The Flying Blue loyalty program is most commonly associated with Air France KLM, the company that owns KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Air France. However, Flying Blue is actually the frequent flyer loyalty program of a total of five airlines: Air France, KLM, TAROM, Transavia, and Aircalin.Flying Blue has risen in popularity in recent years, especially among North American travellers, thanks to its initiatives that include co-branded credit cards and harmonized redemption pricing.The program offers access to SkyTeam-member airlines and other affiliated airlines, such as Virgin Atlantic, through a number of transferable points currencies.Furthermore, Air France KLM Flying Blue has intriguing monthly promotions called Promo Rewards, which can offer an outstanding deal on flights to Europe.
Earning Air France KLM Flying Blue Miles
There are a number of ways to earn Flying Blue miles, but the best way is by transferring points from a partner program.
Transferring from Other Programs
The easiest way to earn Flying Blue miles is to transfer points to your account from another loyalty program. Air France KLM Flying Blue is a transfer partner with American Express in Canada and the United States, as well as a number of other US banks.You can transfer points from a number of loyalty programs into Air France KLM Flying Blue miles at the following ratios:- American Express Membership Rewards: 1 point = 0.75 Flying Blue mile
- American Express US Membership Rewards: 1 point = 1 Flying Blue mile
- Capital One Miles: 1 point = 1 Flying Blue mile
- Chase Ultimate Rewards: 1 point = 1 Flying Blue mile
- Citi ThankYou Rewards: 1 point = 1 Flying Blue mile
- Marriott Bonvoy: 60,000 points = 25,000 Flying Blue miles
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- Earn 5 Flying Blue miles per Euro spent on eligible Air France and KLM flights
- Earn 2 Flying Blue miles per dollar spent (CAD) at eligible restaurants and bars
- Earn 1 Flying Blue mile per dollar spent (CAD) on other eligible purchases
- Earn 3 Flying Blue miles per dollar spent (USD) on eligible Air France and KLM flights
- Earn 1.5 Flying Blue miles per dollar spent (USD) on other eligible purchases
Buying Miles
Air France/KLM also has frequent promotions to buy Flying Blue miles directly. The base rate is 3.35 cents (USD) per mile, but that rate can drop to as low as 1.39 cents (USD) per mile during one of the better promotions.In general, buying miles outright should only be reserved for cases where you are short for your next redemption and need an immediate top-up, or for when you’re certain that buying miles is cheaper than paying cash for the same flightFlying
Of course, you can also earn Flying Blue miles by flying on a paid ticket with Air France, KLM, or one of the many airline partners and crediting that flight to your Flying Blue account. The number of miles you’ll earn depends on the airline, the mileage flown, the class of service, the booking class, and your Flying Blue elite status.![](http://pftraveldev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DSC05775-scaled.jpg)
Other Ways to Earn Flying Blue Miles
Lastly, there are many other ways of earning Flying Blue miles, including with car rentals, shopping through the Flying Blue online shopping portal, and staying at almost any hotel. The complete list of all 65+ partners and ways to earn can be found on the KLM website.![](https://pftraveldev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-15-at-11.26.38-PM.png)
Redeeming Air France KLM Flying Blue Miles
Air France KLM Flying Blue miles can be redeemed for a number of goods and services, including hotel stays and purchases through the online Flying Blue shopping portal.However, as with most every airline loyalty program, the most valuable use of the miles is booking flights, especially in premium cabins.
Business Class Flights Between Europe and North America
There are certainly a number great flight redemption possibilities with Flying Blue as Air France and KLM fly to many North American cities, including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, and throughout the United States.![](https://pftraveldev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-16-at-6.17.40-AM.png)
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Economy Class Flights
While flying in business class will help you squeeze the most value out of your miles, perhaps one of the best uses of Flying Blue miles is for economy class flights. This is especially the case from North America to Europe, but the same can be true when flying from North America to other continents.For example, a one-way flight from Montreal to Paris in economy class can be found for as little as 20,000 miles, plus around $150 (CAD) in taxes and fees.![](https://pftraveldev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-16-at-12.02.16-PM.png)
Business Class Flights with Partner Airlines
Flying Blue miles can also be used to book partner airline flights. While there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of availability across all partner airlines, it may still be worth your time to check for your desired route.For example, if you’d like to give Virgin Atlantic Upper Class a try, and maybe even check out the airline’s flagship Clubhouse Lounge in London, you can look for flights using Flying Blue.First Class Flights with Partner Airlines
Flying Blue points can also be used to book First Class flights on select partner airlines. This has only been a possibility since the fall of 2023, when First Class award space began to appear with China Eastern, Garuda Indonesia, and Xiamen Air.It’s certainly possible that more First Class partners will become available to be booked with Flying Blue miles in the future.To search for First Class partner award flights, you’ll need to select “La Première” with Air France KLM when searching for a flight online.La Première is Air France’s First Class product, and we’ll cover this more below.Upgrade Using Flying Blue Miles
Lastly, you can also use Flying Blue miles to upgrade an economy class seat to a business class seat on Aeromexico, China Airlines, Aircalin, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Kenya Airways, Korean Air, and TAROM.Air France KLM Flying Blue Sweet Spots
Flying Blue has a few great sweet spots to keep in mind if you’re planning a trip to Europe or even within North America.
Air France La Première
Air France’s First Class product, La Première, is one of the most difficult to book using points. The airline only allows Platinum members to redeem Flying Blue miles for La Première, and even then, only one award seat is released on any given flight.Then, a one-way redemption in La Première will cost 220,000 Flying Blue miles between Paris and New York JFK, which is equivalent to a whopping 293,333 Amex MR points.![](http://pftraveldev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Air-France-La-Premiere-2.jpg)
Promo Rewards
The best way to use Flying Blue miles is to redeem them in conjunction with Promo Rewards.Promo Rewards are monthly specials that Air France KLM Flying Blue offers to its members that reduce the cost for redemptions by up to 50%.![](http://pftraveldev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screen-Shot-2024-02-01-at-7.54.26-AM.png)
Flights with Partner Airlines
Flying Blue miles can also be useful for economy class flights with Delta, either within North America, to Europe, and to South America.You may have noticed that Air France and KLM reward tickets come with moderate surcharges on award bookings. If you’re okay with flying in economy, then be sure to look out for Delta flights, which don’t come with the same burden of taxes and fees.Air France KLM Flying Blue Tips and Tricks
There are a few tips and tricks with Flying Blue that will help you reach your flying goals sooner, as well as potentially unlocking one of the most sought after First Class products in the game.
Free Stopovers
If you make a reward booking through Air France KLM Flying Blue, you can add a stopover of up to a year for free! This feature was released recently, and it has added further value to a program that’s growing in popularity.![Palais du Luxembourg](http://pftraveldev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Luxembourg-Gardens.jpg)
“Secret” Calendar Search
In search results, you’ll usually see a week’s worth of availability at a time. The lowest price for each day is displayed on each date.If you’re flexible with your dates and aren’t happy with the prices you see, you can bring up a calendar that shows the lowest prices over the course of a whole month.To do this, search for a round-trip flight on the same day. This tends to only work between destinations where it’s impossible to fly there and back in the same day.![](https://pftraveldev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-16-at-8.25.23-PM.png)
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Flying Blue Family
Flying Blue allows members to pool points between different accounts, allowing up to two adults and six children to form a family pool together.In the pool, one adult will be designated as the “Flying Blue Family Leader.” This person will be responsible for maintaining the account and is the only one who can transfer miles in between accounts.![](https://pftraveldev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-16-at-8.35.09-PM.png)
Air France KLM Flying Blue Elite Status
Like many airline loyalty programs, Flying Blue has elite status tiers that can be earned by flying with Flying Blue partner airlines.
Qualifying for Flying Blue Elite Status
You can gain Flying Blue elite status by earning Experience Points (XP), which is mostly accomplished by flying on paid flights.The number of XP you’ll earn for any given flight depends on the class of service you’re in and the distance of the flight you’re on, which is summarized in the following chart:![](https://pftraveldev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-16-at-8.37.19-PM.png)