easyJet plots cheap flights to Istanbul
January 6, 2006Tourists seeking cheap trips to Istanbul could be in luck following local press reports that easyJet is in talks to begin flying to a low cost airport in the city.
Turkish newspaper Zaman, whose article was cited by Luchtzak Aviation, says that the no-frills airline is locked in negotiations with the operator of Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International (SAW), Turkey's second airport.
Flights would start in around two months' time if the talks are successful and easyJet gets the green light from the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority.
The negotiations are said to be progressing well, meaning that cheap tickets to the only city in the world to straddle two continents could be just around the corner.
Istanbul remains a favourite among British travellers, courtesy of its grandiose history and rich mix of mosques, palaces and bazaars.
But cheap flights to the city are often hard to come by. BA advertises return flights from Gatwick for £762 while rival BMI will get you there and back from London Luton for £608.
Cheaper deals are available if you shop around, however, with Czech Airlines currently offering returns from Stansted for £160. Swiss Airlines has an even better deal for January only if you book through HolidayGenie.com, with return tickets priced at £106.
© Adfero Ltd
User comments
Great to hear easyJet will start flying to Istanbul. I hope the negotiations end postive and it starts soon.
Posted by: özgür | 13 Jan 2006 06:28:06
Hi Ozgur
It will indeed be interesting if easyJet do go ahead with a new service to Istanbul as others may follow.
Thanks for your comment.
Posted by: Craig McGinty | 13 Jan 2006 10:06:59
Istanbul is beautiful. I really do pray that easyJet starts its flights to Istanbul.
Posted by: Metin | 13 Jan 2006 12:24:16
I am so glad to hear this news. I know Ryanair is also planning to fly SAW from Hahn. But thanks to easyJet for being firmer!
I have lived in London for five years. I have written to these airlines many times asking that they should start this route. Now is the day that BA and THY stop ripping off the Turkish workers during the holiday seasons.
Thank you easyJet!
Posted by: serhat narsap | 28 Jan 2006 08:18:40
It seems far too good to be true but let's see what happens!
Posted by: Turan | 12 Feb 2006 15:59:36
This is fantastic news. I live in Istanbul and it costs me sometimes up to £350 just to pop back to London to see my family and friends.
Does anyone know how I can find out the latest announcements regarding this? The easyJet website doesn't seem to mention it.
Posted by: Duncan Mackie | 19 Feb 2006 10:04:40
My family lives in Kartal-Maltepe which is five miles to Sabiha Gokcen and I live in Essex. If easyJet starts flying between Stansted and Sabiha Gokcen my family and friends really will be around the corner and I won't be home sick anymore. I keep my fingers crossed. Good luck easyJet.
Posted by: Inci Twinn | 14 Mar 2006 23:32:36
This is brilliant news. I am tired of Turkish Airlines and British Airways ripping me off. I hope everything goes well for easyJet, they deserve it for standing up to the big boys.
Posted by: geoffrey willis | 24 Mar 2006 10:53:30
Flights to Istanbul are now available for booking on the easyJet website. The route is from Luton to Istanbul and the first flight takes off on June 29, 2006.
Sabrina Wolfe, editor Cheap Flight News
Posted by: Sabrina Wolfe | 27 Mar 2006 09:42:24
It will be great if easyJet starts to fly to Istanbul. We are so fed up with Turkish Airlines' high prices.
Posted by: oya | 3 Jun 2006 11:32:20
I wish that the Turkish Authority will wake up and make people feel happy. They make lots of adverts for tourists to come to Turkey, but flight companies are not offering any good deals. If you want more tourists to come to Turkey and get cheap flights, like in Portugal, Spain and France, then let the new service happen.
Posted by: ihsan | 3 Jun 2006 20:35:04
I am booked on an easyJet flight from Istanbul (SAW) to Luton in early July 2006. I was not notified and discovered only by accident (June 7, 2006) that easyJet are no longer taking bookings for this route. The reason given is that talks with both the Operators of Sabiha Gokcen International Airport and the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority are not concluded. Also I was told that no refund was possible for this flight since easyJet will not cancel the flight and this situation could possibly continue right up until the day before my flight. A little unfair for the passenger who has to be in London for a particular date in July, don't you think ?
Posted by: Bryan Ward | 7 Jun 2006 07:13:34
Bryan, thanks for your comment about the Luton-Istanbul route. We've been in touch with easyJet and they maintain that the new flights will take off according to plan. Please see a story that was posted this afternoon with more details: EasyJet moves to quell Luton – Istanbul route fears. We'll keep the site updated with any more news as we get it.
Kind regards,
Sabrina Wolfe, editor, Cheap Flight News
Posted by: Sabrina Wolfe | 7 Jun 2006 13:58:36
I've been trying to book a flight to Istanbul on the easyJet website too, but to no avail. Does anyone know what the fares are to Istanbul from Luton on a return flight?
Posted by: Nina | 10 Jun 2006 21:08:39
The Turkish government has rejected the deal so there won't be any flight, I don't think. Because if easyJet did fly then Turkish Airlines won't be in business. Tickets for Turkish Airlines are £400 and easyJet is about £150. Turkish Airlines is the Turkish government's as well. They don't want to lose money.
Tolgahan
Please note, the views expressed in this comment are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cheapflights.co.uk
Posted by: tolgahan | 13 Jun 2006 13:09:18
I rang easyJet customer services yesterday (June 16) via their expensive 65p per min line. Having booked two return tickets in July I am concerned that these flights may not now happen. All I was told was that all flights to Istanbul are now "pending" and that customers will be offered an alternative flight. The very fact that easyJet has offered flights and taken money without having proper Turkish authorisation astounds me. What were they thinking of? Like many others I have car parking, hotel and Turkish car hire arranged and paid for. We are apparently to be informed "a few days beforehand" by email if the flights are cancelled and then offered an "alternative flight". Where to, I wonder? EasyJet: this is not good enough, get this sorted out. It is almost impossible to contact EJ by email and phone costs are very expensive. We as customers demand a better service!
Posted by: Lourpur | 17 Jun 2006 11:58:44
I have just yesterday received an email from easyJet saying that the flight has been cancelled. Two weeks prior the flight, just when everything has been booked and arranged. A total disappointment. So, I called up easyJet on the expensive number and had to wait for 40 minutes to get hold of someone. Finally I was advised that I could book from an alternative carrier and get my money paid back. I now have done my booking with Turkish Airlines and am about to send the details to easyJet for a refund but, to be honest, I have a very bad feeling about this.
Posted by: Arif Sogut | 22 Jun 2006 14:19:41
We already booked tickets for Istanbul for August 15, we don't even know whether we will be able to fly or not. I called easyJet last Saturday - after waiting 46 minutes finally I got hold of someone. They can not even tell us that our flight has been cancelled or not and we have to wait. I can not wait until August I need to know now. Turkish Authorities needs to make their mind up asap.
Posted by: selin | 23 Jun 2006 11:23:05