Citi ThankYou Points: 50% Transfer Bonus to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (Ends October 18, 2025)
Loading article…
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.
Promotion Details
- Transfer ratio: 1,000 Citi ThankYou points = 1,500 Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles miles
- Promotion period: September 21 – October 18, 2025
- Minimum transfer: 1,000 points
- Transfer time: Typically within 24 hours (up to 5 business days)
- Expiration policy: Turkish Airlines miles expire after 36 months, regardless of account activity
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.
Eligible Citi Cards
The transfer bonus varies depending on which Citi card you hold:
Cards Eligible for the Full 50% Bonus (1,000 points = 1,500 miles)
- Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
- Citi Strata Premier® Card
- Citi Prestige® Card
- AT&T Access More Card from Citi
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $595 | |||
| $95 |
Cards Eligible for a 5% Bonus (1,000 points = 1,050 miles)
- Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card
- Citi Strata℠ Card
- Citi Double Cash® Card
- Citi Custom Cash® Card
- Citi ThankYou® Mastercard®
- Various AT&T co-branded cards
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.
Best Ways to Use This Transfer Bonus
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:
1. Turkish Airlines Business Class to Istanbul
- Standard price: 65,000 Miles&Smiles miles one-way
- With 50% bonus: Only 44,000 Citi ThankYou points needed
- Value: Excellent for experiencing Turkish Airlines’ renowned business class service
- Availability: Generally good, especially when booking in advance
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.
2. United Airlines Economy to Hawaii
- Standard price: 10,000 Miles&Smiles miles one-way
- With 50% bonus: Only 7,000 Citi ThankYou points needed
- Value: Exceptional for domestic Hawaii travel
- Availability: Can be limited; flexibility helps
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.
3. United Polaris Business Class to Hawaii
- Standard price: 15,000 Miles&Smiles miles one-way
- With 50% bonus: Only 10,000 Citi ThankYou points needed
- Value: Extraordinary, if you can find availability
- Availability: Very limited; requires persistence and flexibility
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.
4. United Transcontinental Business Class
- Standard price: 15,000 Miles&Smiles miles one-way
- With 50% bonus: Only 10,000 Citi ThankYou points needed
- Value: Excellent for premium domestic travel
- Availability: Limited but possible with flexibility
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.
5. Star Alliance Business Class to Europe
- Standard price: 85,000 Miles&Smiles miles one-way (Europe Region 1)
- With 50% bonus: 57,000 Citi ThankYou points needed
- Value: Good, especially for specific European destinations
- Availability: Varies by partner airline and route
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.
Important Considerations
Before transferring your valuable Citi ThankYou points to Turkish Airlines, keep these important factors in mind:
Miles Expiration Policy
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.
Booking Challenges
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.
Per-Segment Pricing
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.
Partner Award Availability
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.
How to Transfer Citi Points to Turkish Airlines
If you’re ready to take advantage of this promotion, follow these steps:
- Ensure you have a Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles account (sign up on the Turkish Airlines website if needed)
- Log in to your Citi ThankYou account at thankyou.com
- Navigate to “More Ways to Redeem” and select “Points Transfer”
- Select Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles from the list of partners
- Link your Miles&Smiles account if you haven’t already done so
- Enter the number of points you wish to transfer (minimum 1,000)
- Confirm the transfer
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.
Bottom Line
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.
- Annual fee
- $595
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,425Total$1,425Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $1,425
- Welcome offerAfter $6,000 in 3 months
- 75,000 points
Apply Now
on Citibank's website
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do Turkish Airlines miles remain valid?
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles miles expire 36 months after they are earned, regardless of account activity. Unlike many other frequent flyer programs, there is no way to extend this expiration through additional earning or redemption activity. This strict expiration policy is an important consideration before transferring points, especially if you don’t have immediate travel plans. Only transfer the amount you’re confident you can use within this timeframe to avoid losing miles to expiration.
How do I find and book award flights using Turkish Airlines miles?
To search for and book award flights with Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles:
1. Visit the Turkish Airlines website and log in to your Miles&Smiles account
2. Select “Award Tickets” when searching for flights
3. Enter your origin, destination, dates, and preferred cabin
4. Review available options and select your preferred flights
For Star Alliance partner awards (like United Airlines flights to Hawaii), you may need to call Turkish Airlines or visit a ticket office if the flights don’t appear online. The Turkish Airlines website can be temperamental when displaying partner availability. For best results, search segment by segment and be prepared to try multiple times or contact Turkish Airlines directly if you encounter difficulties.
Can I combine ThankYou points from multiple Citi cards for this transfer?
Yes, you can combine ThankYou points from multiple Citi cards before transferring to Turkish Airlines. This is particularly useful if you have both premium cards eligible for the full 50% bonus and other cards that only receive the 5% bonus. To combine points:
1. Log in to your Citi ThankYou account
2. Select “More Ways to Redeem” and then “Points Sharing”
3. Choose the option to combine points between your accounts
4. Select the source and destination accounts
5. Enter the amount of points to transfer
Once combined, initiate the transfer to Turkish Airlines from the account that offers the best transfer ratio (typically your premium card account). Remember that points sharing between different cardholders is limited and has different rules than combining points between your own cards.
How does Turkish Airlines price award tickets on partner airlines?
Turkish Airlines uses a region-based award chart for Star Alliance partner flights, which is different from how it prices its own flights. For partner awards:
• Pricing is based on the origin and destination regions, not distance
• One-way awards are available at half the round-trip price
• Mixed-cabin awards are possible but priced at the higher cabin level
• Stopovers are permitted on round-trip awards for an additional 5,000 miles
For example, all flights within the continental US and Canada fall into the North America region, which is why flights from anywhere in the US to Hawaii cost just 10,000 miles in economy or 15,000 miles in business class one-way. This region-based pricing creates several sweet spots in the program, particularly for domestic US travel on United Airlines and transatlantic travel on Star Alliance carriers.
Are there any fuel surcharges when booking with Turkish Airlines miles?
Yes, Turkish Airlines does pass on fuel surcharges for award tickets, but the amount varies significantly depending on the airline and route:
• Turkish Airlines’ own flights: Moderate fuel surcharges apply
• United Airlines: No fuel surcharges on domestic US flights (including Hawaii)
• Lufthansa: High fuel surcharges, especially for premium cabins
• SWISS and Austrian: Moderate to high fuel surcharges
• Air Canada: Moderate fuel surcharges
This is why United Airlines awards represent such good value—not only are the mileage requirements low, but you also avoid significant fuel surcharges. When booking Turkish Airlines’ own flights, expect to pay approximately $200-300 in taxes and fees for a one-way business class award between the US and Istanbul, which is reasonable compared to some other programs.
Can I transfer points to someone else’s Turkish Airlines account?
No, you cannot transfer Citi ThankYou points directly to someone else’s Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles account. Points transfers must be made to an account in the same name as the Citi ThankYou account holder. However, there are a few workarounds:
1. You can book award tickets for family members or friends using your own Miles&Smiles account
2. Turkish Airlines allows family pooling of miles through their Family Program
3. You could transfer ThankYou points to your own Miles&Smiles account and then use the Turkish Airlines miles sharing feature (though fees apply)
If you’re looking to book travel for others, the simplest approach is to transfer your ThankYou points to your own Miles&Smiles account and then book the award ticket for your companion directly through your account.
