Passengers can still use miles to upgrade an eligible economy ticket, but those miles come on top of the cash price already paid for the ticket. Under the revised award chart, passengers holding the airline’s lowest-priced EcoFly fare can face significantly higher mileage requirements on some long-haul routes than travellers who purchase other economy fare packages.
The difference is particularly notable for flights between Türkiye and North America or the Far East, where an EcoFly upgrade now costs 90,000 miles one way.
New Turkish Airlines upgrade rates
The revised one-way mileage requirements for upgrades on flights to or from Türkiye are:
| Region | EcoFly ticket | Other economy packages |
|---|---|---|
| Europe 1 | 22,000 miles | 20,000 miles |
| Far East | 90,000 miles | 65,000 miles |
| North America | 90,000 miles | 65,000 miles |
The rates apply to passengers upgrading an existing economy ticket rather than using miles to book a business-class award ticket from the outset.
For example, a passenger who purchases an EcoFly ticket for a flight from the United States to Istanbul would need 90,000 miles to upgrade that ticket to business class.
A passenger purchasing another eligible economy fare package would need 65,000 miles for the same type of upgrade.
That means the difference between the two economy fare categories can be substantial, particularly on longer international routes.
Far East upgrades become more expensive
The sharpest change is for flights between Türkiye and the Far East.
Previously, an upgrade on these routes cost 65,000 miles. Under the new structure, passengers travelling on EcoFly fares now need 90,000 miles, an increase of 25,000 miles.
That represents an increase of roughly 38 per cent compared with the previous 65,000-mile requirement.
Passengers who purchase other economy fare packages, however, continue to face a 65,000-mile upgrade requirement on these routes.
North America pricing structure changes
The revised system also changes how Turkish Airlines applies its upgrade mileage requirements for North American routes.
Previously, the mileage cost depended partly on how far in advance the upgrade was confirmed.
An upgrade confirmed more than 72 hours before departure cost 65,000 miles, while an upgrade confirmed closer to departure cost 90,000 miles.
Under the new structure, the timing distinction has effectively been replaced by the type of economy fare purchased.
An EcoFly passenger now pays 90,000 miles for an upgrade regardless of whether the upgrade is arranged well in advance.
Passengers travelling on another eligible economy fare, meanwhile, pay 65,000 miles even if the upgrade is confirmed closer to departure.
What passengers should consider
The changes make the cash price of an economy ticket only part of the calculation for travellers hoping to upgrade to business class with miles.
For someone travelling between North America and Türkiye, for example, three possibilities may be worth comparing: an EcoFly ticket combined with 90,000 miles for the upgrade, a higher economy fare combined with 65,000 miles, or a business-class award ticket booked directly with miles.
The cheapest economy ticket may not necessarily represent the lowest overall cost once the mileage requirement is included.
Travellers should therefore compare the ticket price and the number of miles required together before deciding which fare to purchase.
For passengers who value their miles highly, paying more upfront for an eligible economy fare could potentially reduce the number of miles required for the upgrade. Conversely, passengers focused primarily on minimising their cash expenditure may prefer the cheaper EcoFly fare despite its higher mileage requirement.
The key change is that Turkish Airlines is now tying upgrade mileage costs more closely to the economy fare purchased, making the fare category an important consideration for anyone planning to upgrade to business class.