Turkish Airlines is the flag carrier and largest airline of Turkey, headquartered at Istanbul Airport. With flights to more than 300 destinations in 126 countries worldwide, including 12 in the United States, Turkish Airlines is the biggest airline in the world in terms of the total number of airports served. Founded in 1933, it became a member of the Star Alliance in 2008, giving frequent fliers even greater opportunities to build points and gain rewards. Although Turkish Airlines does not offer first class fares, it’s business class is up there with some of the world’s best, with exquisite food and exemplary service.
October 01, 2022
Turkish Airlines flies to 340 destinations in 126 countries, making it the record holder in both areas. As well as providing the most options out of any airline, it also offers the most non-stop routes from one airport - its central hub of Instanbul Airport. Its secondary hubs are the Ankara Esenboga and Izmir Adnan Menderes Airports. Included in the extensive list of destinations are 215 in the United States Alone. Some of the most popular U.S. options include Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. As well as commanding a fleet of around 380 passenger aircraft, Turkish Airlines operates a cargo division with 24 planes.
Miles&Smiles is the frequent flyer program of Turkish Airlines and it’s free to join. Once part of the scheme, passengers earn points in a variety of different ways. The most common is by buying flights, either with Turkish Airlines or any of their partners, including Star Alliance members. Customers can also rack up miles by shopping with certain credit cards or purchasing a range of selected services, such as hotel bookings, car rentals or insurance policies.
When enough points have been earned, they can be redeemed in several ways. As always, the best way to do this will be purchasing airfare, either with Turkish Airlines or one of their partners. However, there are also other redemption options, such as buying petrol with Shell and Petrol Ofisi or making purchases via Turkish Airlines shopping portal.
Passengers who rack up enough status miles - a separate type of mile earned only by flying with Turkish Airlines - can work their way through the carrier's elite membership levels. Details of entry requirements and parks are below.
Classic Plus - 25,000 status miles
Business class check-ins
Lounge access for flights within Turkey
Extra 10kg baggage allowance
Star Alliance Silver Card
Elite - 40,000 status miles
Benefits of Classic Plus
Lounge access for international flights + one guest
Extra 20kg baggage allowance
Free seat selection
Elite Plus - 80,000 status miles
Benefits of Elite
Two free cabin upgrades on Turkish Airlines flights
Extra 25kg baggage allowance
Guaranteed seat in certain cabin classes
Unlike most airlines, Turkish Airlines only operate two main fare types, Economy and Business. Economy has three separate booking categories
Economy
Last to board
Standard seating
USB power point
Amenity kit
Free meals on long-haul flights
EcoFly
Assigned seats
Carry-on and checked-in bag
ExtraFly
Pick your own seat
Carry-on and checked-in bag
250 complimentary air miles
PrimeFly
Pick your own seat
Carry-on and checked-in bag
Refunds available
Business Class
Priority boarding and check-in
Seat selection
USB power point
Carry-on and two checked-in bags
Private booth with lie-flat bed
Complimentary, restaurant-quality meals
Lounge access
Refund available
Turkish Airlines passengers are allowed to bring one 8kg carry-on free of charge as standard, and up to two checked-in bags that must follow the maximum weight of their fare type.
EcoFly: 15kg
ExtraFly: 20kg
PrimeFly: 25kg
Business class: 2 bags = 30kg each
Those holding Elite or Elite Plus Smiles&Miles status can bring one additional checked-in bag.
Excess baggage fees
Additional bags are chargeable for $160-$290 for the first two and up to $350 for bags thereafter.
Excess weight bags
Bags over the allowed limit are charged between $25 and $165 per five kilograms per flight.
Oversized bags
Although Turkish Airlines do have maximum dimensions for bags, they do not specify charges for bringing oversized bags onto one of their flights.
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