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Turkish Airlines' rewards program Miles & Smiles recently launched a new incentive for families. Children can receive 2,000 miles when they sign up for Turkish Airlines' High Five Kids Club. This club is aimed at helping kids relax during their flights through cartoons, tasty children's menus, and toys made from natural ingredients. You also can get 2,000 bonus miles when registering your child for this Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles program. Here's how.
Signing Up
For starters, you will need to enroll each child for a Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles membership at this link. The child membership is for children ages 2–12. There are a few steps to get your child enrolled, so be sure to follow them closely.
What you need to do
Go to the feedback form page on the Turkish Airlines website. Click on “Continue with Miles & Smiles.” Enter your child's login information, then click on “New Feedback.”
Scroll down to Miles & Smiles Program and click on “Membership processes.”
Here, you will enter your information and explain that you wish to enroll your child in the Turkish Airlines High Five Kids Club. You will need to attach a photograph or scanned copy of your child's passport and a signed letter of request stating that you wish to enroll them in the High Five Kids Club. Their Miles & Smiles membership number must be included in the letter.
Once you've done that, select that you want a reply and that you are filling out the form on another person's behalf.
What you need to know
Children ages 2–12 will earn 1,000 bonus miles upon enrollment in the High Five Kids Club. They will earn an additional 1,000 miles after their first flight. These miles are valid until they are 18 years old. One thing to note is that children do not benefit from family memberships, and miles cannot be transferred.
Related: Do Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Miles Expire?
How to Earn Additional Turkish Airlines Miles
While 2,000 miles may not be a ton, there are ways you can earn more miles. If you have points in the following programs, you can transfer them to Miles & Smiles:
- Bilt Rewards: 1:1 transfer rate; most transfers process immediately, though some take a few days
- Capital One Rewards: 1:1 transfer rate; most transfers process immediately
- Citi ThankYou Points: 1:1 transfer rate; most transfers take 12 hours
- Marriott Bonvoy: 3:1 transfer rate plus a 5,000-mile bonus for each 20,000 miles received; most transfers take one day
That means any credit card earning those points can effectively earn Turkish Airlines miles.
Turkish Airlines Sweet Spots
Domestic awards to Hawaii
The most notable sweet spot comes from Turkish Airlines' region-based award pricing. A one-way economy ticket within the same country is just 7,500 miles. That means you can fly from anywhere in the U.S., even the East Coast, to Hawaii for just 7,500 miles each way if you find a nonstop flight.
The only potential issue is that it can be hard to find award availability. Your best bet is to start on the United website and look for “saver fare” tickets. These tickets typically mean that you can book them through other Star Alliance partners, of which Turkish is one. From there, you can check the Turkish website to see if that same flight shows up. If it does not, you can also call Turkish directly at 800-874-8875 and try to book that way.
However, Turkish is known for having sub-par customer service. If the agent is unable to find the award you saw online, hang up, call again, and talk to a different agent.
Related: Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Award Chart Sweet Spots
Business class to Europe
Another sweet spot is the ability to fly from the U.S. to Europe in business class for just 45,000 miles one way. Furthermore, you can fly from the U.S. to the Middle East for just 47,000 miles one way. These award tickets can be found directly on the Turkish Airlines website. These flights often have a stopover in Istanbul. Once again, availability is not always easy to find, so you should search early and often when looking for tickets.
Wrapping Up
While you may not always think about signing your child up for rewards programs, there can be some great benefits that come with it. It's easy and free, and in the case of Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles it earns a quick 2,000 miles for your child. It's not a lot, but you can add to it with other earning options. Every little bit counts.
Do you sign up your child for loyalty programs? What's the best perk you've received for signing them up?
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