I've flown Turkish Airlines for four years. Elite Plus, 200+ segments, thousands of euros on miles. And I'll say with confidence: the Miles & Smiles program is at once brilliant and broken.
Brilliant — because if you know the rules, you can earn 2-3× more miles on the same budget. Broken — because 90% of people don't know those rules.
Here are the five most important things I've figured out:
1. Fare class matters more than ticket price
The same route can yield 1,000 miles or 4,000 — depending not on what you paid, but on which "bucket" your ticket fell into. Classes M, K, V, T can give 2-4× different miles for the same flight.
2. Initial qualification and renewal are different things
To qualify for Classic Plus for the first time, you need 25,000 status miles per year — universal for everyone. Elite — 40,000/year. Elite Plus — 80,000.
But renewal of Elite depends on where you live. Turkey residents renew Elite from 30,000 status miles/year. Those who live outside Turkey — from 25,000. So for most expats abroad, renewing status is cheaper than for residents of Turkey themselves.
3. The miles floor protects short flights — in full-revenue classes only
International segments in full economy classes (Y/B/M/H/S/E/Q/O) and business classes earn at least 1,000 miles regardless of distance. On short routes into Istanbul (BEG→IST, EVN→IST, TBS→IST) in Q class this earns more miles than the actual flown distance. Discount classes (T, V, K, L, U, P) get no floor — they earn strictly the percentage of distance, no minimum.
4. Sub-tariffs only boost award miles
PrimeFly gives +50% to award miles, but doesn't increase status miles. If you're chasing status — don't pay for PrimeFly, it won't speed up your Classic Plus. If you're saving for a business ticket — then PrimeFly is worth it.
5. F and A on Turkish are NOT first class
Class F on Lufthansa = First class (200% earning). On Turkish, class F is the deepest economy discount at 25% earning. Same letter, opposite meaning. Don't get confused when booking.
foxs.travel gathers all these rules into one calculator. Plus a catalog of 40+ verified routes with the best miles-per-€ ratio. Free, no ads, no hidden partnerships.
If you fly Turkish Airlines — try the calculator and tell me what's off. I read every reply.
— Vitaliy