Update, false alarm: Turkish Airlines devalues domestic awards on United, old prices still bookable
Update 5/7/2021, 12:45 pm: Thankfully, this is a false alarm. Upon further investigation, Turkish Airlines removed its domestic award chart months ago but kept the same pricing. The prices listed in the article below are for international award tickets within North America, which price higher than U.S. domestic awards.
The author verified this by calling Turkish Airlines to set up a domestic reservation and the old pricing was, indeed, honored. For reference, domestic awards still cost 7,500 miles one-way in economy and 15,000 miles in business class.
That said, the lack of a domestic award chart is still concerning as Turkish Airlines can change domestic award pricing at will.
TPG has reached out to Turkish Airlines for clarification.
This week, Turkish Airlines devalued domestic U.S. award tickets on United Airlines. As reported by Miles to Memories, both economy and domestic first-class award tickets have gone up in price. This no-notice price increase is reflected on the Miles & Smiles Star Alliance award chart.
Thankfully, the price increase isn't too terrible for most awards, but it's a hit to the program's most valuable sweet spot. That said, the changes aren't showing in Turkish Airlines' booking engine, so it's still possible to book at the old award prices for the time being.
Here's a closer look at the changes.
The updated Turkish Airlines award chart
Under the updated award chart, nonstop award tickets cost 10,000 miles one-way in economy and 15,000 in business class. This is a 2,500-mile increase for economy tickets while business class pricing remains unchanged. The new pricing for non-stop award tickets within North America show on the airline's "promotional award chart," which shows the following round-trip prices:
The asterisks notes, "Applicable Mile amount for direct flights with Star Alliance member airlines in the same region." This is new pricing for non-stop domestic award tickets booked with Turkish miles.
On the other hand, connecting one-way domestic tickets now cost 15,000 miles in economy and 30,000 in business class. This effectively doubles the mileage required for connecting tickets, which is unfortunate for booking connecting flights to Hawaii. These tickets are priced based on the standard Star Alliance award chart. Note that the prices in this award chart are for round-trip tickets.
Old award prices are still bookable
Now for the strange part. Old award chart pricing is still showing on the Turkish Airlines booking engine. For example, you can still book this Denver (DEN) to Minneapolis-Saint Paul (MSP) ticket for 7,500 miles one-way in economy class.
The same goes for connecting tickets. Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to Honolulu (HNL) via San Francisco (SFO) still prices at 7,500 miles.
Miles to Memories states that Turkish Airlines' phone representatives are seemingly unaware of the change. On a recent phone booking, a representative told me that a connecting business class ticket would cost 30,000 miles one-way. After talking with a colleague, the representative later quoted 15,000 miles for the same ticket. This leads me to believe that Turkish Airlines' call center isn't trained to quote the new pricing.
I was unable to find United business class award space on the Turkish Airlines website.
Related: Book this, not that: Star Alliance award tickets
Bottom line
Turkish Airlines has changed award chart prices and not updated the booking engine in the past. It could be months before these changes come into effect, if ever. It's also possible that the new prices haven't been loaded into Turkish Airlines' booking platform.
Regardless, this award chart change gives Turkish the option to change award pricing if it chooses to. It's best to cover your bases and book upcoming domestic awards now while old pricing still shows on the Turkish website.
TPG will keep investigating the changes and update this article when more information is available.
Feature photo by vaalaa / Shutterstock.com
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.