Start here: Miles & Smiles

What is Miles & Smiles, and how do you join it?

Miles&Smiles is the loyalty programme of Turkish Airlines. Its terms divide the currency into two categories: Miles, which can be exchanged for awards, and Status Miles, which are earned by flying Turkish Airlines and other partner airlines and are used to determine membership status. Status Miles cannot be redeemed or spent on any award. [1] [2] The programme lists four membership tiers: Classic, Classic Plus, Elite and Elite Plus. [1]

Membership is open to individuals who are at least two years old, in countries where this type of passenger programme is permitted, and who may join under the laws that apply to them; legal entities, groups and associations cannot become members. [2] Membership begins with the first activity recorded after the application form is completed, the general terms and conditions are accepted, or a temporary card is first used. [2]

Only one account per person is allowed: joint applications and multiple applications by the same person are not permitted, and Turkish Airlines may reject an application without giving a reason. [2] Once you are a member, the digital membership card is available in the Turkish Airlines mobile app, and a PIN code is issued for managing the account online and must be kept confidential. [2] Members can leave at any time by written request to Turkish Airlines. [2]

How do you earn Miles and Status Miles?

Miles come from three broad sources: flights operated by Turkish Airlines or partner airlines, spending on Miles&Smiles co-branded credit cards, and purchases with programme partners. [1] The co-branded cards named in the terms are issued with Garanti Bank, QNB Finansbank and Kuveyt Türk. [2]

On Turkish Airlines flights the amount earned follows the programme's mile-earning table. [2] On other Star Alliance member airlines, Miles can be earned on codeshare flights operated by Star Alliance members or by other Miles&Smiles partners, but not on codeshare flights operated by airlines outside the partnership; the booking class on the ticket may differ from the booking class of the operating airline, and accrual follows the operating carrier's rules. [2] Status Miles are earned from flights with Turkish Airlines and other Star Alliance member airlines, excluding charter flights and flights taken free of charge. [2]

New members can earn 1,000 Welcome Miles after a first flight with Turkish Airlines or another Star Alliance member airline. [2] Miles are credited automatically when the membership number is given at reservation, and a membership card may be requested at check-in. [2] If a flight or partner service is not credited, a retroactive claim can be made for up to twelve months afterwards; later requests are not accepted, and the time limit for some Star Alliance airlines may differ or retroactive credit may not be available at all. [2]

Miles from flights, hotel stays and car rentals expire at the end of the third full calendar year after they are processed, at 23:59 local time in Türkiye. [2] A member can pay USD 20 for every 1,000 Miles that are about to expire to extend their validity by a further three years, but the Miles must be used to ticket an award before the expiry date — holding a reservation is not enough. [2] Once Miles have expired they cannot be made valid again, and their validity is not extended for any reason. [2]

How does Miles & Smiles membership status work?

To qualify for Classic Plus, Elite or Elite Plus, a member must collect a minimum number of programme Miles within twelve consecutive months; to extend membership of a particular tier, Miles earned within twelve consecutive months or over the last two years are taken into account. [2] A certain number of flights within the relevant period is an additional criterion, but only for Classic Plus. [2]

Status Miles earned on Turkish Airlines domestic and international flights and with other partner airlines are listed separately on statements and are what count towards Classic Plus, Elite and Elite Plus; Bonus Miles can be exchanged for awards but do not count towards those tiers. [2] Status Miles themselves cannot be spent on any award. [1] [2] Turkish Airlines reserves the right to change the rules governing the earning and use of Miles at any time. [2]

How do you use Miles and book a first award?

Miles can be spent on award tickets, cabin upgrades, Cash&Miles and Shop&Miles. [1] Only award tickets can be booked online; upgrades on Turkish Airlines flights cannot be booked online, and online upgrades on Turkish Airlines and other Star Alliance member airline flights are allowed only in specific booking classes. [2] Awards may be issued to any other person, provided this is not in return for payment in cash or in kind. [2]

There are two award types. Capacity Controlled Award Tickets can be booked only when the relevant class is open and may be unavailable on some destinations and in some seasons, while Seat Guaranteed Award Tickets carry no restrictions and are available as long as there is space on the flight. [2] Capacity Controlled awards cost fewer Miles than Seat Guaranteed awards. [2] On Turkish Airlines flights both use class X for Economy and class I for Business, and Turkish Airlines reserves the right to change these classes. [2] Awards that combine Turkish Airlines with a Star Alliance member airline can only be booked in Capacity Controlled classes, under the Star Alliance award table and regulations. [2]

Reservations are made on the website, in the mobile app, through the call centre or at a sales office, and the Miles must already be in the account when the award is requested. [2] Online reservations can be used for Turkish Airlines flights only, allow a maximum of six flight legs and cannot include a stopover or an open-jaw journey; stopovers, open-jaw journeys and partner-airline awards are booked through the call centre or a sales office. [2] One stopover is permitted on award tickets used on Turkish Airlines flights, and one open-jaw journey may be made on an award ticket. [2] Members can book online for relatives or other people travelling with them, for a maximum of five people including the member. [2]

An award ticket is valid for one year from the date it is first issued, cannot be transferred or extended, and cannot be combined with any other payment type. [2] Changes to dates, times or routes and refunds of unused award tickets are subject to processing fees, and a no-show fee applies if a member does not board or does not present the required documents. [2] Journeys taken on award tickets do not earn Miles. [2] The Miles needed are the same for adults and children; for infants under two, an award ticket worth 10% of the adult mile value is arranged. [2]

Exceptions and limits

• Family Membership. Apart from the Family Membership feature available in the Classic Plus, Elite and Elite Plus tiers, Miles and Miles accounts may not be transferred, more than one person may not collect Miles in a single account, and Miles may not be pooled with another member's to obtain one award. [2]
• Ending a membership. When a membership ends, rights earned under it stay valid for six months, during which the Miles can still be exchanged for an award; if Turkish Airlines terminates a membership for justifiable reasons, the member loses the right to use the Miles in the account. [2]
• Buying and transferring Miles. Members can buy up to 100,000 Miles per calendar year, with a minimum of 1,000, and purchases are non-refundable; buying through the website, app, call centre or sales office requires at least one flight automatically registered on the account within the previous year. [2] Transfers have no upper or lower limit and cost USD 20 including VAT per 1,000 Miles, and transferred Miles are valid for three years from the transfer date. [2]
• What Miles cannot do. Miles cannot be transferred to or combined with another frequent flyer programme, and cannot be exchanged for cash equivalents. [2]
• Programme changes. Turkish Airlines may change or end the programme or a partner arrangement with reasonable prior notice, and collected Miles or awards do not constitute a vested interest; disputes are governed by Turkish law, with the Istanbul courts authorised. [2]

Frequently asked questions

How long do Miles&Smiles Miles last?

Miles from flights, hotel stays and car rentals expire at the end of the third full calendar year after processing, at 23:59 local time in Türkiye. [2] Expiring Miles can be extended by three years for USD 20 per 1,000 Miles, and Miles that have already expired cannot be revived. [2]

Can I book a Miles&Smiles award ticket online?

Yes, for Turkish Airlines flights, with a maximum of six flight legs and no stopover or open-jaw journey. [2] Partner-airline awards, stopovers and open-jaw journeys must be booked through the call centre or a sales office. [2]

Can I use my Miles for someone else?

Awards may be issued to any other individual as long as this is not in return for payment in cash or in kind, and online bookings can cover up to five people including the member, provided they travel together. [2]

Do award tickets earn Miles?

No. Journeys made using award tickets do not earn any Miles. [2]

Related pages

Programme: Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. Courses: Start here: airline miles, Start here: status and lounges. Terms: Frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles only; other Star Alliance member programmes and other Miles&Smiles partners are not covered here.

1. Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles programme page, checked 18 October 2026
2. Miles&Smiles terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
3. Miles&Smiles programme page, United States site, checked 18 October 2026