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Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles miles expire at the end of the calendar year, three years after being earned. Activity won't extend the expiration validity of your miles. But Turkish Airlines will let you pay to extend the validity of your miles — or pay to reinstate them once they have expired.
Turkish Airlines is one of the leading carriers in the world, with a fleet of more than 500 aircraft serving over 300 destinations worldwide. Given Turkey's — or as it goes by now: Türkiye — geographical position, the airline aims to compete with major European and Middle Eastern carriers.
Like most airlines, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles has its own mileage expiration policy. Here is all you need to know about whether Turkish Airlines Miles Expire.
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Do Turkish Airlines Miles Expire?
Turkish Airlines has a quirky expiration policy: your miles will expire at the end of year 3 years after they were earned. Per the Turkish Airlines FAQ page:
“Your Miles are valid for three years from the date you earn them. After three years from the date of earning, the Miles expire at 23:59 on December 31, Türkiye time.”
This creates a very odd situation in which some miles are valid for nearly 4 years, while others are valid for barely 3 years.
For instance, miles earned on January 1, 2026, will be removed from your account on December 31, 2029. That's 1 day shy of four years after being earned.
On the other hand, miles earned on December 31, 2026 will also be removed from your account on December 31, 2029. That's exactly 3 years to the date from when they are earned.
Track your points and miles expiration for 620+ loyalty programs and get email alerts before your miles expire by signing up for a free AwardWallet account.
Extending the Validity of Your Turkish Miles
Turkish Airlines allows you to extend the validity of miles that are about to expire. However, extending your miles is relatively expensive, costing $20 per 1,000 miles. Once extended, miles have an additional three years of validity. You cannot extend the validity of the same miles more than once.
Reinstating Expired Turkish Miles
You can reinstate Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles miles that have expired. Reinstatement can be done via the Turkish Airlines app or website. Although reinstated miles are valid for three years, there is a fee of $20 per 1,000 miles to reinstate expired miles.
Related: Status Match to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
Boosting Your Turkish Airlines Mileage Balance
If you need to boost your Turkish Airlines mileage balance for an upcoming redemption, you have a few options. You can transfer points from several currencies to Turkish Airlines:
The ability to transfer to Turkish Airlines from Bilt Rewards, Citi ThankYou®, Capital One, and Marriott Bonvoy makes it an excellent program for consolidating smaller balances toward a more expensive redemption.
Since Turkish Airlines is a Star Alliance member, you can redeem its miles for flights on many partners. These include flights within North America on United. In fact, there are some excellent sweet spots to be had using Turkish Airlines miles, including on flights within the U.S. and from the U.S. to Europe.
Related: Take Advantage of a Free Stopover in Istanbul When Flying Turkish Airlines
Using AwardWallet To Track Your Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Miles Expiration
Although three years is ample time to earn and burn your Turkish Airlines Miles before they expire. It still pays to keep track of your mileage balance. Life can often get in the way of your plans, and you can forget about an account, and before you know it, your mileage balance has expired.
The best way to keep track of when your Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles miles expire? Use AwardWallet. Simply link your Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles account to AwardWallet. Then, you will receive a timely reminder if you have any miles about to expire, allowing you to take steps to use them before they are lost.
Related: How to Track Your Rewards Using AwardWallet
Our Take
On its face, three years is on the more generous end of mileage expiration policies we have seen. It seems sufficiently long enough that you think you won't have an issue redeeming them in time.
However, three years can slip by — especially if you don't often use the Miles&Smiles program. And the lack of an ability to extend the expiration validity means you could lose them before you can use them.
The good news is that U.S. travelers have plenty of ways to top off their Miles&Smiles balance through transfer partners. And you can utilize Miles&Smiles for domestic United flights at a reasonable rate.
For help keeping an eye on your Turkish Airlines miles expiration date, make sure to link your account to AwardWallet to get reminders ahead of mileage expiration deadlines.
