Miles&Smiles - Turkish Airlines
The very best value in the Miles & Smiles program is the low redemption rates for North American flights on Star Alliance Partners. Those who fly with Turkish Airlines and/or its partners often should definitely take the time to look into this program because of everything it has to offer. Those who are a member of this rewards program will be able to earn points/miles that can be used to redeem award flights, cabin upgrades, hotel bookings, and car rentals. This program has thousands upon thousands of members, and it makes earning points very easy as compared to other airline rewards programs.
- Pros
- Good number of partner airlines
- Low change and cancellation fee
- Cons
- Only one 1 : 1 transfer partner
- Partners cannot be booked online
- Most airlines impose fuel surcharge
- Fees & Charges
- Cancellation fee ❶$30
- Change award fee ❷$30
- Expiration: Miles expire 36 months since last activity.
- For some programs, an activity is any accrual of miles, crediting a flight, transfering or purchasing miles. For others, spending activities such as redeeming or donating points counts as an activity.
- ❶ If any coupon of the award/award ticket is not used, provided that a no-show has not occured, the following fees will be applied. Dolar $30 for Domestic Tickets, Dolar $30 for International Tickets. In case a no-show or an offload occurs, a fee of Dolar $50 for Domestic Tickets Dolar $50 for International Tickets will be applied.
- ❷ For the date / time changes and re-routing (can be applied only on Turkish Airlines flights provided that the reservation is made for the same award zone and the same award class) Dolar $30 for Domestic Tickets and Dolar $30 for international tickets will be charged for each transaction once free and companion tickets are issued. If no-show (Passengers holding confirmed seats but fail to present themselves for their booked flight due to any reason are termed as 'No Shows'.) occurs, a fee of Dolar $50 for domestic award tickets and Dolar $50 for international award tickets will be charged. Changes to upgraded paid ticket reservations (flight dates / hours) and re-routing are not permitted.
Transfer Partners
Transfer time is what is reported by the transfer programs, supplemented by our own research. However, actual time to transfer is often highly variable.
Airlines and Fuel Surcharge
This table will show you the partner airlines can be booked online and those which impose fuel surcharge.
Airline |
Online Booking |
Fuel Surcharge |
Alliance |
|---|---|---|---|
Turkish Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Adria Airways
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Aegean Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Air Canada
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Air China
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Air India
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Air New Zealand
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
ANA
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Asiana Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Austrian Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Avianca
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Brussels Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Copa Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Croatia Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Airline |
Online Booking |
Fuel Surcharge |
Alliance |
|---|---|---|---|
EgyptAir
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Ethiopian Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
EVA Air
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
LOT Polish Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Lufthansa
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Scandinavian Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Shenzhen Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Singapore Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
South African Airways
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
SWISS
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
TAP Portugal
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Thai Airways
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
United Airlines
|
|
|
Star Alliance™
|
Program Review
Program Review
Turkish Airlines the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, with headquarters at the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Ataturk Airport in Yesilkoy, Bakirkoy, Istanbul. As of July 2015, it operated scheduled services to 290 different destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, making it the fourth-largest carrier in the world by the number of destinations, as of 2014. It serves more destinations non-stop from a single airport than any other airline in Europe. Turkish Airlines flies to 115 different countries, which is more than any other airline. With an operational fleet of ten cargo aircrafts, the airline’s cargo division serves 52 different destinations. Istanbul Ataturk Airport is its main base, and there are secondary hubs at Esenboga International Airport, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, and Adnan Menderes Airport.
Miles&Smiles Program
The Miles&Smiles program is Turkish Airline’s official rewards program for those who fly with them and their partners. You will find that this program is completely free to join, and it offers a wide range of perks and benefits that are worth looking into. Those who become a member of the Miles&Smiles program will be able to accrue points that can be used for free award flights, cabin upgrades, hotel bookings, and even car rentals. There are also a number of Elite levels that you can work your way up through to enjoy even more perks and benefits.
Earning Miles&Smiles Points
When you are a Miles&Smiles member, you will quickly find that there are a number of ways that you can go about earning miles.
In order to earn more miles in the Miles&Smiles program and fully benefit from all the awards and privileges it offers you have to optimize different offerings included in this program. This can be done by booking on Turkish Airlines and Star Alliance flights, using Miles&Smiles credit cards when making purchases, staying in partner hotels, using partner car rental services, shopping in partner retailers, and enjoying the services of other program partners.
- Paid Flights: When you book a Turkish Airlines flight, provide your Miles&Smiles membership number upon reservation or check-in. Miles earned differ depending on distance and fare class. Check how many miles you earn for every Turkish Airlines flight you take through this link.
- Partner Flights: Turkish Airlines is a member of Star Alliance, which allows flyers the ability to earn Turkish Airlines miles for flights flown with alliance airlines. The number of miles you earn from each partner varies, so it’s best to reference Turkish Airlines site to understand what mileage you stand to earn from your upcoming flight. To earn Miles&Smiles points on a partner flight, just enter in your Miles&Smiles number on your boarding pass and then check your account post-flight to ensure the mileage credits were properly posted to your account.
- Credit Card Spending: Turkish Airlines has partnered with Garanti Bank to provide cardholders the ability to earn miles for everyday spend. While this offer isn't applicable for US citizens, it is available to residents of other countries in the Middle East. To know the benefits and coverage of the credit card, please refer to this link.
- Travel Partners: There are several Miles&Smiles program partners that will entitle cardholders to earn bonus miles. From car rental services to hotel chains, to gas companies, to hospitals, to tour booking companies, these partners can provide Miles&Smiles members with a ton of extra points. To see the complete list of partners and the details for each, please refer to this page.
- Promotions: Turkish Airlines occasionally offers promotions that provide members the ability to earn additional Miles&Smiles points. For the latest list of promotions, refer to the Turkish Airlines website.
Redeeming Mileage Points
One of the great things about the Miles&Smiles rewards program from Turkish Airlines is that there are so many different ways to earn points. Some of these methods include:
- Free Flights: When you have accrued enough miles, you can use them to redeem free Turkish Airline flights. Just log in with your Miles&Smiles account and PIN, and follow the instructions in the site. To know how many miles are required to claim your reward ticket, check out the redemption mileage calculator.
- Upgrades: Turkish Airlines grants Miles&Smiles members the privilege to upgrade to a higher class using miles. However, upgrades may be allowed on select flights and conditions. Please check this page on the details.
- Partner Awards: Turkish Airlines is a member of Star Alliance, which allows travelers to redeem Miles&Smiles points for award flights on partner airlines, subject to availability. Refer to Turkish Airlines’ published Star Alliance partner award chart, as well as the Star Alliance strategy guide for further advice on how to search availability and book awards for each member airline.
Routing Rules
Where a passenger intends to return to their original departure destination from a point other than their first arrival destination (e.g. London to Rome, Milan to London) or where a passenger intends to return to a different final return destination (London to Rome, Rome to Manchester), these are classed as open-jaw journeys. Only one of these may be made on an award ticket. Open-jaw journeys are not available for award tickets issued online. Open-jaw policies on award tickets issued by other Star Alliance member airlines may vary.
Benefits of Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles Program
There are a number of benefits associated with Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles program, including the fact that it’s extremely easy to earn and redeem miles. Members of this program are able to redeem miles for many different things, including award flights, hotel bookings, and car rentals. Also, the routing rules for this particular airline’s rewards program are fairly lax, especially when compared to others.
Booking Fees & Charges
Those who want to change their flight can do so for free, as long as it is within 60 days of the flight’s departure. There is, however, a $125 charge for changing or canceling a flight made less than 60 days before.
Redeem on Upgrades
Those who are members of the Miles&Smiles program will be able to use the points they accrue for upgrades on the flights they book. Upgrades may be allowed on select flights and conditions though.