# What are the Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles transfer partners in 2026?

Kennedy Hoffman · August 25, 2026

> Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles has quietly become one of the most talked-about loyalty programs among points enthusiasts, and the reason comes down to...

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles has quietly become one of the most talked-about loyalty programs among points enthusiasts, and the reason comes down to its transfer partners. As of August 2026, you can move points into Miles&Smiles from four major US credit card programs: Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One, Bilt Rewards, and Rove Miles. That may sound like a short list compared to programs like Air France-KLM Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, but the quality of these partnerships — combined with Turkish's famously generous award chart for business class redemptions — makes it one of the most valuable transfer destinations in the entire points ecosystem.

## The Complete List of Transfer Partners

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Let's start with the direct answer. Citi ThankYou Rewards transfers to Miles&Smiles at a standard 1:1 ratio, and this partnership has been in place since 2018. Capital One also transfers at 1:1, having added Turkish as a partner when it expanded its airline transfer roster. Bilt Rewards, the rent-earning rewards program, includes Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles alongside Iberia Avios, Emirates Skywards, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club as its airline transfer options. Most recently, Rove Miles joined the list, and Thrifty Traveler reported a limited-time 50% transfer bonus from Rove Miles to Turkish that made the pairing temporarily even more attractive.

Beyond those four, there are no other US-based transferable currency programs feeding Miles&Smiles. American Express Membership Rewards does not transfer to Turkish, Chase Ultimate Rewards does not, and Marriott Bonvoy only offers its standard conversion option (roughly 3 Marriott points converting into 1 airline mile, with 5,000-mile bonuses at 60,000-point increments) which applies to Turkish like most other programs. If you hold Amex or Chase points and want Turkish miles, your realistic path is either earning Miles&Smiles directly through flying, through the co-branded credit card where available, or transferring from the four programs listed above.

## Why These Partnerships Matter So Much

The value proposition of Miles&Smiles rests almost entirely on its award chart. For years, the program charged some of the lowest business class rates in the industry on Star Alliance partners — most famously around 45,000 miles one-way in business class between the US and Europe on United, and roughly 77,500 miles one-way between the US and Southeast Asia. Those prices undercut nearly every competing program by tens of thousands of miles. Live and Let's Fly documented how Turkish effectively obliterated United's own sweet spots, since booking the same United Polaris seat through Miles&Smiles cost dramatically less than booking it through MileagePlus itself.

This is why transfer bonuses matter so much here. When Upgraded Points covered a 40% transfer bonus from Citi ThankYou to Turkish, the math became extraordinary: 100,000 ThankYou points could become 140,000 Miles&Smiles miles, enough for nearly two round-trip business class tickets to Europe at historical pricing. Similarly, The Points Guy noted an August transfer bonus cycle featuring 30% to Avios and other promotions, illustrating how frequently these limited-time boosts rotate across programs. A 30-50% bonus applied to a program with already-low award pricing is where outsized value lives.

## How to Actually Transfer Points: Step by Step

The mechanics are straightforward but worth walking through carefully. First, log into your Citi, Capital One, Bilt, or Rove account and locate the travel or transfer section. Second, link your Miles&Smiles account — you will need your Turkish Airlines frequent flyer number, and critically, the name on your Miles&Smiles account must match the name on your card rewards account exactly. Third, initiate the transfer in the increment allowed (Citi allows transfers in 1,000-point blocks; Capital One similarly works in 1,000-mile increments). Fourth, wait for processing: Citi transfers to Turkish typically post within 24-48 hours, Capital One is usually instant to same-day, and Bilt generally posts within a day or two.

Before you press the button, do two things. Verify actual award availability on the Turkish Airlines website or by calling the Miles&Smiles service center, because partner availability displayed by third-party tools can be inaccurate. And confirm the current award pricing on your specific route, because Turkish has devalued its chart multiple times, and the price you remember from a blog post written two years ago may no longer exist. Transfers are irreversible in virtually all cases, so never move speculative points without confirmed space.

## Comparing Your Transfer Options

Not all four partners are equally useful, and the right choice depends on which currencies you already hold and whether a bonus is running. Here is how they stack up:

| Feature | Citi ThankYou | Capital One | Bilt Rewards | Rove Miles |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Transfer ratio | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Typical transfer speed | 24-48 hours | Instant to same-day | 1-2 days | Varies |
| Bonus history to Turkish | 40% bonus (documented) | Occasional promos | Rare | 50% bonus (documented) |
| Best earning cards | Citi Premier / Strata, Double Cash combo | Venture X, Venture, Spark | Bilt Mastercard (rent earn) | Rove card |
| Points flexibility if not transferred | High (many airlines + cash) | High (cash back or transfers) | Moderate | Lower |

Citi ThankYou remains the workhorse partner because ThankYou points have strong standalone value and Citi has demonstrated willingness to run meaningful bonuses to Turkish. Capital One miles offer the best liquidity — you can always fall back on erasing travel purchases at a penny each if award space dries up. Bilt is unique because it lets renters generate transferable points from monthly rent payments, something no other card does, making it a passive way to accumulate Turkish miles. Rove is the newest and least flexible, so a bonus like the documented 50% promotion is really the main reason to route Rove miles toward Turkish rather than redeeming them directly.

## The Devaluation Problem You Must Understand

Here is where honesty matters more than hype. Turkish Airlines has repeatedly devalued Miles&Smiles, and the trend is clearly negative. The once-famous 45,000-mile US-Europe business class rate on United was raised substantially, and Live and Let's Fly's coverage of the latest devaluation described Turkish obliterating United sweet spots in reverse — meaning the gap that made Turkish special has narrowed considerably. Award pricing on Turkish's own flights has also climbed, dynamic elements have crept into certain redemptions, and fuel surcharges (called carrier-imposed fees) on Turkish-operated awards remain substantial, often adding $300-500 per round-trip ticket to Europe.

The practical takeaway is that Miles&Smiles is still good, but it is no longer the automatic slam dunk it was in 2019-2022. Before transferring anything, price your exact itinerary on turkishairlines.com, add up the taxes and surcharges, and compare against alternatives like Air Canada Aeroplan (which charges modest surcharges), Avios programs, or even cash fares during sales. A redemption that looks brilliant at 45,000 miles can look mediocre at 70,000 miles plus $450 in fees.

## Common Mistakes That Cost People Real Value

The most expensive mistake is transferring points before confirming award space. Because transfers are one-way and instant-ish, speculating that availability "might open up" leaves you stranded with miles locked in a program known for devaluations. Confirm the seats first, then transfer. The second common error is ignoring name mismatches — if your Citi account says "Jonathan Smith" and your Miles&Smiles profile says "Jon Smith," the transfer can fail or hang, and fixing it mid-transfer is painful.

Third, people routinely forget about Turkish's stopover policy, which historically allowed a free stopover in Istanbul on one-way awards booked with miles — one of the best perks in any program. Not planning your itinerary around it leaves free travel on the table. Fourth, many travelers don't realize Miles&Smiles miles expire after three years of account inactivity (though activity resets the clock), so dormant accounts lose balances silently. Finally, some people chase transfer bonuses without checking whether the underlying award chart still supports the plan; a 40% bonus into a devalued chart can still be worse than a standard transfer into Aeroplan or Avios for the same trip.

## Earning Miles Beyond Transfers

Transfers are only half the picture. Turkish sells miles directly, frequently with bonuses of 25-40%, though buying miles only makes sense against a specific high-value redemption. The Miles&Smiles co-branded credit card exists for residents of Turkey, Israel, Azerbaijan, Germany, Jordan, and the United States, per Turkish's own materials — US residents have access through Turkish's US card offering, giving another organic earning channel. Flying Turkish itself earns miles based on distance and fare class, and status tiers (Classic Plus, Elite, Elite Plus) bring lounge access and upgrade benefits that complement the redemption side.

For most US-based travelers, though, the realistic strategy is simple: hold a Citi ThankYou-earning card and/or a Capital One Venture product, keep Bilt in play if you rent, wait for a transfer bonus of 30% or better, confirm award space, then move points in a single deliberate transaction. That sequence consistently produces business class to Europe for a fraction of cash prices even after the devaluations.

## When to Act and What It Costs

Timing is everything with this program. Transfer bonuses to Turkish have appeared multiple times per year — the documented examples include Citi's 40% bonus and Rove's 50% bonus — and they typically run for two to four weeks. Signing up for alerts from The Points Guy, Thrifty Traveler, and Upgraded Points ensures you hear about them within hours of announcement. Award space on Turkish's own widebodies tends to open 330+ days out and again within two weeks of departure, so pair bonus timing with schedule releases when possible.

On costs: transferring itself is free from all four partners. The real costs are the award taxes and surcharges — expect roughly $50-150 in taxes for partner awards departing the US, but $300-600 total per round-trip when Turkish's own fuel surcharges apply on transatlantic itineraries. Compare that against cash business class fares of $4,000-7,000 round-trip to Europe and the value case remains obvious, even post-devaluation. Just go in with current numbers, not nostalgia-driven ones, and Miles&Smiles will keep paying off.

## Quick answers

### Does Amex or Chase transfer to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles?

No. Neither American Express Membership Rewards nor Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to Miles&Smiles. Your US transfer options are limited to Citi ThankYou, Capital One, Bilt Rewards, and Rove Miles.

### How long do transfers to Miles&Smiles take?

Capital One transfers typically post instantly or same-day, while Citi ThankYou usually takes 24-48 hours and Bilt one to two days. Always confirm award space before initiating any transfer, since transfers cannot be reversed.

### Are Miles&Smiles miles still valuable after the devaluations?

Yes, but less than before. Business class to Europe and long-haul Star Alliance redemptions can still deliver 2-4 cents per mile, though award prices have risen and Turkish imposes notable fuel surcharges on its own flights. Always compare against Aeroplan and Avios before committing.

### Do Miles&Smiles miles expire?

Miles expire after three years of account inactivity. Any earning or redemption activity resets the clock, so a small redemption or transfer every couple of years keeps your balance alive.

### Is there a Turkish Airlines credit card in the US?

Yes. According to Turkish Airlines, Miles&Smiles co-branded credit cards are offered to residents of Turkey, Israel, Azerbaijan, Germany, Jordan, and the United States. However, most US travelers find transferable currencies like Citi ThankYou or Capital One miles more flexible than the co-brand.

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