Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles miles expire three years on December 31st from the time the miles were earned.
For example, if you earned or transferred 10,000 miles in April 2023, those miles will expire on December 31, 2026.
Turkish Airlines also has a fixed expiration policy. You can only extend your miles’ validity by paying a fee.
Let’s discuss these policies in detail below.
Related Article: Best Credit Cards to Earn Turkish Airlines Miles.
How to Keep Turkish Airline Miles from Expiring
Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles have a fixed expiration policy. The only way to extend the validity of your miles is to pay an expensive $10 fee per 1,000 miles.
Singapore Krisflyer is another program that also has a fixed expiration policy.
How to Restore Expired Turkish Airline Miles
Turkish Airlines might have a stringent expiration policy, but it makes up for it by letting members reinstate their miles.
You can restore your expired miles using our app or website for a fee of $10 per 1,000 miles, and they will be valid for a period of 3 years.
Comparison of Mileage Expiration Policies
Below are the mileage expiration policies of the major airline points programs to see how Turkish Airlines compares to the competition.
| Airline | Expiration |
|---|---|
AeroMexico
|
24 months after inactivity |
Air Canada (Aeroplan)
|
18 months after inactivity |
Air France (Flying Blue)
|
24 months after inactivity |
Alaska Airlines
|
24 months after inactivity |
American Airlines
|
18 months after inactivity |
ANA
|
36 months |
Asiana Airlines
|
10 years |
British Airways
|
36 months after inactivity |
Delta Air Lines
|
Never |
Emirates
|
3 years |
Etihad
|
24 months from inactivity |
EVA Air
|
36 months |
Iberia
|
36 months after inactivity |
Korean Air
|
10 years |
Lufthansa
|
36 months |
Qantas
|
18 months after inactivity |
Qatar Airways
|
36 months after inactivity |
Singapore Airlines
|
36 months |
Turkish Airlines
|
3 years |
United Airlines
|
Never |
Virgin Atlantic
|
Never |
Bottomline
Turkish Airlines’ fixed expiration policy is a major drawback for frequent flyers. It’s one of the few programs that have this kind of policy, along with Singapore Krisflyer.
If you want to extend the validity of your miles, you need to pay a fee of $10 per 1,000 miles. You can also reinstate expired miles for the same rate.
However, a three-year expiration period is enough time to accumulate miles to redeem an award flight, so there’s no excuse for letting them go to waste.
The key to maximizing the value of your Turkish Airlines miles is to plan ahead, stay aware of the expiration policy, and use them wisely.
