AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Turkish Airlines launched its first co-brand credit card just for U.S. residents: the Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Premier Visa Signature® Credit Card. The card is issued by First Electronic Bank, carries a $99 annual fee, and is now taking applications!
Here's an overview of the card to help you decide if it's right for you.
Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Premier Card Overview
The Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Premier Card features the following:
- Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after spending $3,000 within 90 days of opening an account.
- Earn Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Miles on purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- $99 annual fee.
In addition, the first 5,000 people to apply for and be approved for the card will receive a limited-edition metal card.
Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Premier Card Welcome Bonus
New applicants can earn 40,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 within 90 days of opening an account.
A 40,000-mile welcome bonus is good but not outstanding — especially when you consider that other flexible rewards-earning cards currently offer higher bonuses worth more towards free travel. Better yet, some of these cards offer point transfers to Miles & Smiles.
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per $1 on flights when booking via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases
- 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, and other hotel purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent at gas and EV charging stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
- 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
- 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
However, the still reasonable amount of bonus miles and relatively modest spending requirement should be palatable to many.
If you supplement the 40,000-mile sign-up bonus with a source of additional miles, you can take advantage of several Miles & Smiles sweet spots. Or, if you only have 40,000 miles to work with, you can still find plenty of value in the Turkish Airlines award chart. For instance, 10,000 miles is enough for a one-way ticket between the continental U.S. and Hawaii — provided you can find a bookable seat.
Click here to apply for the Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Premier Card.
Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Premier Card Earning Rates
The Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Premier Card earns miles on purchases as follows:
- 3X miles per $1 spent on Turkish Airlines flights and purchases.
- 2X miles per $1 spent on dining, groceries, entertainment, and lodging.
- 1X miles per $1 spent on everything else.
The 3X earnings on flights with Turkish Airlines are great news, although it's not earth-shattering. To earn at this rate, your Turkish Airlines purchases must be processed directly through Turkish Airlines channels. These include the website, app, call centers, and official Turkish Airlines sales offices.
One thing to remember is that Turkish Airlines is a Capital One transfer partner. In addition, if you hold the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, any airfare purchased through the Capital One travel portal will earn you 5X points per $1 spent. In this situation, you would be better off using your Capital One Venture X to book Turkish Airlines flights through the Capital One Travel portal and transferring your points to Miles & Smiles. You'll earn more points per dollar spent this way.
The 2X earnings on dining, entertainment, groceries, and lodging are nice. However, many other cards on the market earn more, so the value of this rate is okay but not spectacular.
Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Premier Card Benefits
Unfortunately, the new card has no supplementary benefits for travel on Turkish Airlines. It does not help you earn Miles & Smiles elite status, give you lounge access passes, or even a free checked bag. This lack of benefits is disappointing and, hopefully, is improved upon down the road.
That said, the Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Premier Card is a Visa Signature product. Thus, you have access to unique benefits afforded through the Visa Signature program, such as:
- Visa Signature Concierge: Complimentary 24/7 assistance with booking travel, event tickets, dinner reservations, and more.
- Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection: Enjoy special offers and upgrades at select Visa Signature Luxury Hotel properties.
- Car rental privileges: Enjoy special savings and benefits on car rentals.
Click here to learn more about the additional Visa Signature benefits you'll find on the card.
Our Take
If you are a big fan of Turkish Airlines and travel with the Istanbul-based carrier regularly, then the Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Premier Card could be a great way to boost your mileage balance. However, one thing to be aware of is that you can likely earn more points by spending on cards that earn flexible points and then transfer those points onward to Turkish Airlines (or dozens of other airlines).
The absence of any supplementary benefits on Turkish Airlines — such as help towards status and free checked bags — is a major letdown and takes a little of the shine off the card.
If you're in the market for a co-branded credit card, consider checking out our list of the top airline cards with annual fees under $100. Or, if you're interested in flying Turkish Airlines, brush up on the best rewards for free travel and consider credit cards that offer point transfers to Miles & Smiles.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.