Bold claim: Turkish Miles&Smiles has slashed Hawaii award prices by 150% and bumped other domestic awards up by 50%, turning once-sought redemptions into harder-to-find access. This shift rattles frequent travelers who rely on Star Alliance partner awards for U.S. to Hawaii trips. Here’s a clear, beginner-friendly rewrite that preserves all key details while offering helpful context.
Turkish Miles&Smiles has long been a popular option for travelers aiming to reach Hawaii, with award space notoriously tough to come by—even when using tools like Seats.aero. Redeeming miles to fly one-way on United Airlines from the continental United States to Hawaii has been a bucket-list-worthy option for many years, typically requiring 7,500 miles or, more recently, 10,000 Turkish miles.
But recent changes, first reported by Loyalty Lobby and now implemented by Turkish Airlines, have upended this trend. On December 3, Turkish Airlines published new domestic award charts for its partner networks, including Star Alliance carriers like United. The updates came with no prior notice to Miles&Smiles members. In addition, domestic award flights to or from Hawaii now carry a separate, higher price than other domestic routes.
Here’s the breakdown of the December 3 changes:
- One-way, direct flights within the U.S. to or from Hawaii with partner airlines:
- Economy: 25,000 miles (up from 10,000)
- Business: 40,000 miles (up from 15,000)
- First: 50,000 miles (up from 20,000)
- Other one-way direct flights with partner airlines within the same country:
- Economy: 15,000 miles (up from 10,000)
- Business: 22,500 miles (up from 15,000)
- First: 30,000 miles (up from 20,000)
These increases mean that booking through other programs will often be more economical, especially since Turkish Miles&Smiles currently does not show bookable awards for U.S. to Hawaii flights. In practice, this means many learners and veterans of mileage hunting may find fewer U.S.-to-Hawaii award options available directly through Miles&Smiles in the near term.
There are still potential exceptions worth noting. In some cases, redeeming 15,000 miles for a one-way, within-country flight could make sense—for example, a transcontinental United flight, an Air Canada award within Canada, or a Thai Airways flight within Thailand. The broader region-to-region partner award charts and Turkish-operated awards remain unchanged, including recently added miles awarded to participants who completed the airline’s six-continent challenge. This suggests the devaluation is targeted rather than a blanket overhaul of the entire program.
Bottom line: The domestic devaluation for Miles&Smiles awards, especially involving Hawaii, is the most significant change, while the rest of Turkish’s award structure remains largely intact. If Hawaii redemptions were a staple in a traveler’s strategy, it’s time to reassess whether Miles&Smiles remains the most efficient option and to explore alternative programs or routes.
Would you like to see a side-by-side comparison of current prices across major programs for U.S. to Hawaii routes, or a step-by-step guide on how to navigate these new charts to maximize value? Also, what’s your take on such devaluations—do they push you toward fewer redemptions or toward hunting new, potentially better-value opportunities in other networks?
