Flying Blue® - Air France

Program Review

Air France was founded in 1933 and has a fleet of 233 different aircrafts. This airline serves 36 destinations in France and offers worldwide passenger transportation services to 168 destinations in 93 countries. It carried a total of 46, 803, 000 passengers in 2015. Ranked as the largest European airline, Air France has 25.5% of the total market share, and it was the largest airline in the world in terms of operating revenue. This airline operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing widebody jets on long-haul routes, using Airbus A320 family aircraft on short-rout hauls. This airline’s frequent flyer rewards program, which is known as Flying Blue, offers a number of different benefits to those who sign up for it. This article will discuss some of the benefits of signing up for the Flying Blue program.

Flying Blue Program

Air France’s Flying Blue rewards program was created when this airline merged their FreqencePlus program with KLM’s Flying Dutchman back in 2005. It is definitely one of the most popular frequent flyer programs in the industry. With over 100 different partners, this airline offers Flying Blue members quite a few benefits. Members of this program have the ability to accumulate points that can be used for award flights, hotel bookings, and much more.

Earning Flying Blue miles

You will discover that there are numerous ways to go about earning miles/points as a member of the Flying Blue program. You can earn Award Miles whenever you fly with Air France, KLM, or any other partner airline. Earning miles is very easy and simple. All you need to do is submit your Flying Blue member number when you book your flight. If you forget to do this, you will still be able to claim your missing miles within 6 months by filling out a form on Air France’s official website. Flights with Air France, KLM, and Sky Team partners will also earn you Level Miles. You will find that Level Miles will help you to maintain and upgrade your membership level so you can keep working your way up. Level Miles can be earned on qualifying flights with Air France, KLM, and partners. The more of these points you earn, the higher your membership level is going to be. As soon as you qualify for a higher membership level, you will get a new membership card to reflect the change. Every single time you earn or spend Miles, your Miles are credited to or deducted from your Miles balance.

Redeeming Miles

While it’s true that the Flying Blue website doesn’t have a full Award Chart that you can reference, they do have a miles calculator that you can use. You should be able to acquire the required miles of your desires redemption airlines by using this calculator.
There are certain redemption routes that are better than others, and it is important that you which ones to take. With North America to Hawaii, you will be able to choose Delta flight, and even without any fuel surcharges, one-way 15,000 miles is a great overall deal. When you are going from U.S. to Mexico, you can earn up to 12.5k miles one way. You will be able to use the Award Miles that you accrue over time to book an award flight with Air France, KLM, or one of their partners. The number of Miles you need will depend on your desired destination. And while many people choose to use their miles to pay for a flight, you can also use them to towards extra baggage, extra legroom, lounge access, seat in a row of 2, flight upgrade, a la carte meals, economy comfort, and shopping in the air. Another option that you have when it comes to redeeming your Miles is to use them for booking hotels, rental cars, and other products and services. You can also choose to donate your miles to charity if you are so inclined. If you want to use your Miles towards a flight, you can book your Award Ticket on www.KLM.com, or Air France’s official website. You will be required to enter your Flying Blue login details first.

Routing Rules

Members of Air France’s Flying Blue program will find that stopovers are allowed, but you will only be able to open-jaw on destinations and within the same award region. Also, you will not be able to book a stopover online.

Redeem on Upgrades

Those who accumulate points with Air France’s Flying Blue rewards program will be able to use their points for upgrades on flights. It is important to keep in mind that upgrade awards are subject to availability. All paid booking classes with Air France and KLM are eligible for an upgrade award booking. Upgrade awards are offered on the basis of a one-way journey from zone to zone. If you have booked a roundtrip ticket and want to travel in a higher class both ways, upgrades must be requested for the segments of the out and inbound flights.

Booking Fees & Charges

One of the great things about Air France’s Flying Blue program is that there aren’t any fees for booking at the last minute. Stopovers need to be booked over the phone though. There is a $70 charge for flights/cancellation, and a $20 fee for holding online reservations for up to 14 days before payment.

Elite Levels

There are four different Elite Tiers that you can work your way up to. Everyone who signs up for the Flying Blue program starts out at the Ivory/entry level. There is also the Silver level, Gold level, and Platinum Level. You will need 25,000 Level Miles or 15 qualifying flights to move up to the Silver Level (Elite). Those who want to move up to the Gold Level (Elite Plus) will need 40,000 Level Miles or 30 qualifying flights. The Platinum Level requires 70,000 Level Miles or 60 qualifying flights. Every level has a threshold, which is to say that you will need a certain amount of Level Miles or qualifying flights to reach them respectively. On December 31 each year, your Level Miles and qualifying flights balance from the previous 12 months is checked. To maintain your membership level, you will need to have reached either of these two thresholds.

Benefits of Flying Blue Program

One of the best things about the Air France Flying Blue rewards program is that there are so many different ways to go about earning miles/points. While other airline frequent flyer programs typically limit the number of ways you can earn points, that is not the case with this program. You will be able to use the points you accrue in this program towards award flights, class upgrades, hotel bookings, car rentals, and much more. Another great benefit of the Flying Blue program is that there is no charge for stopovers, so you will be able to save as much money as possible when redeeming your awards flights. There are also no last minute booking fees, which is just another way for you to save money. As you work your way up the various elite membership levels, you will be able to enjoy more and more significant benefits, including earning more points when you travel with Air France or one of their partners.