Summary
- Turkish Airlines launches a new credit card offering miles to US residents.
- Cardholders can earn up to 3X miles and receive a 40,000-point bonus.
- The credit card lacks specific benefits and has a $99 annual fee, but helps earn miles with no foreign transaction fees.
Turkish Airlines has launched a new Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature Credit Card for US residents. With the most extensive global network, Turkish Airlines aims to attract more US passengers and provide them with another way to earn award travel within the Star Alliance network through its
Miles&Smiles
frequent flier program.
Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature Credit Card overview
Like all credit cards linked to the airline’s loyalty program, this card allows holders to earn miles that can be redeemed for travel perks.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Cardholders earn:
-
3X miles on
Turkish Airlines
flights and other purchases
- 2X miles spent on dining, groceries, entertainment, and lodging
- 1X miles on everything else
In addition, upon applying, cardholders receive an initial bonus, which includes:
- 40,000 Miles&Smiles points after spending $3,000 within 90 days of opening the account.
- Limited edition metal card: the first 5,000 approved customers will receive the exclusive, limited edition metal card
The initial 40,000-point bonus offer is sufficient to cover a one-way economy ticket from any location in North America to Istanbul (IST).
The Turkish Airlines
Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature Card
provides exclusive access to Visa Signature benefits, including Visa Signature Concierge services, which offer complimentary 24/7 assistance with booking travel, event tickets, and dinner reservations. This card also provides special offers and upgrades at more than 900 Visa Signature Luxury Hotel properties worldwide.
Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature Card
The Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature Credit Card provides a way for frequent flyers in the US to earn extra miles with no foreign transaction fees.
Additionally, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature Card holders can receive special savings and benefits on car rentals.
How to apply?
The application process is relatively straightforward. First, you need to fill out the application form, which asks for personal information such as your legal name, address, date of birth, income, housing status, and ID verification.
Limitations
It is worth noting that the new credit card does not offer any specific benefits, such as Turkish Airlines lounge access, free Wi-Fi credits, extra checked baggage allowance, or priority boarding, that are typical for other co-branded credit cards.
The Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature Card has an annual fee of $99. Considering that several US airline credit cards offer similar (or even better) benefits without any annual fee, this cost may seem relatively high. Additionally, the miles earned with the Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature Credit Card expire after five years.
Why the US market?
The card provides US residents with another way to access award travel within the Star Alliance network through its Miles&Smiles frequent flier program. This is particularly advantageous for US travelers due to Turkish Airlines’ partnership with United Airlines, enabling members of both loyalty programs to earn and redeem miles across both carriers.
Photo: EvrenKalinbacak | Shutterstock
Turkish Airlines already serves 14 destinations in the US from its primary base at Istanbul Airport (IST) and plans to expand to 20 destinations. Current Turkish Airlines’ US route network market includes destinations such as:
- New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): 28 weekly flights in September 2024
- Newark International Airport (EWR): 7 weekly flights in September 2024
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD): 14 weekly flights in September 2024
- Miami International Airport (MIA): 11 weekly flights in September 2024
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): 7 weekly flights in September 2024
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH): 10 weekly flights in September 2024
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): 14 weekly flights in September 2024
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO): 5 weekly flights in September 2024
- Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA): 7 weekly flights in September 2024
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD): 14 weekly flights in September 2024
- Detroit International Airport (DTW): 6 weekly flights in September 2024
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
- Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
Other Turkish Airlines co-branded credit cards
In addition to the Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature Card, the Turkish national airline offers a variety of credit cards, both for international and domestic use. Below is a table of credit cards available from the
Star Alliance
member airline.
|
International credit cards |
Domestic (Turkey) credit cards |
|---|---|
|
|
Celebrating growth
Last week, Turkish Airlines celebrated a new milestone after its Miles&Smiles loyalty program officially reached 20 million users. Launched in 1989, the airline’s loyalty program is now 35 years old.
Photo: Darryl Brooks | Shutterstock
The loyalty program is now well-known for its member benefits, such as complimentary WiFi on flights and attractive award redemption options on Turkish Airlines and other Star Alliance member airlines. Commenting on the milestone, Turkish Airlines Chairperson of the Board and the Executive Committee, Ahmet Bolat, said:
“Reaching 20 million members is a momentous milestone, reflecting not only our commitment to being a dynamic and authentic lifestyle brand but also the trust and loyalty our members have shown us over the years. We will continue enhancing our guests’ travel experience, and as we celebrate this achievement, we look forward to introducing even more innovative features and rewards to the Miles&Smiles programme in the future.”