Quick Answer: Yes, Turkish Miles&Smiles Is Worth Learning
If you collect Citi ThankYou Points and want premium-cabin Star Alliance redemptions for the lowest mileage cost of any major loyalty program, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles is the program to learn. The award chart prices business class between the US and Europe at 45,000 miles one-way, and Lufthansa First Class to Europe at 60,000 miles one-way. United charges 80,000 to 110,000 miles for the same business-class seats. Aeroplan charges 70,000 to 110,000 with surcharges layered on top. Turkish's pricing is the lowest in the alliance.
The program is not perfect. The website is unreliable, phone agents vary in skill, and you may need to book by calling Istanbul. But for travelers willing to work around those issues, the savings are real and the inventory is genuine Star Alliance award space: the same seats United and Aeroplan members fight over, priced at a discount.
This guide walks through the program basics, the redemptions worth chasing, how to earn enough Miles&Smiles to book them, and the workarounds for the booking quirks. Verify the current award chart on Turkish Airlines' website before transferring points, because the chart has shifted in past years and may shift again.
Understanding Miles&Smiles: Program Basics
Miles&Smiles is the frequent flyer program of Turkish Airlines, a Star Alliance member based in Istanbul. The program issues awards on every Star Alliance carrier, including United, Lufthansa, Swiss, Air Canada, ANA, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, Thai Airways, Air New Zealand, Avianca, Copa, and TAP Air Portugal. That partner network is the entire reason to care about the program.
Miles never expire as long as you take one qualifying activity every three years. Earning a single mile, redeeming an award, or using a co-branded credit card counts. This is more generous than most programs.
The main earning path for US travelers is Citi ThankYou Points, which transfer to Miles&Smiles at a 1:1 ratio and post within minutes during normal business hours. Citi runs occasional transfer bonuses to Turkish that push the ratio to 1:1.25 or better. Capital One Miles also transfer to Turkish at 1:1.
Miles&Smiles partners with no major US co-branded credit card. There is no Turkish Airlines Visa. Your earning is entirely transfer-based unless you fly Turkish itself.
The Benefits
The award chart is region-to-region and distance-blind within each region pair. A flight from Newark to Frankfurt costs the same as Los Angeles to Athens, because both are North America to Europe. This pricing structure rewards travelers flying long routes within a single region pair.
Award taxes are reasonable on most carriers. Turkish does not impose its own fuel surcharges on top of the operating carrier's pricing, so flights on United, Air Canada, Avianca, and Copa carry only government taxes, often under $100 round-trip in economy and under $250 in business.
Holds work. You can place a 72-hour hold on most award space without transferring miles first. This is rare among foreign programs and matters when you need to verify availability before committing Citi points.
The Drawbacks
The Turkish Airlines website has a difficult relationship with reality. It often shows phantom award space that does not exist, fails to ticket selected itineraries, and times out during the final booking step. Plan to spend time on the phone.
Phone agents are based in multiple call centers and skill varies. US-based agents sometimes refuse partner bookings that are valid per the rules. The Istanbul call center is usually more knowledgeable but requires an international call. Calling at 2 a.m. Eastern often connects you to the most experienced agents.
Refunds are slow and partial. Cancellation fees apply even for award tickets, and refunds can take 30 to 60 days.
Routing rules are stricter than United's. Mixed-cabin awards are not allowed on most itineraries; every segment must be in the booked cabin. Open jaws and stopovers have specific rules covered later.
The Award Chart Advantage by Zone
Turkish divides the world into regions and prices awards between them. Four zone pairs deliver outsized value compared to other Star Alliance programs.
North America to Europe. 45,000 miles one-way in business class on any Star Alliance partner. United charges 80,000 to 110,000. Aeroplan charges 70,000 to 110,000 with carrier surcharges on Lufthansa and Swiss. Air Canada-operated flights from Canada to Europe at 45,000 are the standout when paired with no fuel surcharges.
North America to Asia. 75,000 miles one-way in business class. Compare to United's 88,000 to 120,000 for the same ANA, EVA, or Singapore flights. Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Singapore, and Bangkok are all the same price from any US gateway.
North America to South America. 40,000 miles one-way in business class to Northern South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, the Guianas) and 57,500 miles one-way to Southern South America (Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia). The 40,000-mile pricing on Avianca and Copa business class to Bogotá, Lima, or Quito is one of the best deals in any frequent flyer program. Routes covered here include several markets that competitors like American AAdvantage rarely make available. See our roundup of the JetSMART AAdvantage partnership for the wider Latin America picture.
Intra-Europe and Short-Haul. 7,500 miles one-way in economy and 15,000 miles in business for flights under 1,000 miles within Europe. This includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, TAP, and LOT short-haul flights that often cost $300 to $500 in cash. Useful for connecting onto a positioning flight or for European city pairs.
Top Sweet Spots Worth Booking
These are the redemptions that justify the work of learning Miles&Smiles. Each one represents either the lowest mileage cost in Star Alliance for that route, or a unique price point unavailable elsewhere.
1. US to Europe Business Class, 45,000 miles one-way. The flagship redemption, on United, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, or TAP. Newark to Frankfurt on Lufthansa, JFK to Zurich on Swiss, Boston to Lisbon on TAP, Washington to Vienna on Austrian — all 45,000 miles. Pair with no fuel surcharges on Star Alliance partners other than Lufthansa and Swiss (which still carry their own surcharges; more on that later).
2. US to Northern South America Business Class, 40,000 miles one-way. Miami to Bogotá on Avianca, Houston to Panama City on Copa, JFK to Lima, Los Angeles to San Salvador. Avianca and Copa run lie-flat business class on many of these routes for under $200 in taxes.
3. Lufthansa First Class to Europe, 60,000 miles one-way. This is the cheapest way to fly Lufthansa First Class from the US. Space opens roughly 15 days before departure on most routes. The first-class terminal in Frankfurt is included for departing first passengers and is one of the best ground experiences in commercial aviation. Lufthansa surcharges apply: budget roughly $600 to $1,000 in taxes one-way.
4. Intra-Asia Business Class, 12,500 to 25,000 miles one-way. On ANA, Thai, EVA, Singapore, or Asiana: Tokyo to Bangkok, Singapore to Seoul, Hong Kong to Tokyo. Asian carriers run excellent regional business class on routes Americans rarely book. Pricing tiers by distance band within the Asia region.
5. US Domestic First Class, 12,500 miles one-way. United domestic first class for 12,500 miles one-way, including transcons in the Polaris Premium product on select 757 and 767 routes. Compare to United's own program at 25,000 miles minimum for the same seat. Sub-700-mile flights price at 7,500.
6. Europe to Middle East or Africa Business Class, 20,000 to 25,000 miles one-way. Frankfurt to Dubai on Lufthansa, Vienna to Cairo on Austrian, Lisbon to Marrakech on TAP. Useful for positioning to or returning from those regions when long-haul awards are scarce.
7. Trans-Pacific Business Class, 75,000 miles one-way. ANA, EVA, Singapore, and Asiana business class from any US gateway to any Asia gateway. Among the most consistently bookable premium-cabin awards in Star Alliance because the partner inventory is strong.
8. South America Long-Haul, 57,500 miles one-way. US to Buenos Aires, Santiago, Sao Paulo, or Rio in business class. Routes available on Avianca, Copa, United, and on the rare partner flight.
9. Istanbul Stopovers on Turkish Metal. When flying Turkish Airlines through Istanbul to or from a third region, a stopover in Istanbul of up to seven days is permitted at no extra mileage cost. Pairs well with the Turkish Airlines free hotel program for longer layovers.
10. Short-Haul Within Europe, 7,500 miles one-way economy, 15,000 miles business. For flights under 1,000 miles within Europe. Useful both as standalone bookings and as positioning legs.
For context on how these prices stack up against the broader Star Alliance vs. oneworld picture, see our breakdown of Star Alliance vs oneworld.
How to Earn Miles&Smiles
The primary path is Citi ThankYou Points. Most Citi cards earn ThankYou Points that transfer 1:1 to Turkish, and Citi has run several transfer bonuses to Turkish in recent years pushing the rate above 1:1. The Citi Strata Premier is the workhorse: 3x on air, hotels, gas, restaurants, and supermarkets, plus a sign-up bonus that produces enough miles for at least one US-to-Europe business class ticket. The Citi Strata Elite earns at higher multiples and adds travel benefits useful for premium-cabin travelers.
Capital One Miles also transfer to Turkish at 1:1. Pair a Capital One earning card with the Citi cards to diversify your transferable balance.
A round-trip Lufthansa First Class booking costs 120,000 miles. The Citi Strata Premier welcome bonus alone, when offered at higher tiers, can cover most of that. The remaining gap is covered by transferring Capital One Miles or earning on category spend.
Booking with the help of a service like Point.me is useful here. Miles&Smiles award search through Point.me handles the partner inventory complexity without the website fights.
The Booking Process
Award search starts on the Turkish website. Use the multi-city option even for one-way searches because the round-trip default sometimes hides partner space. The website pulls Star Alliance inventory from a feed that occasionally lags United's by several hours, so cross-check with United.com or with ExpertFlyer for confirmation that the space is real.
For Lufthansa First Class, only check within 15 days of departure on most routes. Searches further out will show zero space because the inventory does not release until close-in. ANA First and Singapore Suites have similar but slightly different release windows.
If the website refuses to ticket, call. The US call center number is on the Miles&Smiles site. If a US agent says space is not available when you can see it, hang up and call back. Agent skill varies. The Istanbul call center handles bookings in English and is generally more capable, though wait times can be longer.
Place a 72-hour hold when possible. This lets you transfer Citi ThankYou Points after confirming the booking will ticket, avoiding the worst-case scenario of points stuck in Miles&Smiles for an itinerary that never goes through.
Fuel Surcharges by Airline
Fuel surcharges vary by operating carrier on Miles&Smiles awards. Turkish itself does not add surcharges, but it passes through what the operating partner charges.
No or minimal surcharges: United, Air Canada, Avianca, Copa, EVA Air, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, ANA on award tickets, TAP Air Portugal in most cases.
Heavy surcharges: Lufthansa (roughly $600 to $1,000 one-way in premium cabins), Swiss (similar to Lufthansa), Austrian (moderate), Asiana on certain routes.
When chasing the lowest total cost, prioritize United, Air Canada, and Avianca segments. When the destination requires Lufthansa or Swiss, accept the surcharges as the cost of access to those carriers' premium cabins at 45,000 miles. Still a better deal than Aeroplan or United's pricing.
Turkish vs. Other Star Alliance Programs
A US-to-Europe business class ticket on Lufthansa, sourcing identical inventory:
- Turkish Miles&Smiles: 45,000 miles + Lufthansa surcharges
- United MileagePlus: 80,000 to 110,000 miles + low surcharges
- Aeroplan: 70,000 to 110,000 miles + Lufthansa surcharges
- Avianca LifeMiles: 63,000 miles + low surcharges
- ANA Mileage Club: 55,000 to 70,000 miles round-trip (round-trip only)
Turkish wins on the mileage cost for one-way bookings. Avianca LifeMiles is the closest competitor on US-to-Europe and may be preferable when the surcharge differential matters or when you already hold LifeMiles. ANA's round-trip-only chart is unbeatable for round-trip Asia bookings but useless for one-ways.
For domestic US flights, Turkish at 12,500 in first class beats United's own 25,000-mile pricing on the same flight. This is one of the rare cases where booking a US carrier through a foreign partner program is cheaper than booking direct.
Advanced Strategies
Mixed-program ticketing. Book the outbound with Miles&Smiles and the return with Aeroplan or LifeMiles. Two one-way tickets at the lowest available program for each direction. This works particularly well when one program has space on the outbound and the other has space on the return.
Stopovers in Istanbul. When flying Turkish metal between two regions, a free stopover in Istanbul of up to seven days is permitted. Useful for combining a US-Asia or US-Africa trip with a Turkey visit at no additional mileage cost.
Open jaws. Book into one city and out of another within the same region for the same mileage cost as a return to the original city. Fly into Paris, train to Rome, fly home from Rome, all at the same 90,000 miles round-trip as Paris-Paris.
Citi transfer bonuses. Citi typically runs a Turkish transfer bonus once or twice a year, often in the 25 to 30 percent range. A 25 percent bonus drops US-to-Europe business class to 36,000 miles one-way effectively. Wait for a bonus before transferring large balances when the timing works.
Companion travel. Multiple passengers on a single award booking is supported, but each passenger needs their own award space. Search one at a time to verify space exists for all travelers before requesting the multi-passenger booking.
Common Mistakes
Transferring points before confirming the booking ticket. Always place a hold first if the website will let you, or call to verify the booking is sitting in the system before transferring. Citi ThankYou Points are useful across many programs; miles in Miles&Smiles for an unbookable itinerary are stuck.
Booking on the website when calling would succeed. If a website search shows partial space or refuses to ticket, the call center can often book the same itinerary using a manual fare process. Do not give up after one failed website attempt.
Ignoring carrier surcharges. A 45,000-mile award on Lufthansa is not strictly cheaper than a 63,000-mile award on Avianca LifeMiles if the surcharge differential is $700. Calculate the total cost.
Mixed-cabin bookings on partner segments. Miles&Smiles does not allow mixed-cabin partner bookings on most itineraries. If one leg only has economy space and you wanted business, the whole itinerary prices at the economy rate or fails entirely. Search for full-business space end to end.
Booking too far out for Lufthansa First. Lufthansa First Class space releases 15 days before departure on most routes. Searches at three months out will show zero. That is normal, not a problem with your search. Set alerts for the close-in window.
When Turkish Isn't the Best Choice
Skip Miles&Smiles when:
- The route is operated by a non-Star Alliance carrier. Turkish only books Star Alliance partners, period.
- You need flexible changes. Miles&Smiles cancellation fees and slow refunds make it the wrong program for itineraries that may change.
- You hold a large Aeroplan balance and the surcharge differential is small. Use what you have rather than transferring fresh points.
- The booking requires high-end first class on partners other than Lufthansa. ANA First, Singapore Suites, and Thai First have specific search and booking quirks that other programs sometimes handle better.
For status-driven travelers building elite credit on United, consider whether to credit flights to United for Premier Silver fast-track or to Miles&Smiles for award redemption. The answer depends on your travel pattern.
Bottom Line
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles is the lowest-cost Star Alliance partner program for premium-cabin awards from the US. The 45,000-mile US-to-Europe business class price and the 60,000-mile Lufthansa First Class price are unmatched by any other program with access to the same inventory. The 40,000-mile pricing to Northern South America in business class is one of the strongest sweet spots in any frequent flyer program.
The trade-off is real. Website reliability is poor, phone agents are inconsistent, and refunds are slow. For travelers who collect Citi ThankYou Points and want to redeem for premium-cabin Star Alliance flights, the savings outweigh the friction. For travelers who need flexibility or who collect mostly Chase or Amex points, other programs may serve better.
Verify the current award chart on Turkish Airlines' website before transferring points. The chart has held steady in recent years but devaluations happen across the industry, and the pricing in this guide reflects the current published chart as of writing. For longer flights and overnight redemptions, our guide to long-haul flight comfort covers what to expect once you have the booking.
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