New Turkish Airlines U.S. Credit Card: Sleeper Hit Or Major Disappointment?

I hadn’t even realized there was a new Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature® Credit Card for U.S. customers until reader M.E. flagged it for me. And it’s sure a strange one!

• Initial bonus: 40,000 miles after spending $3,000 within 90 days of opening an account.
• Earning: 3x on Turkish Airlines spend; 2x on dining, groceries, entertainment and lodging; 1x on other spend
• Annual fee: $99
• Foreign transaction fees: No

There are two unique things about the card. First, no hard credit pull until you’re approved and accept the card offer and second that “the first 5,000 approved customers to receive the exclusive, limited edition metal card.”

The card is with startup Imprint which does the H.E.B. Grocery card. And there’s something very strange about it. As far as I can see there’s no actual travel benefit with Turkish Airlines for getting their credit card? Am I just not seeing it or is there really no checked baggage or boarding benefit, let alone status or lounge?

I can see someone choosing to get the card for its initial cardmember bonus, especially since it’s not from one of the big financial institutions like Chase or American Express (where a given customer may be maxed out). Although it seems like this would have been a lot more appealing before this year’s big devaluation of the Miles & Smiles program.

But even if you want Turkish miles you’ll be better off spending with cards from Citi, Capital One, or Bilt whose points transfer to Turkish. You can earn more points, transfer to Turkish if you wish, or transfer elsewhere. What am I missing about this product?

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