Great Card If
- You’re a Turkish Airlines frequent flyer
- You want a card that provides benefits with Turkish Airlines, like lounge access, priority boarding, and a fast-track toward elite status
Don’t Get If
- You rarely fly with Turkish Airlines
- You’d rather have a card that earns transferable points and miles
Turkish Airlines Premier Visa Card — Is It Worth It?
Depending on your goals and travel patterns, the Turkish Airlines Premier Visa card may be well worth it for you if you fly frequently with Turkish Airlines and are seeking a card that offers added perks on those flights.
Not only does the card help you earn more Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles miles on your daily purchases, but it also comes along with some practical benefits like complimentary access to Turkish Airlines lounges worldwide, priority check-in and priority boarding on Turkish Airlines flights, and the ability to earn extra Status Miles for your card spend to help you qualify for elite status faster.
That said, if you don’t fly with Turkish Airlines frequently and are primarily interested in earning more Turkish miles, then you might be better off opting for a card that earns transferable rewards and offers Turkish Airlines as a transfer partner, such as the Capital One Miles and Citi ThankYou Rewards programs.
Turkish Airlines Premier Visa Card Top Benefits and Perks
The Turkish Airlines Premier Visa card comes with a handful of valuable perks and benefits, including:
- Complimentary access to Turkish Airlines lounges: Cardholders get complimentary access to Turkish Airlines lounges when flying with Turkish Airlines. Business class lounges, Star Alliance lounges, and guest access are not included.
- Priority check-in and boarding: Skip the lines during check-in and boarding to save yourself additional time on all Turkish Airlines flights to and from the U.S.
- Elite status fast-track: Earn 125 Status Miles, up to 5,000 per calendar year, for every $500 spent on your card during a statement cycle.
- No foreign transaction fees: Use your card for international transactions to continue earning Turkish miles without paying foreign transaction fees.
Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Turkish Miles
Using your card for everyday purchases is a great way to help yourself earn more Turkish Airlines miles, especially when those purchases fall within the card’s bonus categories of 3x miles on Turkish Airlines purchases and 2x miles on dining, groceries, entertainment, and lodging.
The Turkish Airlines program offers some great redemptions when using its miles, both for flights with Turkish Airlines and its partners. Some of the best ways to redeem Turkish miles include 65,000 miles for a business-class flight between the U.S. and Istanbul, 20,000 miles for a United Polaris transcontinental flight within the U.S., and 15,000 miles for a one-way economy flight from the continental U.S. to Hawaii with United.
Alternative Cards to the Turkish Airlines Premier Visa Card
If you’d prefer to hold a card that earns transferable rewards, the Capital One Venture card might be a better fit for you, with its 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and uncapped 2x miles on all other purchases.
Additionally, it comes with a credit of up to $120 for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, no foreign transaction fees, and access to Capital One transfer partners, which includes Turkish Airlines at a 1:1 transfer rate.
The Citi Strata Premier card is another excellent choice for earning transferable rewards on daily purchases. It offers 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com, as well as 3x points on air travel, other hotel purchases, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and EV charging stations.
Additionally, it offers a $100 annual hotel benefit, no foreign transaction fees, travel protections such as trip delay insurance and rental car insurance, and access to the Citi transfer partners, which include Turkish Airlines.
