Citi ThankYou Rewards has launched an exceptional transfer bonus promotion, offering a 50% bonus when transferring points to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. This rare opportunity, available through October 18, 2025, represents the first major transfer bonus between these programs and could deliver substantial value for the right redemptions.
With this promotion, Citi cardholders can effectively turn 1,000 ThankYou points into 1,500 Turkish Airlines miles—a significant enhancement to the standard 1:1 transfer ratio. If you’ve been considering a trip on Turkish Airlines or looking to leverage some of the program’s sweet spots, this limited-time offer deserves your attention.
The bonus appears automatically when initiating a transfer through your Citi ThankYou account—no registration is required beyond having a Miles&Smiles account linked to your Citi profile.
The transfer bonus varies depending on which Citi card you hold:
Remember that if you have multiple Citi cards, you can combine your ThankYou points and transfer them from the account with the best transfer options.
While Turkish Airlines has devalued its program in recent years, several sweet spots remain that become even more attractive with this 50% transfer bonus. Here are some of the best redemption opportunities:
Turkish Airlines offers an exceptional business class product, particularly on their Boeing 787 Dreamliners, featuring lie-flat seats, excellent catering, and access to their spectacular business class lounge in Istanbul. At just 44,000 Citi points with this transfer bonus, this represents one of the best values for reaching Europe or connecting to destinations beyond.
This remains one of the absolute best deals in the award travel world. At just 7,000 Citi points for a one-way economy ticket to Hawaii on United Airlines, you’re getting tremendous value compared to other programs that charge 20,000+ miles for the same routes.
This is perhaps the single best premium cabin award value available, though availability is extremely scarce. At just 10,000 Citi points for a business class ticket to Hawaii, you’re looking at a value of potentially 10+ cents per point.
For transcontinental routes featuring United’s premium Polaris business class service (such as between Newark/New York and Los Angeles/San Francisco), this represents an outstanding value at just 10,000 Citi points one-way.
Turkish Airlines divides Europe into two regions, with Region 1 including countries like Greece, Hungary, and Croatia. While not the absolute best value in the program, 57,000 Citi points for business class to Europe is still competitive with other programs.
Before transferring your valuable Citi ThankYou points to Turkish Airlines, keep these important factors in mind:
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles has one of the stricter expiration policies among major frequent flyer programs. Miles expire after 36 months from the date they’re earned, regardless of account activity. There’s no way to extend this expiration through additional activity, so only transfer points if you have specific redemption plans within this timeframe.
The Turkish Airlines website and booking system can be frustrating to use. Partner award availability doesn’t always display correctly online, and you may need to call or visit a ticket office to book certain awards. Be prepared for potential technical difficulties and have alternative redemption plans in mind.
Turkish Airlines now prices awards on its own metal on a per-segment basis, meaning connecting itineraries will cost more than direct flights. This is particularly important to consider for complex routings through Istanbul, as each segment will be priced separately.
While the sweet spots on United and other Star Alliance partners offer tremendous value, availability can be limited, especially for premium cabins and popular routes. Be flexible with dates and consider alternative airports to maximize your chances of finding availability.
If you’re ready to take advantage of this promotion, follow these steps:
The bonus will be automatically applied, and you should see the miles in your Turkish Airlines account within 24 hours in most cases, though it can occasionally take up to 5 business days.
The 50% transfer bonus from Citi ThankYou to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles represents a rare opportunity to access some truly exceptional award values. For travelers planning to fly Turkish Airlines business class to Istanbul or looking to book one of the program’s sweet spots on United Airlines, this promotion offers substantial savings.
However, given the expiration policy and booking complexities, this isn’t a transfer to make speculatively. Ideally, you should have specific redemption plans in mind and confirm availability before transferring your points.
If you have eligible Citi cards and travel plans that align with Turkish Airlines’ strengths, this 50% bonus is definitely worth considering before it expires on October 18, 2025. Just be sure to understand the program’s quirks and limitations before committing your valuable ThankYou points.
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