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Miles&Smiles membership status · Miles flown

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles elite status explained

Miles&Smiles status is earned with Status Miles, which are the Miles you earn flying paid tickets on Turkish Airlines and its partner airlines. Collect 25,000 Status Miles in any 12 consecutive months for Classic Plus, 40,000 for Elite and 80,000 for Elite Plus, and the tier is yours for two years.

There is no calendar qualification year and no spending test: Turkish Airlines checks your balance continuously and upgrades you as soon as you cross a threshold. Keeping a tier is cheaper than earning it, and status can also be topped up by buying Status Miles or converting co-branded card Miles.

Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed .

Redeemable miles versus Status Miles

What you spend

Miles

The balance that books award flights, upgrades and other rewards. See how to earn them and what they are worth.

What counts toward status

Status Miles

A separate counter that decides your tier. You cannot spend it on flights or rewards.

When you fly, one number goes into both buckets: the Miles you can spend and the Status Miles that count toward your tier are the same figure. The difference is everything else. Miles from credit card spending, hotels, car rentals and other non-flight partners are Bonus Miles, which Turkish Airlines says "may only be exchanged for awards, and do not count towards Classic Plus, Elite, Elite Plus" qualification.

Worked example: Istanbul to Los Angeles is 6,855 miles. In a discounted Economy class such as M, every member earns 100% of that distance, so 6,855 Miles to spend and 6,855 Status Miles toward status. In discounted Business class K, a Classic member earns 135% (about 9,254 of each), while an Elite member earns 160%, which Turkish Airlines itself calculates as 6,855 x 1.60 = 10,968 Status Miles.

Spending Miles on awards never touches your Status Miles, and award tickets earn nothing. Status Miles cannot be spent on anything, and surplus Status Miles are simply lost when your status period ends.

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles tiers and what each one takes

TierTo qualifyBonus milesAlliance tier
Classic Plus25,000 Status Miles or 40 flightsNoneStar Alliance Silver
Elite40,000 Status MilesNoneStar Alliance Gold
Elite Plus80,000 Status MilesNoneStar Alliance Gold

Qualification is measured over any rolling 12 consecutive months, and each tier is then valid for two years from the day it starts. To keep it you requalify at a lower bar within the first 12 months of the status period, or at a higher bar in the second 12 months. Flights must have been flown within the period; tickets issued for later travel do not count.

Benefits of each Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles tier

Classic Plus

Earn 25,000 Status Miles, or take 40 flights (award tickets excluded), within 12 consecutive months. Status lasts two years.

  • 10 kg extra checked baggage on Turkish Airlines weight-concept routes
  • Turkish Airlines CIP lounge access on domestic flights
  • Business Class check-in counters on domestic flights
  • About 25% more Status Miles in Business Class on Turkish Airlines international flights (175% of distance in C and D, 160% in K, J and Z)
  • Complimentary Hold the Price service
  • Star Alliance Silver recognition on every member airline
  • Family Membership to pool Miles with relatives

Elite

Earn 40,000 Status Miles within 12 consecutive months. Status lasts two years.

  • Turkish Airlines lounges on domestic and international flights, with a spouse and children or one guest
  • Star Alliance Gold lounge access when flying any member airline internationally
  • 20 kg extra checked baggage, or one extra piece on piece-concept routes
  • Free standard and preferred seat selection on Turkish Airlines-operated flights
  • Special entrance and passport desk at Istanbul Airport
  • Private telephone helpline for Elite members (+90 444 1 849)
  • The same Business Class earning boost and Hold the Price service as Classic Plus
  • Star Alliance Gold recognition on every member airline

Elite Plus

Earn 80,000 Status Miles within 12 consecutive months. Status lasts two years.

  • Two complimentary cabin upgrades on Turkish Airlines flights, refundable free of charge if unused
  • Add to Waitlist for a Business Class upgrade when no seat is open, introduced in February 2026
  • Gift Elite cards to three people
  • Guaranteed seat in certain cabin classes
  • 25 kg extra checked baggage, or one extra piece on piece-concept routes
  • All Elite lounge, seat selection, Istanbul Airport and helpline benefits

How flights earn Status Miles

  • On Turkish Airlines international flights, Status Miles are a percentage of the distance flown, set by booking class: 125% in full Economy (Y, B), 100% in discounted Economy (M, H, S, E, Q, A, O), 50% in T, L, V and G, and 25% in W, P, F and U. Business pays 150% in C and D and 135% in K, J and Z for Classic members, rising to 175% and 160% for Classic Plus, Elite and Elite Plus.
  • Turkish Airlines domestic flights earn a fixed number of Miles per booking class instead of a distance percentage, the same for every tier.
  • Flights on Star Alliance and other partner airlines earn Status Miles at each partner's own accrual table, and they count toward every tier exactly like Turkish Airlines flights. ITA Airways joined as an earning partner on 1 April 2026 and Lufthansa City Airlines on 9 September 2025.
  • Charter flights, free tickets and award tickets earn no Status Miles. For Classic Plus only, 40 paid flights in 12 months is an alternative to 25,000 Status Miles, which helps short-haul flyers.
  • Outside flying, the only Status Miles come from the co-branded cards, bought Status Miles and converted Miles, covered below.

How many miles each tier earns

  • On Turkish Airlines, the status bonus exists only in Business Class: Classic Plus, Elite and Elite Plus earn 175% of distance in C and D and 160% in K, J and Z, against 150% and 135% for Classic members. Economy earning is identical for every tier.
  • There is no tier bonus on partner airlines; each partner pays one rate per booking class for every member.
  • Award tickets earn no Miles and no Status Miles, and a paid upgrade to Business earns no extra Miles over the original Economy ticket.

Upgrades for Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles elites

  • Only Elite Plus gets complimentary upgrades: two free cabin upgrades on Turkish Airlines flights per status period, which can also be applied to award tickets. Since February 2026, Elite Plus members who find no upgrade space can press Add to Waitlist for a Business Class seat.
  • Everyone else upgrades with Miles or cash. An Economy to Business upgrade award on Turkish Airlines costs 10,000 Miles within Türkiye, 20,000 to Europe 1, 28,000 to the Middle East, 65,000 to the Far East, 65,000 to North America (90,000 if requested within 72 hours of departure) and 100,000 to Oceania, plus taxes on the cabin difference.
  • Miles upgrades work on paid Economy tickets in eligible fare classes and on award tickets, on Turkish Airlines-operated flights only, and must be completed at least 24 hours before departure. Inside 24 hours, a paid Last Minute Upgrade is sold on the web, app, call centre or at the counter.
  • A Miles upgrade includes lounge access, but a cash upgrade does not, and it keeps the Economy baggage allowance. See the Turkish Airlines award chart for award pricing.

Credit cards that help with Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles status

  • In the US, the Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature Card is issued by First Electronic Bank for a US$99 annual fee. It earns 125 Status Miles for every US$500 spent in a statement cycle, up to 5,000 Status Miles per calendar year, so US$20,000 of spending reaches the cap.
  • The same card earns 3 Miles per US$1 on Turkish Airlines, 2 on dining, groceries, entertainment and lodging and 1 on everything else, offers up to 40,000 bonus Miles (25,000 after US$2,000 in 90 days and 15,000 more after a further US$6,000 in the first year), and lists complimentary entry to Turkish Airlines lounges, priority check-in and boarding on Turkish Airlines flights to and from the US, and no foreign transaction fees.
  • Holders of Miles&Smiles co-branded cards issued in Türkiye, the USA, Germany, Azerbaijan, Jordan and Georgia can also convert Miles earned with the card into Status Miles at 5 Miles to 1 Status Mile, up to 40,000 Status Miles in any 12 months. Converted Status Miles count toward reaching and keeping status.
  • Card-earned Miles are otherwise Bonus Miles, which count toward awards but not toward status. In Türkiye the co-branded cards come from Garanti Bank, QNB Finansbank and Kuveyt Türk.

Fees, sign-up bonuses and every other benefit are compared in the Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles credit cards guide.

Other ways to get Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles status

Buy Status Miles

Status Miles cost US$70 per 1,000 including VAT, sold in blocks of 1,000 and non-refundable. You can buy only when you are within 5,000 Status Miles of Classic Plus (or of keeping it), or within 10,000 of reaching or keeping Elite or Elite Plus, and the cap is 10,000 purchased Status Miles in 12 months, so the most it costs to close a gap is US$700.

Convert card Miles to Status Miles

Co-branded cardholders can turn 5 card-earned Miles into 1 Status Mile, up to 40,000 Status Miles a year. On paper, 200,000 card Miles converts to 40,000 Status Miles, the Elite threshold; Advance Miles and Retention Miles cannot be converted.

Gifted Elite cards

Elite Plus members can gift an Elite card to three people, the only way Miles&Smiles lets a member share status.

Flight-count route to Classic Plus

Forty paid flights in 12 months earns Classic Plus regardless of distance, and 30 flights in the first year of the status period keeps it.

Status match

There is no standing status match. The last one Turkish Airlines published was for SAS EuroBonus Gold, Diamond and Pandion members when SAS left the program in August 2024, who could move to Elite.

Lifetime status

Miles&Smiles has no lifetime or million-miler tier; every tier must be re-earned each two-year period.

Keeping Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles status

  • Requalifying within the first 12 months of your two-year status period takes 17,000 Status Miles or 30 flights for Classic Plus, 25,000 Status Miles for Elite members living outside Türkiye (30,000 for Türkiye residents) and 40,000 for Elite Plus.
  • If you miss that, the second 12 months ask for more: 35,000 Status Miles or 60 flights for Classic Plus, 37,500 for Elite members abroad (45,000 in Türkiye) and 60,000 for Elite Plus.
  • Status Miles earned after you meet the requalification target do not carry into the next status protection period, so there is no rollover. Turkish Airlines does not publish a soft-landing rule on its status page.
  • Buying up to 10,000 Status Miles, or converting card Miles, both count toward the requalification totals.

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles status: FAQ

How many Status Miles do I need for Turkish Airlines Elite?
Elite takes 40,000 Status Miles within 12 consecutive months, and it is then valid for two years. Members living outside Türkiye keep it with 25,000 Status Miles in the first year of the status period, or 37,500 in the second.
Is Turkish Airlines Elite the same as Star Alliance Gold?
Yes. Both Elite and Elite Plus are recognised as Star Alliance Gold on every member airline, which includes Star Alliance Gold lounge access when flying partners. Classic Plus is Star Alliance Silver and does not get partner lounges.
Do credit card miles count toward Miles&Smiles status?
Not directly: card spending earns Bonus Miles, which are spendable only. The US Premier Visa Signature card does award 125 Status Miles per US$500 spent in a statement cycle, up to 5,000 a year, and co-branded cardholders can convert card Miles at 5 to 1 into up to 40,000 Status Miles a year.
Can I buy Status Miles from Turkish Airlines?
Yes, at US$70 per 1,000, but only when you are within 5,000 Status Miles of Classic Plus or within 10,000 of Elite or Elite Plus, and no more than 10,000 in 12 months. Purchases are non-refundable.
Do partner flights like United or Lufthansa earn Status Miles?
Yes. Miles from Star Alliance and other partner airline flights post as Status Miles and count toward every tier. The higher Business Class rates for elite members apply only on Turkish Airlines flights, though.
Does Turkish Airlines Elite Plus get free upgrades?
Yes, two complimentary cabin upgrades on Turkish Airlines flights per status period, plus an upgrade waitlist added in February 2026. Classic Plus and Elite get no complimentary upgrades and pay Miles or cash.
How long does Miles&Smiles status last?
Every tier is valid for two years from the day you earn it. You can requalify at the lower threshold in the first 12 months or the higher one in the second 12 months, and there is no lifetime status.

Sources

More on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

Status in other Star Alliance programs