{"id":10373,"date":"2021-09-13T15:32:10","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T19:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelseason.com\/?p=10373"},"modified":"2024-07-29T00:32:55","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T04:32:55","slug":"airlines-istanbul-turkey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelseason.com\/airlines\/airlines-istanbul-turkey\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Airlines To Fly Into Istanbul, Turkey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Istanbul is the most populous city in Turkey as well as the cultural and financial hub of the country. The city is uniquely located on both sides of the Bosphorus sea, bridging the continents of Asia and Europe. <\/p>

It is often referred to as the “Meeting Place Of The World” and is a city everyone should visit at least ones.<\/p>

The city is one of the largest and attracts a number of tourists every year. Whether you’re a history buff, foodie, or art lover, Turkey has countless incredible places for you to explore and shop.<\/p>

Luckily, Istanbul is easily accessible on Turkish Airlines, one of our most recommended airlines for award travelers. The airline provides top tier food and a solid business and economy experience.<\/p>

If you are planning a trip in the future to Turkey, we will break down the best airlines to fly.<\/p>

Airports Near Istanbul<\/h2>

Istanbul is serviced by two main airports, bother servicing international and domestic flights. If you are flying directly from the US then you will be landing in IST<\/a> but SAW<\/a> services many other cities around the world.<\/p>

Airport<\/th>Taxi To Center<\/th>Est Taxi Price<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Istanbul New Airport (IST)<\/td>40 min<\/td>$35<\/td><\/tr>
Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW)<\/td>31 min<\/td>$25<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>

Istanbul New Airport (IST) is located on the European side of Istanbul, while Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) is located on the Asian side. Both airports offer relatively easy ways to get into the city center, with IST being slightly farther out than SAW.<\/p>

The cheapest way to get into the city by far is by bus but a taxi will be more convenient. Although be aware Istanbul suffers from heavy traffic congestion and make sure you factor this into your timing. <\/p>

Airlines Flying To Istanbul<\/h2>

When traveling form the US, nonstop flights are entirely serviced by Turkey’s flagship carrier Turkish Airlines. The airline flies to 10 major US cities as well as a few in Canada and Cuba.<\/p>

This means that if you are flying from anyone else or want to stick to a US based airlines you are most likely going to connect here or in other parts of Europe. The good news is that all three alliances offer service from the U.S. to Turkey.<\/p>

We focus on the nonstop so here are the cities and airports being serviced to Istanbul:<\/p>

Airline<\/th>Airport<\/th>Aircraft<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Turkish Airlines<\/td>John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)<\/td>Boeing 777<\/td><\/tr>
Turkish Airlines<\/td>Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)<\/td>Airbus A330<\/td><\/tr>
Turkish Airlines<\/td>Dulles International Airport (IAD)<\/td>Boeing 777<\/td><\/tr>
Turkish Airlines<\/td>Miami International Airport (MIA)<\/td>Boeing 787<\/td><\/tr>
Turkish Airlines<\/td>Atlanta International Airport (ATL)<\/td>Boeing 787<\/td><\/tr>
Turkish Airlines<\/td>O’Hare International Airport (ORD)<\/td>Boeing 777<\/td><\/tr>
Turkish Airlines<\/td>George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)<\/td>Boeing 787<\/td><\/tr>
Turkish Airlines<\/td>Dallas\/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)<\/td>Boeing 787<\/td><\/tr>
Turkish Airlines<\/td>Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)<\/td>Boeing 777<\/td><\/tr>
Turkish Airlines<\/td>San Francisco International Airport (SFO)<\/td>Boeing 787<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>

Turkish Airlines has a reasonably good reputation as an airlines especially for their food offering. Another bonus is if you are a Start Alliance frequent flyer you can obtain points on their partner airlines.<\/p>

Best First Class<\/h2>

Turkish Airlines unfortunately does not have a first class product so there is no option when flying to Istanbul. The only option would be to connect via Europe or the Middle East on Emirates, Lufthansa, British Airways, Swiss, or Air France. If you are traveling from LAX or SFO on the West Coast, it may be beneficial to break up the 14 hour flight but generally we don’t recommend the added time just for first class. <\/p>

Best Business Class<\/h2>

Not all business class are made equal, even on one airline, so if you are willing to pay a premium for comfort (or shell out some points) we’ll tell you what option on Turkish would be best.<\/p>

1. Turkish Airlines 787-9<\/h3>
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A post shared by Aviation Geeks (@geeksaviation)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>