How can I earn Turkish Airlines miles without flying?

The most efficient way is through transferable points programs. You can transfer points to Miles&Smiles from Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Points at a 1:1 ratio, or from Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio (with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred). You can also earn miles through hotel stays, car rentals, and other partner activities.

What's the best value redemption in the Miles&Smiles program?

The most exceptional value is likely the U.S. mainland to Hawaii redemption on United Airlines for just 10,000 miles one-way in economy or 15,000 miles in business class. This is significantly lower than what most other programs charge. Other great values include domestic U.S. flights in business class (12,500 miles one-way) and North America to Europe in business class on Turkish Airlines (65,000 miles one-way).

Do Turkish Airlines miles expire?

Yes, Turkish miles expire three years from the date they are earned, regardless of account activity. This is different from many programs that extend expiration with any activity. You can extend expiring miles for another three years by paying a fee of $10 per 1,000 miles.

Why can't I find award availability on the Turkish Airlines website?

The Miles&Smiles website is known for technical issues that sometimes prevent displaying available award space, particularly for partner airlines. It's often better to search for Star Alliance availability on United.com first (looking for "Saver Awards"), then attempt to book through Turkish. If you still can't book online, try calling Turkish Airlines (800-874-8875) or emailing a ticket office.

What is the difference between promotional and regular award tickets?

Turkish Airlines offers two levels of award availability: promotional and regular. Promotional awards require fewer miles but have limited availability, while regular awards cost more miles but are more widely available. For example, a one-way business class flight from North America to Europe might cost 65,000 miles at the promotional level but 90,000 miles at the regular level.

Can I book one-way awards with Turkish Miles&Smiles?

Yes, Turkish Airlines allows one-way award bookings at half the round-trip mileage cost. This provides flexibility when planning your travel and can be particularly useful when availability is limited in one direction or when combining awards from different programs.

What is Star Alliance Gold status and how do I get it through Turkish Airlines?

Star Alliance Gold status provides premium benefits across all Star Alliance airlines, including lounge access, priority check-in, extra baggage allowance, and priority boarding. You can obtain Star Alliance Gold by reaching either Elite or Elite Plus status in the Miles&Smiles program. This requires earning 40,000 Status Miles in a 12-month period for Elite status or 80,000 Status Miles for Elite Plus status.

Can I book stopovers on award tickets with Turkish Airlines?

Yes, Turkish Airlines allows one stopover on round-trip award tickets operated by Turkish Airlines. This means you can visit Istanbul for a few days on your way to another destination without using additional miles. For example, you could fly from New York to Dubai with a stopover in Istanbul, allowing you to visit two destinations for the price of one award ticket.

Are there any fuel surcharges on Miles&Smiles award tickets?

Yes, Turkish Airlines passes on carrier-imposed surcharges for award tickets, but these vary significantly by airline. United, Air Canada, and Avianca typically have minimal surcharges. Turkish Airlines and LOT Polish have moderate surcharges. Lufthansa Group airlines (Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian) often have very high surcharges that can exceed $1,000 for long-haul business class, significantly reducing the value of these redemptions.

How do I join the Miles&Smiles program?

You can join Miles&Smiles for free by completing the registration form on the Turkish Airlines website. Be prepared for some unusual password requirements: your password must be exactly 6 digits (numbers only), cannot contain your birth date, cannot include 3 consecutive digits, and cannot use the same number more than twice. After registration, you'll receive a membership number that you can use to earn and redeem miles.

Reward Programs Archive | Milesopedia USA

Featured

American Airlines AAdvantage

Explore AAdvantage: learn to earn miles, unlock top redemption sweet spots, insider upgrade tips, and maximize every travel reward.

1.55¢ Points value

Delta SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles: earn and redeem miles for Delta and partners, discover award charts, insider upgrade tips, and smart strategies to maximize your rewards.

1.15¢ Points value

United MileagePlus

United MileagePlus: earn miles on United & Star Alliance, explore award charts, insider upgrade strategies, and maximize your travel redemptions.

1.3¢ Points value

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Ultimate Rewards: earn flexible points, transfer to leading travel partners, explore redemption sweet spots, and uncover insider tips to maximize value.

2.05¢ Points value

Air Canada Aeroplan

Discover Aeroplan: learn how to earn and redeem points for Star Alliance flights, explore award charts, insider tips for upgrades, and maximize your rewards.

1.4¢ Points value

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Flying Blue: earn miles on Air France & KLM, unlock Promo Rewards, transfer partner points, discover award charts, and maximize your European travel.

1.3¢ Points value

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy: earn points across 30+ brands, unlock Free Night awards, explore elite perks, and insider strategies to maximize hotel rewards.

0.7¢ Points value

Travel Rewards

Accor ALL Live Limitless

Accor ALL Live Limitless: earn points at Accor hotels, explore benefits, unlock free nights, discover best redemptions, and insider tips for ultimate stays.

Air Canada Aeroplan

Discover Aeroplan: learn how to earn and redeem points for Star Alliance flights, explore award charts, insider tips for upgrades, and maximize your rewards.

1.4¢ Points Value

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Flying Blue: earn miles on Air France & KLM, unlock Promo Rewards, transfer partner points, discover award charts, and maximize your European travel.

1.3¢ Points Value

Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards

Discover how to maximize Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards with our guide to earning and redeeming points, elite status benefits, and partner award sweet spots.

1.5¢ Points Value

American Airlines AAdvantage

Explore AAdvantage: learn to earn miles, unlock top redemption sweet spots, insider upgrade tips, and maximize every travel reward.

1.55¢ Points Value

American Express Membership Rewards

American Express Membership Rewards: earn points faster, transfer to top airline & hotel partners, discover best redemptions, and maximize every reward.

2.00¢ Points Value

Avianca LifeMiles

Avianca LifeMiles: learn how to earn and redeem miles for Star Alliance flights, avoid fuel surcharges, discover promo awards, and maximize your points.

1.4¢ Points Value

Bilt Rewards

Discover how to maximize Bilt Rewards with our complete guide to earning points on rent payments, transfer partners, elite status tiers, and redemption strategies.

British Airways Club

Maximize British Airways Avios with our complete guide covering elite status, earning strategies, redemption sweet spots, and tips to avoid high surcharges.

Capital One Miles

Capital One Miles: earn miles on everyday spend, transfer to top airline partners, discover redemption sweet spots, and boost your travel rewards.

1.85¢ Points Value

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Ultimate Rewards: earn flexible points, transfer to leading travel partners, explore redemption sweet spots, and uncover insider tips to maximize value.

2.05¢ Points Value

Choice Privileges

Choice Privileges: earn points at Choice hotels, explore benefits, unlock free nights, discover best redemptions, and insider tips for ultimate stays.

Citi ThankYou Rewards

Citi ThankYou: learn to earn more points, transfer to top frequent flyer programs, discover best redemption options, and maximize your travel rewards.

1.85¢ Points Value

Delta SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles: earn and redeem miles for Delta and partners, discover award charts, insider upgrade tips, and smart strategies to maximize your rewards.

1.15¢ Points Value

Emirates Skywards

Discover how to maximize Emirates Skywards with our complete guide covering earning strategies, redemption sweet spots, elite status benefits, and program limitations.

Hilton Honors

Hilton Honors: earn points at 6,000+ hotels, explore elite perks, discover best free night redemptions, and insider hacks to maximize hotel stays.

0.5¢ Points Value

IHG One Rewards

IHG One Rewards: earn points at IHG hotels worldwide, explore reward nights, discover elite benefits, and tips to maximize every stay.

0.5¢ Points Value

JetBlue TrueBlue

Discover how to maximize JetBlue's TrueBlue program in 2025, from earning and redeeming points to elite status benefits and partner airline sweet spots.

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy: earn points across 30+ brands, unlock Free Night awards, explore elite perks, and insider strategies to maximize hotel rewards.

0.7¢ Points Value

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Discover how to maximize Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer with our complete guide to earning miles, redeeming for premium cabins, and achieving elite status benefits.

Southwest Rapid Rewards

Southwest Rapid Rewards: earn points on every flight, optimize the Companion Pass, discover best redemptions, and insider tips for domestic travel.

1.3¢ Points Value

United MileagePlus

United MileagePlus: earn miles on United & Star Alliance, explore award charts, insider upgrade strategies, and maximize your travel redemptions.

1.3¢ Points Value

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Discover how to maximize Virgin Atlantic Flying Club with our complete guide to earning and redeeming points, elite status benefits, and top redemption sweet spots.

Wells Fargo Rewards

Wells Fargo Rewards: learn to earn more points, transfer to top frequent flyer programs, discover best redemption options, and maximize your travel rewards.

World of Hyatt

World of Hyatt: earn points at Hyatt hotels, explore tier benefits, unlock free nights, discover best redemptions, and insider tips for ultimate stays.

1.7¢ Points Value