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Revenue-based on own flights, distance on partners

How to earn Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles

Air France, KLM and Transavia flights earn miles on the fare excluding taxes: 4 miles per euro for Explorer members, 6 Silver, 7 Gold, 8 Platinum and 9 Ultimate. KLM says carrier surcharges and paid extras such as bags and seats also earn, and miles post within 24 hours.

Partner flights earn by distance, cabin and airline, with a status bonus of 20% to 50%.

Official earning page: Air France: how to earn Flying Blue miles.

Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed .

How to join Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Enrol at flyingblue.com. What the program requires and offers:

  • Free. Open to anyone aged 2 or over with a mailing address in a country where the program operates.
  • One account covers Air France, KLM and Transavia.
  • No welcome bonus for joining.

Airlines whose flights earn miles here

Flights on these carriers can be credited to Air France-KLM Flying Blue by adding your number to the booking.

  • Delta
  • Aerolíneas Argentinas
  • Aeromexico
  • Air Europa
  • China Airlines
  • China Eastern
  • Garuda Indonesia
  • Kenya Airways
  • Korean Air
  • Middle East Airlines
  • SAS
  • Saudia
  • TAROM
  • Vietnam Airlines
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • Xiamen Airlines
  • Aircalin
  • Airlink
  • Copa
  • GOL

SkyTeam members plus the non-alliance partners with pages on airfrance.us. Flying Blue's own partner list loads only with JavaScript.

Where else Air France-KLM flights can be credited

  • Delta SkyMiles

    Air France flights earn 25% to 300% of distance by fare class in SkyMiles and KLM flights 25% to 200%, with separate intra-Europe tables. Award tickets earn nothing. SkyMiles never expire.

  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

    Air France long-haul earns 500% of distance in La Première or business and 50% in economy for Red members. Reward flights earn nothing.

  • Korean Air SKYPASS

    Air France earns 20% to 165% of distance by booking class.

Which program should I select for Air France-KLM flights?

Business class on Air France or KLM: Virgin Atlantic's 500% of distance is hard to beat. Paris to New York in business (3,630 miles) earns about 18,150 Virgin Points, against 8 Flying Blue miles per euro at Platinum and 4 at Explorer.

Cheap economy: Delta or Flying Blue depending on fare class. A €400 Paris to New York economy fare earns 1,600 Flying Blue miles for an Explorer member; the same flight in a 50% SkyMiles class earns about 1,815, and Virgin Atlantic pays 50% too.

Credit to Flying Blue when you want XP for status, which accrue only here, or when you fly enough for the Silver to Ultimate bonuses. Explorer miles expire after two years without an earning activity; SkyMiles do not expire.

Claiming miles after the flight

Claim window: 6 months from the flight.

  • Submit the retro claim form on flyingblue.com, with the ticket number and boarding pass for partner flights.
  • Air France and KLM flights usually post within 24 hours, so wait a few days before claiming; partner claims need supporting documents.
  • The terms do not say whether flights before joining count.

Source: Flying Blue: retro claim form. Every program's window is compared on the missing miles page.

Ways to earn miles without flying

Uber

In France and the Netherlands, linked Uber accounts earn 1 mile per euro on rides (Priority, Comfort, Berline, Taxi, Van and Reserve in France, all products in the Netherlands) and 2 per euro for the rest of the month and three more months after four rides in a month. Uber Eats is excluded, per Uber's Flying Blue page and Air France's Uber page.

Hotels and cars

Hotel bookings and car rentals through the Flying Blue hotel and car rental pages earn miles per stay or per rental.

Credit cards

The Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard in the US and co-brand cards in France and the Netherlands earn miles and XP, listed on the financial partners page.

Shopping

Online retailers pay miles through the shopping page.

MilesGrow, Buy Miles and Accelerate

A monthly subscription, one-off purchases and post-flight boosts sell miles; prices show after login.

Bank point transfers

Chase (1:1), Amex (1:1), Capital One (1:1), Citi (1:1), Bilt (1:1), Wells Fargo (ratio not stated), Marriott (3:1) transfer into Air France-KLM Flying Blue. See the transfer partner matrix and how transfers work.

Booking awards with the miles

Booking window: Not confirmed; flyingblue.com could not be read. Change fee: Fee not confirmed; a change cancels the ticket and issues a new one. Cancellation: Fee not confirmed; allowed in full before the first flight, subject to the fare conditions. The full rules are on the award fees table and the availability guide.

Using the miles you earn

See the Air France-KLM Flying Blue award chart for what the miles buy, what they are worth, and what Points Plug pays for a balance you will not use.

Earning Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles: FAQ

Do Flying Blue miles expire?
Explorer members' miles are valid for two years, and any earning transaction, including a linked Uber ride, extends them.
Can I credit a Delta flight to Flying Blue?
Yes. Delta is a SkyTeam partner and earns by distance, cabin and fare class. The Delta chart on flyingblue.com could not be read, so check it before deciding.
What is the difference between Miles and XP?
Miles are the spendable currency and XP are status points; both accrue on flights. Only flights credited to Flying Blue earn XP.
How fast do Flying Blue miles post?
Within 24 hours for Air France and KLM flights, per KLM. Partner flights take weeks and can be claimed for six months.

Sources

Other SkyTeam programs