The Best Credit Cards That Earn Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Miles [September 2023]
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Earn Turkish Airlines Miles With Credit Cards
Before Turkish Airlines added transfer partners, the only realistic way for Americans to earn Turkish Airlines miles was by crediting flights on Star Alliance partners (such as United or Air Canada) to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.
Due to the relatively easy criteria for Star Alliance Gold qualification, using Turkish Airlines to get there was valid. You only needed to be a Miles&Smiles Elite level to earn Star Alliance Gold.
To do this, you needed first to earn 40,000 Status miles within a year of membership. After that, you could renew your status by earning 30,000 Status miles in the first Elite year or 45,000 Status miles within 2 membership years.
Now, members can earn miles across 4 transferable points programs — Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.
1. Citi ThankYou Rewards Credit Cards
Using ThankYou Rewards is arguably the best and quickest way to earn a lot of Turkish Airlines miles. With a 1:1 transfer ratio, you could potentially even increase this ratio if you transfer ThankYou Points when transfer bonuses are being offered. For example, in January 2019, Citi offered a 25% transfer bonus to Turkish Airlines, which would bring the transfer ratio up to 1:1.25.
In order to accumulate Citi ThankYou Points, you’ll need to have one of its ThankYou Points-earning credit cards. It’s important to note, not all ThankYou Rewards credit cards are eligible for transfers to partners.
Recommended Citi Card
Citi Premier® Card
Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.
Citi Premier® Card
Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.The Citi Premier® Card is an excellent option for anyone looking for an all-around travel rewards credit card. The card helps you earn points fast with great 3x bonus categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels. Plus, it offers access to airline and hotel transfer partners, doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and has a reasonable annual fee!
Pros
- 3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotel purchases
- Access to Citi transfer partners
- Annual hotel credit
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 60,000 ThankYou® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 21.24% - 29.24% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Card Categories
Rewards Center
2. Capital One Credit Cards
Miles&Smiles is a Capital One Miles transfer partner and the transfer ratio is 1:1. Transfers take up to 24 hours.
Recommended Capital One Cards
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesCapital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.
Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.
Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.
Pros
- 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
- 5x miles per $1 on flights purchased through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit on bookings made through Capital One Travel
- Unlimited complimentary access for cardholder and 2 guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- 10,000 bonus miles awarded on your account anniversary each year
- Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit
- Add authorized users for no additional annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- $395 annual fee
- Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more – you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 22.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
- Foreign Transaction Fees: $0
Card Categories
Rewards Center
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Terms Apply / Rates & FeesCapital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!As a frequent traveler with excellent credit, you’re always on the lookout for a credit card that comes with all the bells and whistles. And the easier it is to understand, the better!
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great sign-up bonus, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.
Pros
- 5x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
- 2 complimentary visits to a Capital One Lounge or Plaza Premium Lounges each year
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Capital One transfer partners
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Limited elite benefits
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
- Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Enjoy two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or to 100+ Plaza Premium Lounges through the Partner Lounge Network
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase – or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 21.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Card Categories
Rewards Center
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3. Bilt Rewards
Bilt Rewards points earned through the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card transfer to Miles&Smiles at a 1:1 ratio nearly instantly.
Never before has there been a credit card built specifically with renters in mind. Enter the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card, designed specifically to help renters earn rewards on their rent payments with no fees.
Of course, aside from rewards on rent, there are many other solid benefits that the card offers that add extra value to cardholders. In this guide, we provide a complete breakdown of everything the Bilt card has to offer to help you decide whether the card makes sense for you.
Pros
- 3x points per $1 at restaurants including eligible delivery and takeout
- 2x points per $1 on travel booked directly with airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies
- 1x point per $1 on rent payments, without a transaction fee, up to 50,000 points each year
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to airline transfer partners
- Cell phone protection
- Trip delay insurance
- Purchase security
- Primary rental car coverage
Cons
- Does not offer a welcome bonus
- Requires at least 5 transactions that post each statement period to earn bonus rewards
- $0 annual card fee
- 1X points on rent payments with no fees (on up to $50,000 in rent payments every year) and non-bonus purchases
- 2X points on travel (when booked directly with an airline, hotel, car rental or cruise company)
- 3X points on dining
4. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
Typically, Marriott Bonvoy has great sweet spots and there are better uses than transferring to Turkish Airlines, but it can be an option if you’re in a bind for Turkish Airlines miles.
As it does with most of its transfer partners, Marriott Bonvoy transfers points to Turkish Airlines at a 3:1 ratio. For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer, you’ll receive a bonus of 5,000 Turkish Airlines miles. That brings the transfer ratio up to 2.4 Marriott Bonvoy points per 1 Turkish Airlines mile.
With the recent revamp of Marriott Bonvoy’s loyalty program, you can earn Marriott Bonvoy points from the co-branded credit cards from American Express and Chase.
5. Refer a Friend for Bonus Miles (Extra Option)
Chase and American Express both have excellent referral bonus structures for their Marriott Bonvoy cards.
With Chase, you’ll receive 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for each approved referral, up to 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per year.
American Express allows you to refer your friends and family to credit cards you don’t even have! All you need to do is have an American Express-branded card such as The Platinum Card® from American Express or the American Express® Gold Card. Each American Express card has different referral structures and maximum referral points per year.
Capital One has a refer-a-friend program for its Venture cardholders. Referrals sign up through a personal referral link and must be a new Capital One cardholder for you to earn bonus miles. To find your link, sign in to your account or look in the app for the Refer a Friend tile on the account details page.
Lastly, Citi has a referral program that was recently initiated, but you’ll need to have received an email or letter from Citi in order to refer friends, so it’s not currently available to everyone. You can earn 10,000 ThankYou Points per approved referral and a maximum of 50,000 ThankYou Points in a rolling year. Keep in mind you can only receive 5 referral bonuses per card per year with Citi.
6. Turkish Airlines Co-branded Credit Cards and Banking Partners
Outside of the U.S., Turkish Airlines offers co-branded credit cards and transferrable point options with various international banks:
- Axis Bank
- Banque Saudi Fransi
- CIMB
- CTBC Bank
- First Abu Dhabi Bank
- Garanti BBVA
- HDFC Bank
- HSBC
- Hyundai Card
- Inbursa
- INVESTBANK
- Isracard
- Kuveyt Türk
- Kuwait Finance House
- NBK
- PASHA Bank
- Standard Chartered
- QNB Finansbank
Earn Miles Through Travel
Although Turkish Airlines’ shopping partners are limited to shops in Türkiye, you’ll be pleased to learn that there are quite a few ways to earn miles through travel — even if you live in the U.S.
7. Airfare and Airline Purchases
Turkish Airlines is the most internationally connected airline in the world, making it a convenient airline for almost anywhere you want to go.
By flying on Turkish Airlines, you’re eligible to earn Turkish Airlines miles. You’ll even be able to earn miles when you pay for up to 50% of your paid fare with points using the Cash&Miles program.
Here’s what the mileage accrual looks like for travel on Turkish Airlines:
| Mileage Accrual Table | Economy | Business | ||||||
| Ticket Class | Y, B | M, H, S, E, Q, A, O | T, L, V, G | W, P, F, U | C, D | K, J, Z | ||
| Türkiye | All Cards | Fixed Miles | 600 | 600 | 300 | 150 | 1,250 | 1,000 |
|
International
|
Classic Card
| Earnings Rate | 125% | 100% | 50% | 25% | 150% | 135% |
| Minimum Miles | 1,250 | 1,000 | 500 | 250 | 1,500 | 1,350 | ||
|
Classic Plus, Elite, Elite Plus Card
| Earnings Rate | 125% | 100% | 50% | 25% | 175% | 160% | |
| Minimum Miles | 1,250 | 1,000 | 500 | 250 | 1,750 | 1,600 | ||
Let’s do an example calculation. If you fly from San Francisco (SFO) to Istanbul (IST), the flight distance is 6,721 miles. If you hold the Turkish Elite Plus level, you’ll earn 160% of 6,721 miles, which ends up being a total of 10,754 Turkish Airlines miles.
Hot Tip: Remember to double-check your flight distance, fare booking class, and elite status when calculating your mileage accruals.
8. Crediting Partner Airlines to Miles&Smiles
For those of you that don’t regularly fly on Turkish Airlines, rest assured you’re still able to earn Turkish Airlines miles by crediting partner flights to Turkish Airlines.
Turkish Airlines is a Star Alliance partner, making it easy to earn miles with other Star Alliance airlines. In addition, you can also credit Azul, GOL, IndiGo, and Olympic flights to Turkish Airlines.
The Turkish Airlines website has more information about specific partner accrual rates.
Remember that you’re subject to the terms and conditions of both Miles&Smiles and the partner airline you’re flying on.
Specialty Earnings for Turkish Airlines Miles
Turkish Airlines miles are pretty valuable. If the above methods of earning Turkish Airlines miles don’t work for you, there are a couple of “specialty” ways to earn Turkish Airlines miles.
9. Buy Turkish Airlines Miles
Turkish Airlines sells miles at 3 cents per mile, and in 1,000-mile increments. You can purchase 1,000 miles for $30.
You can purchase up to 50,000 miles per calendar year.
Turkish Airlines rarely offers bonuses on purchased miles. In fact, 2014 was the last time it offered a bonus on purchased miles.
Earn Miles Through Shopping
10. Miles&Smiles Shopping and Living Partners
You can also earn Turkish Airlines miles through its shopping and living partners.
| Partner | Miles Earned | Partner | Miles Earned |
| 7 miles per €1 spent | Park Funtastic | 2 miles per ₺1 spent | |
| 1 mile per €1/£1/¥10 spent | ParkVia | 5 miles per €1 spent | |
| 2 miles per ₺1 spent | 7 miles per $1 spent |
Final Thoughts
All in all, Turkish Airlines has been a traditionally difficult mileage currency to earn. However, with the advent of new transfer partners, it’s now easier than ever to earn Turkish Airlines miles.
Yes, you’ll need to pay fuel surcharges and go through some hoops to make award bookings using Turkish Airlines miles, but it’s often worth it to save some hard-earned miles for sweet spots.
The information regarding the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.