SFO - IST

$282 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco 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 from San Francisco to Istanbul departing on 4/16. 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 Istanbul Airport

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

Cheapest round-trip
$703
Overall average: $1,046
Scandinavian Airlines
Thu 4/2Tue 4/14
SFO - IST • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$867
Typical prices: $843-$1,156
Turkish Airlines
Wed 3/18Thu 4/9
SFO - IST • Non-stop
Video guide: How to find cheap flights to Istanbul
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Top airlines
Scandinavian Airlines
Cheapest • from $703 (round-trip)
Delta
Best reviews • 7.9 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to book
3 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 3 weeks in advance save around 18% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
February
Cheapest • 25% price drop
July
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Istanbul (SFO-IST)

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

Thu, Apr 2 - Tue, Apr 14
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
24h 55m
1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 2:40 pm
IST
-
SFO
20h 10m
1 stop
$703Scandinavian Airlines
Tue, Apr 7 - Tue, Apr 21
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
24h 55m
1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 2:40 pm
IST
-
SFO
20h 10m
1 stop
$706Scandinavian Airlines
Tue, Apr 7 - Wed, Apr 15
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:40 pm - 8:30 pm
SFO
-
IST
38h 50m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:20 pm - 5:55 pm
IST
-
SFO
29h 35m
1 stop
$708Multiple Airlines
Sun, Apr 5 - Fri, Apr 10
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
24h 55m
1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 2:40 pm
IST
-
SFO
20h 10m
1 stop
$710Scandinavian Airlines
Tue, Apr 7 - Tue, Apr 28
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
24h 55m
1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 2:40 pm
IST
-
SFO
20h 10m
1 stop
$711Scandinavian Airlines
Mon, Apr 20 - Wed, Apr 29
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
24h 55m
1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 12:27 am
IST
-
SFO
29h 57m
2 stops
$712Scandinavian Airlines
Thu, Apr 2 - Fri, Apr 10
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
24h 55m
1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 2:40 pm
IST
-
SFO
20h 10m
1 stop
$713Scandinavian Airlines
Tue, Apr 7 - Thu, Apr 16
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
7:25 am - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
34h 15m
2 stops
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 2:40 pm
IST
-
SFO
20h 10m
1 stop
$715Scandinavian Airlines
Tue, Apr 14 - Sat, Apr 25
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
24h 55m
1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 11:12 pm
IST
-
SFO
28h 42m
3 stops
$716Scandinavian Airlines
Tue, Apr 7 - Tue, Apr 21
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
7:25 am - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
34h 15m
2 stops
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 2:40 pm
IST
-
SFO
20h 10m
1 stop
$718Scandinavian Airlines
Booking Insights

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

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

Find cheap flights to Istanbul Airport
Find cheap flights to Istanbul Airport

Planning a trip from San Francisco to Istanbul? KAYAK’s data-powered insights will help you find cheap flights. Learn the best time to fly, how early to book your ticket, and other tips to secure great prices.

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

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

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

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco 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 from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport is February, where tickets cost $814 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,506 and $1,288 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 1 stop layover the cheapest option at $834 on average.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco 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 from San Francisco 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 on the flight from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 18% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 26 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$282
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 21% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 13% increase in price.
Flight from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport

When to book flights from San Francisco to Istanbul

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Francisco 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 San Francisco to Istanbul Airport flights

  • Does IST have a storage facility where I can store some of my luggage?

    If you’d like to leave some of your luggage at IST, you’ll be able to do just that, as the airport boasts Öztürk Luggage Storage, a reliable storage company. This storage company has its lockers in the arrivals area of the airport’s International Terminal. As it offers its services at affordable rates, you need not worry about incurring a massive bill if you use some of its lockers.

  • Can I enjoy spa services at IST?

    At IST, you can enjoy spa services at The Ambassador Spa & Beauty Salon, situated in Terminal 1, adjacent to the IGA lounge. Some of the spa services you can enjoy at this spa include full spa treatments, steaming services, and shower packages. Given that it also has comfortable beds, you can have a short nap at this spa before proceeding with your journey.

  • Where can I comfortably work at SFO?

    If you’d like to do some work while waiting for your flight to Istanbul at SFO, you should visit the airport’s business center. Situated in the Main Hall of the International Terminal, this establishment features personal workspaces, a strong internet connection, as well as photocopying, faxing, and printing machines.

  • Does SFO have baby care facilities?

    If you’re searching for a room where you can privately breastfeed your baby at SFO, you’re in luck, as the airport is home to at least four nursing rooms. Terminals 1 and 3 both feature one nursing room, while Terminal 2 features two.

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

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport was $282 for a one-way ticket and $703 for a round-trip.

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

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

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

    When flying out of San Francisco you will be using San Francisco. You will be landing at Istanbul Airport, also known as Istanbul.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport?

    SWISS, United Airlines, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the San Francisco to Istanbul Airport flight route.

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

    The Boeing 777-300ER is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the San Francisco to Istanbul Airport flight route.

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

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

  • On which days can I fly direct from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport?

    There are nonstop flights from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San Francisco to Istanbul, Delta or KLM?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Francisco to Istanbul are Delta and KLM. With an average price for the route of $991 and an overall rating of 7.9, Delta is the most popular choice. KLM is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $838 and an overall rating of 7.7.

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

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

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

    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 Airport with an airline and back to San Francisco with another airline. Booking your flights between San Francisco and IST can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

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

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $507 or less one-way and $750 or less round-trip.
  • If you intend to travel aboard an early morning flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Istanbul, you should consider spending the night before at Grand Hyatt at SFO. From this hotel, you’ll be able to easily get to your departure terminal, given that it is within the grounds of the airport.
  • To get to SFO from San Francisco’s city center, you can do so by bus, train, or taxi. Among the three, it’s in your best interest to travel by train, as the trains that serve this route are just as cheap as the buses and as quick as the taxis.
  • SFO boasts onsite and off-site parking facilities. If you’d like to park your car at this airport for the duration of your trip, consider parking it at one of the airport’s off-site parking garages, as these garages are cheaper than those present within the airport’s grounds. Given that off-site garages at this airport usually feature airport shuttle services, if you park at any, you need not worry about struggling to get to the airport once you leave your car.
  • Istanbul has two airports, Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW). Of the two, only IST serves flights from SFO. Thus, in this city, you’ll disembark from your flight at IST.
  • At IST, prayer rooms can be found in each concourse. In total, there are 22 prayer rooms available for men and 22 others available for women. Given that these prayer rooms are always open if you’d like to pray once you alight at this airport, you’ll have multiple prayer rooms to choose from.

Prefer to fly direct from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport?

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

Direct departures

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

Direct returns

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

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

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco 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 Francisco 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.
7.9
DeltaOverall score based on 8200 reviews
7.9Comfort
8.1Boarding
7.2Food
8.5Crew
7.8Entertainment
Airline reviews

The plane was an older model, so it wasn’t as comfortable as others. The flight attendants were not helpful during onboarding. It was a full flight so there was chaos finding space for baggage.

8.0 ExcellentBryan, Feb 2026
SFO - ATL
Read more Delta reviews

The plane was an older model, so it wasn’t as comfortable as others. The flight attendants were not helpful during onboarding. It was a full flight so there was chaos finding space for baggage.

Awesome! On time flight, early arrival, and a complimentary upgrade!

It was nt delta. It was aeromexo. Service was awful. They served a very small drink and NO snack for a 3hr and 35min flight. Then for the first 30 min of the flight is was talk and talk over head interruption the movie/ show i picked to watch.

Delta One is extraordinary. I fly business when somebody hires me. I just wonder why there is such a chasm between business class and the insanely inhumane and nonsensical coach. The seats are not large enough to fit even my tiny wife. We fly 10% of what we did because we don’t want to pay 5-10 k but for $400 it’s unbearable. It seems like the accountants took over and made stupid decisions. Screw in 20 extra seats and make it so unbearable that people fly 90% less. Just put the damn price up and put some proper chairs in. But business, yay.

Delta’s staff is unmatched. From the gate agents, to the pilots, to the flight attendants… all top of the industry.

The flight was delayed for about 2 hrs. Other than it, it was good.

I am extremely disappointed that delta internal pilot manuals now refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “gulf of America”. You can bow down to the Orange turd on your own. I will never fly delta again

No lunch on a x-country flight scheduled for 10:50 am departure, arrived 5+ hrs later. That requires a black box label before you pay for the tickets. Worst, when I checked in online, it's specifically said that lunch was served on his flight for economy Plus passengers.

Our flight from SFO to MSP was right on time on 11/15/2025. No delays. As we approached MSP at about 8 pm, we circled in the air until 8:40 pm so I don't call that efficient for MSP. I think the captain should announce the delay and why. (as if we all don't know that we are just circling around the area, slowing down, speeding up, slowing down.) Thank you. Marilyn Fischer

Staff were friendly and happy. Delta could make sure passengers that don't have the app know of changes. Without Kayak I would not have known about the change of gate or the delay. Kayak was faster to notify me.

Empty seats next to me - wish it had been for a longer flight!!

I’m grateful for the KLM Air France shuttle bus service to Ottawa. However due to construction and other issues related to the chaotic Uber pickup system at YUL, it’s a challenge to find the Kelios bus service to Ottawa. The signs are not clear or even available. No staff to guide passengers. It’s a stressful experience.

Terrible last row seats many seats available but no offer to move to better seat

Delay on my previous leg, had to run to catch my flight. But that happens. Overall ok.

At the airport, terrible, I do not want to even remember it. It was too humiliating for a business class passenger.

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.

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.

Short flight so it was okay. Nice crew, all very pleasant and professional. We were near the back in row 27 so just as we got our drinks, we started our descent so had to drink very quickly!

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

Very disappointing given gate agent behavior. Filed a formal complaint with United.

Terrible. No customer service, no food, no drinks on a 6 hour premier economy booking.

The flight crew where really good. Better then the crew from BNE to SFO

Food should be changed in menu Many muslims travels in this airlime they need to add one Halal meal

left on time, reasonable boarding process arrived early luggage came out quickly

Some flight attendants were great others were cranky. Seats were very tight and sitting on an aisle was very hard as the carts and people walking constantly bumped shoulder and arm.

Pushed back only to get deplaned due to a tire damaged by ground crew. They did at least go pretty fast. The bathrooms should be banned under the Geneva convention. No room to even sit straight on the toilet. The under-seat entertainment units block what little leg room there is.

United airlines has the best customer experience from booking to arrival. I always fly United airlines. The mileage program is excellent

from SFO-> FRA flight, AVML meal was significantly less compared to regular meal, especially no Desert, no Bread, no sides.

This was an older airplane. The cabin was constantly warm to hot throughout the 10 hour flight and there were no vents to personalize air flow. Also since it was an older plane, the material and comfort of the chairs were very uncomfortable. I left my flight with major soreness on my tailbone.

After arriving in Istanbul, the transit information on the electronic board showed a tight departure time, and the gate changed in the middle, making it difficult to make it on time.

Typically good service onboard but baggage delay in airport was significant

My, Syed Zawar Hussein Shirazi frequently flyer membership number was not included on my boarding pass from O’Hare to Istanbul despite my reminder to the attendant at check in. Further she forgot to give me my boarding pass form Istanbul to Lahore and she needs to improve her customer service, please 🙏

Everything about that day was great I was happy with how things went as a first time traveling with the airline thank you for all that you’ve doing by taking us there to our various destinations thanks.

Service was slow and checked bag was off last evening when flying business

Turkish Airline canceled our tickets in the very last minute, with our luggage and everything else, all prepared and good to go. It’s clear that they sold the tickets for better money to someone else. Bad, Bad, Bad business!!!

Awful seating. Bad food. Staff only have one bottle of water and no cans.

it was like a banya -so hot... They did provide a great experience with special food. one toilet broke midflight In general it was a peaceful and relaxing flight - for business class it was good.

Chicago to Istanbul was a much better experience than I expected since I’m more accustomed to Qatar Airways business class. The business lounge in the Istanbul airport was amazing - loved the lockers and phone charging stations, and the bathroom was a spa experience in itself. The onward leg from Istanbul to Karachi was utterly disappointing. Terrible plane, and I felt like I was in economy - the seats don’t come near to lying flat and the food was mediocre. What a sad downgrade - it isn’t as though the ticket on that leg was cheaper. So, on that front, there’s no contest with Qatar airways.

Second leg of Turkish Airline with Indigo is disaster for following reason. 1) You have to carry your cabin bags through ladder to boeing 777 because it was parked somewhere in parking lot and was not given a gate to board passengers and this seems to be people traveling to and fro from those flights and is not issue with flight itself. 2) I choose non vegetarian food on Turkish portal way ahead of checkin to entire trip, However the Indigo flight gave me random veg food saying they code veg food code from Turkish. 3) Indigo did not served any alcoholic beverages stating some weird reason which is non nonsensical. 4)Indigo have TV screens in front of you but it displays nothing except "Welcome Onboard" with annoying white black ground in dark flight. This is the most stupidest and annoying part because you are held hostage for 7 hours and only thing you could do is stare back at white screen which does not have entertainment package or even flight tracker. Such a shame.

Service and food were excellent. Incredibly friendly and competent staff. Flight was delayed over and hour and I had to run between terminals to get my connecting flight.

Late flight Delays Poor service Poor staff Worst airline ever

Lufthansa still has a good level of quality compared to US airlines, especially with respect to (1) food quality - actually tasty, (2) good French red wine - free, (3) good movie selection. Also my ticket price includes 1 free check-in luggage, while some other budget airlines sneak in an extra $150 for a checkin.

The food could be better, more snacks. And have some plugs to chargue the phone.

Everything was really great just The aircraft was too old and sounded it will break during takeoff

Extremely pleased with the crew. Best flight attendants ever! Very friendly, genuinely caring and attentive.

Best flight attendants ever! Very customer and service oriented, courteous, professional and helpful.

Cheapest airlines I have ever been on. I got downgraded and never got on united. I got rerouted through Vancouver onto jetwesf

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

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports