Award flights from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST)
Award space from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST)
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AwardTool saw award space on 2 airport pairs between San Francisco (SFO, SJC) and Istanbul Airport (IST) in the last 30 days. Lowest economy: 22,500 miles + $47.20 on SFO–IST (American Airlines AAdvantage). Lowest business class: 57,500 miles + $47.20 on SFO–IST (American Airlines AAdvantage). Lowest first class: 85,000 points + $1,045.80 on SFO–IST (Alaska Atmos Rewards).
Prices observed – .
Page regenerated from the Nov 12, 2026 data snapshot (normally daily). Summary last changed . Seats change quickly.
- Lowest economy
- 22,500 pts + $47.20
- SFO–IST · AAdvantage
- Lowest premium economy
- 40,000 pts + $251.70
- SFO–IST · Flying Blue
- Lowest business class
- 57,500 pts + $47.20
- SFO–IST · AAdvantage
- Lowest first class
- 85,000 pts + $1,045.80
- SFO–IST · Atmos
Economy was lowest on SFO–IST: 22,500 miles + $47.20 with American Airlines AAdvantage. The lowest on another airport pair was 22,500 miles + $47.30 with American Airlines AAdvantage on SJC–IST. With American Airlines AAdvantage, business class started at 57,500 miles + $47.20, about 2.6 times the points of its lowest economy award (22,500 miles + $47.20).
Compare programs by cabin
The lowest one-way award each program showed in each cabin, sorted by points.
Economy
Lowest economy from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST) on points: 22,500 miles + $47.20 with American Airlines AAdvantage on SFO–IST (seen on 182 dates).
| Program | Points + taxes | Airports | Dates seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantageLowest observed | 22,500 pts + $47.20 | SFO–IST | 182 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 23,000 pts + $202.90 | SFO–IST | 34 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 25,000 pts + $162.20 | SFO–IST | 343 |
| Delta SkyMiles | 34,000 pts + $35.30 | SFO–IST | 308 |
| GOL Smiles | 34,700 pts + taxes not reported | SJC–IST | 8 |
| Emirates Skywards | 35,000 pts + $294.00 | SFO–IST | 305 |
| Turkish Miles & Smiles | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported | SFO–IST | 276 |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 40,000 pts + $67.20 | SFO–IST | 264 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 42,500 pts + taxes not reported | SFO–IST | 128 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 43,000 pts + $29.00 | SFO–IST | 156 |
| United MileagePlus | 44,000 pts + $5.60 | SFO–IST | 206 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 51,800 pts + $378.60 | SFO–IST | 202 |
| Etihad Guest | 75,000 pts + $206.30 | SFO–IST | 289 |
Premium Economy
Lowest premium economy from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST) on points: 40,000 miles + $251.70 with Air France/KLM Flying Blue on SFO–IST (seen on 340 dates).
| Program | Points + taxes | Airports | Dates seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air France/KLM Flying BlueLowest observed | 40,000 pts + $251.70 | SFO–IST | 340 |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 40,000 pts + $47.40 | SFO–IST | 123 |
| Lufthansa Miles & More | 42,500 pts + $816.80 | SFO–IST | 92 |
| GOL Smiles | 47,500 pts + taxes not reported | SFO–IST | 23 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 48,000 pts + $163.40 | SFO–IST | 8 |
| United MileagePlus | 55,000 pts + $9.00 | SFO–IST | 171 |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 55,000 pts + $590.80 | SFO–IST | 122 |
| Emirates Skywards | 98,000 pts + $294.00 | SFO–IST | 62 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 108,000 pts + $912.00 | SFO–IST | 73 |
| Delta SkyMiles | 108,600 pts + $35.20 | SFO–IST | 79 |
Business Class
Lowest business class from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST) on points: 57,500 miles + $47.20 with American Airlines AAdvantage on SFO–IST (seen on 107 dates).
| Program | Points + taxes | Airports | Dates seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantageLowest observed | 57,500 pts + $47.20 | SFO–IST | 107 |
| Lufthansa Miles & More | 62,500 pts + $377.80 | SFO–IST | 156 |
| Turkish Miles & Smiles | 65,000 pts + taxes not reported | SFO–IST | 274 |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 85,000 pts + $1,045.60Mixed cabin | SFO–IST | 166 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 87,500 pts + $365.30 | SFO–IST | 343 |
| United MileagePlus | 88,000 pts + $13.60Mixed cabin | SFO–IST | 177 |
| Emirates Skywards | 109,000 pts + $1,254.00 | SFO–IST | 297 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 121,400 pts + $1,595.80Mixed cabin | SFO–IST | 84 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 157,500 pts + taxes not reportedMixed cabin | SFO–IST | 12 |
| Delta SkyMiles | 405,500 pts + $35.30 | SFO–IST | 102 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 411,500 pts + $770.26 | SFO–IST | 1 |
| GOL Smiles | 539,200 pts + taxes not reportedMixed cabin | SFO–IST | 6 |
| Etihad Guest | 840,625 pts + $898.85 | SFO–IST | 11 |
First Class
Lowest first class from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST) on points: 85,000 points + $1,045.80 with Alaska Atmos Rewards on SFO–IST (seen on 190 dates).
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.
San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST) at a glance
- From
- San Francisco (SFO, SJC)
- To
- Istanbul Airport (IST)
- Programs with award space seen
- 14 of 19 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), American Airlines (AA), Air Canada (AC), Air France (AF), Alaska Airlines (AS), Royal Air Maroc (AT), ITA Airways (AZ), JetBlue (B6), British Airways (BA), Delta Air Lines (DL), Aer Lingus (EI), Emirates (EK) and 16 more
- Departures with open awards
- Nov 2026 to Oct 2027
- Latest departure with space
- Observation window
- Awards observed in the last 30 days
- Distance
- 6,689–6,697 miles (10,765–10,777 km) between the airports, great-circle
- Destination guide
- Award flights to Istanbul Airport (IST)
Compare airports
Lowest one-way award AwardTool observed on each airport pair between San Francisco and Istanbul Airport (IST), with the program and the number of departure dates seen.
| Airports | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (SFO) to Istanbul Airport (IST) | 22,500 pts + $47.20AAdvantage · 182 dates | 40,000 pts + $251.70Flying Blue · 340 dates | 57,500 pts + $47.20AAdvantage · 107 dates | 85,000 pts + $1,045.80Atmos · 190 dates |
| San Jose (SJC) to Istanbul Airport (IST) | 22,500 pts + $47.30AAdvantage · 8 dates | 40,000 pts + $47.60AAdvantage · 3 dates | 57,500 pts + $47.30AAdvantage · 3 dates | 499,900 pts + $35.30SkyMiles · 3 dates |
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.
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.
Lowest observed by cabin, San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST)
- Economy: 22,500 miles + $47.20 on San Francisco (SFO) to Istanbul Airport (IST) with American Airlines AAdvantage, which showed economy award space there on 182 dates.
- Premium Economy: 40,000 miles + $251.70 on San Francisco (SFO) to Istanbul Airport (IST) with Air France/KLM Flying Blue, which showed premium economy award space there on 340 dates.
- Business Class: 57,500 miles + $47.20 on San Francisco (SFO) to Istanbul Airport (IST) with American Airlines AAdvantage, which showed business-class award space there on 107 dates.
- First Class: 85,000 points + $1,045.80 on San Francisco (SFO) to Istanbul Airport (IST) with Alaska Atmos Rewards, which showed first-class award space there on 190 dates.
Observed award examples
| Departure | Cabin | Airports | Program | Points + taxes | Seats | Stops | Observed (UTC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | SFO–IST | American Airlines AAdvantage | 22,500 pts + $47.20 | 5 | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| Economy | SFO–IST | Turkish Miles & Smiles | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported | 2 | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| Premium Economy | SFO–IST | American Airlines AAdvantage | 40,000 pts + $47.40 | 4 | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| Business | SFO–IST | Lufthansa Miles & More | 62,500 pts + $377.80 | 1 | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| Business | SFO–IST | Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 87,500 pts + $365.40 | 9+ | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| Business | SFO–IST | Turkish Miles & Smiles | 135,000 pts + taxes not reported | 1 | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| First | SFO–IST | Alaska Atmos Rewards | 85,000 pts + $1,045.80 | 6 | 2 stops | Check this date | ||
| First | SFO–IST | Delta SkyMiles | 499,900 pts + $35.20 | 5 | 2 stops | 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 + taxes vary via Turkish Miles & Smiles on SFO–IST, which showed nonstop space there on 276 dates (3 programs had nonstop space).
- Business class: nonstop from 65,000 miles + taxes vary via Turkish Miles & Smiles on SFO–IST, which showed nonstop space there on 274 dates.
Best months to fly from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST) on points
Each month shows the lowest award seen across the 2 airport pairs, with that program's open dates on the airport pair behind it.
| Month | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22,500 pts + $47.20 (13 dates)AAdvantage | 40,000 pts + $252.50 (16 dates)Flying Blue | 57,500 pts + $47.20 (8 dates)AAdvantage | 110,000 pts + $67.20 (13 dates)Atmos | |
| 22,500 pts + taxes not reported (11 dates)AAdvantage | 40,000 pts + $253.50 (31 dates)Flying Blue | 57,500 pts + taxes not reported (7 dates)AAdvantage | 85,000 pts + $1,045.80 (10 dates)Atmos | |
| 22,500 pts + taxes not reported (29 dates)AAdvantage | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported (31 dates)Flying Blue | 57,500 pts + taxes not reported (24 dates)AAdvantage | 85,000 pts + $1,051.50 (30 dates)Atmos | |
| 22,500 pts + taxes not reported (22 dates)AAdvantage | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported (28 dates)Flying Blue | 57,500 pts + taxes not reported (20 dates)AAdvantage | 85,000 pts + taxes not reported (19 dates)Atmos | |
| 22,500 pts + taxes not reported (17 dates)AAdvantage | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported (31 dates)Flying Blue | 57,500 pts + taxes not reported (10 dates)AAdvantage | 85,000 pts + taxes not reported (17 dates)Atmos | |
| 25,000 pts + taxes not reported (30 dates)Flying Blue | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported (30 dates)Flying Blue | 57,500 pts + taxes not reported (10 dates)AAdvantage | 85,000 pts + taxes not reported (27 dates)Atmos | |
| 25,000 pts + taxes not reported (31 dates)Flying Blue | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported (10 dates)AAdvantage | 57,500 pts + taxes not reported (2 dates)AAdvantage | 85,000 pts + taxes not reported (17 dates)Atmos | |
| 25,000 pts + taxes not reported (30 dates)Flying Blue | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported (1 date)AAdvantage | 57,500 pts + taxes not reported (3 dates)AAdvantage | 183,251 pts + taxes not reported (1 date)Miles & More | |
| 25,000 pts + taxes not reported (31 dates)Flying Blue | 70,000 pts + taxes not reported (11 dates)Miles & More | 57,500 pts + taxes not reported (2 dates)AAdvantage | 176,951 pts + taxes not reported (7 dates)Miles & More | |
| 25,000 pts + taxes not reported (31 dates)Flying Blue | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported (14 dates)AAdvantage | 57,500 pts + taxes not reported (15 dates)AAdvantage | 85,000 pts + taxes not reported (21 dates)Atmos | |
| 25,000 pts + taxes not reported (30 dates)Flying Blue | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported (8 dates)AAdvantage | 57,500 pts + taxes not reported (5 dates)AAdvantage | 110,000 pts + taxes not reported (21 dates)Atmos | |
| 25,000 pts + taxes not reported (20 dates)Flying Blue | 40,000 pts + taxes not reported (1 date)AAdvantage | 57,500 pts + taxes not reported (1 date)AAdvantage | 110,000 pts + taxes not reported (3 dates)Atmos |
A month's taxes are those of an award AwardTool recorded at that month's lowest price for a departure that month. “Taxes not reported” means the data has none for that month; the award still has taxes and fees.
Points that transfer to these programs
| Program | Amex | Bilt | Capital One | Chase | Citi | Wells Fargo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | — | 1:1 · ~1 day | — | — | — | — |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | — | — | — | — | 1:1 · Instant | — |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1:1 · Instant | — | — | — | — | — |
Check current transfer bonuses. Most transfers can't be reversed.
Questions about San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST) award flights
Which airports had the lowest award prices from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST)?
In business class, SFO–IST with 57,500 miles + $47.20 (American Airlines AAdvantage). In economy, SFO–IST with 22,500 miles + $47.20 (American Airlines AAdvantage). Prices are the lowest AwardTool observed in the last 30 days; search live before transferring points.
Which airport pairs between San Francisco and Istanbul Airport (IST) had award space?
SFO–IST (economy, premium economy, business class and first class) and SJC–IST (economy, premium economy, business class and first class). Airport pairs not listed had no award space AwardTool observed in the last 30 days.
How many points does it take to fly from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST)?
The lowest economy award AwardTool has seen was 22,500 miles + $47.20 with American Airlines AAdvantage. Seen Nov 10, 2026, 21:18 UTC for a Nov 23, 2026 departure. American Airlines AAdvantage showed economy award space on 182 departure dates at any price (newest observation Nov 12, 2026, 05:24 UTC). The lowest business-class award AwardTool has seen was 57,500 miles + $47.20 with American Airlines AAdvantage. Seen Nov 10, 2026, 21:18 UTC for a Nov 25, 2026 departure. American Airlines AAdvantage showed business-class award space on 107 departure dates at any price (newest observation Nov 12, 2026, 01:44 UTC). Search live before transferring points.
Which loyalty programs had award space from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST)?
14 programs in the last 30 days: American Airlines AAdvantage (economy 182 dates, premium economy 123 dates, business class 107 dates); Alaska Atmos Rewards (economy 264 dates, premium economy 122 dates, business class 166 dates, first class 190 dates); Avianca LifeMiles (economy 156 dates); Delta SkyMiles (economy 308 dates, premium economy 79 dates, business class 102 dates, first class 204 dates); Emirates Skywards (economy 305 dates, premium economy 62 dates, business class 297 dates); Etihad Guest (economy 289 dates, business class 11 dates); GOL Smiles (economy 8 dates, premium economy 23 dates, business class 6 dates); Air France/KLM Flying Blue (economy 343 dates, premium economy 340 dates, business class 343 dates) and 6 more. Dates count departure dates with an open award.
Can you fly nonstop from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST) on points?
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.
How much are taxes and fees on award flights from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST)?
Taxes and fees on each program's lowest award ranged in economy from $5.60 with MileagePlus (44,000 miles + $5.60) to $378.60 with Qantas (51,800 points + $378.60); in business class from $13.60 with MileagePlus (88,000 miles + $13.60 on a mixed-cabin itinerary) to $1,595.80 with Qantas (121,400 points + $1,595.80 on a mixed-cabin itinerary). GOL Smiles, Turkish Miles & Smiles and Qatar Airways Privilege Club did not report taxes for their lowest economy and business-class awards. Amounts are one way per traveler in USD and can differ on other dates and routings.
Which credit card points can book awards from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST)?
American Express Membership Rewards: Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), Delta SkyMiles (1:1), Emirates Skywards (5:4), Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1), Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1), Qatar Airways Privilege Club (1:1), Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1). Bilt Rewards: Alaska Atmos Rewards (1:1), Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), Emirates Skywards (1:1), Etihad Guest (1:1), Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1), Qatar Airways Privilege Club (1:1), Turkish Miles & Smiles (1:1), United MileagePlus (1:1), Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1). Capital One Miles: Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), Emirates Skywards (2:1.5), Etihad Guest (1:1), Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1), Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1), Qatar Airways Privilege Club (1:1), Turkish Miles & Smiles (1:1), Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1). Chase Ultimate Rewards: Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1), United MileagePlus (1:1), Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1). Citi ThankYou Points: American Airlines AAdvantage (1:1), Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), Emirates Skywards (1:0.8), Etihad Guest (1:1), Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1), Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1), Qatar Airways Privilege Club (1:1), Turkish Miles & Smiles (1:1), Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1). Wells Fargo Rewards: Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1), Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1). These are US card programs; ratios come from AwardTool's transfer partner list. Check current bonuses first.
What's the best month to fly from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST) on points?
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 Jan 2027 departures, 22,500 miles + taxes not reported with AAdvantage (29 dates); in business class, the lowest award was for Jan 2027 departures, 57,500 miles + taxes not reported with AAdvantage (24 dates). The month table shows every lowest price, including those. Based on dates we observed, not a forecast.
When do award seats open for flights from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport (IST)?
Booking windows before departure published by the programs with award space here (AwardTool's program data, reviewed Nov 6, 2026): Qatar Airways Privilege Club about 361 days, Avianca LifeMiles about 360 days, Emirates Skywards about 360 days and 9 other programs. AwardTool saw award space on this route for departures as late as Oct 20, 2027; seats can open earlier or later, and released seats may already be booked. See award release dates by program.