#4 Among Airlines
Point Value
1.3 ¢
Program Score
7.8
Flying Blue offers competitive international awards, with especially strong value on select partner flights
Flying Blue (Air France-KLM) associated alliance is SkyTeam Alliance
Visit SkyTeam Alliance
Flying Blue is the combined loyalty program for Air France and KLM. You can earn Flying Blue miles by flying either airline or one of their SkyTeam or non-alliance partners, using a co-branded credit card, or transferring points from any of the major transferable points programs.
Miles earned on Air France or KLM are tied to how much you spend on your ticket and your Flying Blue status level. Qualifying spend includes the fare and carrier surcharges but excludes government taxes and fees.
Flying Blue has only one co-branded credit card — the Air France/KLM World Elite Mastercard. You can use it to earn Flying Blue miles that can be redeemed for flights on Air France, KLM, or any of their many partners.
Flying Blue is a transfer partner of Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, and Rove. This gives travelers plenty of opportunities to transfer points for top-ups or full award bookings, which helps offset the limited co-branded card options.
Flying Blue is part of the SkyTeam alliance and also partners with several airlines outside the alliance. You can earn Flying Blue miles when flying with eligible partners, with earning rates varying by airline, distance, fare class, and other factors. See the earning structure for each partner here.
Use Flying Blue Family
Flying Blue Family lets one adult create a family group that includes one additional adult and up to six children. The Flying Blue Family leader can transfer some or all of another member's miles into their own account at no cost. Members can only belong to one Flying Blue Family at a time and must remain in the group for at least six months.
The Flying Blue Family leader must be at least 18 years old and have been a Flying Blue member for at least 24 hours before creating a family. Members must belong to Flying Blue for at least seven days before their miles can be transferred, and the first transfer to the leader's account can take up to 72 hours.
Flying Blue Family is especially valuable for households that earn transferable points through programs that don't allow points sharing, like American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, or Bilt Rewards. Each member can transfer points from their own transferable currency to their own Flying Blue account, and the family leader can then transfer those miles into a single account for award bookings.
Transfer miles outside your Flying Blue Family
Flying Blue also lets members buy, gift, or transfer miles for a fee. Because Flying Blue Family provides free transfers within the group, paid transfers generally only make sense when sending miles to someone outside your Flying Blue Family and only for small top ups.
Air France/KLM World Elite Mastercard
Special Offers Related to Flying Blue (Air France-KLM). Click the arrow to see more.
September 10 Update: Following Flying Blue's September 8 introduction of Light, Standard, and Flex awards, these Promo Rewards are pricing as Standard fares rather than the more restrictive Light fares we initially expected. That means they include a checked bag and standard seat selection at check-in, while changes and refunds are available for a €70 fee. We found September Economy Promo Rewards pricing at 18,750 miles even when the corresponding Light fare costs 25,000 miles and the regular Standard fare costs 30,000 miles. We are not sure whether this is intentional on Flying Blue's part, but we will keep an eye on the pricing throughout the month and will be very interested to see how Promo Rewards price in October.
Flying Blue has released its September 2026 Promo Rewards, offering up to 25% off select Air France and KLM award flights between Europe and North America. Economy awards start at 18,750 miles each way from East Coast cities like New York, Washington, and Miami; Midwest cities like Chicago and Detroit; and West Coast cities including Los Angeles, while Montreal is also available for 18,750 miles and San Diego for 30,000 miles. Premium economy awards start at 30,000 miles each way from Boston, New York, Toronto, San Francisco, and Vancouver, while San José is also included in this month's promotions. Business class options include Minneapolis and Mexico City for 45,000 miles each way. Book by September 30, 2026 for travel through February 28, 2027. If you're interested in any of these awards, we'd recommend booking before September 8, when Flying Blue introduces its new Light awards. After that date, these lowest promo prices will come with reduced benefits, including no changes or refunds, reduced baggage allowances, no advance seat selection, and no lounge access even in business class. To get the same benefits Flying Blue awards offer today, you'll need to book a Standard award, which is expected to cost roughly 25-30% more miles. Promo Rewards are valid on Air France- and KLM-operated flights to or from Europe and can include connecting flights within Europe through Paris or Amsterdam.
Amex is targeting certain cardholders with a new offer to earn 20,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $1,000 or more directly with Air France or KLM. You must book by September 30, 2026, and eligible flights must originate in the U.S., be charged in U.S. dollars, and be booked directly through Air France or KLM, but the actual travel can take place later. With the increase in taxes and fees on Air France and KLM awards, you could also trigger the bonus by paying $1,000 or more in taxes and fees on an award booking. If you happen to be targeted on an Amex Platinum card, you'll also earn 5X Membership Rewards on the airfare purchase as part of the card's benefits, bringing your total to at least 25,000 points on $1,000 in eligible spending.
Fly in economy from the U.S. to any destination served by Air France or KLM and earn 10,000 bonus Flying Blue miles as long as at least one segment routes through Paris or Amsterdam. You must be a U.S. resident, book a new eligible cash ticket before August 31, 2026, and complete travel by January 31, 2027. The offer is valid on both one-way and round-trip flights and applies only to Air France- or KLM-operated and marketed flights. This is a strong promo given that some eligible one-way fares can be relatively inexpensive, making 10,000 bonus miles a very good return on the cash spent.
Flying Blue is the latest airline to add "Light" fares, essentially basic fares, to its lowest-priced Air France and KLM awards starting September 8, 2026. These new Light fares will be available in all cabin classes and cannot be changed or refunded. They also come with fewer benefits, including reduced baggage allowances, no advance seat selection without paying, and no lounge access even when flying business class. The next step up will be a Standard award with the same benefits Flying Blue awards generally offer today, but expect to pay roughly 25-30% more miles when Light pricing is available. For example, New York to Paris business class will cost 60,000 miles as a Light award when Saver pricing is available, while the Standard fare will cost 75,000 miles and include the same benefits that today's 60,000-mile Saver award offers. The good news is that Light fares will only apply to the lowest-priced Air France and KLM awards, while higher-priced awards will continue to book as Standard when no Saver awards are available. Partner awards are also unaffected. Platinum elite members will still retain benefits like free changes and cancellations even when booking a "Light" fare. Overall, this is a devaluation for anyone who values the flexibility of Flying Blue's lowest-priced awards, as comparable Standard awards will now cost around 25-30% more than they do today.
Redeeming Flying Blue miles for flights on Air France, KLM, and partner airlines is generally the best use of your miles. Award pricing varies by route, date, operating airline, and availability, so flexible travelers can often find substantially different mileage prices and cash costs for similar trips.
Searching for award flights is straightforward:
Air France and KLM-operated reward flights offer three fare types: Light, Standard, and Flex. Light requires the fewest miles and offers the fewest benefits, while Standard and Flex add baggage, flexibility, and other benefits depending on the cabin.
On the lowest-priced regular long-haul awards we found, Standard required 20%-25% more miles than Light. Flex required about 47%-70% more miles than Standard but reduced taxes, fees, and surcharges by roughly 60%-90% in our searches.
For example, a U.S.-Europe Business award we found cost:
Promo Rewards can change that relationship. In our September 2026 searches, we found Economy Promo Rewards offered as Standard fares for 18,750 miles when the same flight cost 25,000 miles for Light and 30,000 miles for the regular Standard fare. It is not yet clear whether future Promo Rewards will follow the same pricing structure (and we'll update this in October when that month's promo awards come out).
Don't assume the Light fare provides the best overall value just because it normally requires the fewest miles. Compare the mileage price, cash cost, and included benefits of each tier before booking, then choose the option that best fits your trip and priorities.
Partner-operated awards do not use the same Light, Standard, and Flex structure. The partner awards we found were offered as Standard fares, with benefits and change and cancellation rules varying by operating airline. Award pricing and cash costs also varied significantly by airline and route.
Partner awards can sometimes provide a better combination of mileage price, cash cost, and benefits than Air France or KLM awards. For example, we found Delta Economy awards from the U.S. to Paris for 25,500-32,000 miles plus about $35-$40 in taxes, fees, and surcharges. These were available from Delta hubs and other U.S. cities, with connecting itineraries from smaller airports also available near the lower end of Flying Blue's pricing.
By comparison, the lowest regular Air France and KLM Economy awards we found to Europe cost 25,000 miles for Light or 30,000 miles for Standard, often with more than $100 in taxes, fees, and surcharges. That makes it worth comparing partner-operated flights even when Air France or KLM serves the same destination.
We found a similar pattern on some awards to North Asia, where Delta and Korean Air Economy awards carried low mileage prices and around $35 in taxes, fees, and surcharges, while Japan Airlines awards cost more miles and hundreds of dollars in taxes, fees, and surcharges.
You can also redeem Flying Blue miles for:
These options provide poor value and should generally be avoided unless you need to use a small number of leftover miles.
Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.
Flying Blue lets you add a complimentary stopover of 24 hours or more in Amsterdam or Paris on reward tickets. You need to contact Flying Blue customer service by phone to book it.
Flying Blue releases monthly Promo Rewards with discounted award tickets on select routes and travel dates, often around 25% off. Check current promos before booking, especially for travel between the U.S. and Europe, where discounts can reduce already-low award prices even further.
Air France and KLM usually show award availability one week at a time, but you can often view a monthly calendar by leaving the date field blank. Search for one passenger first, then enter your city pair and click search.
Create a Flying Blue Family Group with one other adult and up to six children to be able to transfer miles between members. This can help combine balances before booking an award.
Flying Blue is best for more advanced points users who have been in the hobby for a while. You need to understand how to navigate partner bookings to take full advantage of award redemptions, since many of the best sweet spots come from SkyTeam partners. The program uses dynamic pricing, but it does have standardized minimum redemptions for saver awards, which are more common in economy than in premium cabins.
If you’re flexible with travel dates, Flying Blue can be especially valuable. Their monthly Promo Rewards often discount award prices by as much as 25%, frequently on routes between North America and Europe. These deals can bring business class redemptions below what competitors typically charge. While Flying Blue does pass along surcharges, they are lower than programs like British Airways or Virgin Atlantic. Being a transfer partner of every major credit card system also boosts its value, making it easy to top up for high-value redemptions.
Flying Blue has four elite status levels beyond the basic Explorer tier you receive when you sign up. Each level offers different perks and benefits. To reach each tier, you must earn Experience Points (XPs).
You can earn XPs on eligible flights with Air France, KLM, and SkyTeam partners. The number of XPs you earn depends on the partner airline, your cabin class, and the type of flight. You can also earn XPs through spending on the Air France/KLM World Elite Mastercard.
Below are the Elite Status levels, what it takes to reach each one, and what you receive with each level
Flying Blue miles expire after 2 years of inactivity. If you plan to cancel the Air France/KLM World Elite Mastercard, remember that it’s the only co-branded card available. Fortunately Flying Blue partners with all major credit card rewards programs, so it’s easy to transfer points from other systems and continue booking award flights on Air France, KLM, and their many partners.
Yes. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Flying Blue, along with points from every major credit card reward program. Flying Blue partners with Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Citi, and Wells Fargo, which makes it one of the most flexible and valuable airline loyalty programs.
You cannot book Air France flights directly with Delta SkyMiles. But because Delta is part of SkyTeam, you can book Delta flights through Air France or KLM using Flying Blue miles. You can also use Delta SkyMiles to book Air France and KLM flights through Delta’s site.
Since Flying Blue is the shared program for Air France and KLM, you must search through either airline’s website. Log in with your Flying Blue number and password, then book award flights on Air France, KLM, or any partner airline that shows available award space.
You can access Air France lounges when flying in La Première or Business Class on eligible fares. Status members also receive access: Flying Blue Ultimate, Platinum, Gold, and SkyTeam Elite Plus all qualify. These levels offer lounge access when traveling.
The lowest price you’ll find for an Air France award is 7,500 miles for a one-way short-haul economy flight. These redemptions typically appear during Flying Blue’s monthly Promo Rewards, so they aren’t guaranteed but are great deals when available.
Tracking Points & Transfer Options
