Key Takeaways
- You can earn Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles miles through flights with Turkish Airlines and Star Alliance partners such as Air Canada, ANA, and United Airlines.
- Additional miles can be accrued through hotel stays, car rentals, and purchases with tourism partners.
- Transfer points from programs such as Citi ThankYou Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Bilt Rewards to boost your balance.
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles is a frequent flyer program for Turkish Airlines that has, for the most part, flown under the radar for a long time. Turkish Airlines is the national carrier of Türkiye, with its headquarters in Istanbul. Turkish Airlines flies to over 100 countries, which is mind-boggling.
There are loads of great ways to redeem Miles&Smiles miles for maximum value, but earning them is not as straightforward.
In this guide, we’ll talk about the best ways to earn lots of Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles miles, which we’ll also refer to as Turkish Airlines miles.
There are a few unique ways, particularly for residents of Türkiye, so let’s get started!
Sign Up for a Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Account
Here are the step-by-step instructions for creating a Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles account:
- Visit the Turkish Airlines website
- At the top-right corner, click Sign up
- Fill in your information, including name, language, nationality, and date of birth
- Verify your e-mail address, and you’re all set
Before you jump into earning Turkish Airlines miles, it’s important to understand a few caveats.
The only way to redeem Turkish Airlines miles online is for Turkish Airlines flights. If you’d like to redeem miles for a partner flight, such as on Lufthansa, you’ll need to call in to reserve your ticket.
There’s a pretty convoluted process for making Turkish Airlines redemptions, but it can be worth it if you have lots of miles.
Earn Turkish Airlines Miles With Credit Cards
Before Turkish Airlines added transfer partners, the only realistic way for Americans to earn Turkish Airlines miles was by crediting flights on Star Alliance partners (such as United or Air Canada) to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.
Due to the relatively easy criteria for Star Alliance Gold qualification, using Turkish Airlines to get there was valid. You only needed to be a Miles&Smiles Elite level to earn Star Alliance Gold.
To do this, you needed first to earn 40,000 Status miles within a year of membership. After that, you could renew your status by earning 30,000 Status miles in the first Elite year or 45,000 Status miles within 2 membership years.
Now, members can earn miles across 4 transferable points programs — Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.
1. Citi ThankYou Rewards Credit Cards (Best Option)
Using ThankYou Rewards is arguably the best and quickest way to earn a lot of Turkish Airlines miles. With a 1:1 transfer ratio, you could potentially even increase this ratio if you transfer ThankYou Points when transfer bonuses are being offered. For example, in January 2019, Citi offered a 25% transfer bonus to Turkish Airlines, which would bring the transfer ratio up to 1:1.25.
In order to accumulate Citi ThankYou Points, you’ll need to have one of its ThankYou Points-earning credit cards. It’s important to note, not all ThankYou Rewards credit cards are eligible for transfers to partners.
Recommended Citi Cards (Personal)
$1,120
21.24%- 29.24% Variable APR
This no annual fee card rewards cardholders for everyday purchases. Earn bonus points at supermarkets and gas stations, plus your points are rounded up on every purchase.
$320
0% intro APR on balance transfers and on purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR of 18.74% – 28.74%.
- Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com
- Plus, as a special offer, earn a total of 5 Thank You® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025.*
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 18.74% – 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases.
- The Citi Rewards+® Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap.
- No Annual Fee
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 0% intro APR on balance transfers and on purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR of 18.74% – 28.74%.
- Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each purchase transaction in US dollars
Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!
0% Intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers, then 19.24% – 29.24% Variable
The Citi Double Cash® Card has long been one of the top cash-back credit cards on the market, and the card now has the ability to earn Citi ThankYou Points!
This means that cardholders of the Double Cash card will now earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Cash back is earned in the form of ThankYou Points. This means each billing cycle, you will earn 1 ThankYou point per $1 spent on purchases and an additional ThankYou point for every $1 paid on your purchase balance as long as there is a corresponding balance in your Purchase Tracker.
Citi has turned the Double Cash card into a top choice for those who are looking for an everyday, no-fuss credit card.
- Bonus Offer: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
- To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- Citi Double Cash® Card Travel Portal Limited Time Offer: Earn a total of 5 ThankYou Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rental, and attractions, excluding air travel, when booked through the Citi TravelSM portal on ThankYou.com or by calling 1-800-Thankyou and saying “Travel.” Offer is valid through 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) 12/31/2024.
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 0% Intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers, then 19.24% – 29.24% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each purchase
Rewards Center
Earn big on purchases in your top eligible spend category, up to the first $500 each billing cycle, with no annual fee!
0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%.
Pros
- 5% cash-back (on up to $500 each billing cycle) from your largest purchase category, including restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment
- No annual fee
- Multiple redemption options
Cons
- Your 5% category is limited to $500 in spend ($25 in cash-back) each month
- Not particularly rewarding for any purchases outside of your top 5% cash-back category
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked via the Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025.
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
- No Annual Fee
- Citi will only issue one Citi Custom Cash® Card account per person.
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%.
- Foreign Transaction Fees: 3%
Hot Tip: Want some more help accelerating your ThankYou Points balance in a short time? Check out our in-depth guide on how to earn 100k+ Citi ThankYou Rewards points in 90 days!
2. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
Typically, Marriott Bonvoy has great sweet spots and there are better uses than transferring to Turkish Airlines, but it can be an option if you’re in a bind for Turkish Airlines miles.
As it does with most of its transfer partners, Marriott Bonvoy transfers points to Turkish Airlines at a 3:1 ratio. For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer, you’ll receive a bonus of 5,000 Turkish Airlines miles. That brings the transfer ratio up to 2.4 Marriott Bonvoy points per 1 Turkish Airlines mile.
With the recent revamp of Marriott Bonvoy’s loyalty program, you can earn Marriott Bonvoy points from the co-branded credit cards from American Express and Chase.
Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards
A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.
Learn More(at Chase’s secure site)
$770
21.49%–28.49% Variable
- Earn 60,000 Bonus Points plus 1 Free Night Award after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Free Night valued at 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Pay no annual fee with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase®!
- Earn up to 14X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Card.
- New! Earn 2X points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services.
- 1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- New! Travel now, pay later – Break up purchases into equal monthly payments with no interest plus no plan fees on qualifying travel purchases. Terms apply.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Member FDIC
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 21.49%–28.49% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center
Marriott loyalists will love this card’s annual Free Night Award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.
Learn More(at Chase’s secure site)
$1,050
21.49%–28.49% Variable
- Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases.
- Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
- Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
- 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
- Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card.
- Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite status, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Your points don’t expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.
- Member FDIC
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 21.49%–28.49% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center
Terms Apply / Rates & Fees
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.
Learn More(at Amex’s secure site)
Apply With Confidence
Know if you’re approved with no credit score impact
If you’re approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
$1,085
20.99%-29.99% Variable
- Earn 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
- Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points).
- Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
- Marriott Bonvoy 1K Bonus Points Per Stay: Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
- With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elites status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit, available for Qualifying Rates.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at a hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- 15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Card® you can receive 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
- Plan It® is a payment option that lets you split up purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee. Plus, you’ll still earn rewards the way you usually do.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Terms Apply / Rates & Fees
A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.
Learn More(at Amex’s secure site)
Apply With Confidence
Know if you’re approved with no credit score impact
If you’re approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
$1,295
20.99%-29.99% Variable
- Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
- With Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
- Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
- Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
- $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
- Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
- With Cell Phone Protection, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month’s wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center
3. Capital One Credit Cards
Miles&Smiles is a Capital One Miles transfer partner and the transfer ratio is 1:1. Transfers take up to 24 hours.
Recommended Capital One Cards
Terms Apply / Rates & Fees
The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.
Learn More(at Capital One’s secure site)
$1,350
19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.
Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.
Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center
$1,600
19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
- Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center
Terms Apply / Rates & Fees
The card offers unlimited miles at 1.25x per $1 and no annual fee. When you consider the flexible rewards, frequent travelers come out on top.
Learn More(at Capital One’s secure site)
$360
19.99% – 29.99% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months
Interested in a travel rewards credit card without one of those pesky annual fees? Then say hello to the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.
In addition to no annual fee, the Capital One VentureOne card offers no foreign transaction fees.
But is this card worth its salt, or is it merely a shell of the more popular Capital One Venture card?
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% – 29.99% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center
4. Bilt Rewards
Bilt Rewards points earned through the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card transfer to Miles&Smiles at a 1:1 ratio nearly instantly.
5. Refer a Friend for Bonus Miles
Chase and American Express both have excellent referral bonus structures for their Marriott Bonvoy cards.
With Chase, you’ll receive 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for each approved referral, up to 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per year.
American Express allows you to refer your friends and family to credit cards you don’t even have! All you need to do is have an American Express-branded card such as The Platinum Card® from American Express or the American Express® Gold Card. Each American Express card has different referral structures and maximum referral points per year.
Capital One has a refer-a-friend program for its Venture cardholders. Referrals sign up through a personal referral link and must be a new Capital One cardholder for you to earn bonus miles. To find your link, sign in to your account or look in the app for the Refer a Friend tile on the account details page.
Lastly, Citi has a referral program that was recently initiated, but you’ll need to have received an email or letter from Citi in order to refer friends, so it’s not currently available to everyone. You can earn 10,000 ThankYou Points per approved referral and a maximum of 50,000 ThankYou Points in a rolling year. Keep in mind you can only receive 5 referral bonuses per card per year with Citi.
6. Turkish Airlines Co-branded Credit Cards and Banking Partners
Outside of the U.S., Turkish Airlines offers co-branded credit cards and transferrable point options with various international banks:
Earn Miles Through Travel
Although Turkish Airlines’ shopping partners are limited to shops in Türkiye, you’ll be pleased to learn that there are quite a few ways to earn miles through travel — even if you live in the U.S.
7. Airfare and Airline Purchases
Turkish Airlines is the most internationally connected airline in the world, making it a convenient airline for almost anywhere you want to go.
By flying on Turkish Airlines, you’re eligible to earn Turkish Airlines miles. You’ll even be able to earn miles when you pay for up to 50% of your paid fare with points using the Cash&Miles program.
Here’s what the mileage accrual looks like for travel on Turkish Airlines:
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|
Business |
||||||||
|
Y, B |
M, H, S, E, Q, A, O |
T, L, V, G |
W, P, F, U |
C, D |
K, J, Z |
|||
|
Türkiye |
All Cards |
Fixed Miles |
600 |
600 |
300 |
150 |
1,250 |
1,000 |
|
International |
Classic Card |
Earnings Rate |
125% |
100% |
50% |
25% |
150% |
135% |
|
Minimum Miles |
1,250 |
1,000 |
500 |
250 |
1,500 |
1,350 |
||
|
Classic Plus, Elite, Elite Plus Card |
Earnings Rate |
125% |
100% |
50% |
25% |
175% |
160% |
|
|
Minimum Miles |
1,250 |
1,000 |
500 |
250 |
1,750 |
1,600 |
||
Let’s do an example calculation. If you fly from San Francisco (SFO) to Istanbul (IST), the flight distance is 6,721 miles. If you hold the Turkish Elite Plus level, you’ll earn 160% of 6,721 miles, which ends up being a total of 10,754 Turkish Airlines miles.
Hot Tip: Remember to double-check your flight distance, fare booking class, and elite status when calculating your mileage accruals.
8. Crediting Partner Airlines to Miles&Smiles
For those of you that don’t regularly fly on Turkish Airlines, rest assured you’re still able to earn Turkish Airlines miles by crediting partner flights to Turkish Airlines.
Turkish Airlines is a Star Alliance partner, making it easy to earn miles with other Star Alliance airlines. In addition, you can also credit Azul, GOL, IndiGo, and Olympic flights to Turkish Airlines.
The Turkish Airlines website has more information about specific partner accrual rates.
Remember that you’re subject to the terms and conditions of both Miles&Smiles and the partner airline you’re flying on.
9. Miles&Smiles Car Rental Partners
Currently, Turkish Airlines partners with several different car rental partners, making it easy for you to earn miles.
Here are all the partners listed with the mileage earning structure for Turkish Airlines miles:
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Rental Company |
Miles Earned |
Rental Company |
Miles Earned |
|
Up to 1,000 miles per rental |
500 miles for each 1- to 6-day rental, 1,000 miles for each 7+ day rental |
||
|
Minimum 500 miles per rental |
Up to 1,000 miles per rental |
||
|
500 miles per rental |
750 miles in the first 2 days, up to 5,000 miles per rental |
||
|
100 miles per day with a maximum of 1,000 miles per rental |
500 miles per rental |
||
|
|
|
10. Miles&Smiles Hotel Partners
Miles&Smiles partners with a whole slew of hotel brands. Many of these hotel brands, such as Hilton, only offer mileage exchanges. For example, Hilton offers an exchange of 10,000 Hilton points for 1,000 Turkish Airlines miles.
Other hotels, such as Best Western, offer miles for hotel stays, which is a better deal. The consolidated list for hotel partners is quite large, but check it out here:
All in all, there are a ton of different ways to earn Turkish Airlines miles from hotels around the world. Some are specific to Türkiye and some are worldwide chains, so your options are plentiful.
11. Miles&Smiles Hotel Transfer Partners
You can also transfer points from select hotel partners, but we don’t advise this method as it’s not the best use of your points. Only consider this if you have orphan points or are looking to top-up for an award flight.
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Hotel |
Transfer Ratio |
Hotel |
Transfer Ratio |
|
4,000 points to 2,000 miles |
10 points to 1 mile with a minimum of 2,000 points transferred |
||
|
10,000 points to 1,000 miles |
6,000 points to 1,200 miles 16,000 points to 3,200 miles 30,000 points to 6,000 miles |
12. Miles&Smiles Online Booking and Tourism Partners
Turkish Airlines also partners with a variety of tourism portals, most of which are hotel booking portals. Here are the specifics:
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|
Booking Portal |
Miles Earning |
Booking Portal |
Miles Earning |
|
2 miles per €1 spent |
Rocketmiles |
Up to 10,000 miles per night |
|
|
Ability to transfer Fliggy Miles into Miles&Smiles miles |
Earn extra and at least double miles both on the flight and the total amount of the package |
||
|
5 miles per $1 spent |
20,000 miles for each yacht booking above ₺25,000 |
||
|
15 miles per $1 spent |
|
|
As you can see, there’s similarly plenty of opportunities to earn huge bonuses on miles with hotel portal bookings. Make sure to double-check that the rates are the cheapest available as the points bonus may not be worth the extra money you spend.
Specialty Earnings for Turkish Airlines Miles
Turkish Airlines miles are pretty valuable. If the above methods of earning Turkish Airlines miles don’t work for you, there are a couple of “specialty” ways to earn Turkish Airlines miles.
13. Buy Turkish Airlines Miles
Turkish Airlines sells miles at 3 cents per mile, and in 1,000-mile increments. You can purchase 1,000 miles for $30.
You can purchase up to 50,000 miles per calendar year.
Turkish Airlines rarely offers bonuses on purchased miles. In fact, 2014 was the last time it offered a bonus on purchased miles.
14. Miles&Smiles Shopping and Living Partners
You can also earn Turkish Airlines miles through its shopping and living partners.
Final Thoughts
All in all, Turkish Airlines has been a traditionally difficult mileage currency to earn. However, with the advent of new transfer partners, it’s now easier than ever to earn Turkish Airlines miles.
Yes, you’ll need to pay fuel surcharges and go through some hoops to make award bookings using Turkish Airlines miles, but it’s often worth it to save some hard-earned miles for sweet spots.
The information regarding the Citi Premier® Card has expired and the card is no longer open to applicants.
The information regarding the Citi Rewards+® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Citi Double Cash® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Citi Custom Cash® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
