Flying Blue, the frequent flyer program of Air France and KLM, could possibly be the proper loyalty program on your subsequent redemption.
Not too long ago, this system introduced standardized saver-level transatlantic redemptions from anyplace within the U.S. to anyplace in Europe:
- 20,000 miles in economic system
- 35,000 miles in premium economic system
- 50,000 miles in enterprise class
This implies you would e book a business-class ticket from the West Coast of the U.S. to the far-flung corners of Europe for simply 50,000 miles in enterprise class every approach when there’s availability, which might be a wonderful worth redemption.
Associated: Personal suites and high-tech touches: What it is like flying Air France’s new enterprise class
Sadly, these engaging charges are for the restricted saver-level redemptions, with all different flights priced dynamically. Because of this, you may even see charges considerably increased than this, probably with an additional zero added.
To e book redemptions at saver-level charges, let us take a look at how Flying Blue costs redemptions.
How Flying Blue dynamic pricing works
A number of main loyalty packages worth their awards dynamically. They argue that redemption costs ought to rise when money fares improve (typically in periods of upper demand).
With Flying Blue’s new standardized charges, this system affords awards beginning at these charges, however particular person tickets can (and sometimes do) improve sharply from there.
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And there are some necessary traits to notice.
Flying Blue doesn’t assure any minimal variety of award seats at saver ranges
Though different European loyalty packages, similar to British Airways Government Membership, will load a assured minimal variety of seats on each flight when schedules open, Flying Blue makes no such guarantees. Even should you search 12 months upfront, the seats might solely be loaded at costs far above the saver stage.
Flying Blue has revealed a worldwide award chart displaying the saver-level pricing between totally different zones for Air France-KLM-operated flights and associate airways. Nevertheless, our searches discovered no associate redemptions at these ranges.
The brand new standardized pricing not too long ago introduced is just for flights between the U.S. and Europe.
The service generally reduces seats to saver ranges on the final minute
Whereas low-priced awards might not instantly seem in your search outcomes, they’ll pop up nearer to departure. These last-minute reductions usually tend to occur on off-peak dates, outdoors the Northern Hemisphere’s summer time interval and main holidays, and could also be restricted to flights at much less interesting occasions, similar to the primary or final flight of the day.
Nevertheless, last-minute saver seats are much less frequent with Flying Blue than they’re with another packages.
Dynamic costs are usually not tied to money costs
Many airways align money and award ticket costs very intently. For instance, Delta Air Traces will promote you a round-trip flight in Delta One enterprise class to London for $7,099 or 670,000 Delta SkyMiles plus $333. This offers you nearly precisely a 1-cent-per-mile redemption worth in comparison with the money worth.
Flying Blue is totally different. An award for a flight departing at 9 a.m. may value 200,000 Flying Blue miles, whereas a flight two hours later that very same day may value solely 100,000 Flying Blue miles, with little distinction between the money fares of the 2 flights.
It’s simpler to search out economic system and premium economic system saver awards than business-class saver awards
Like most packages, economic system and premium economic system awards to Europe are plentiful, whereas business-class awards are a lot more durable to come back by. Basically, it’s not troublesome to search out business-class awards from the East Coast outdoors of summer time, but it surely’s typically onerous to search out these awards from the West Coast, irrespective of if you plan on flying.
Flying Blue makes use of married segments when pricing awards
Simply since you discover availability on one itinerary does not imply that one (or extra) of that itinerary’s flights will carry over to different routings. This is because of “married-segment logic,” which basically implies that the value relies on the particular itinerary, not particular person segments.
For instance, say you wish to fly to Eire subsequent yr, and also you see a number of dates with saver-level availability in February from New York, connecting via both Amsterdam or Paris.
You would possibly assume that if these costs can be found, together with the additional short-haul leg to Dublin Airport (DUB), saver costs would even be accessible for simply the New York to Paris or Amsterdam legs; in spite of everything, it is just one flight somewhat than two.
Sadly, Flying Blue makes use of married-segment logic in pricing metropolis pairs in another way based mostly on what it believes to be the demand.
When you need not fear an excessive amount of about how married segments work, the lesson right here is that if you cannot discover a flight to a hub accessible for a good redemption worth, contemplate looking out with an extra short-haul leg added. You might discover a a lot lower cost, and it could possibly be definitely worth the quick detour.
Associated: 10 errors to keep away from when redeeming frequent flyer miles
All the time test the month-to-month Promo Rewards
Each month, Flying Blue publishes an inventory of metropolis pairs with discounted award pricing for a set journey interval (often just a few months), offered you e book throughout that month.
It is onerous to overstate how invaluable these Promo Rewards will be. For instance, this month, this system is providing premium economic system awards from Dallas Fort Value Worldwide Airport (DFW) to Europe for a decreased worth. As a substitute of paying the standard saver worth of 35,000 Flying Blue miles, you will solely want to make use of 26,500 miles. This implies you would fly to Paris after which to Spain for a really affordable worth.
Once you see costs even decrease than the standardized saver ranges, it is possible as a result of they’re Promo Rewards. They sometimes show as brown within the month-to-month search outcomes somewhat than inexperienced.
How you can discover saver-level area
The best method to seek for saver-level area is to make use of the Flying Blue web site in your most popular route and sophistication. Nevertheless, you will need to depart the date subject clean as you conduct your search.
Doing so will trigger the month-to-month view to indicate, permitting you to simply see which months have seats on the saver stage, plus which dates of the month they’re accessible.
You possibly can then click on your most popular date to see the flights accessible, with costs ranging from the value indicated on the calendar.
Bear in mind, too, that Flying Blue does assist you to add stopovers on award tickets for no additional cost, however you will must name so as to add one.
Additionally remember that paying the taxes and charges on Flying Blue award tickets ought to qualify as an airfare buy, so you must use a card that earns bonus rewards. Some good choices embrace:
How you can earn Flying Blue miles
You possibly can earn Flying Blue miles with the Air France-KLM World Elite Mastercard®. This card earns 3 Flying Blue miles per greenback spent on SkyTeam airfare purchases purchased instantly with a SkyTeam airline and 1.5 Flying Blue miles per greenback spent on the whole lot else.
The cardboard additionally has a strong welcome bonus of fifty,000 Flying Blue miles after spending $2,000 on the cardboard within the first three months of account opening. TPG values Flying Blue miles at 1.2 cents every, so this bonus alone is value $600.
The data for the Air France-KLM Mastercard has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
This system can be a switch associate of:
So, when you have a card just like the American Categorical® Gold Card, the Chase Sapphire Most popular Card or the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card (amongst others), you’ll be able to switch your factors or miles to Flying Blue.
Associated: How (and why) you must earn transferable factors
Backside line
Sadly, past the restricted saver-level awards, there may be little logic to how Flying Blue costs its redemptions. An award that prices 30,000 miles on sooner or later may value 300,000 miles on the subsequent.
It’s extremely irritating that there could also be no low-priced seats in premium cabins for months at a time, and costs of 250,000 miles for a seven-hour flight in economic system that may in any other case value $400 just isn’t unusual.
Happily, it’s simple to view costs by month throughout a complete yr to search out these invaluable saver-level awards. You possibly can attempt including on a short-haul flight to see extra availability, and the month-to-month Promo Rewards commonly supply spectacular worth, even on standard routes.
