ukthesis

Can you explain more. You say they are in some sense integrated, but then they are not integrated as well. Confusing. Most importantly, how do I use these things? Where do I go to record my miles and then redeem them? Can I redeem them all together (Turkish Airlines and Lufhansa) and how/where?

The phone number given by Turkish Airways at Manchester for queries about Miles and Smiles (0207 471 6666) seems to be semi-permanently disabled. And I just received this (un)helpful reply from Lufthansa to this problem:

"Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines are both members of the Star Alliance but they each have their own frequent traveller programme. We at Miles & More are not familiar with the terms and conditions of other frequent flyer programmes, so we are not in a position to help you with your query. Kindly contact your Miles & Smiles service team; they will be happy to assist you with your request for mileage credit."

I defy anyone without a smile on his face to claim this whole situation is anything but complex and not easy to implement, even if one gets to grips with it in theory. After experiencing Miles and Smiles and now this one, I would advise anyone new to the process to ignore these "frequent flyer" programs, because of all the complications they involve. Just pretend they are not there and go for the cheapest and most convenient flight, in the case of economy class, end of.