Question 1

How long do Turkish Airlines miles remain valid?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 2

How do I find and book award flights using Turkish Airlines miles?

Accepted Answer

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 account2. Select "Award Tickets" when searching for flights3. Enter your origin, destination, dates, and preferred cabin4. Review available options and select your preferred flightsFor 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.

Question 3

Can I combine ThankYou points from multiple Citi cards for this transfer?

Accepted Answer

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 account2. Select "More Ways to Redeem" and then "Points Sharing"3. Choose the option to combine points between your accounts4. Select the source and destination accounts5. Enter the amount of points to transferOnce 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.

Question 4

How does Turkish Airlines price award tickets on partner airlines?

Accepted Answer

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 milesFor 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.

Question 5

Are there any fuel surcharges when booking with Turkish Airlines miles?

Accepted Answer

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 surchargesThis 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.

Question 6

Can I transfer points to someone else's Turkish Airlines account?

Accepted Answer

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 account2. Turkish Airlines allows family pooling of miles through their Family Program3. 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.