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molly farquharson · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 839 Location: istanbul

I am trying to get my kids here in August but it looks like at least one of them can get here on my free miles but can't get back on them. So... I wonder if any of you can point me in the direction of a good travel agent, in the Taksim area, preferably. My son is 25 but not a student, so I am hoping he can get a cheap OW ticket back to the US. Any ideas?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Other than going to the airport on the day of departure and buying a ticket at the airport I think most places charge the same. Whenever my friends come out here I am always amazed at how little they paid. Flights in Turkey are expensive. Would your son be able to buy a one way ticket from where he is. You might get better luck if you google the major airlines that fly here..

bron · Joined: 26 May 2004 Posts: 88

Depends how much you mean by "cheap." I got a one-way ticket to Vancouver on August 2nd for US$525 from a place called Campus Travel in Sultanahmet... much cheaper than what I paid to fly out here. Student price with Lufthansa. It's on the tram lines, just up from the entrance to Topkapı Palace.

yaramaz · Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 9:22 am Post subject:

I use campus travel too. Is that Oya and Mustafa Erdem? They got me home two summers in a row for very good prices- I think I paid 800 usd for a high season round trip ticket to Victoria (one flight beyond Vancouver). When I originally flew to Turkey from the west coast of Canada, my ticket was 1500 cdn one way.

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

How many stopovers was that yaramaz? I just paid around 1100$ for a round-trip to Portland OR in the end of August, with a stop in NY and one in Cinncinnati. This will be my first visit to the airport in Cincinnatti. I'm not even sure if I can spell Cincinnati.

But I got mine directly through the airline...

molly farquharson · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 839 Location: istanbul

i know mustafa and oya but had forgotten about them-- thanks. i usually just fly klm, but now i have to dink around for the kids. my daughter looked into flights for my son and found one for $1700!!! return Portland OR to Istanbul (and back). she is coming from Atlanta and it is not much cheaper. So, tickets are a lot cheaper from here to there than from there to here.

yaramaz · Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:43 pm Post subject:

The first time was on KLM via Am'dam and Minneapolis to Vancouver, and the return was through Memphis and Am'dam, with enough time in the stopovers to leave the airport and chill out in the Jordaan for the afternoon. Very nice in July. The second one was more direct on Lufthansa, via horrific Frankfurt airport (cranky, industrial, cavernous, huge) to Vancouver. Both were under 1000 usd. My parents came over last autumn via London and paid about 1500 cdn. Slightly more expensive, I guess, depending on exchange rates.

Strangely enough, if you are ever in the area, Pınar turizm in Kayseri has brilliant deals for Europe, US, etc. Got me to NY direct for Christmas for 300 bucks.

calsimsek · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 775 Location: Ist Turkey

Molly you will find that the price for traverling out of Turkey is much cheaper than traverling into Turkey. Gulf Air flight Ist-Mel 980$ US same flight Mel-Ist 1350$ US. I'v been on the net lokking for cheap filghts. I'v talked to few airlines and they all tell me the same thing: use a local agent from the city you want to fly from. Good luck, I'm just giving up and am sending the money for my mum to buy her ticket herself.