The Newbie Zone: ask your questions here
Dec 22, 2018, 1:51 am
#1876
Moderator: Qatar Airways
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LHR/NCE/MIA
Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher
Posts: 8,948
Is there a way of redeeming TK Miles for something other than flights on TK?
My miles are set to expire at the end of the year, and I have no specific plans to fly TK. Can they be sent to a hotel partner?
Thanks all,
M
My miles are set to expire at the end of the year, and I have no specific plans to fly TK. Can they be sent to a hotel partner?
Thanks all,
M
Dec 22, 2018, 2:17 am
#1877
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
If you don't have specific plans to fly TK or a *A carrier, you could spend your miles at shopandmiles.com. That is the only option that I know that you could spend TK miles except flights.
Or, another option would be to extend the validity of your miles for three years online at turkishairlines.com. But, this process is a bit expensive ( 1000 miles for 10 USD )
Dec 22, 2018, 2:46 am
#1878
Moderator: Qatar Airways
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LHR/NCE/MIA
Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher
Posts: 8,948
I don't think that you could send miles from TK M&S to Hotel partners. I know that you can do the opposite.
If you don't have specific plans to fly TK or a *A carrier, you could spend your miles at shopandmiles.com. That is the only option that I know that you could spend TK miles except flights.
Or, another option would be to extend the validity of your miles for three years online at turkishairlines.com. But, this process is a bit expensive ( 1000 miles for 10 USD )
If you don't have specific plans to fly TK or a *A carrier, you could spend your miles at shopandmiles.com. That is the only option that I know that you could spend TK miles except flights.
Or, another option would be to extend the validity of your miles for three years online at turkishairlines.com. But, this process is a bit expensive ( 1000 miles for 10 USD )
Like you, I saw that I could transfer miles into TK, but not the other way around.
I'll have to see if there's anything useful within the shopandmiles website - I'll probably end up with something useless, but at least it'll be free!
M
Dec 27, 2018, 3:08 pm
#1880
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 198
Strategy for connection in IST?
I'm looking at SFO-IST-CAI on Turkish Airlines. For one SFO-IST leg (TK80), there are three connecting options to CAI: TK694, TK692, TK690; with layovers of 1h, 7hrs, and 13 hrs, respectively. It seems like 1 hour is too short, but TK still sells it as a valid connection. What's the right strategy here? Should I buy the routing (TK80 + TK694) with the 1hr connection with the hope that TK would put us on the next flight to CAI (TK692) if we did not make the connection? Since TK692 leaves departs IST at 1:30am, I'm thinking it might not be full and we would have a good chance of being accommodated. I have no Star Alliance status, but my spouse is *G. We're traveling as a family of 2 adults and 2 kids.
EDIT: Other option is to go with the 13h layover and sleep in the airport (airport hotel?). Please advise.
EDIT: Other option is to go with the 13h layover and sleep in the airport (airport hotel?). Please advise.
Dec 27, 2018, 4:43 pm
#1881
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: TK M&S, LH MM, Global Entry, Hertz Gold, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,087
I'm looking at SFO-IST-CAI on Turkish Airlines. For one SFO-IST leg (TK80), there are three connecting options to CAI: TK694, TK692, TK690; with layovers of 1h, 7hrs, and 13 hrs, respectively. It seems like 1 hour is too short, but TK still sells it as a valid connection. What's the right strategy here? Should I buy the routing (TK80 + TK694) with the 1hr connection with the hope that TK would put us on the next flight to CAI (TK692) if we did not make the connection? Since TK692 leaves departs IST at 1:30am, I'm thinking it might not be full and we would have a good chance of being accommodated. I have no Star Alliance status, but my spouse is *G. We're traveling as a family of 2 adults and 2 kids.
EDIT: Other option is to go with the 13h layover and sleep in the airport (airport hotel?). Please advise.
EDIT: Other option is to go with the 13h layover and sleep in the airport (airport hotel?). Please advise.
I fly California-IST-onwards quite a bit and usually go with the overnight connections, stay the night, and continue the journey a little fresher the following morning. The airside TAV hotel is pricey and nothing special, but adequate. You can get a room at the landside TAV Hotel for much less, but that involves visas, depending on your passports. Since your flight next morning leaves pretty early, I wouldn’t go for a hotel beyond a couple of miles from the airport.
Dec 27, 2018, 6:50 pm
#1882
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 198
The one hour connection is doable, as you don’t need to clear security or immigration (and you’ll be put on the next flight if you miss the connection due to their fault), but stressing through an unfamiliar airport with kids in tow is never fun.
I fly California-IST-onwards quite a bit and usually go with the overnight connections, stay the night, and continue the journey a little fresher the following morning. The airside TAV hotel is pricey and nothing special, but adequate. You can get a room at the landside TAV Hotel for much less, but that involves visas, depending on your passports. Since your flight next morning leaves pretty early, I wouldn’t go for a hotel beyond a couple of miles from the airport.
Dec 27, 2018, 8:12 pm
#1883
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: TK M&S, LH MM, Global Entry, Hertz Gold, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,087
Thanks. It seems an e-visa for US citizens is $20/person, so for the four of us it would be $80. Since we are building in a long layover on the return (which apparently qualifies for the TourISTanbul free city tour, also qualifies it for the free TK hotel?), I was planning on getting e-visas so that we could go into the city on our return layover. Since the e-visa is multi-entry I think it would work for both the outbound and return layover plans. Let me know if I'm wrong.
re: free hotel eligibility: info is in the transit hotel thread here
have a great trip!!
Jan 4, 2019, 7:08 am
#1884
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
Is there a pattern to the way TK releases award seats? (E.g. some airlines issue at T-330 or T-355; others 3 or six months in advance; and so on.)
Thanks in advance!
PS Minor rant while I'm here: Why does TK make JNB-IST awards available but not CPT-IST awards on the same flights? They can't take pax on just the CPT-JNB leg, so by definition those seats will be empty! Very annoying.
Thanks in advance!
PS Minor rant while I'm here: Why does TK make JNB-IST awards available but not CPT-IST awards on the same flights? They can't take pax on just the CPT-JNB leg, so by definition those seats will be empty! Very annoying.
Jan 4, 2019, 2:27 pm
#1885
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: TK M&S, LH MM, Global Entry, Hertz Gold, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,087
Is there a pattern to the way TK releases award seats? (E.g. some airlines issue at T-330 or T-355; others 3 or six months in advance; and so on.)
Thanks in advance!
PS Minor rant while I'm here: Why does TK make JNB-IST awards available but not CPT-IST awards on the same flights? They can't take pax on just the CPT-JNB leg, so by definition those seats will be empty! Very annoying.
Thanks in advance!
PS Minor rant while I'm here: Why does TK make JNB-IST awards available but not CPT-IST awards on the same flights? They can't take pax on just the CPT-JNB leg, so by definition those seats will be empty! Very annoying.
re: CPT: when I flew JNB-IST in 2017, the aircraft definitely came from DUR and not CPT.
Jan 5, 2019, 3:28 am
#1886
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
You're right - the connecting flight is now from DUR and no longer from CPT as it used to be years ago! Thanks for pointing that out.
Jan 8, 2019, 1:43 pm
#1887
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: YEG
Programs: TK*G, AC
Posts: 345
Aside from flights and the Miles & Smiles Shop, is there any other way to redeem miles? Specifically, is there any way to book hotels using M&S miles?
I've seen options to transfer in from other programs but no options to transfer out to other programs.
I've seen options to transfer in from other programs but no options to transfer out to other programs.
Jan 8, 2019, 2:13 pm
#1888
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
Unfortunately, there are no hotel options to book with M&S miles. You could spend your miles at the Shop&Miles store or while booking/upgrading a TK, AnadoluJet or Star Alliance flight.
Jan 9, 2019, 6:32 am
#1889
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
Fortunately that is academic for me as I would prefer to fly from CPT - and award availability magically became available on exactly the date I wanted in June!
Jan 9, 2019, 10:54 am
#1890
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: TK M&S, LH MM, Global Entry, Hertz Gold, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,087
Though I do note that the same problem exists for this flight i.e. awards available on the JNB-IST leg but not for the whole DUR-JNB-IST flight.
Fortunately that is academic for me as I would prefer to fly from CPT - and award availability magically became available on exactly the date I wanted in June!
Fortunately that is academic for me as I would prefer to fly from CPT - and award availability magically became available on exactly the date I wanted in June!