Singapore Airlines has released multiple Business Class Saver award seats for flights from Singapore to Istanbul, a hot Krisflyer sweet spot.
Why is Istanbul a Krisflyer sweet spot?
Istanbul, Turkey is categorized in Zone 10 of Krisflyer’s award chart, together with the Middle Eastern and African destinations.
What makes Istanbul a fantastic redemption of Krisflyer miles is the low amount of miles required (~45% less) vs European destinations.
| Destination | Krisflyer Miles (Business Class) | Flight duration |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 10: Istanbul | 56.5k | 11.5 hours |
| Zone 11: Europe | 103.5k | 13 to 14 hours |
As Istanbul is situated at the “front door” of Europe, Krisflyer members can save on ~45% of miles by first flying in Business Class to Istanbul, before booking a separate ticket for the short hop to a preferred European destination.
Related: Sweet Spots: Best ways to redeem Singapore Airlines Krisflyer miles in 2023
As shown below, flights from Istanbul to European cities can be really cheap. However, take note of the baggage limitations imposed by the airline that you are travelling on.
Of course, this makes a lot more sense if you are able to allow some time to visit Istanbul itself.
Award availability
At the moment, I am seeing fantastic Business Class award availability for flights from Singapore to Istanbul, as soon as this week and as far ahead as the next Christmas.
The best part? I could easily find up to 6 Saver seats available per search. There are possibly more seats available.
Unfortunately, I still do not see much availability for the return journey from Istanbul to Singapore. Try looking at Qatar Airways (Privilege Club), Finnair (Asia Miles) or Cathay Pacific (Asia Miles) if you are flying back from Europe.
Singapore Airlines Business Class seat
At the moment, Singapore Airlines has scheduled its Airbus A350-900 aircrafts to service this route and they are equipped with the 2013 Business Class seats.
Bottom line
It’s been a while, but we are finally seeing good Business Class availability between Singapore and Istanbul. If you are looking to travel to Istanbul or Europe during a holiday period, make your booking soon, before they are gone!
Thank you!
Istanbul to SG is almost impossible to find and award tickets, any idea why is it so? Thanks
Not sure why. Until recently, SIN-IST was just as bad.
Thanks, appreciate all the effort and data point