Turkish Airways

The Highlights

Don’t be fooled by the name: Turkish Airlines has a very big domestic presence. And while it used to be difficult to accumulate points, you can now rapidly collect points thanks to the partnership with Citi ThankYou Rewards and Marriott.

They use a region-based award chart. North America actually includes Antilles, St. Maarten, Curacao, Bermuda, Canada and Mexico. For round trip flights in this region, it will cost you 20,000 miles economy, 30,000 miles business and 50,000 miles first class.

If you’re going internationally, some have been able to fly to Europe in business class for as little as 26,000 points utilizing transfer bonuses. Citi has bonuses throughout the year that will increase your points when you transfer them. And Turkish Airlines occasionally offers special discounts for award flights. So if the stars align and you can collect on both of those things, you will more than double the value of your miles.

Miles & Smiles is pretty special and we’re so happy to be able to take advantage of their offers. But be aware of their fuel surcharges, which obviously will vary greatly depending on your destination. There are a number of partners you can use, some that notably do not have fuel surcharges, like New Zealand Air. When it comes time to transfer points, they will not show up immediately. You may need to wait a full day or more before they show up in your account.

Just a little nugget to put in your back pocket: if you end up in Istanbul for a long lay over, take advantage of the free city tours through TourIstanbul that are available to Turkish Airline travelers. Simply go to international arrivals and show your boarding pass at the TourIstanbul desk, no reservations needed.

How to Redeem

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