Deal alert: There's a new option to fly lie-flat business class to Europe for 34,000 miles
Quick summary
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
There's a new option to fly from the U.S. to Europe and beyond -- and for a limited time, you can do it on the cheap.
Turkish Airlines announced it will begin service on Sept. 24, 2021 to its 11th U.S. gateway, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). The new route will run 4x weekly between DFW and Turkish's Istanbul International Airport (IST) hub.
As first reported by God Save The Points, to coincide with this launch, Turkish is offering a promotion for its widely-lauded business class cabin on this specific route. Between Sept. 24, 2021 and March 23, 2022, you can fly lie-flat business class between DFW and IST for just 33,750 miles each way (and about $170.70 in taxes and fees).
Frankly, that's a steal for 11 hours sitting up front at the pointy end of the plane, especially considering that this new route will be operated (for now) by Turkish's new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with direct aisle access from every seat.
Keep in mind, even without this offer, using Turkish miles is an underrated option to fly to Europe. On many dates, you can go from the U.S. to Europe for just 45,000 miles one-way in business class.
Here's a closer look at this specific deal.
The deal
Airlines: Turkish Airlines
Cost: 33,750 miles (and about $170 in taxes and fees)
Dates: Book for travel between Sept. 24, 2021 and March 23, 2022. Note that award availability is capacity controlled. However, as of this article's publication, there is widespread availability throughout the fall, winter and into early 2022.
How to book: You'll need to log in (or create) a Turkish Miles & Smiles account. From there, you can easily search for availability on your desired date (between Sept. 24 and March 23).
How to earn Turkish miles
You can book this deal even if you don't have a stash of Turkish miles in your account right now. That's because Turkish miles have become increasingly accessible thanks to credit card transfer partners.
Citi ThankYou points
Citi ThankYou points transfer to Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles at a simple, 1:1 ratio. You'll need 34,000 (rounded up to the nearest 1,000) to book this award.
Some popular eligible ThankYou travel cards are the Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees)and Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants). These cards make it pretty easy to rack up points at a good pace with bonus categories such as 5x points for airfare on the Citi Prestige and 3x points on air travel on the Citi Premier Card.
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Capital One miles
Capital One miles transfer to Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles at a 1:1 transfer ratio.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a solid choice for most travelers. You'll earn 2x miles on every purchase with no bonus categories to memorize.
Maximize your purchase
For the additional taxes and fees, don't forget to use a card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel; up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Premier Card (3x on air travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel).
Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.