Compare 11 loyalty programs for Chicago to Istanbul award flights, with economy seats from 18,750 points.
Chicago to Istanbul is a long-haul US–Turkey corridor with nonstop award seats on Turkish Airlines. It's priced by 11 programs, and the cheapest economy award is 18,750 points with Air France-KLM Flying Blue. Prices for the same seat can vary widely between programs, so check several before moving points out of a bank account. This page compares all 11 programs on ORD–IST side by side.
Best one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Air FranceAF | 18,750Lowest | Not available | 60,000pts | Not available |
 KLMKL | 18,750Lowest | 40,000Lowest | 96,500pts | Not available |
 American AirlinesAA | 22,500pts | 40,000Lowest | 57,500Lowest | 110,000Lowest |
 British AirwaysBA | 22,500pts | 40,000Lowest | 57,500Lowest | Not available |
 IberiaIB | 22,500pts | 40,000Lowest | Not available | Not available |
 Scandinavian AirlinesSK | 30,000pts | 45,000pts | Not available | Not available |
 FinnairAY | 30,000pts | Not available | Not available | Not available |
 DeltaDL | 30,000pts | 55,000pts | 112,500pts | 401,200pts |
 EmiratesEK | 35,000pts | 86,000pts | 96,000pts | Not available |
 Turkish AirlinesTK | 40,000pts | 55,000pts | 65,000pts | Not available |
When award seats between Chicago and Istanbul price cheapest over the next year.
| Month | Cheapest award (points) |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 18,750 |
| Dec 2026 | 18,750 |
| Jan 2027 | 20,000 |
| Feb 2027 | 20,000 |
| Mar 2027 | 25,000 |
| Apr 2027 | 25,000 |
| May 2027 | 25,000 |
| Jun 2027 | 30,000 |
| Jul 2027 | 25,000 |
| Aug 2027 | 21,875 |
| Sep 2027 | No award data |
| Oct 2027 | No award data |
15 airlines with award seats between Chicago and Istanbul, nonstop or connecting.
American AirlinesAA
Air CanadaACFinnairAY
JetBlueB6British AirwaysBADeltaDLEmiratesEK
Etihad AirwaysEYIberiaIB
LufthansaLH
Qatar AirwaysQRScandinavian AirlinesSKTurkish AirlinesTK
TAP Air PortugalTP
United AirlinesUAWhat to know before booking Chicago to Istanbul with points.
Distance ~5,460 miles; nonstop flying time ~11h30 (estimate). Local time in Istanbul is 8 hours ahead of Chicago (9 while Chicago is on standard time). The data runs November 2026–October 2027, with calendar prices for ten months. Of the well-covered ones, November and December 2026 are the cheapest (18,750 points), while March–May 2027 (25,000) run higher.
Chicago to Istanbul is served by American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France and 24 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 11 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 18,750 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
At about 5,460 miles from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Istanbul Airport (IST), a nonstop runs roughly 11h30, give or take with the winds. Nonstop award space in the data comes from a single airline: Turkish Airlines. The Boeing 777-300ER shows up on those nonstop award segments. Nonstops make up only about 2% of the award options in the data; the rest connect.
On a long-haul trip like Chicago–Istanbul, pick the cabin before the program. The economy floor connects once; an economy nonstop on Turkish Airlines costs more. The cheapest economy seat's $166 in taxes and fees is the catch, well above the route's typical economy taxes; more points and less cash can come out ahead. Measured against economy, premium economy is about 2.1 times the points and business about 3.1 times. Air France-KLM Flying Blue is a bank-points transfer partner, but transfers are one-way, so confirm the seat before moving anything.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue wins economy at 18,750 points and premium economy at 40,000. American AAdvantage takes business class at 57,500 points. First class starts at 75,000 points through Air Canada Aeroplan on a connecting itinerary, often first on one leg only, so confirm the cabin on each flight. Among the remaining eight programs, United MileagePlus, Avianca LifeMiles, and Alaska Atmos Rewards are good places to cross-check.
Turkish Airlines is the only airline with nonstop award space on Chicago–Istanbul in the data, and its Star Alliance membership opens that nonstop to partner programs beyond Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. For connecting options, the better-priced awards in the data connect in Amsterdam, Paris, and London. The business-class floor is a oneworld partner award: American AAdvantage prices British Airways seats.
Confirm the airport before moving points; Istanbul itineraries can also arrive at Sabiha Gokcen (SAW). Out of Chicago, Athens is a cheaper long-haul redemption at last check, from 9,500 points. For a shorter trip from Chicago, Aruba and Auckland are tracked too.
Alternative corridors travelers consider alongside Chicago to Istanbul.
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Common questions travelers ask about the Chicago to Istanbul route.
