When should I book flights to Istanbul for the best fares in spring and summer?

From messages by 4 participants in 1 source · Last activity: 59 days ago

TL;DR

Travelers reported that fares for popular dates generally kept rising after booking: May flights were bought in February and August flights as early as January. October can be cheaper, but Istanbul weather is less predictable then.

What the community said

For summer travel, Aeroflot fares were reportedly available from about RUB 12,000 without checked baggage around six weeks before departure; checked baggage added roughly RUB 4,000. The traveler considered this unusually low for the airline.

Aeroflot — from RUB 12,000

For a mid-May trip, flights were booked in February at a good rate. Prices were monitored until departure and never returned to that level; they only increased.

Book in February for May

For an August trip, tickets were bought in January for about RUB 52,000. The highest fare seen later reached around RUB 113,000, so waiting to book peak-season flights can be risky.

RUB 52,000–113,000 for August

September was recommended as a more reliable-weather option for Istanbul. October flights may cost less, but the city’s weather can be changeable.

September and October

When comparing expensive April dates with September, factor in the purpose of the trip as well as airfare: September generally offers more pleasant weather, while April fares can be substantially higher.

April vs September