14 Best Ways To Redeem Turkish Airlines Miles for Max Value [2023]

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles miles have historically been difficult to earn due to the lack of transfer partners available, which made it increasingly difficult to earn enough points without flying a ton and crediting your flights to earn Turkish Airlines miles.

However, Turkish Airlines is now transfer partners with Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Bilt Rewards.

Miles&Smiles has a lot of excellent award sweet spots — and because it hasn’t received a lot of coverage in the frequent flyer world, these sweet spots have stayed below the radar for the most part.

For example, one-way flights are allowed (but you cannot fly more than 1 carrier on inbound or outbound flights), you can have up to 4 segments on one-way awards, and you can have up to 8 segments on round-trip awards.

It also uses a region-based award chart, so there are definitely lots of opportunities for optimization and award sweet spots.

Let’s get started!

Table of contents

The Pros and Cons of Turkish Miles&Smiles (Quick Overview)
How To Boost Your Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
The 14 Best Ways To Use Your Turkish Airlines Miles
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

The Pros and Cons of Turkish Miles&Smiles (Quick Overview)
How To Boost Your Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
The 14 Best Ways To Use Your Turkish Airlines Miles
Final Thoughts

The Pros and Cons of Turkish Miles&Smiles (Quick Overview)

Although there are lots of opportunities to optimize Turkish Airlines miles, we’ll first go over some of the pros and cons before deep-diving into all the sweet spots.

To begin with, fuel surcharges are always passed on, so be aware of that when booking award flights.

If you are booking Turkish Airlines flights only, you can reserve your flights completely online. Otherwise, you’ll need to call the sales office at 800-874-8875.

Turkish Airlines has an online search engine that could potentially allow you to book partner flights online. The major downside to this is that the search engine is very buggy and often doesn’t show all possible availability.

We recommend starting your search first on United.com and then locating flights under the Saver award bucket. Once you’ve located options, ring up the Turkish Airlines sales office to book Star Alliance tickets.

There are a few fees Turkish Airlines charges as well:

Redeposit Fees: $25 for international or ₺100 (~$5.84) for domestic flights
No-show Redeposit Fees: $25 for international or ₺100 (~$5.84) for domestic flights
Any Changes (Time/Date/Routing) On Turkish Flights and Partner Flights: $25 for international flights and ₺50 (~$2.92) for domestic flights

On all award tickets operated by Turkish Airlines, 1 stopover is allowed. You are allowed 1 open-jaw (instead of a stopover) for round-trip awards.

Miles&Smiles miles expire 3 years after they are earned, but you can pay $10 per 1,000 miles and extend them for 3 years.

Mixed cabin awards are allowed, but you’ll pay the price for the higher class on the itinerary. You also can’t mix carriers for 1 direction of the flight.

For example, if you’re flying from the U.S. to the Middle East, you cannot fly to Turkey on Turkish Airlines and to Cairo on Egyptair; you must fly on Turkish Airlines the whole way.

Your entire itinerary may have up to 8 segments if it is round-trip, and 4 if it is one-way.

You can backtrack, but the same airport can’t be in your itinerary more than once in the inbound and outbound legs. This would normally be a great opportunity for optimization, but it’s pretty much nullified because of the restriction on mixed carriers.

If you’re short on Turkish Airlines miles and need 10,000 miles or less, you can pay €25 (~$26) per 1,000 miles to top off your balance.

You can redeem miles for someone else, but they need to be registered in your Miles&Smiles account beforehand.

Whew! Now that we have that business out of the way, let’s dive into this guide.

How To Boost Your Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

Capital One Miles Credit Cards

Capital One miles transfer to Turkish at a 1:1 ratio in up to 1 business day and are easy to earn!

Recommended Capital One Cards

Citi ThankYou Rewards Credit Cards

As we stated above, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles is a transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards.

There is no shortage of ways to earn lots of Citi ThankYou Points, so give this method a lot of thought if you want to earn Turkish Airlines miles!

Citi transfers at a 1:1 ratio in 1 to 2 business days.

Recommended Citi Cards

Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

Another great way to earn a lot of Turkish Airlines miles is with Marriott Bonvoy.

Marriott is an invaluable transfer partner for so many airlines, and there are many ways to maximize Marriott Bonvoy points for flights and hotel stays.

Although the time to transfer Turkish Airlines points is unknown, it will probably take around 1 business day for transfers to complete.

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card

You can earn Bilt Rewards points (especially by paying rent!) and transfer them to Turkish at a 1:1 ratio with a minimum of 2,000 points transferred.

Hot Tip: Don’t miss our dedicated piece on the best ways to earn lots of Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.

The 14 Best Ways To Use Your Turkish Airlines Miles

Let’s discover the best ways to redeem your Turkish miles!

In general, unless you are planning on booking a flight aboard Turkish Airlines, we always recommend starting your search on United’s website.

It’s just so much easier to use, and if you find availability for Saver awards, you should be able to redeem your Turkish Airlines miles for those partner flights.

1. Fly From Asia to the Maldives (7,500 Miles)

Singapore Airlines Economy Class — Singapore Airlines economy class. Image Credit: Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is a Star Alliance partner and thus eligible for use with your Turkish Airlines miles, and one of the best ways to do so might be the trip from Asia to the Maldives.

As a highly popular tourist destination, flights to the Maldives can be overpriced, and finding award availability can be difficult.

However, if you’re able to find a flight, you can take off from anywhere within Asia, including Tokyo (HND/NRT), Hong Kong (HKG), and Singapore (SIN), and get all the way to the Maldives from just 7,500 miles one way in economy. You can’t get much cheaper than that.

2. Fly SWISS Air Business Class to Switzerland (45,000 Miles)

SWISS Air has an excellent route network, a great business class product, and flies to a huge tourist destination: Switzerland.

It, unfortunately, does levy fuel surcharges. Nevertheless, if you’re able to pony up $750 to Europe or $365 from Europe each way, it’ll be worth it to use Turkish Airlines miles here.

SWISS flies to Geneva (GVA) from New York (JFK) and Zurich (ZRH) to these 7 cities:

Boston (BOS)
Chicago (ORD)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Miami (MIA)
New York (JFK)
Newark (EWR)
San Francisco (SFO)

3. Fly SAS Business Class to Scandinavia (45,000 Miles)

SAS A350 business — Flying on SAS business class is an excellent way to get to Scandinavia with 45,000 Turkish Airlines miles! Image Credit: SAS

SAS is the main flag carrier for 3 countries: Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

It flies the A330 with a great staggered 1-2-1 configuration. You’ll have plenty of room to stretch out, a comfortable bed to rest in, and great food en route to Scandinavia!

For each of the 3 countries mentioned above, SAS flies to the respective country’s largest hub airport: Copenhagen (CPH) in Denmark, Oslo (OSL) in Norway, and Stockholm (ARN) in Sweden.

Nonstop Flights on SAS to Copenhagen (CPH):

Boston (BOS)
Chicago (ORD)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Miami (MIA)
Newark (EWR)
San Francisco (SFO)
Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Nonstop Flights on SAS to Oslo (OSL):

Miami (MIA)
Newark (EWR)

Nonstop Flights on SAS to Stockholm (ARN):

Chicago (ORD)
Miami (MIA)
Newark (EWR)

Bottom Line: If flying out of the U.S., expect your costs to be 45,000 Turkish Airlines miles plus ~$730 to $750 in taxes and fees. If returning to the U.S., expect around $375 to $425 in taxes and fees.

4. Fly Austrian Airlines Business Class to Austria (45,000 Miles)

Austrian Airlines generally operates 2 aircraft on flights from the U.S. to Austria: the 767 and 777.

If possible, choose the 767 over the 777 when flying Austrian Airlines.

The 767 has a better business class product, with a staggered 1-2-1 configuration that offers direct aisle access for every seat. The 777 alternates rows with a 1-2-1 and 2-2-2 configuration, so direct aisle access is a luxury you’ll have to hope for.

You’ll be able to fly one-way for 45,000 miles plus $750 in taxes and fees to Austria and return to the U.S. for 45,000 miles plus $370 in taxes and fees.

The 767 is flown from Vienna (VIE) to New York (JFK) and Washington, D.C. (IAD), while the 777 is flown from Vienna (VIE) to Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), and Newark (EWR).

Bottom Line: Overall, this is an excellent way to comfortably get to Austria in business class at a low mileage cost if you can pay for the fuel surcharges.

5. Fly Transcontinental in the U.S. (From 10,000 Miles)

United Polaris 787-10 — Flying on United Polaris is a great way to get across the country. Image Credit: Stephen Au

Flying across the country in America can be exceedingly expensive. With economy flights in excess of $500 to $1,000 at times, and business and first class in excess of $2,000, you definitely want to save money where you can.

If you are planning a transcontinental flight involving Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR), New York (JFK), or San Francisco (SFO), you might want to read this section.

United Airlines is going to be your best bet here since Turkish Airlines is a Star Alliance partner.

Its premium transcontinental routing includes United’s fabulous Polaris business class product. Even better, flying this product will only cost 15,000 miles each way and 30,000 miles round-trip.

This is probably the best deal you’re ever going to get on United Polaris class across the U.S.!

Here’s the breakdown for the other cabin classes:

Cabin Class	Turkish Airlines Miles Cost (Transcontinental Flights)
Economy	10,000
Business	15,000
First	25,000

Taxes and fees will generally be minimal, with a maximum of $50 levied each way.

Hot Tip: Using Turkish miles to fly across the U.S. in Polaris business class is one of the best ways to get maximum value on domestic award redemptions.

6. Fly Air Canada Business Class to India (52,500 Miles)

While flying to India can be excruciatingly expensive and a distant journey, Star Alliance partner Air Canada operates some fantastic business class flights to India.

With an average flight time of 14 hours from Canada, your trip to India will definitely be more comfortable in business class.

Air Canada levies fuel surcharges of $560 each way, so your total taxes and fees will be approximately $610 each way.

However, spending the few hundred dollars extra might be worth it because it only costs 52,500 miles each way to fly to India in business class from Canada.

Air Canada operates 2 nonstop routes to India as follows:

Toronto (YYZ) – Delhi (DEL)
Toronto (YYZ) – Mumbai (BOM)
Vancouver (YVR) – Delhi (DEL)

On these routes, Air Canada utilizes the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with an excellent business class product.

This is a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration with direct aisle access, loads of privacy, and solid catering.

Bottom Line: Overall, if you want to fly business class to India from Canada, definitely consider using Turkish Airlines miles to do it, with a one-way cost of 52,500 miles + $450 in taxes and fees.

7. Utilize the Generous Oceania Zone Definition (From 15,000 Miles)

Air New Zealand Business Class — If you have a chance, you can also try the Air New Zealand business class product! Regardless of what plane you fly, Air New Zealand business class is one of the best in the world. Image Credit: Air New Zealand

Turkish Airlines has an extremely generous definition of Oceania, which we can use to our advantage. Specifically, the region includes these islands, countries, and territories:

Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, amd Vanuatu

Notice that Guam and Tahiti are included with Australia, New Zealand, and the like. This is an astonishing observation because flights from Oceania regions to Australia can be more than 7 hours long!

You will mainly be searching for Air New Zealand flights here, since Virgin Australia, Qantas, and Hawaiian Airlines are not Star Alliance partners.

“Intra-Oceania” Flights in Each Cabin Class
Economy	15,000
Business	25,000
First	35,000

And here is an example route you can take:

Rarotonga (RAR) to Sydney (SYD) one-way for 25,000 miles + ~$85 in taxes and fees in Air New Zealand’s 787 business class (7 hours each way!)

8. Fly Within the “Far East” in Business Class (35,000 Miles)

ANA Business Class — This lie-flat ANA business class seat can be yours with some planning! Image Credit: Stephen Au

The Far East, as defined by Turkish Airlines, contains the following:

Brunei, Cambodia, China (except Hong Kong and Macao), China Taipei, Hong Kong – SAR of China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam

Basically, the Far East includes all of Asia with the exception of India, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, and Central Asia.

Since this is such a huge region, you can get tons of value from flying business class within the Far East for only 35,000 miles each way.

Of course, you’re still limited to 1 carrier, but there’s still some room for optimization. As always, you’ll be on the hook for all fuel surcharges.

Here are some example routes:

Seoul (ICN) – Singapore (SIN) one-way for 35,000 miles + ~$75 in taxes and fees in Asiana’s A330 regional business class
Taipei (TPE) – Bali (DPS) one-way for 35,000 miles + $60 in taxes and fees in EVA Air’s A330 regional business class
Tokyo (HND/NRT) – Jakarta (CGK) one-way for 35,000 miles + ~$136 in taxes and fees in ANA business class

9. Fly Between Europe 2 and the Far East in Business Class (45,000 Miles)

Eva Air Business Class cuisine — A comfortable lie-flat seat, fantastic food and beverage offerings, and even pajamas are what you can expect in EVA Air business class. Image Credit: EVA Air

Another sweet spot is flying from Europe 2 to the Far East or vice-versa in business class.

Europe 2 includes:

Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Faroe Islands
Finland
France
Germany
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Slovakia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom

The Far East includes:

Brunei
Cambodia
China (except Hong Kong and Macao)
China Taipei
Hong Kong – SAR of China
Indonesia
Japan
Korea
Laos
Macau
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Vietnam

Hot Tip: To view all of the regions under Turkish Airlines’ frequent flyer program, click this link and expand the table that says Award region table near the bottom of the page.

With flights up to 12 hours long, paying only 45,000 miles is a great deal. Your fuel surcharges will be at their lowest when originating from the Far East as opposed to Europe 2.

Here are some example routes from Europe 2 to the Far East:

Brussels (BRU) – Tokyo (NRT) one-way for 45,000 miles + ~$221 in taxes and fees in ANA business class
Copenhagen (CPH) – Tokyo (HND) one-way for 45,000 miles + ~$245 in taxes and fees in SAS business class
London (LHR) – Tokyo (HND) one-way for 45,000 miles + ~$510 in taxes and fees in ANA business class
Munich (MUC) – Bangkok (BKK) one-way for 45,000 miles + ~$223 in taxes and fees in Thai Airways business class
Paris (CDG) – Taipei (TPE) one-way for 45,000 miles + $210 in taxes and fees in EVA Air business class
Warsaw (WAW) – Tokyo (NRT) one-way for 45,000 miles + ~$220 in taxes and fees in LOT Polish business class

And here are some examples you can take from the Far East to Europe 2:

Bangkok (BKK) – Frankfurt (FRA) one-way for 45,000 miles + ~$142 in taxes and fees in Thai Airways business class
Hong Kong (HKG) – Munich (MUC) one-way for 45,000 miles + ~$45 in taxes and fees in Lufthansa business class
Seoul (ICN) – London (LHR) one-way for 45,000 miles + ~$113 in taxes and fees in Asiana Airlines business class
Singapore (SIN) – Zurich (ZRH) one-way for 45,000 miles + ~$338 in taxes and fees in SWISS Air business class
Vienna (VIE) – Taipei (TPE) one-way for 45,000 miles + ~$238 in taxes and fees in EVA Air business class

Bottom Line: As you can see, there are tons of routes you can fly between Europe 2 and the Far East! This is just a taste of the possibilities. You can expect to pay 45,000 miles for one-way flights and 90,000 miles for round-trip flights.

10. Fly to the Middle East via Europe in Business Class (47,000 Miles)

Turkish Airlines 777-300ER business class. Image Credit: Turkish Airlines

If you are interested in visiting the Middle East, you can transit through Europe to fly to the Middle East for only 47,000 miles each way!

Here are the countries included in the Middle East:

Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen

Remember that you may not fly across the Pacific, as you would be transiting through a more expensive region (Far East) and would therefore be subject to the award prices for the Far East.

You must fly transatlantic to qualify for this award price. Finding a good route shouldn’t be a problem, though, because you’ve got tons of options.

Here are some example routes:

Chicago (ORD) – Zurich (ZRH) – Dubai (DXB) one-way for 47,000 miles + ~$790 in taxes and fees in SWISS Air business class
Los Angeles (LAX) – Istanbul (IST) – Muscat (MCT) one-way for 47,000 miles + ~$394 in taxes and fees in Turkish Airlines business class
San Francisco (SFO) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Tehran (IKA) one-way for 47,000 miles + ~$786 in taxes and fees in Lufthansa business class

Your taxes and fees will be pretty high, but it might be worth it — you’re basically getting another 5- to 6-hour flight from Europe to the Middle East for only 2,000 miles more.

11. Fly From Europe 2 to the Middle East in Business Class (24,500 Miles)

Turkish Airlines Boeing 787 9 Business Class Middle Aisle Seats — Turkish Airlines’s new business class middle aisle seats. Image Credit: Greg Stone

If you want to fly on a short-haul, international flight from Europe 2 to the Middle East in business class, it won’t cost you very much at all!

With business class flights priced at 24,500 miles, there’s some solid value to be had with this redemption.

Here are some unique and awesome redemptions you can make with only 24,500 miles:

Frankfurt (FRA) – Kuwait City (KWI) one-way for 24,500 miles + ~$288 in taxes and fees in Lufthansa business class
Istanbul (IST) – Doha (DOH) one-way for 24,500 miles + ~$111 in taxes and fees in Turkish Airlines business class
Zurich (ZRH) – Dubai (DXB) one-way for 24,500 miles + ~$273 in taxes and fees in SWISS Air business class

12. Fly From South America to Europe 2 in Business Class (52,500 Miles)

Lufthansa Business Class — Fly Lufthansa business class to South America. Image Credit: Stoyan Yotov via Shutterstock

Turkish Airlines also has a very inclusive definition of South America, so we can use this to our advantage — especially when flying between Europe 2 and South America.

Here are the countries and territories that make up South America:

Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia

The list of areas governed by the South America award chart is huge!

We won’t be able to look at all the routes to Europe 2, but here are several great options you can book with 52,500 miles each way:

Bogotá (BOG) – Barcelona (BCN) one-way for 52,500 miles + ~$106 ($38 in reverse) in taxes and fees in Avianca business class
Buenos Aires (EZE) – Frankfurt (FRA) one-way for 52,500 miles + ~$533 ($408 in reverse) in taxes and fees in Lufthansa business class
Panama City (PTY) – Istanbul (IST) one-way for 52,500 miles + ~$528 (no reverse route) in taxes and fees in Turkish Airlines business class
Rio de Janeiro (GIG) – Munich (MUC) one-way for 52,500 miles + ~$33 ($396 in reverse) in taxes and fees in Lufthansa business class
São Paolo (GRU) – Porto (OPO) or Lisbon (LIS) one-way for 52,500 miles + ~$12 ($309 in reverse) in taxes and fees in TAP Portugal business class

Bottom Line: There are plenty of ways you can fly from South America to Europe 2 in business class. These routes range anywhere from 8 to 12 hours in duration, so you’ll definitely be able to fly on these long-haul routes in comfort!

13. Fly ANA’s “The Room” Business Class to Japan (67,500 Miles)

ANA B777 300ER The Room — ANA’s new business class seating is unparalleled. Image Credit: ANA

ANA is one of the world’s few 5-star airlines as voted by Skytrax. This is, in part, due to its wonderful service — the airline is renowned for the way it treats its passengers.

Fortunately for us, you can experience ANA’s business class all the way to Japan for just 67,500 Turkish miles.

Even better, ANA launched a new seating configuration that one-ups every other business class out there.

Although its old business class seats are still excellent, “The Room,” which can be found on select B777-300ERs, features alternating seats and sliding doors that guarantee the ultimate in privacy.

Not every route features “The Room,” but here are some routes that do:

New York (JFK) – Tokyo (HND) one-way for 67,500 miles + ~$224 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Tokyo (HND) one-way for 67,500 miles + ~$224 in taxes and fees

14. Fly Star Alliance From the Continental U.S. to Hawaii (From 7,500 Miles)

The very last redemption here is on United Airlines. You can fly domestically to Hawaii for 7,500 miles one-way, or 15,000 miles round-trip.

This is an excellent deal, and one of the best, if not the single best way to fly to Hawaii from the mainland U.S. Also, it includes any East Coast flights as well.

The same flight in business class costs 25,000 miles round-trip or 12,500 miles one-way.

Considering that some of these flights contain lie-flat seats in business class, it could potentially be a huge sweet spot for travelers headed to Hawaii. Here are some example routes to fly:

Newark (EWR) – Honolulu (HNL) one-way in United first class for 12,500 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Kona (KOA) one-way in United first class for 12,500 Turkish Airlines miles + ~$5.60 in taxes and fees

Final Thoughts

Although Turkish Airlines is a relatively unknown frequent flyer program, there are plenty of ways to take advantage of the Miles&Smiles program by utilizing Capital One, Citi, Marriott Bonvoy, and Bilt as transfer partners.

There are a few booking quirks, and it is generally not a “beginner-friendly” award program. But if you’re willing to stick it out, you can book some awesome 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 Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, click here.

Featured Image Credit: Greg Stone

Frequently asked questions

How do I join Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles?

You can sign up for Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles online.

Do I need to be an Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles member to search for awards?

Yes, you must be a member to search for award availability.

How many Turkish Airlines miles do I have?

You may check your miles balance by signing in on the top right corner of the Miles&Smiles homepage.

When do Turkish Airlines Miles expire?

Turkish Airlines miles expire 3 years after they are earned. You can extend miles for another 3 years at a rate of $10 per 1,000 miles.

Can I transfer miles to Turkish Airlines from other loyalty programs?

Yes! You can transfer from Capital One, Citi, Marriott Bonvoy, and Bilt!

How many Turkish Airlines miles are required for a trip reward?

You can see the award chart by following these steps:

Visit Miles&Smiles
Scroll down to the Miles&Smiles Award Tables section
Click Award Ticket Table for the complete award chart

Which credit cards can I use to earn Turkish Airlines miles?

You can earn Turkish Airlines miles from any Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, or Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, or the Bilt card.

How can I contact Turkish Airlines?

You can contact Turkish Airlines 24 hours a day at 800-874-8875.

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About Stephen Au

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Stephen has been privileged to enjoy many premium cabin products and 5-star hotels. As one of the foremost experts in credit cards, over the past 4 years, he has amassed a portfolio of over 70 credit cards, both personal and business. Stephen has personally tested, first-hand, almost every major rewards credit card on the market today, spanning banks such as American Express, Bank of America, Barclays, Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, City National Bank, U.S. Bank, and more.

Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.

62 comments

Stefano November 15, 2018

Does the traveler have to be the person to appear at the sales office? Or could I delegate it to friends/family who live in those cities?

Reply
- Stephen Au November 16, 2018
  
  Hi Stefano,
  
  Unfortunately, at least one of the travelers must be present at the sales office.
  
  Reply
Kaew December 12, 2018

Thank you for the very comprehensive write up.

I just want to point out that: (1) You can actually book a ticket for anyone, you only have to provide their exact name and some basic info over to the call center. (2) Some offices, including LA, is willing to issue tickets via email. They are also now implementing online booking for star alliance award tickets, but it’s still very buggy.

Reply
- Stephen Au December 14, 2018
  
  Hey Kaew!
  
  Thanks for reading!
  
  You bring up several good points which we will use to update this post.
  
  Keep in mind that a lot of these situations is dependent on the competency/knowledge of the representative.
  
  But, we will absolutely include caveats! Thanks a lot for reading. We tremendously value your feedback.
  
  Reply
Gary February 8, 2019

Great insight Stephen. I’m thinking on transferring 50k ThankYou points. into Turkish Air and then find a round-trip business class award flight Honolulu (HNL) to Auckland (AKL). Where would I look? Air New Zealand doesn’t show award availability without having their Air Points in your account. Any advice on making this trip happen?

Thank you,

Gary

Reply
- Stephen Au February 9, 2019
  
  Hey Gary,
  
  Do not use Air New Zealand to search for award availability on their flights because their award availability might not reflect what is provided to partners like Turkish Airlines. Search on United.com or Aeroplan.com for the routes you want. Write down the flight numbers, dates, class of service, etc when you find availability. Call Turkish Airlines and follow the directions there. Thanks for reading.
  
  Reply
Kurt April 17, 2019

Hi Stephen,

I believe the answer is no, but is there any way to transfer my Turkish miles & smiles miles to Singapore Airlines? I have 27,000 miles that I don’t see myself using but I’m flying Singapore to Bali in 2020.

Reply
- Stephen Au April 17, 2019
  
  Kurt,
  
  Unfortunately, you can’t transfer. However, check out your upgrade options on SQ aiding Turkish Airlines miles! Maybe you can get some value there.
  
  Thanks for reading.
  
  Reply
  - Ash August 23, 2019
    
    Kurt,
    Can you use your TK miles to get your free flight tickets from SIN to DPS on SQ?
    
    Reply
    - Stephen Au August 23, 2019
      
      Hey Ash,
      
      If you only hold Turkish Airlines miles, you can book travel solely within Asia on Singapore Airlines up to business class.
      
      Reply
Than May 8, 2019

Hi, I am based in Belgium and I am thinking between Miles&Smiles and Asiana Club. What do you think? Which one is better? Thanks

Reply
- Stephen Au May 10, 2019
  
  Than,
  
  It’s difficult to make sweeping generalizations as it all depends on what your own travel goals are. However, Asiana Club is very useful for U.S.-based travelers due to the sweet spots to Europe and the Middle East. Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles is also very useful for the redemptions in this post. Thanks for reading.
  
  Reply
  - Louis July 16, 2019
    
    Hello!
    I was trying to use Aeroplan or United’s Mileageplan to find availability for ANA or EVA from Asia to Europe but i can’t seem to find any! Anyone having similar issues?
    
    Reply
    - Stephen Au July 17, 2019
      
      Hey Louis,
      
      Airline award availability is subject to inventory release from each individual airline. Keep playing with your dates and being flexible! Thanks for reading.
      
      Reply
      - Anthony Anderson August 1, 2019
        
        Hey, I’m trying to figure out how to book an award flight from mainland U.S. to Hawaii. I live close to CMH. I can’t figure out if I need to find direct flights or can I have multiple stops. For example, can I fly CMH to ORD to HNL?
        
        Thanks!
      - Andrew Kunesh August 1, 2019
        
        Hey Anthony, great question! Turkish Airlines does allow you to include layovers on mainland U.S. to Hawaii award tickets on United Airlines. However, note that the airline imposes a max connection time of 4 hours. Additionally, all legs must have saver availability in order to be booked.
Siddig July 31, 2019

Hi Stephen,
Great article.
I think TK increased the award ticket miles since this post.
I’m looking to fly SFO-RUH (one way or return) and it’s costing 240,000 + $656 tax.
is there is a better way to do this ?

Reply
- Stephen Au August 9, 2019
  
  Siddig,
  
  This isn’t correct. Turkish Airlines has “guaranteed award space”, which is significantly more expensive than the saver award space. This space is available when airlines don’t release any saver space. Keep playing around with dates until you see dates that have availability.
  
  Reply
Siddig August 1, 2019

Hi Stephen,
Great insight.
I have 120,000+ miles on Turkish Airlines and I’m trying to book a trip to Riyadh (RUH) in Dec, but the one way business is coming to 120K. In your piece here you mention 47K one way. Can you help me figure it out What is the best option for me ?

Thanks

Reply
- Stephen Au August 6, 2019
  
  Siddig,
  
  I’m not sure which routes you’re thinking about, but Turkish Airlines controls availability. I would recommend calling them to see if they can help you out.
  
  Reply
Nilesh Bhimani August 24, 2019

I have 50k + miles in my Miles and Smiles account of Turkish. I am living in India/Mumbai.
1. How can I consume these miles for any of the domestic trip in India?
2. Can I spend mile to buy any product (Other then air ticket or any service)?

Waiting for your response,
-Nilesh Bhimani

Reply
- Stephen Au August 26, 2019
  
  Nilesh,
  
  If you’re making redemptions on Air India, we would suggest you call Turkish Airlines directly at their 24 hour booking and customer services hotline:
  
  0008000501565
  
  Also, please visit their website and contact them regarding other uses of Turkish Airlines miles.
  
  Reply
Memin August 28, 2019

Hi there,

I’m a Miles And Smiles (TK) member and am flying from Istanbul to Hong Kong on Singapore Airlines. Can I earn miles from this flight? If yes, would that be status miles or just bonus miles?

Thanks,
Memin

Reply
- Andrew Kunesh August 28, 2019
  
  Hey Memin, good question! You can earn both elite and redeemable miles on Miles & Smiles when flying on most Singapore Airlines tickets. How many miles you’ll earn depends on the length of your flight and the fare class you’re booked in. You can check how many miles your fare class earns on Turkish Airlines’ partner earning page for Singapore Airlines.
  
  Reply
Nithya September 5, 2019

My husband and I are were able to make a booking using miles and smiles over the phone for an Air Canada flight. Everything was done over a 10 minute phone call including providing credit card. We did not have to go to a sales/ticketing office and our tickets were issued immediately by email.

Reply
- Stephen Au September 6, 2019
  
  Hi Nithya,
  
  Great to know! Thanks for the data point.
  
  Reply
Isaac Thobela October 7, 2019

HI Stephen,
1. I have my daughter who joined Miles&Smiles last year in December, she will not be traveling anymore, so can she transfer the miles to me?

2. What is the difference in terms of status and bonus miles, with more emphasis on how to use them.

Reply
- Stephen Au October 8, 2019
  
  Hi Isaac,
  
  You can transfer miles at a $10 per 1,000 miles.
  
  Status miles are used to achieve elite status, which grants benefits like extra baggage allowance and lounge access. On the other hand, Miles&Smiles miles are used for award flights.
  
  Reply
Harshil October 8, 2019

Hi,
I’m based in Mumbai. I’ll be travelling on a round trip to Auckland via Singapore on Air New Zealand in their premium economy class. Also I’ll be traveling from BOM-IST-ORD-OSL-IST-BOM economy on class E. All these travels would be done in the next 4 months. My question here is where do I collect miles which give me more benefit to reach star Alliance gold. I don’t understand whether to go for an airline program that gives me more miles for my travel or an airline program like Asiana that gets me a faster to star Alliance gold (which even lasts longer). And I would probably not travel for 8 months after these trips. What should I do?
Thank you. I’ve read a lot on your website and it has been very helpful. Never found information like this anywhere else.

Reply
- Stephen Au October 8, 2019
  
  Hi Harshil,
  
  It all depends on whether or not you value redeemable miles more than benefits like extra baggage allowance and lounge access. Unfortunately, there’s no one-stop shop answer for your situation. Since you wouldn’t be traveling for another 8 months, the amount of utility you’ll get from elite status isn’t as high. Therefore, it might be best to earn redeemable miles in this case. It might be good to credit your flights to Air Canada Aeroplan or Asiana Club.
  
  Reply
Nurjsn November 12, 2019

Hi Stephen,
I need to buy 4 round trip tickets ( international) for next summer via Turkish airlines. I am hoping to book them via miles that I can earn on credit card. Would you recommend citi thank you card over United explore card? What would be your recommended route I should follow to get much needed 4 tickets on Turkish airlines?

Reply
- Michael McHugh November 13, 2019
  
  Hi Nurjsn,
  
  Which Citi credit card are you referring to?
  
  Reply
Abe A November 20, 2019

What about upgrading with miles from economy to business class? You didn’t touch on it.

Reply
- Andrew Kunesh November 25, 2019
  
  Hey Abe, you can find the mile upgrade requirements and upgrade costs on Turkish Airlines’ website. However, we highly recommend using your points for award tickets — this is almost always a better value than a mileage upgrade.
  
  Reply
  - Sagi January 23, 2020
    
    I can’t manage to upgrade with Miles&Smiles on Lufthansa. Do you happen to know about it?
    
    Reply
    - Stephen Au January 23, 2020
      
      Sagi,
      
      You can’t just upgrade any ticket. It must fall under the correct, upgrade-able fare class. You must then find upgrade availability. Then and only then can you upgrade your tickets.
      
      Reply
Anas December 16, 2019

I don’t know about all the other options, but that 47K business class from US to the middle east (which i used before), doesn’t exist anymore. They show it as an award option, however, they never assign any Business award seats to this 47K level. I argued with them on the phone and I proved it when the agent couldn’t find a seat for up to 12 months in advance. You will never be able to get it.

Reply
- Stephen Au December 19, 2019
  
  Hi Ana,
  
  Thanks for sharing. We have some credible data points recently that demonstrate this booking is possible. If you were on the phone with an agent, we would recommend hanging up and calling again to be connected to someone else who can do it. Also, it depends on the airline you’re looking to book, as some airlines don’t release availability to Turkish Airlines.
  
  Reply
bryan January 6, 2020

Honolulu (HNL) to Auckland (AKL) cost 52,500 Turkish Airlines miles in economy class, not 15,000 miles.

Reply
- Stephen Au January 6, 2020
  
  Hey Bryan,
  
  Thanks for bringing this stealth devaluation to us. We’ll be updating our guide accordingly.
  
  Reply
  - Sho'nuff February 29, 2020
    
    Is this correct, Hawaii to Oceania went up in price or was this just the user finding availability that wasn’t saver? I live in HNL and am looking to go to other Oceania so wondering.
    
    Reply
    - Stephen Au March 10, 2020
      
      Sho’nuff,
      
      The price is 52,500 miles one-way in economy, 75,000 miles in business, and 115,000 miles in first. Thanks for reading!
      
      Reply
Mark January 10, 2020

Hi Stephen,
I’m based in Singapore and on Krisflyer (no status currently) and flying soon on Turkish for the first time on a J ticket to Buenos Aires return. I read about what you wrote on the merits of miles & smiles and have a few questions:
1. what is the best FFP to credit the miles for this upcoming flight on TK. Krisflyer or miles & smiles?
2. If I credit to miles & smiles, while my first 2 sectors (SIN-IST and IST-EZE) will not earn sufficient miles to give me the equivalent of Star silver status, if I reach this status after my third sector (EZE-IST), will I get the Star Silver status bonus credit for the 4th sector of my flight (IST-SIN)?
3. Are there sweet spots for redemption of miles & smiles for travelers based in Singapore and Far East?

Reply
- Stephen Au January 10, 2020
  
  Hi Mark,
  
  1. There’s no definitive answer. In general, you’ll get more value out of Miles&Smiles miles with the exception of booking Singapore Airlines flights. The only way (for the most part) to book J or F for long-haul flights on Singapore Airlines is by using Singapore Airlines miles.
  
  2. It depends on if the tickets are booked on a single reservation. If they are, you won’t get bonus credit. If they aren’t and the time difference between the 2 flights is large, then yes.
  
  3. As far as sweet spots go from Singapore, there may be, but it all depends on how you value your miles. The challenge will be actually getting Turkish Airlines to ticket the award to you.
  
  If you feel like you’d get value from an ultra-personalized points wealth management and travel concierge to to truly optimize your points and miles, please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] to inquire about a monthly subscription service.
  
  Reply
PhatMiles January 14, 2020

Very nicely written.
What is their policy on lap infants on their own airline as well as partners?

Reply
- Jarrod West January 15, 2020
  
  Hi PhatMiles,
  
  Here is the full lap infant policy for Turkish Airlines directly from their website.
  
  Reply
Maria January 16, 2020

Hello,
I saw that the value of miles needed for an award ticket from Europe to almost anywhere had doubled since end of December, which was terribly disappointing for me. Turkish Airlines gave no notice of this. Any idea why this happened and why now?

Reply
- Jarrod West January 16, 2020
  
  Hi Maria,
  
  Unfortunately, Airlines occasionally devalue their miles and award charts and seldom give a reason as to why they are doing so. It is a very unfortunate part of the hobby, which is all the more reason to spend your miles while you have them!
  
  Reply
Adam Garrett January 27, 2020

Any idea why it takes more miles (10k) to get from East Coast to West Coast than it does to get from East Coast to Hawaii (7500)?

Reply
- Stephen Au January 30, 2020
  
  Some award charts have strange quirks. If you can leverage this, please do take advantage of this!
  
  Reply
George December 22, 2021

Hi Stephen, I’ve used Aeroplan to look for availability (from YVR to Atlanta) & there were a lot of availability (YVR-YYZ-ATL) for next June (2022); however, I called Turkish Airlines & they said they could not find any redemption seats.. I find that very strange (my points will expire soon: on Dec 31, 2021). Have you had any similar experience & is it even worth paying to extend another 3 years? Thx again! Great article btw!!

Reply
- Stephen Au December 28, 2021
  
  Hi George,
  
  Aeroplan has access to many more Air Canada flights since Aeroplan is Air Canada’s frequent flyer program. You’ll need to search on a different site like United.com. Everything that you can see on United (that doesn’t involve United flights) should be bookable with Turkish Airlines miles. Good luck!
  
  Reply
khatl June 2, 2022

Thanks for the great article. I see everywhere that it’s stated US to Europe (IST) is only 45k miles in biz, yet all my searches show 105k miles for a one way redemption. Do they have dynamic pricing, or charge different rates based on US departure points (I’ve checked NYC and ATL)?

Reply
- Stephen Au June 6, 2022
  
  Hi khatl,
  
  They have different fare buckets with different mileage prices. The cheapest tickets are the hardest to find while the most expensive are the easiest to find.
  
  Reply
Jack July 1, 2022

Hi Stephen,
I have 100,000 points on United.. I am trying to fly from US –> KTM. United does not have a flight so while checking Turkish is my best bet, but the issue is how can I use the United 100,000 points on Turkish to either book or upgrade. I tried to book through united and it does not give me an option, I called Turkish and the guy had no clue about how to use that points from a partner airlines.. any insight would be helpful

Thanks,
Jack

Reply
- Jarrod West August 1, 2022
  
  Hi Jack,
  
  While you can use your United miles to book flights operated on Turkish, the flight still has to be booked through United. So if there is no availability shown for your dates you would need to select a different time to fly in order to use your miles.
  
  Reply
Gina August 28, 2022

I see Saver awards for economy from BWI to HNL one way. But searching for the same flight in Turkish gives me the “Flight not found on the selected date and route. You can search for a new flight by changing this information. If you are searching for a repatriation flight you can get more information via Turkish Airlines Call Center.’ message.

Reply
- John December 2, 2022
  
  There are never any flights available, ever. Something is wrong here.
  
  Reply
Aviral November 21, 2022

I have 14K Turkish Miles, some 50k chase points and 50k American Advantage miles. I need to book flight from New Delhi to Boston within 6-15 January. I am not able to pin down how to use all these points. Its so frustrating for me.

Reply
- Jarrod West November 22, 2022
  
  Hi Aviral,
  
  Check out our guide on the best ways to fly to India with points and miles for some redemption ideas.
  
  Reply
John December 2, 2022

It is impossible to find flights using the Turkish Airlines Star Alliance awards tickets. I have searched on their website and called their call center many times over the past 8 months. I feel that Turkish Airlines is not being straightforward about their partnership. You can only book Turkish Airlines with miles not other carriers.

Reply
Mzx January 7, 2023

Hi, I think the Far East saver table has changed quite a bit. Now it is 40,000 RT within that region (I.e. this makes Maldives much more expensive).

Reply