Turkish Airlines Launches U.S. Credit Card, and I’ve Already Applied

If you have your eyes set on Türkiye, there’s a new credit card to get you there as Turkish Airlines recently announced the Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature^® Credit Card.

My girlfriend and I are both eager to get to Türkiye, so we jumped at the card application. We were both approved quickly, but I had a small hiccup along the way.

Here’s what you need to know about the card, plus how to apply.

Turkish Airlines Credit Card Details

The Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Premier Visa card is a simple yet effective card for earning miles with Turkish Airlines. Here are the details:

• Welcome bonus: Earn 40,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 within 90 days of account opening.
• Earning categories:
  • Earn 3x miles on Turkish Airlines flights and purchases.
  • Earn 2x miles on dining, groceries, entertainment, and lodging.
  • Earn 1x mile on all other qualifying purchases.
• Annual fee: $99
• Other benefits:
  • Visa Signature^® benefits
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • No credit score inquiry to see if you’re approved for the card
  • Digital card available if you’re approved for immediate use
  • Limited time offer: The first 5,000 cardholders approved for the card will be issued a metal card.

It’s worth noting that the 40,000 miles bonus can potentially get you a one-way ticket in economy from the United States to Istanbul. If you can hit the minimum spending threshold, you will have a minimum of 43,000 miles after earning the welcome bonus. We value that stash at $559.

Here’s how far Turkish Airlines miles can take you.

The Application and Approval Process

Applying for the card was seamless, except towards the end.

Once I hit submit, I was met with a message saying “We need some time to review.” I sat puzzled for a few seconds and then was met with an offer screen to be approved for the card.

A few minutes later, my girlfriend also applied for the card but didn’t encounter the same review screen. She was sent straight to the approval screen. And we both received text messages and emails confirming that we had been approved for the card. We both have excellent credit scores and were both approved for $10,000 credit lines.

The card is offered by Imprint Bank, which offers cobranded cards. After we were approved, we visited our portals; here, we found our digital cards available for immediate use.

The application process didn’t clarify whether we qualified for the first 5,000 approvals for the metal card, but we are impartial to the material of the card.

Final Thoughts

The Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Premier card can be an excellent addition to your wallet if Türkiye is on your travel list — whether that’s Istanbul, Cappadocia, or elsewhere. However, the card’s earning rates are a bit limited. If you want to fly Turkish Airlines business class, you may want to deploy an earning strategy with multiple credit cards to turbocharge your miles-earning potential.