My award ticket with Flying Blue was canceled. What happens to my miles now?

Last December, a technical error on the Air France-KLM Flying Blue website created a rare opportunity to book round-trip business-class flights from various Canadian cities to Europe for only 27,000 miles (plus taxes) with Air France and KLM.

Upon discovering the incredible offer, Kinza Chaudhry hurried to the Flying Blue website, eager to take her mom to visit family in Europe this summer. She hoped to grab tickets before the prices changed, dreaming of flying in luxury.

Chaudhry transferred 54,000 Citi ThankYou Rewards points into a newly created Flying Blue account and swiftly booked the affordable awards. She and her mother would enjoy round-trip flights from Montreal via Amsterdam to Florence on KLM business class. Thrilled, she shared the exciting news with her mom, and they began planning the rest of their journey.

However, just days later, they discovered that their plans would not materialize. The seemingly unbelievable promotional fare turned out to be just that—too good to be true. Flying Blue sent a disheartening email to Chaudhry, informing her that she had booked a mistake fare that KLM would not honor. Consequently, the airline refunded her points to her Flying Blue account and canceled the tickets.

This left Chaudhry with 54,000 Flying Blue points she didn't really need. She preferred to have the points returned to her Citi ThankYou account. So, when Flying Blue offered a one-time reversal of the points transfer, Chaudhry felt relieved.

Yet, even after the points were removed from her Flying Blue account, they still hadn’t appeared in her Citi ThankYou account, despite several weeks passing. With both Flying Blue and Citi unable to track down her lost points, a frustrated Chaudhry sought assistance from TPG.

What exactly are Flying Blue Promo Rewards? 

Flying Blue is the unified loyalty program for Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

On the first weekday of each month, Flying Blue unveils a fresh selection of special Promo Rewards. These discounted award redemption options vary monthly based on the departing cities and available service classes (economy, premium economy, business class).

While availability may be limited, Promo Rewards can be an excellent way to maximize your Flying Blue points. Generally, long-haul economy flights between the U.S. and Europe offered through Promo Rewards can cost around 15,000 miles one-way in economy and 37,500 miles one-way in business class.

However, Promo Rewards enthusiasts were taken aback last December when Flying Blue introduced some astonishing deals that significantly diverged from the usual discounts. For a brief window of hours, travelers had the chance to book long-haul flights between North America and Europe by redeeming:

• 3,000 points for a round-trip in economy class
• 27,000 points for a round-trip in business class

Almost immediately, numerous articles surfaced online, warning travelers about the situation. Subsequent reports estimated that around 2,000 to 3,000 eager passengers successfully booked these incredible fares before Flying Blue identified the error and halted any further redemptions.

Chaudhry was among those fortunate travelers. After receiving confirmation along with their 13-digit ticket numbers, she believed everything was in order and felt lucky to have landed such an amazing deal.

But her streak of good fortune was about to end.

Flying Blue: We regret to inform you that you have booked a mistake fare

Days after securing heavily discounted business-class tickets to Europe, Chaudhry received an unexpected email from Flying Blue.

"Initially, I brushed it off as just another advertisement since we had already received our tickets," she recalled. "However, upon opening it, my heart dropped. Flying Blue informed us that we had booked a fare by mistake, and it wouldn’t be honored. They promised to refund all my points, taxes, and fees, though."

The email clarified that the Promo Rewards were intended for 25% off business-class awards from Montreal to Europe. However, this information wasn’t what was displayed on the website when Chaudhry booked her tickets. She managed to redeem only 54,000 points for awards that should have required 150,000 points (75,000 points per passenger for a round-trip in business class).

"I felt let down, but there was nothing more I could do except accept the refund," Chaudhry told me. "I still dream of taking my mom to Europe, just not this summer. Given that the only reason I transferred those Citi ThankYou points to the Flying Blue account was because of that offer, I thought it was only right for [Flying Blue] to return my points."

While it’s almost unheard of for miles to be returned to a credit card partner after being transferred to an airline, Flying Blue recognized that it was the right decision in this instance. This was not only for Chaudhry but for any customer who transferred miles solely to book a ticket through the erroneous promotion.

This was verified in a public FlyerTalk post by Flying Blue’s head, Ben Lipsey, shortly after the fare mistake incident.

Lipsey stated that travelers wishing to have their points refunded could reach out to customer service via email or phone, and these requests would be handled manually.

Chaudhry contacted Flying Blue by phone and followed up with an email requesting the return of her Citi ThankYou points. Then she waited.

In March, after reaching out to Flying Blue for an update, Chaudhry received an email confirming two deductions of 27,000 points labeled "Citibank Adjustment." By April, her Flying Blue account showed a zero balance.

However, when she checked her Citi account, the ThankYou points were missing as well.

Now, four months after exchanging 54,000 Citi ThankYou points for a chance to take her mom to Europe in business class, Chaudhry found herself with neither a trip nor any points to show for it.

That’s when she had a thought: perhaps TPG could assist her.

Could it be that these Citi ThankYou points are lost for good?

When Chaudhry's request reached me, she had been caught in a frustrating cycle between Flying Blue and Citi for over four months. With a long paper trail of emails and her notes detailing numerous phone conversations with both companies, I could feel her mounting frustration. She now deeply regretted stumbling upon the "amazing" deal that had initiated this entire ordeal.

"Flying Blue has indicated that they have fulfilled their responsibilities, and now it’s up to Citi to accept the points," Chaudhry shared with me. "The points are no longer visible in my Flying Blue account. I need assistance in reaching someone in management at Citi who can investigate this issue. The Citi reps I’ve talked to have brushed off my case, claiming there’s no way to retrieve the points or even check if they were sent."

After reviewing Chaudhry's notes and emails, it became clear that both companies viewed the case as resolved. Flying Blue had made an exception to their policies and agreed to reverse the transfer. However, once Citi ThankYou points are transferred, they cannot be reinstated, and Citi had not consented to take the points back. In fact, Citi informed Chaudhry that there is no process in place for returning the points at all.

It appeared that Flying Blue had sent Chaudhry's 54,000 points into a void.

Requesting Citi to reconsider this appeal

Since Chaudhry wanted to have the 54,000 points reinstated to her Citi ThankYou account, I chose to start with the issuer. I forwarded her complaint to our Citi executive contact to explore the possibility of reversing the points. This individual is not a customer service representative; rather, they serve as a consumer advocate and are part of the media network.

Here’s a snippet from our discussion:

"Flying Blue confirmed that the 54,000 points have been deducted from Kinza's Flying Blue account, and they are no longer visible there. However, these points have not reappeared in her Citi ThankYou rewards account. When she reached out to Citi, a representative informed her that there’s no way for Citi to 'accept' the points back. As a result, Kinza's points are currently in limbo, neither with Citi nor with Flying Blue.

"Could your team investigate this situation and see if her points can be found and credited back to her Citi account? I am attaching a copy of the confirmation from Flying Blue indicating that the points have been removed from that account and sent to Citi.

"Thank you!! 😊 Michelle Couch-Friedman, consumer advocate"

The good news: Your Citi ThankYou points are back!

The Citi team reviewed the situation regarding Chaudhry's reward points and reiterated that once points are transferred to a partner, they cannot be converted back into Citi ThankYou points.

The representative I communicated with at Citi confirmed this, stating: "As outlined in the Points Transfer terms and conditions, accessible here, a request to transfer points cannot be canceled, and the points involved in such a request cannot be returned to your ThankYou account."

Nevertheless, there was still positive news for Chaudhry. Citi restored the 54,000 ThankYou points as a one-time act of goodwill.

Chaudhry is relieved that this frustrating ordeal has finally come to an end. She mentions that she will definitely think twice before attempting to book a mistake fare in the future.

What to consider before transferring points for a mistake fare

Naturally, everyone enjoys snagging a great flight deal, especially in business class. However, if an offer seems too good to be true and is likely a mistake fare, there are several important factors to consider before transferring credit card points. This is particularly relevant if the partner program isn't one you usually engage with.

Verify that the deal is accessible to you prior to transferring points

Before you take the time to move points between accounts, ensure that the deal is indeed available. Check the airline website associated with the mileage program you’re using; in some instances, you may even have the option to hold airline awards while transferring points. Some airlines permit this, while others do not.

Be ready for the possibility of a cancellation at any moment before the flight

The Department of Transportation does not mandate that airlines honor clear fare mistakes. Unfortunately, the term "clear fare mistake" lacks a precise definition from the DOT.

In the case of Flying Blue, it was evident to anyone familiar with the frequent flyer program that this could not have been a deliberate Promo Reward.

The program acted swiftly in response to the issue. Almost every passenger who seized the opportunity to book the deal had their flights canceled within a few days. (Some Flying Blue elite members were fortunate enough to retain their heavily discounted tickets.)

If you choose to gamble on booking a mistake fare, often referred to as "fat finger" deals, be aware that you might face a complete cancellation with no repercussions for the airline.

Point transfers are irreversible

Citi's refusal to permit the reversal of point transfers is a standard provision in most transferable credit card points programs. Never assume you can transfer credit card points to a partner airline or hotel program and expect to get them back if your booking falls through. In these instances, points transfers are irreversible, and Chaudhry's case was an exceptionally rare exception resulting directly from TPG's intervention.

Avoid booking nonrefundable aspects of your trip

If you opt to book a clear error fare, your plans may become uncertain. Therefore, it’s wise not to book nonrefundable hotels, car rentals, or additional flights surrounding your ticket.

In this instance, Flying Blue agreed to reimburse travelers who booked nonrefundable items alongside the fare mistake ticket, but this isn’t always guaranteed, so don’t rely on it.

Flying Blue provides a temporary dedicated email for TPG readers

After Citi resolved Chaudhry's case and I published this article, I received another request for assistance from a Chase customer who had also been entangled in this fare mistake mess.

This traveler had transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Flying Blue to take advantage of the astonishing deal. Like Chaudhry, he sought to have his points returned, and while Flying Blue acknowledged this — at least theoretically — Chase similarly refused to return them to his Ultimate Rewards account.

Concerned that this article might trigger a wave of similar inquiries to the TPG helpline, I reached out to Flying Blue's director, Ben Lipsey, to learn what options other travelers might have if their points went missing due to this issue.

Ben confirmed that Flying Blue had offered back in December to negotiate the return of all points to their original partner programs. He mentioned that since then, the Flying Blue team has manually processed hundreds of reversals, which he noted is quite an unusual (virtually unprecedented) offer.

"We still have this process available for those missing their points," Lipsey stated, "... and if [a reader] feels they are stuck in limbo, I encourage them to contact us, and we will see how we can assist."

To assist with this, Flying Blue has set up a temporary dedicated email address for any TPG reader who is still missing their points: [email protected].

Customers affected will need to provide the following information when filing a claim:

• Their Flying Blue account number
• The specifics of the mistake fare transaction
• American Express customers should also include their Membership Rewards number — this number begins with 1M for U.S. Membership Rewards accounts and CM for Canadian accounts.

This email address will remain active only until July 31, 2024, at which point the offer will also come to an end. No additional reversals related to the December 2023 fare mistake will be processed after that date.

Key takeaway

While many travelers enjoy scouring the Internet for fare mistakes — in fact, there are dedicated websites for this pursuit — seizing one of these deals carries certain risks. If you choose to proceed, be ready for the worst outcomes while hoping for the best.

If you find yourself facing challenges with an airline, cruise line, car rental company, hotel, vacation rental service, or even a credit card provider, feel free to reach out to [email protected]. I’d be glad to look into your complaint and assist you. Safe travels!