How to Book a Turkish Airlines Flight with Points and Miles?

Turkish Airlines is one of the most prominent names in the aviation industry. It serves a vast route of over 350 destinations across Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and Americas. It is known for its top-notch in-flight catering services, and if this wasn't enough, it also allows bookings from points and miles, enabling its passengers to get benefits like upgrades, free flights, and other beneficial perks. Throughout this article, we will explore the techniques and plans to use your miles with Turkish Airlines and get various benefits to improve your travel.  

What is Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles?

Turkish Airlines' Miles&Smiles is a frequent flyer program that allows passengers to earn Miles by flying with Turkish Airlines. This loyalty scheme enables passengers to access various rewards and benefits, and these earned Miles can be used either for Turkish Airlines or with its Star Alliance partners. Earned Miles can also be spent on purchasing a holiday package, renting cars, staying at a hotel, and making purchases with credit cards. 

Benefits of Miles&Smiles

• Exclusive perks: It offers some unique features and perks to the passengers, such as two free upgrades per year, guaranteed seat availability, and access to Turkish Airlines's exclusive drive service. 
• Early notification of the Award release date: Members are notified at least 354 days before the award is released. However, it is suggested that they check for their partner's illnesses on their website. 
• Best cabin redemption: Turkish Airlines' business classes offer the best possible value and the best amenities for long-haul flights. Turkish Airlines domestic airlines come with low mileage requirements, 

How to earn Miles with Turkish Airlines?

Turkish Airlines' loyalty scheme, Miles&Smiles, allows passengers to gain more rewards by flying as frequent flyers and by making purchases during travel. This way, members can earn Miles and, later, use them to unlock travel perks to make their trip more comfortable. Here are some ways to earn Mile Points with Turkish Airlines:

• Flying: The simplest way to earn more Miles is to fly with Turkish Airlines or one of the Star Alliance members. Star Alliance is the world's first airline alliance, with 25 partners, including United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Canada, and more. 
• Making Credit Card purchases: Those with Visa Signature credit cards have an advantage because they will get three Miles per $1 spent with Turkish Airlines. Two Miles can be earned after spending $1 on dining, entertainment, groceries, and lodgings, and one mile can be earned after spending $1 elsewhere.  
• Transfer partners: Turkish Airlines partners with Capital One Miles, Bilt Rewards, and Citi ThankYou points; points can be easily converted into Miles because Turkish Airlines partners' currencies can be transferred at 1:1 to Turkish Airlines. 
• Car rentals and hotels:  Various hotels and car rental companies partner with Turkish Airlines, allowing members to earn more miles on their bookings. 

Travel types available on Turkish Airlines

The Travel classes or fare types of Turkish Airlines are categorized into three categories, each with its own benefits and perks. The fare types available on Turkish Airlines are:

• EcoFly: Turkish Airlines offers a budget-friendly option through EcoFly. Travellers can bring 15 kg of checked baggage or 8 kg of cabin baggage. 
• ExtraFly: Passengers on ExtraFly can select their seats, carry 20 kg of checked baggage and 8 kg of cabin baggage, and earn an extra 250 miles. 
• PrimeFly: Passengers flying through PrimeFly are offered more flexibility, including benefits like free refunds, seat selections, and ticket reissuing up to an hour before the flight. They are also allowed to bring checked baggage of  25kg and cabin baggage of 8kg without paying any charges; they can also earn an extra 500 Miles. 

Passengers who travel in Business class get advantageous perks such as gourmet meals, lie-flat seats, better entertainment systems, and Noise-cancellation headphones. Other benefits include an extra luggage allowance, priority baggage collection, preferential check-in options, and the ability to earn more miles while travelling than other passengers. 

How to book flight tickets with Turkish Airlines using reward points?

First, you will have to find the award availability and book the Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles award through the Turkish Airlines website. Here are the steps to do so:

• Search for an award on the official website of Turkish Airlines.
• Log in to the website with your registered ID; if not, a pop-up will appear asking you to do so when you click on the "Award Ticket—Buy a ticket with Miles" option. 
• Once you click on that, the website will generate a different search for you, and you will have to provide details like destination and arrival airports, departure date, number of passengers, and class of service. 
• After providing all the details, click on the red arrow to show the availability of award flights. You must select the one that best suits you. 

How do you use reward points to Book flight tickets with Turkish Airlines Star Alliance partners?

The process to book flight tickets with Turkish Airlines Star Alliance partners using reward points can be a little complex, but for your convenience, here are the steps mentioned below:

• After visiting the official website of Turkish Airlines, log in with your account. 
• Move your cursor to your nickname, and click the "Miles transaction" option. 
• On that page, you must find the "Star Alliance award ticket" box; below that box, click "Book now." 
• Now, it is a usual process where you have to provide details, such as the departure and arrival cities, travel dates, and number of passengers. 
• After providing all the details, you must click on the red arrow to see the list of available flights and select the one that best suits you. 

How to find the Award seats?

Turkish Airlines stays in demand, which is the primary reason why they do not often release award seats unless they cannot sell them for cash. To find award seats easily, you must have some things in mind. Let's look at these tips.

• Flexibility: It is important to be flexible, as award seats may not be available on your preferred travel date. Sticking to a particular date will lower your chances of getting an award seat, so it is recommended to first look for the time when award seats are available. 
• Consider shoulder seasons: Shoulder seasons are the time when demand is lowest, and several seats remain unsold, later offered as award seats by the airline. It would be easier for you to find these seats if you want to travel in a business class seat. 

Ways to spend Turkish Airlines Miles

Miles can be redeemed for various purposes, while some result in better value and some are comparatively lower. To get the best possible value out of your Miles points, you must have a proper piece of knowledge about how to spend your earned Miles ideally. 

• Fly with Turkish Airlines: Find the best award flights of economy and business class on the official website of Turkish Airlines and use Miles to book the flight tickets. 
• Fly with Turkish Airlines Partners: Traveling with Star Alliance partner airlines is an ideal option for spending Miles. Your earned Miles points can also be used to book the award flight tickets for your friends and family, or if you need an upgrade. 
• Shop on Shop&Miles: If you do not want to spend your earned Miles on award flight tickets, you can also exchange them for gifts. Other than booking an award flight ticket, Miles can also be paid on purchases made for items from retailers like Ikea and Godiva. 
• Fill the tank: Miles can also be exchanged for fuel purchases, as there are gas partners like Shell. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. How to redeem Turkish Airlines Miles to get the best deal?

To find the best deals, check award availability for Turkish Airlines and Star Alliance flights on Turkish Airlines' official website. Since the award tickets of Turkish Airlines have gone through a devaluation, you can still find the best deals. 

Q. What are some more ways to redeem Turkish Airlines Miles?

Members are suggested to look for an award ticket, as it is the best way to redeem the Miles. However, other options exist, such as shopping with Shop&Miles or purchasing fuel from a gas partner like Shell. 

Q. What are the worst ways to spend your Miles?

There are some redemption options that are ideal to redeem only when you have a plethora of Miles. Otherwise, it is suggested to avoid indulging in such redemptions, including:

• Gift Card purchases
• Online shopping
• Flight Upgrades
• Lounge Access
• Freezing the flight price. 

Q. What are the Turkish Airlines transfer partners?

Three transfer partners of Turkish Airlines enable users to convert their credit card points to Turkish Airlines Miles. These transfer partners include:

• Capital One Mile
• Citi ThankYou points '
• Bilt rewards

Q. What is the Turkish Airlines tier status level?

Turkish Airlines has four different levels based on how many of Miles these levels are distinguished by. Here are the levels of elite status:

• Classic: Those who have earned 1000 welcome Miles are considered to be at this level. 
• Classic Plus: Activated when the member earns 25,000 Miles or has been on 40 flights at this level. 
• Elite: Activated when the member has earned over 40,000 Miles. 
• Elite Plus: Activated when the members earn over 80,000 Miles, reaching this level also unlocks various other perks and benefits.