, Flight delays which may miss your next flight, they don’t care if you miss the flight or not. Zero customer services for front desk representatives Istanbul's airport I’m not using this airline any more.

I’ve been traveling for 20 years. I tried Turkish airline for the first time horrible horrible service and it would be my last time even if I get offer for a free ticket, I will not accept it. They have races and the worst Flight attendant

It wasn't good. I didn’t understand. They changed 320 dollars for 2 luggage. My ticket was regular and I paid almost 1200.00 dollars. Why they did charge? I want my money back.. thanks Yılmaz polat

Very punctual, the onboard staff was friendly and correct, the flight was fortunately very calm, the toilets were clean, in short, an excellent experience Thanks

Ordered Vegan meal - it was ok, but not exceptional. Seat ok row 39 middle section aisle. Nearly full flight - crew was busy but they did the best they could. There was a USB A port at the seat. I listened to my own music and only looked at flight information. One nice thing was the connection information was made available in the screen.

Very nice and friendly crew. Boarding system can be improved.

The Etickets had been changed (Why?) without notice ; Hence, that caused troubles when checking in. Not until I contacted my ticket agent and was given correct Etickets could I then check in.

Cleanliness of seats, trays, storage pockets need more attention, but everything else was good.

A great airline, no complaints at all. My experience with Cheap Tickets was very disappointing however. Two hours after purchasing the flight they called to tell me that the ticket price had gone up. I’ve never heard of such a thing. That is called false advertising; I will never use this ticketing service again and will warn all friends to never use it.

One of the worst check in process at the DIA as well as the boarding counter Changed seat at the last minute and assigned middle seat while I paid for window seat. Requested many times but to no avail . horrible customer service and very poor process Requesting refund for seat that was changed last minute

The chair cushions may need an upgrade. I have been noticing they are so worn out, thin so you’d sit in a dip 😄. Other than that, all was an enjoyable trip. Thanks AA!

Cramped seats. FAA should make airlines have more legroom, for even short people complain

Flight was full, and would have preferred an aisle seat, but due to getting a late ticket ,the seat I had was adequate. The flight crew were very help full and hard working. Food and drink were excellent for the 11hr flight. Overall I was pleased with flight, and would recommend British Airways again.

Eventless. It was a good flight and good crew. Can’t complaint.

Very helpful ground crew after an earlier flight delay and being rebooked on a different flight.

British Airways staff are very polite and willing to help.

The plane was late and then sat on the runway for almost 45 minutes before taking off.

We kept being told that the flight was full and that all overhead compartments were full and therefore had to check in our hand luggage. We were some of the last people to board and noticed that there was still sufficient space in the overhead compartments. We were obliged to check in hand luggage when there was space and so had to wait at luggage retrieval which took a while to then noticed damage to our luggage - not a great experience!

Worst seats I’ve ever had !!! The seats were very narrow and uncomfortable and misaligned with the seats in front of mine leading to bottom of the seat in front of mine pressing on my legs for 15.5 hours !

This was an overnight flight. There was no meal service in first class, just a simple snack basket was offered along with beverages. There should have been some type of continental breakfast prior to arrival in PHL. As an Executive Platinum American Airlines Advantage member, I received no name recognition from the first class flight attendant. When disembarking at PHL, the flight attendants were more interested in their cell phones than saying "thank you" to the passengers as they disembarked.

Very small and uncomfortable seats, Hard to hear entertainment system sound. Horrible food. Staff doesn't care much about the passengers. 2nd time they didn't give me my vegetarian meal. They asked me regular food with meat. The airline and staff was from United airlines.

Checkin took along timen only.few angents available at.checkin desk. Customer support over phone no existence

At baggage claim, I was given the wrong printed ticket. The ticket belonged to another passenger for a different flight — to Zurich instead of Frankfurt (layover). I was even allowed to pass security, and when I asked the Lufthansa employee if I was on the correct flight, and why it was changed. The employee said everything was correct and I should board. When I got on the plane, there was someone in my seat, and the crew on the plane finally realized that I was on the wrong plane. When I got off the plane, nobody was willing to help, and the security refused to provide my original printed ticket. That was until I showed them that I took a photo of the ticket; once they realized I had photographic evidence, they were suddenly ready to help me. The Lufthansa employee began communicating with other airlines and found a flight that would take me to my destination via Polish Airlines. I was required to once again go through security, re-check my bag, and once again pay for my checked bag and weight overage fees. This experience was incredibly stressful and very frustrating, as you can imagine. A Lufthansa employee told me I would be eligible for a refund. Please tell me what steps I need to take in order to make that happen. Thank you!

Good service … bus transfer upon arrival from plane to terminal: atrocious!!!

helpful and friendly. The Lufthanza people I dealt with before my holiday were so unhelpful by comparison.

My flight was late from US to Frankfurt so I missed my connecting flight flight and I had to wait for long to catch the next flight which was very tiring. Otherwise everyone was very nice.

No entertainment since it was a 3 hr flight. Good leg room for economy.

Everything went really well. Snacks could be better and there was no tea/coffee service after dinner. Crew was helpful and friendly.

Lufthansa charged me $280 to take skiiis when in the US the boot bag and skiis are one check-in bag. This was not advertised and a real shock at the airport. They only took the boot bag as a check-in item. The seats have been squeezed together like any economy airline and legroom is not as good as it used to be. Otherwise, the flight was fine and staff was helpful for making my connection.

Professional crew and staff, very organized boarding and on time flights, baggage handling. Indian vegetarian meals were good, though could improve by offering Indian bread (naan/paratha/roti) as well. Very helpful pre flight emails with details of onboard experience 👍 Above average selection of movies. Consider offering more movies with subtitles and ratings indicators (e.g., IMDB scores).

This was the second time on BA, food terrible, bathrooms gross,( granted, that was mostly due to the disgusting children urinating all over it)boarding was late and disorganized. No gate issued until last minute st Heathrow, bad system, caused undue stress. Seats were painful, that's what you get for traveling like a poor in economy, right BA? Should have been able to afford business or first class if you want to actually be able to walk upright without back pain after a trip.

This was the second time on BA, food terrible, bathrooms gross, boarding late and disorganized. No gate issued until last minute st Heathrow, bad system, caused undue stress.

The flight was delayed twice and because of that, we missed our connecting flight. British Airways then attempted to put us on the last flight to Milan from London which would have kept us in the airport for 12 hours. We had to speak to several levels of bureaucracy until BA management let us fly on a flight that only kept us in the airport for two hours. If there was an earlier flight, why weren’t we put on that flight from the start? Unacceptable behavior from what was once my favorite carrier.

The payment system was not working so was unable to connect wifi the entire flight

everything to do with KAYAK was terrible. Your customer facing departments are utterly useless, timewasting and unhelpful.

I ordered short ribs for main course. It tasted sweet, really sweet. Horrible.

The delay was not communicated via text and the person who helped with check in also didn’t inform me about the delay. I ended up missing my connection and it was a waste of 5 hours. The crew didn’t mention there would be someone at the gate informing of if I would be rebooked and there was no signage. Overall a very poor experience. The British Airways app was also very buggy, and didn’t work. I will avoid flying with British Airways when possible.

Cancelled flight minutes before boarding. Rescheduled flight was two days later

The flight attendants were EXTREMELY personable and appreciated the service, lights going off after dinner (probably the norm, but I haven’t flown evening overnight flights in a while). Thank you!

Business class seats were very dated on my plane. Very little storage, charging ports were not easily accessible, tv screen kept flopping away. Vegetarian food was disappointing: hardly any protein and severely under-seasoned. Crew was lovely.

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