From its hub in Istanbul, Turkey, Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any airline in the world. And because Turkish Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, you can redeem its miles to fly on partner airlines all over the globe — unlocking an incredible amount of opportunities to spend Turkish Airlines miles. That fact alone makes Turkish Airlines miles pretty valuable.

But then there's the actual value of Turkish Airlines miles, which is impressively high. Based on our most recent analysis, NerdWallet values Turkish Airlines miles at 1.1 cents each.

The Turkish Airlines loyalty program, Miles&Smiles, might be more accessible than you think. Here's how to earn and use those miles, plus an outline of some of the experiences you can expect onboard a Turkish Airlines flight.

An economy seat on Turkish Airlines. Photo courtesy of Turkish Airlines.

About Turkish Airlines

Offering both economy class and long-haul business class fares, Turkish Airlines serves Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York-JFK, Boston, Miami, Atlanta and Houston airports.

Flights to Turkey from the U.S. take 11 to 14 hours, depending on your departure location.

Economy class tickets on Turkish Airlines come with entertainment at every seat and in-seat power. Flyers also get food with local Turkish flair, plus an amenity kit including masks, earplugs, socks, toothbrush and lip balm on economy flights of more than five hours.

Business class seats on Turkish Airlines come with a massage function and lie fully flat to allow travelers maximum rest. Turkish also has a “flying chef” who will make your meals to order. Expect your food to be prepared in the Turkish culinary tradition using international flavors.

How to earn Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles miles

There are many ways to earn miles in Turkish Airlines’ loyalty program, Miles&Smiles. You can:

Fly Turkish Airlines.

Fly on one of its partner airlines and specify Miles&Smiles as your miles-earning preference.

Transfer credit card points from cards that earn transferable points (Miles&Smiles is a transfer partner of Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou points, both at a 1:1 transfer ratio).

Transfer points from hotel rewards programs (There are a few transfer partners, but the best is Marriott Bonvoy, where you can transfer miles at a 3:1 transfer ratio).

Book a rental car or hotel with a Miles&Smiles partner.

Here's how each earning method works:

Earn by flying on Turkish Airlines

The airline's award chart makes it easy to figure out how many miles you can accrue on specific Turkish Airlines flights.

If your flight is within Turkey, you’ll earn a fixed number of miles. When you travel internationally, there’s a formula based on the physical distance flown, your elite status level and the type of fare purchased. The cheaper the fare, the fewer miles you’ll earn.

Earn by flying on Turkish Airlines' partners

When you fly a Star Alliance or other partner airline, the Turkish Airlines website offers a handy guide for determining the number of Miles&Smiles miles you can collect. Simply click on your airline’s logo to pull up a chart showing how many miles you can earn by flying.

For example, when you fly United Airlines, the number of Miles&Smiles miles you can earn is a percentage of the physical miles your flight covers.

If you purchase the most restrictive and cheapest economy fares on United, you’ll earn 50% mileage credit. Fly in business or first class, and the Miles&Smiles miles you earn will be equal to 100% or 150% of the physical miles flown.

Earn miles using a credit card

If you’re not living in Turkey, Israel or Azerbaijan, you can’t get a Turkish Airlines credit card. But if you have a Citi Prestige® Card or Citi Premier® Card, you can transfer your credit card points to Miles&Smiles at a 1:1 ratio.

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Rates & Fees

The Citi Prestige® Card has an annual fee of $495 and earns 3x points on air travel and hotel, and 2x on dining and entertainment. The Citi Premier® Card has a lower annual fee of $95yet is arguably better for everyday spending giving its 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotel — making it an excellent way to earn Turkish Airlines miles (by way of conversion) for spending you're doing anyway. (The Citi Prestige® Card commands a higher annual fee because — while its spending rewards are generally less generous — it has other excellent travel perks including a $250 air travel credit and 4th night hotel benefit.

Convert hotel points into Turkish Airlines miles

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott offers two ways to earn Miles&Smiles miles. You can opt to earn miles when you stay at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, or you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points into Miles&Smiles in 1,000-mile increments.

This works in two ways:

If you choose to earn Miles&Smiles miles for your hotel stay, you’ll get 1 or 2 miles for every qualifying $1 you spend with the hotel, depending on the brand you’re staying at.

Alternatively, you can choose to earn Bonvoy points for your stay, and then transfer them to Miles&Smiles at a ratio of 3 points for 1 Miles&Smiles mile.