Award flights from Istanbul (IST) to San Francisco (SFO)
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In the last 30 days AwardTool saw award space on 3 programs for IST→SFO. Lowest economy: 40,000 miles (Turkish Miles & Smiles). Lowest business class: 135,000 miles (Turkish Miles & Smiles, nonstop); mixed cabin from 88,000 miles + $50.19 (United MileagePlus). Lowest premium economy: 55,000 miles + $66.79 (United MileagePlus).
Prices observed – ; newest observation .
Page regenerated from the Oct 16, 2026 data snapshot (normally daily). Summary last changed . Seats change quickly.
Istanbul (IST) to San Francisco (SFO) at a glance
- From
- Istanbul Airport, Istanbul, Turkey (IST)
- To
- San Francisco International, San Francisco, California, United States (SFO)
- Programs with award space seen
- 3 of 5 programs tracked on this route
- Nonstop award space seen
- Yes, in economy and business class, via Avianca LifeMiles, Turkish Miles & Smiles and United MileagePlus
- Airlines seen on these awards
- Aegean Airlines (A3), Air Canada (AC), JetBlue (B6), Aer Lingus (EI), Lufthansa (LH), LOT Polish Airlines (LO), SWISS (LX), ANA (NH), Austrian (OS), Singapore Airlines (SQ), Turkish Airlines (TK), TAP Portugal (TP) and 1 more
- Departures with open awards
- Oct 2026 to Sep 2027
- Most dates with space
- 268 of 332 departure dates checked (Turkish Miles & Smiles, economy)
- Latest departure with space
- Observation window
- Awards observed in the last 30 days
- Destination guide
- Award flights to San Francisco (SFO)
Compare programs by cabin
The lowest one-way award each program showed in each cabin, sorted by points.
Economy
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish Miles & SmilesLowest observed | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported | Nonstop | Turkish Airlines (TK) | 2 | 268 | See dates | |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 43,000 pts + $67.83 | Nonstop | Air Canada (AC), Lufthansa (LH), LOT Polish Airlines (LO), SWISS (LX) +5 more | 3 | 109 | See dates | |
| United MileagePlus | 44,000 pts + $44.39 | Nonstop | Aegean Airlines (A3), Air Canada (AC), JetBlue (B6), Aer Lingus (EI) +7 more | 7 | 189 | See dates |
Premium Economy
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United MileagePlus | 55,000 pts + $66.79 | 2 stops | Aegean Airlines (A3), Lufthansa (LH), Turkish Airlines (TK), United Airlines (UA) | 5 | 130 | See dates |
Not seen in premium economy: Avianca LifeMiles and Turkish Miles & Smiles.
Business Class
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United MileagePlusLowest, mixed cabin | 88,000 pts + $50.19Mixed cabin | 1 stop | Aegean Airlines (A3), JetBlue (B6), Aer Lingus (EI), Lufthansa (LH) +4 more | 1 | 135 | See dates | |
| Turkish Miles & Smiles | 135,000 pts + taxes not reported | Nonstop | Turkish Airlines (TK) | 1 | 258 | See dates |
Not seen in business class: Avianca LifeMiles.
First class: not seen in the last 30 days.
Not seen means AwardTool hasn't observed this cabin on this route in the last 30 days. It doesn't mean the airline has no seats. Dates seen counts departure dates with an open award in that cabin at any price; newest observation is the latest time AwardTool saw one of them. Seats is the count the program reported when we observed it; some programs report at most 9.
Observed award examples
| Departure | Cabin | Program | Points + taxes | Seats | Stops | Observed (UTC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | Turkish Miles & Smiles | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported | 2 | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| Economy | Avianca LifeMiles | 43,000 pts + $67.83 | 3 | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| Premium Economy | United MileagePlus | 55,000 pts + $66.89 | 5 | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| Business | United MileagePlus | 88,000 pts + $84.09Mixed cabin | 3 | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| Business | Turkish Miles & Smiles | 135,000 pts + taxes not reported | 1 | Nonstop | Check this date |
Prices are one-way per traveler: the program's points or miles plus taxes and carrier fees in USD, as AwardTool observed them in the observation window. Award space changes constantly. A seat we saw may be gone, and space we haven't seen may exist. Always confirm with a live search before transferring points; most transfers can't be reversed.
Nonstop award space
- Economy: nonstop from 40,000 miles via Turkish Miles & Smiles, which showed nonstop space on 268 dates (3 programs had nonstop space).
- Business class: nonstop from 135,000 miles via Turkish Miles & Smiles, which showed nonstop space on 258 dates.
Best months to fly from Istanbul (IST) to San Francisco (SFO) on points
| Month | Economy | Premium Economy | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44,000 · MileagePlus (11 dates) | 55,000 · MileagePlus (8 dates) | 135,000 · Miles&Smiles (6 dates) | |
| 40,000 · Miles&Smiles (28 dates) | 55,000 · MileagePlus (25 dates) | 88,000 · MileagePlus (26 dates)Mixed cabin | |
| 40,000 · Miles&Smiles (30 dates) | 55,000 · MileagePlus (19 dates) | 88,000 · MileagePlus (19 dates)Mixed cabin | |
| 40,000 · Miles&Smiles (21 dates) | 55,000 · MileagePlus (4 dates) | 135,000 · Miles&Smiles (21 dates) | |
| 40,000 · Miles&Smiles (28 dates) | 180,000 · MileagePlus (5 dates) | 135,000 · Miles&Smiles (28 dates) | |
| 40,000 · Miles&Smiles (20 dates) | 123,900 · MileagePlus (3 dates) | 135,000 · Miles&Smiles (20 dates) | |
| 40,000 · Miles&Smiles (30 dates) | 123,900 · MileagePlus (17 dates) | 135,000 · Miles&Smiles (30 dates) | |
| 40,000 · Miles&Smiles (21 dates) | 124,300 · MileagePlus (11 dates) | 135,000 · Miles&Smiles (21 dates) | |
| 40,000 · Miles&Smiles (30 dates) | 123,900 · MileagePlus (19 dates) | 135,000 · Miles&Smiles (30 dates) | |
| 44,000 · MileagePlus (19 dates) | 156,600 · MileagePlus (19 dates) | 135,000 · Miles&Smiles (18 dates) | |
| 55,000 · Miles&Smiles (13 dates) | — | 135,000 · Miles&Smiles (13 dates) | |
| 40,000 · Miles&Smiles (15 dates) | — | 135,000 · Miles&Smiles (15 dates) |
Points that transfer to these programs
| Program | Amex | Bilt | Capital One | Chase | Citi | Wells Fargo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | — | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant |
| Turkish Miles & Smiles | — | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | — | 1:1 · ~1 day | — |
| United MileagePlus | — | 1:1 · Instant | — | 1:1 · Instant | — | — |
Check current transfer bonuses. Most transfers can't be reversed.
Search, calendar and alerts from Istanbul (IST) to San Francisco (SFO)
Route calendar
Every departure date with open award seats on IST→SFO for Turkish Miles & Smiles and the other programs: a limited window on the free plan and 365 days with Pro.
Open the route calendarLive search
Search one date across programs to see current flights, seats and taxes before you transfer points.
Search Istanbul (IST) to San Francisco (SFO)How many miles you need from Istanbul (IST) to San Francisco (SFO)
- In economy, Turkish Miles & Smiles had the lowest observed award, 40,000 miles (taxes not reported); see how many miles you need with Turkish Miles & Smiles.
- In premium economy, United MileagePlus had the lowest observed award, 55,000 miles + $66.79; see how many miles you need with United MileagePlus.
- In business class, Turkish Miles & Smiles had the lowest observed award, 135,000 miles nonstop (taxes not reported), apart from a mixed-cabin award from 88,000 miles + $50.19 with United MileagePlus; see how many miles you need with Turkish Miles & Smiles.
Questions about award flights from Istanbul (IST) to San Francisco (SFO)
What's the lowest Istanbul (IST) to San Francisco (SFO) award price AwardTool has seen?
In economy, 40,000 miles with Turkish Miles & Smiles. Seen Oct 16, 2026, 04:34 UTC for a Nov 7, 2026 departure. Turkish Miles & Smiles showed economy award space on 268 departure dates at any price (newest observation Oct 16, 2026, 04:34 UTC). In business class, 135,000 miles with Turkish Miles & Smiles (nonstop). Seen Oct 8, 2026, 17:47 UTC for an Oct 16, 2026 departure. Turkish Miles & Smiles showed business-class award space on 258 departure dates at any price (newest observation Oct 16, 2026, 04:34 UTC). A mixed-cabin itinerary, with part of the trip in a lower cabin, was seen from 88,000 miles + $50.19 with United MileagePlus. Search live before transferring points.
Which loyalty programs had award space from Istanbul (IST) to San Francisco (SFO)?
3 programs in the last 30 days: Avianca LifeMiles (economy 109 dates); Turkish Miles & Smiles (economy 268 dates, business class 258 dates); United MileagePlus (economy 189 dates, premium economy 130 dates, business class 135 dates). Dates count departure dates with an open award.
Is there nonstop award space from Istanbul (IST) to San Francisco (SFO)?
Yes. AwardTool observed nonstop award space in economy and business class, bookable via Avianca LifeMiles, Turkish Miles & Smiles and United MileagePlus. The lowest nonstop award in economy was 40,000 miles with Turkish Miles & Smiles.
Which credit card points can book awards from Istanbul (IST) to San Francisco (SFO)?
American Express Membership Rewards: Avianca LifeMiles (1:1). Bilt Rewards: Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), Turkish Miles & Smiles (1:1), United MileagePlus (1:1). Capital One Miles: Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), Turkish Miles & Smiles (1:1). Chase Ultimate Rewards: United MileagePlus (1:1). Citi ThankYou Points: Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), Turkish Miles & Smiles (1:1). Wells Fargo Rewards: Avianca LifeMiles (1:1). Ratios come from AwardTool's transfer partner list; check current bonuses first.
Which months had the lowest award prices from Istanbul (IST) to San Francisco (SFO)?
Counting only month prices from programs with award space on 2 or more dates that month, and leaving out unusually low outliers: in economy, the lowest award was for Dec 2026 departures, 40,000 miles with Miles&Smiles (30 dates); in business class, the lowest award was for Dec 2026 departures, 135,000 miles with Miles&Smiles (30 dates), and a mixed-cabin itinerary was seen for Nov 2026 departures from 88,000 miles with MileagePlus. The month table shows every lowest price, including those. Based on dates we observed, not a forecast.