Air France and KLM established the Air France-KLM Group and subsequently introduced their collaborative loyalty program, Flying Blue.
Although award availability may fluctuate due to dynamic pricing, Flying Blue continues to attract travelers with its extensive list of credit card transfer partners, enticing Promo Rewards, and saver-level award seats. If you’re considering redeeming your credit card points or miles with Flying Blue, here’s an essential guide to the program.
Related: Discover the best redemption rates for Flying Blue miles
Overview of the Flying Blue Program
Flying Blue is the combined loyalty program of Air France, KLM, and Transavia. Members can add their Flying Blue number when traveling on these airlines to accumulate miles and experience points for elite status. Achieving elite status enables you to leverage specific benefits across these airlines and their partner carriers.
While Flying Blue serves as the primary program for these airlines, earning miles isn’t restricted to just their flights. Numerous partner airlines, including Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic, are integrated into the SkyTeam alliance. Furthermore, Flying Blue collaborates with various non-alliance partners, such as:
- Air Corsica
- Air Mauritius
- AirBaltic
- Aircalin
- Bangkok Airways
- Chalair Aviation
- China Southern Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- El Al
- Etihad Airways
- Gol Airlines
- ITA Airways
- Japan Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Oman Air
- Qantas
- Transavia
- Twin Jet
- WestJet
- Winair
Be aware that there may be certain restrictions regarding how you can earn or redeem miles with these partners. It’s advisable to check the partner section on the Flying Blue website prior to planning your travel.
Flying Blue Elite Status Levels
Flying Blue presents four tiers of elite status: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Ultimate, which are based on the accumulation of experience points.
Flying Blue Silver
Silver is the entry-level tier for Flying Blue elite status, requiring 100 experience points. Benefits include:
- Earn 6 Flying Blue miles for every euro spent
- Complimentary standard seat selection
- Priority check-in, baggage drop, and boarding
- SkyTeam Elite perks, like a free checked bag on Flying Blue and SkyTeam partner flights
- Preferred waitlist status on flights run by Air France, KLM, or SkyTeam partners
- One extra checked bag on Air France and KLM flights
- Preferred standby status
- Extra legroom availability 24 hours prior to departure (for Air France and KLM flights)
Flying Blue Gold
Gold status requires an additional 180 experience points. You will enjoy all Silver benefits along with:
- Earn 7 Flying Blue miles for each euro spent
- Access to SkyTeam lounges for international flights operated by Flying Blue or SkyTeam carriers (for yourself and a guest)
- SkyTeam Elite Plus benefits (which include priority boarding and expedited immigration)
- Priority handling for baggage
- Extra legroom availability 72 hours before departure (for Air France and KLM flights)
Flying Blue Platinum
To achieve Platinum status, you need an additional 300 experience points, described by benefits from Gold status, plus enhancements such as:
- Earn 8 Flying Blue miles per euro spent
- Exclusive access to a Platinum Service Line for specialized assistance
- Waived fees for modifications or refunds on award bookings
- Ability to book La Première, Air France’s exclusive first-class experience, with miles
- Two additional checked bags on Air France and KLM flights
- Miles overdraft option for award tickets (up to 50,000 miles)
- Extra legroom selection at the time of booking (for Air France and KLM flights)
If you maintain Platinum status for ten consecutive years, you achieve lifetime status.
Flying Blue Ultimate
As of 2024, the program features an elite tier called Ultimate, requiring an impressive 900 experience points within a year. This tier offers all Platinum benefits plus:
- Earn 9 Flying Blue miles per euro spent
- Access to Air France and KLM lounges along with up to eight travel companions
- 24/7 support from the “Ultimate Assistant”
- Four cabin upgrade vouchers each membership year
- Ability to grant Flying Blue Platinum status to one travel companion
- Hertz Platinum status
- Complimentary onboard Wi-Fi
Explore the complete range of Flying Blue benefits on the program’s website.
Path to Flying Blue Elite Status
To achieve Flying Blue elite status, you must earn experience points. Each tier has a specific point requirement, which can be achieved through air travel and credit card spending.
Additionally, for every 2,000 miles you help mitigate through carbon reduction initiatives (like purchasing sustainable aviation fuel), you are rewarded with 1 experience point.
Gather Experience Points through Flying
The points you earn depend on the distance traveled and cabin class.
| Domestic |
Medium (0 to 2,000 miles, international) |
Long 1 (2,001 to 3,500 miles, international) |
Long 2 (3,501 to 5,000 miles, international) |
Long 3 (5,000 miles and above, international) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 2 experience points | 5 experience points | 8 experience points | 10 experience points | 12 experience points |
| Premium Economy | 4 experience points | 10 experience points | 16 experience points | 20 experience points | 24 experience points |
| Business Class | 6 experience points | 15 experience points | 24 experience points | 30 experience points | 36 experience points |
| First Class | 10 experience points | 25 experience points | 40 experience points | 50 experience points | 60 experience points |
Earn Experience Points via the Flying Blue Credit Card
Flying Blue also offers a cobranded U.S. credit card through Bank of America. One notable benefit is earning experience points through card spending with the Air France-KLM World Elite Mastercard.
Upon opening your account, you will receive 60 experience points in the first year. Then, on each account anniversary, you will earn 20 experience points. Additionally, when you spend $15,000 or more in the anniversary year, you can earn another 40 experience points.
This information regarding the Air France-KLM World Elite Mastercard has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details provided here have not been verified by or issued by the card issuer.
Earning Miles with Flying Blue
Flying Blue miles are simple to earn.
Earn Miles through Flying
Your earnings from Flying Blue miles are dependent on the airline you choose. For flights booked with Air France or KLM, the miles awarded correspond to the fare you pay (excluding taxes and fees).
The earning rate per dollar also varies by your Flying Blue status tier. Members without status, known as Flying Blue Explorer members, earn 4 miles for every euro spent. Meanwhile, those in higher tiers—Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Ultimate—earn 6, 7, 8, and 9 miles per euro spent, respectively (excluding taxes and specific fees).
When traveling with SkyTeam and non-alliance Flying Blue partners, the rules differ. For tickets marketed by another airline but credited to Flying Blue, your earnings will depend on:
- Distance flown
- Fare class
- Operating airline
- Your elite status tier
Each airline has its own mileage awarding structure for each fare class, which can be found on the Flying Blue partners page.
Earn Miles by Spending on the Flying Blue Credit Card
Another avenue to accumulate Flying Blue miles is via the previously mentioned Air France-KLM World Elite Mastercard, which earns 3 miles per dollar spent on SkyTeam airfare purchased directly from a SkyTeam airline and 1.5 miles on all other purchases.
Transfer Points into Flying Blue
Flying Blue is also a transfer partner with several credit cards, allowing you to easily convert rewards into Flying Blue miles at a 1:1 conversion rate:
Earn Miles through Hotels, Car Rentals, Shopping, and Experiences
The program encompasses numerous non-airline partners, facilitating the earning of Flying Blue miles through various activities and spending habits.
Notable earning opportunities include:
- 2 miles for every euro spent and at least 15% off select properties with Booking.com.
- 500 miles per stay at Hyatt hotels worldwide.
- 12 miles for every euro spent on electric vehicle rentals from Hertz.
- Earn miles with numerous retailers through the Shop for Miles online platform.
Check out Flying Blue’s extensive partner offerings to discover how to accumulate miles.
Redeeming Flying Blue Miles
While there are numerous ways to exchange Flying Blue miles, booking award flights is typically the most valuable use of your miles.
Flying Blue employs a dynamic pricing model, eliminating a fixed award chart. As a result, some tickets could demand a substantial number of miles (for instance, up to 100,000 miles for a one-way economy seat from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to destinations in Europe).
Nonetheless, Flying Blue frequently offers competitive pricing for various SkyTeam awards, often surpassing other major airlines like Delta and Korean Air.
Bear in mind that Air France and KLM may impose moderate fuel surcharges on select award tickets, with costs ranging from $200 to $350 for one-way business-class awards crossing the Atlantic.
Book Flights to Amsterdam, Paris, and Beyond
Although Flying Blue utilizes dynamic pricing for its awards, it has standardized the lowest saver-level pricing for one-way journeys between the U.S. and Europe as follows, regardless of starting point or destination:
- 25,000 miles for economy
- 40,000 miles for premium economy
- 60,000 miles for business class
Keep in mind that these rates apply only to the limited availability of saver-level seats. Many availability options can be found for economy and premium economy flights from the West Coast (including ones with European connections) at these newly lowered rates.
However, finding business-class saver seats can be more challenging, so consider utilizing tools like Seats.aero to check for award seat availability quickly.
Moreover, you could enjoy a brief stay in either Paris or Amsterdam thanks to the Flying Blue stopover program, granting you the chance to explore an additional city without using extra miles or cash. To set up a stopover, you’ll need to contact Flying Blue at 800-375-8723.
Redeem Miles for Air France’s La Première First Class
While KLM doesn’t operate a first-class section, Air France offers La Première, a luxurious first-class service available on specific Boeing 777-300ER flights to coveted destinations like New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Singapore.
This fantastic experience, unfortunately, comes with difficulties in booking—it can be costly, with one-way awards like Miami to Paris fetching 232,500 Flying Blue miles per passenger.
Related: Watch a video from the first flight in Air France’s La Première first class
Keep an Eye on Promo Rewards
Each month, Flying Blue unveils discounted award tickets for certain date ranges and routes. Typically, economy awards can start as low as 18,750 miles from select U.S. locations to Europe, premium economy awards from 30,000 miles, and business-class awards from 45,000 miles.
To stay updated, check the Flying Blue website for the latest Promo Rewards.
Final Thoughts
Flying Blue is an often-overlooked frequent flyer program. Monthly Promo Rewards can allow you to travel from the U.S. to Europe for as low as 20,000 miles one way. Additionally, the program offers a free stopover in Paris or Amsterdam, making it easy to explore another city without extra mileage cost.
Although Flying Blue may impose high surcharges on award redemptions, it remains a partner of every major credit card rewards program.
