Air France-KLM Flying Blue: A Comprehensive Guide to Earning and Redeeming Miles, Elite Status, and More

In 2004, Air France and KLM established the Air France-KLM Group. Around this time, they introduced Flying Blue, a unified loyalty program for both airlines.

The program swiftly became one of the most recognized airline loyalty initiatives due to its extensive list of credit card transfer partners, enticing Promo Rewards, and a diverse range of airline alliances.

Consequently, Flying Blue is favored by travelers who prioritize earning transferable points. However, newcomers may find it a bit overwhelming, especially with its fluctuating dynamic award pricing.

Here’s everything you need to understand about the Flying Blue program.

A Summary of the Flying Blue Program

Flying Blue is the combined loyalty program of Air France, KLM, and Transavia. If you're a member and fly with these airlines, you can include your Flying Blue member number to accumulate miles and Experience Points for qualifying for elite status. Once you attain elite status, you can enjoy benefits with these airlines as well as reciprocal perks with partner airlines.

However, just because these airlines utilize Flying Blue as their primary program doesn't restrict you to earning miles solely on their flights. Most partner airlines offering Flying Blue miles are part of the SkyTeam alliance, but there are also several non-alliance partners, including:

• Air Corsica
• Air Mauritius
• Aircalin
• Bangkok Airways
• Chalair Aviation
• China Southern Airlines
• Copa Airlines
• Etihad Airways
• Gol Airlines
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Oman Air
• Qantas
• Twin Jet
• WestJet
• Winair
• airBaltic

Be aware that there may be limitations on the flights eligible for earning or redeeming miles through these partnerships. Check the airline's partner page on the Flying Blue website before making travel plans to understand the specifics.

Flying Blue Elite Status Levels

Flying Blue features four elite status levels: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Ultimate. You can qualify by accumulating Experience Points, or XPs, which we will explain further below.

Flying Blue Silver

Silver is the entry-level tier of Flying Blue elite status, requiring 100 XPs. It offers several basic benefits, including:

• Earn 6 Flying Blue miles for every euro spent
• Complimentary standard seat selection
• Priority check-in and boarding
• SkyTeam Elite benefits (notably, a free checked bag on all Flying Blue and SkyTeam partner flights)

Flying Blue Gold

To achieve Gold status, you need 180 XPs. This tier grants you all the Silver benefits plus:

• Earn 7 Flying Blue miles for every euro spent
• Access to SkyTeam lounges on international flights operated by a Flying Blue or SkyTeam airline (for you and a guest)
• SkyTeam Elite Plus (includes benefits like SkyPriority boarding, expedited immigration, and more)
• Priority baggage handling

Flying Blue Platinum

To achieve Platinum status with Flying Blue, you need 300 XPs, which includes all the benefits of Gold. However, it enhances the perks by upgrading some and introducing new ones.

• Earn 8 Flying Blue miles for every euro spent
• No fees for changing or requesting refunds on reward bookings

Moreover, only Flying Blue Platinum members have the privilege to book award tickets in Air France La Premiere, the airline's prestigious first-class cabin. However, these tickets come with a high price tag; La Premiere tickets can often exceed $10,000 for flights from Europe to North America, Asia, or Africa. Thus, the ability to book with miles makes such tickets accessible to many travelers.

Once you maintain Flying Blue Platinum status for 10 consecutive years, you will have it for life.

Flying Blue Ultimate

Flying Blue introduces a new highest-tier status level for 2024 known as Ultimate. This status requires an impressive 900 XPs within a year and includes all the benefits of Platinum, plus:

• Earn 9 Flying Blue miles for every euro spent
• Access to Air France and KLM lounges for you and up to eight travel companions
• 24/7 support from the "Ultimate Assistant"
• Four cabin upgrade vouchers each membership year
• Gift Flying Blue Platinum status to one travel companion
• Hertz Platinum status

For a comprehensive overview of all Flying Blue benefits, visit the loyalty program's website.

How to attain Flying Blue elite status

To qualify for Flying Blue elite status, you need to accumulate XPs. Each tier has a specific XP requirement, which you can earn by flying or through credit card purchases. All Flying Blue partners (excluding Transavia) and SkyTeam partners qualify for earning XPs, as well as some non-alliance partners like Qantas.

You need to achieve this XP total within one year from when you first earn an XP. For instance, if you take a paid flight in May, your XP count will reset in May of the following year. Current Flying Blue elite members must requalify by earning sufficient XPs to either maintain or elevate their status tier within a year.

Accumulate XPs by flying

Accumulate XPs with Flying Blue's US credit card

Flying Blue offers a cobranded U.S. credit card in partnership with Bank of America. I will delve deeper into the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® in the next section, but one of its key benefits is the ability to earn XPs through credit card expenditures.

Upon opening your account, you receive 60 XPs for the first year. In the following years, you earn 20 XPs on your account anniversary. If you spend $15,000 or more on purchases during the anniversary year, you’ll earn an additional 40 XPs (totaling 60 XPs). This means you can earn more than half of the 100 XPs needed for Silver status without having to fly at all.

The information regarding the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard has been independently collected by Dinogo. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the card issuer.

Achieve status through Flying Blue's paid status match

In June, Flying Blue introduced a paid status match for elite members of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, American Airlines AAdvantage, JetBlue TrueBlue, and United Airlines MileagePlus programs.

Depending on your current status with these airline programs, you might qualify for Flying Blue Silver (SkyTeam Elite) or Flying Blue Gold (SkyTeam Elite Plus) status. However, unlike other airline status matches, residents of the U.S. and Mexico are required to pay for Flying Blue elite status—Flying Blue Silver costs $99, while Flying Blue Gold costs $299.

Accumulating Miles with Flying Blue

Collect miles by flying with Flying Blue airlines and their SkyTeam partners

You can earn Flying Blue miles through your flights, but the earning method varies by airline. When booking with Air France or KLM, your miles are calculated based on the ticket price (excluding taxes and fees). This also applies to Flying Blue-marketed tickets that are operated by other carriers.

The number of miles you earn per euro spent is influenced by your Flying Blue status tier. Explorer members (those without status) receive 4 miles per euro spent, while Silver, Gold, and Platinum members earn 6, 7, and 8 miles per euro spent, respectively. This earning does not include taxes and certain fees associated with the ticket.

Accumulate miles with partner airlines

Earning miles through SkyTeam and non-alliance Flying Blue partners for tickets not purchased via Flying Blue works differently. For tickets marketed by other airlines but credited to Flying Blue, the miles you earn depend on the following factors:

• Distance traveled
• Fare class
• Operating airline
• Your elite status tier

Each airline partner offers a varying number of miles for each fare class — you can check how many miles your partner flight will earn on the Flying Blue partners page.

For instance, here’s a glimpse at the Flying Blue earning chart for Delta Air Lines tickets.

Make purchases using the Flying Blue co-branded credit card

Another way to accumulate Flying Blue miles is through the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard, which provides 3 Flying Blue miles for every dollar spent on SkyTeam flights purchased directly from a SkyTeam airline and 1.5 Flying Blue miles for all other purchases.

This card also offers an attractive welcome bonus of 50,000 Flying Blue miles after you spend $2,000 within the first 90 days of opening your account. Moreover, you'll receive an additional 5,000 Flying Blue miles on your card's anniversary each year, provided you spend at least $50 on it annually.

Transfer points to Flying Blue

The program collaborates with the following transfer partners:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Bilt Rewards
• Capital One
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Rewards
• Wells Fargo Rewards

If you possess cards such as the The Platinum Card® from American Express, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (among others), you can transfer your points or miles to Flying Blue at a 1:1 ratio.

Book stays at Accor hotels to earn additional points and miles

Flying Blue has partnered with Accor Hotels, a French hospitality group that includes brands like Fairmont, Novotel, and Ibis. Flying Blue members earn 1 Accor Live Limitless point for every 2 euros spent on qualifying Air France-KLM flights, alongside your Flying Blue miles. When reserving an Accor hotel, you will earn 1 Flying Blue mile for each euro spent on eligible stays.

Reserve hotels through Flying Blue

Even if you're not staying at an Accor hotel, you can still accumulate Flying Blue miles by booking accommodations. Flying Blue operates a hotel booking service known as Hotels for Miles, where you can earn up to 10,000 Flying Blue miles per night booked, with higher-tier and promotional stays typically yielding more miles.

For instance, a one-night stay in a $246 room at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Washington DC earns you 6,100 Flying Blue miles per night.

Additionally, when you book through Flying Blue's Booking.com portal, you can earn 2 Flying Blue miles for every euro spent. Although elite benefits and hotel points are not applicable, Booking.com often features great deals on boutique hotels and bed-and-breakfasts that may not otherwise accrue hotel points.

Using your Flying Blue miles

There are many options for redeeming Flying Blue miles, but I suggest focusing on award flights, as this generally provides the best value for your miles.

Since the introduction of dynamic pricing in 2018, Flying Blue no longer maintains a fixed award chart, leading to some tickets being quite costly—up to 200,000 miles for an economy flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Europe. However, Flying Blue has an interactive award map that showcases entry-level award rates.

Despite the dynamic pricing model, Flying Blue frequently offers competitive rates for many SkyTeam awards, often surpassing Delta, Korean Air, and other leading airlines. Being flexible and keeping an eye out for great promotions, like the monthly Promo Rewards, is crucial for snagging these deals.

It's essential to be aware that Air France and KLM impose moderate fuel surcharges on certain tickets. You can anticipate paying between $200 and $350 for a one-way business-class award ticket across the Atlantic. While these surcharges are notably lower than those from airlines such as Emirates and Virgin Atlantic, it's something to consider when comparing prices among loyalty programs.

Travel with Air France or KLM to Amsterdam, Paris, and beyond

Though Flying Blue uses dynamic pricing for its awards, the program has recently set standardized saver-level pricing for all one-way flights between the United States and Europe, allowing connections at no additional cost:

• 20,000 miles for economy
• 35,000 miles for premium economy
• 50,000 miles for business class

Keep in mind that these rates are applicable only to the limited saver-level seats. We have discovered ample availability on flights from the West Coast (including those with connections to Europe) at these new lower rates in both economy and premium economy classes.

Finding business-class seats at saver levels is quite challenging, with only a limited number of flights available on select routes throughout the next year. Securing a business class ticket from anywhere in the U.S. to any destination in Europe for just 50,000 Flying Blue miles is an excellent opportunity, so take advantage of it if you discover suitable dates.

Additionally, you can enjoy a few days in Paris or Amsterdam by utilizing the free Flying Blue stopover. This offers a fantastic chance to explore another city without needing to spend extra miles or money. To arrange a Flying Blue stopover, simply call 800-375-8723.

Transatlantic Flying Blue award rates can be quite appealing, making it worthwhile to consider Flying Blue when planning your European trips.

Book first class on select SkyTeam airlines

Flying Blue has announced that first-class redemptions can now be booked with miles on these SkyTeam partner airlines:

• China Eastern Airlines
• Garuda Indonesia
• Xiamen Air

Although you should be able to book these online, we've found it nearly impossible to locate any availability. Moreover, except for Garuda, these airlines aren’t renowned for their first-class offerings, so it might be wiser to conserve your miles and seek saver award space in business class on Air France and KLM instead.

Watch for Promo Rewards

Each month, Flying Blue offers a selection of Promo Rewards. These heavily discounted award tickets can only be booked during the same month they are released. They come with stricter conditions than standard Flying Blue awards — changes are not allowed, so ensure your plans are set. However, if you're willing to take the chance, these promotions can yield fantastic deals on flights to Europe and beyond.

You can check the latest list of Promo Rewards on the Flying Blue website, and TPG refreshes our Flying Blue Promo Rewards page at the start of each month with the newest offers.

Travel with Copa Airlines to Panama City and beyond

Copa Airlines is part of the Star Alliance, but it also maintains a partnership with Flying Blue outside the alliance. This allows you to earn and redeem miles with Copa, enhancing the benefits of Flying Blue's loyalty program. Economy tickets from North America to Copa's hub in Panama City typically start at around 28,500 miles, with the option to add connecting flights as well.

Copa Airlines serves major destinations in Central and South America, including Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina.

Final thoughts

Flying Blue is a frequently overlooked frequent flyer program. You can accumulate miles with all Flying Blue airlines as well as their SkyTeam and non-alliance partners, providing access to countless routes for your redemptions. Although its elite status program may not offer the most benefits, achieving status is relatively straightforward with the loyalty program's U.S. credit card and current status match promotion.

For most individuals, the optimal method to accumulate Flying Blue miles is through credit cards that earn transferable points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred. This approach not only allows you to earn more points on everyday spending but also gives you the flexibility to redeem those points with various partners.