Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles program is often considered one of the most family-friendly frequent flyer programs. From flexible award ticket options to kid-focused perks and the ability to pool miles within a family, the program is tailored to make traveling with kids easier and more rewarding. This guide walks you through everything you need to know about leveraging Miles&Smiles for family travel — whether you’re booking flights, using lounge access, or simply looking to simplify your travel experience. Let’s start!

In This Post

• Why Families Should Consider Miles\&Smiles
• Flying with Infants and Children
• High Five Kids Club: A Miles Program for Children
• Top Family-Friendly Destinations in Turkey
• Finding Turkish Awards For Your Family
• FAQ
• Maximize Your Miles\&Smiles Miles

Why Families Should Consider Miles&Smiles

Turkish Airlines’ Family Membership option is a standout feature of the Miles&Smiles program, available to Classic Plus, Elite, and Elite Plus members. This option allows primary members to pool miles earned by their spouses and unmarried children under 25 into a single account, making it faster and easier to accumulate miles for award travel and redemptions. Also miles earned from flights with Star Alliance members and program partners will contribute to the host member’s account

How does it work? Each family member retains an account, and flights taken by family members are credited as Status Miles to their individual accounts. The pooled miles, however, referred to as Family Miles, can be managed by the primary member to allocate as needed for award tickets or other redemptions, creating a flexible and unified approach to earning and using miles.

To open a Family Membership account, the primary member must submit a signed request along with photocopies of the family members’ ID cards and any required documents, such as a marriage certificate, to Turkish Airlines’ Customer Relations Department. If family members are not already Miles&Smiles members, their application forms must also be included. Once approved, a joint account is established, allowing all members to view transactions and enjoy the benefits of collective mile accumulation. This feature makes Miles&Smiles one of the most family-friendly loyalty programs in the world.

Here’s why the program it stands out:

• Family Membership for Mile Pooling: Combine miles from your spouse and children (under 25) into one account for faster and more flexible redemptions.
• Kid-Friendly Perks: Priority services, discounted tickets for kids and infants, and special policies for strollers and baby gear.
• Travel Comfort: Access to family-first check-in counters, lounges, and streamlined policies for a smoother journey.
• Child-Specific Programs: Opportunities for kids to earn miles and enjoy child-focused entertainment onboard.

Family-Friendly Check-In and Security

Turkish Airlines offers family-first policies to ensure a smoother airport experience:

• Family-First Lines: Families traveling with children under 7 can use dedicated security lanes to save time.
• Check-In Counters: Special family check-in counters reduce waiting times.
• Free Lounge Access for Kids: Children under 6 can enter lounges free of charge when accompanied by an adult.

Stroller Policies

Navigating airports with small children can be exhausting, but Turkish Airlines makes it easier:

• Gate Check: Strollers can be used until the aircraft door and then checked into the cargo hold.
• Cabin Storage: Compact strollers under 23x40x55 cm (and less than 8 kg) can be stored as cabin baggage.
• Free Stroller Allowance: Each child aged 0–7 is entitled to one compact stroller free of charge.

For parents with infants, Turkish Airlines also allows fold-up bassinets or car-type infant seats that can be securely fastened to the aircraft seat.

Flying with Infants and Children

Traveling with kids often involves extra considerations, and Turkish Airlines has created policies to help:

• Infants (Under 2 Years): Infants can fly on a parent’s lap for a discounted fee or in their own seat with a discounted child fare. Strollers and infant car seats are free of charge.
• Children (Aged 2–12): Kids in this age group require their own seat and receive discounts on tickets (exact discounts depend on the fare class and route). Parents can also pre-order child-friendly meals up to 24 hours before the flight.

Additionally, Turkish Airlines allows for flexible infant travel options, such as the use of bag-style baby carriers (carrycots) as cabin baggage.

High Five Kids Club: A Miles Program for Children

The High Five Kids Club is an exciting initiative for young travelers aged 2–12. Here’s what it offers:

• Welcome Bonuses: A 1,000-mile bonus on sign-up and another 1,000 miles after the first flight.
• Entertainment: Specially curated movies, games, and eco-friendly toys onboard.
• Child-Friendly Meals: Special menus tailored for kids.

However, it’s important to note a few limitations:

• Miles earned in the Kids Club expire when the member turns 18 and must be used by the end of the year they turn 21.
• Kids cannot participate in Family Membership pooling or transfer their miles.
• The Kids Club does not issue a physical membership card.

Top Family-Friendly Destinations in Turkey

Turkey is home to some incredible family-friendly destinations. Here are a few standout picks (with great award availability).

1. Antalya

Why it’s great: Stunning beaches with shallow waters, family resorts with kids’ clubs, and exciting attractions like the Antalya Aquarium and Land of Legends Theme Park.

Kid-friendly activities: Visit Duden Waterfalls, Land of Legends Theme Park (a massive water park and amusement park), explore ancient ruins like Perge and Aspendos.

2. Cappadocia

Why it’s great: Hot air balloon rides (children-friendly options available), fairy chimneys, and underground cities of Derinkuyu or Kaymakli.

Kid-friendly activities: Pottery workshops in Avanos, horseback riding, ATV tours.

3. Istanbul

Why it’s great: A mix of history, culture, and modern entertainment with easy transportation.

Kid-friendly activities: Visit Miniatürk or the Rahmi M. Koç Museum (a hands-on museum with trains, planes, and boats), or the Istanbul Aquarium.

Finding Turkish Awards For Your Family

To quickly find the best available flights on SAS, and the best ways to use your EuroBonus points, follow these steps:

1. Go to AwardFares.
2. Select Miles&Smiles under Loyalty Program.
3. Select Turkish Airlines only under Airline.
4. Under Passengers, add how many tickets/family members you are after.
5. Choose a desired route and date.
6. That’s it! AwardFares will do its magic and show you the available flights in the list below, including details such as the prices per cabin, number of stops, total travel time, aircraft used, and more!

FAQ

How to get the Classic Plus, Elite, and Elite Plus membership?

Classic Plus: Upgrade from Classic to Classic Plus by earning 25,000 Status Miles or taking 40 flights in the previous 12 months. Benefits include:

• Business-class check-in for domestic flights.
• Access to a family account for pooling miles.
• Lounge access when flying domestically.
• Special baggage allowance.

Elite and Elite Plus: Higher-tier memberships with increased benefits are earned through more extensive travel and higher Status Miles accumulation.

Can I travel alone with more than one child?

Each infant passenger (aged 0-2) must be accompanied by at least one adult aged 18 or older Infants travel on the lap of their companion and are fastened with a special baby belt. If an adult travels with more than one infant, the first infant is provided with an infant ticket and sits on the adult’s lap. The second infant requires a child ticket and must occupy a separate seat. Also, the adult must provide a stroller or child seat for the second infant to be secured in the seat with a seat belt.

When and how does a Family membership end?

If a Family Membership is terminated—either by request or automatically when a member turns 25. This member then transitions to an individual Miles&Smiles account. They retain their own miles and continue earning and spending as an individual member. However, miles accumulated jointly within the Family Membership cannot be transferred back to individual accounts.

Can I travel with my newborn child?

Newborns under the age of 48 hours are not permitted to board Turkish Airlines flights. Infants between 2 and 7 days old may travel only if accompanied by a medical report stating, “There is no harm in traveling by plane.”

Is it possible for kids to take a flight alone?

Children aged 2 to 12 can travel unaccompanied under specific conditions:

• Ages 2–7: Must be accompanied by a cabin crew member (for a fee).
• Ages 7–12: May travel alone with written authorization from a parent or legal representative.

During the process parents or guardians must remain at the airport until the flight departs and ensure required documents are signed during check-in. Then, child passengers are escorted to the aircraft by an attendant. Upon landing, Turkish Airlines staff assist the child with baggage claim and ensure they meet the assigned responsible adult at the destination.

Maximize Your Miles&Smiles Miles

With AwardFares, finding Miles&Smiles award flights takes just seconds. Try it for free and see how easy it is! For access to even more powerful features like unlimited daily searches, alerts, seat maps, and flight schedules, explore our Gold and Diamond membership tiers.

Our guides have all the information you need to be a pro travel hacker and explore the world on points. Here are some related posts you might enjoy:

• How To Find Turkish Miles&Smiles Award Availability
• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Sweet Spots (2024)
• Istanbul to Santiago: Turkish Airlines’ New Direct Route Now Bookable
• Things to Consider When Booking Award Flights with Children