The Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® can be a good option if you want to earn Flying Blue miles and fly Air France or KLM a few times per year.
It offers extra miles on Air France, KLM, and SkyTeam flights, in addition to the ability to earn XP towards elite status.
This article will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
Welcome Bonus
The Air France KLM Mastercard® currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you make $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening. Plus, get 60 XP (Experience Points) upon approval.
That is enough XP for Air France Silver Elite status.
Earning Points
The Air France KLM Mastercard® earns miles at the following rates:
- 3 miles per dollar for purchases directly on Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and SkyTeam member airlines; and
- 1.5 miles per dollar on all other purchases.
Annual Fee
The Air France KLM card has a $89 annual fee.
Card Benefits and Perks
Below are the card benefits and perks of the Air France KLM Mastercard®:
5,000 Mile Bonus
Cardmembers can earn 5,000 miles on your account anniversary after you spend at least $50 or more in a anniversary year.
Earn XP Towards Elite Status
You can also earn 20 XP on your account anniversary every year without any spend requirement.
Plus, you can earn an additional 40 XP on your account anniversary when you spend $15,000 in purchases within the cardmember year.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
World Elite Mastercard Benefit
This card is a World Elite Mastercard, which gets you access to these special benefits and discounts:
- DoorDash: Automatically get $5 off your first DoorDash order each month.
- Lyft: Take 3 rides in one calendar month and pay with your World Elite Mastercard to earn a $5 Lyft credit.
- Fandango: Spend $20 at Fandango or on Fandango’s streaming service and get a $5 Fandango Reward.
- ShopRunner: ShopRunner is an online membership that unlocks free 2-day shipping and free returns at dozens of top stores, including Under Armour, Cole Hann, Bloomingdale’s, and more.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- 1.5 miles per dollar on everyday spending.
- Ability to earn XP for elite status.
- Nice welcome bonus.
- Ability to earn extra points on all SkyTeam airlines (including Delta).
Cons:
- Lack of travel and purchase protections.
- $89 annual fee.
- No free bags or priority boarding (except via elite status)
Alternatives to the Air France KLM Card
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Better for Travel Spending and Protections
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- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses.
For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services, and 2x on all other travel purchases.
Cardholders will also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, a 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription when activated by December 31, 2024, and a $50 anniversary hotel statement credit.
Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Better for Airport Lounge Access
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) is a premium travel rewards card that’s perfect for travelers who want outstanding travel perks like annual travel credits, worldwide airport lounge access, and travel and purchase protections.
The Venture X earns 2x miles on all purchases helping you maximize every dollar of your spending. Plus, you can earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One.
The card has a $395 annual fee, completely offset by a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, and 10,000 points (worth at least $100) for each account anniversary.
Plus, you get airport lounge access via Priority Pass, Capital One, and Plaza Premium Lounges, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, rental car insurance, trip and luggage insurance, cell phone insurance, and purchase protection.
Bilt Mastercard®
Better for No Annual Fee
- Pay Rent Without Fees and Earn 1 Point Per Dollar on Rent (up to 50,000 Points Per Calendar Year)
- No Annual Fee
- 3x Points on Dining
- 2x Points on Travel
- Transfer Rewards to Airlines and Hotels
- Cell Phone, Primary Rental Car, and Trip Delay Insurance
Bilt Mastercard® is a no-annual-fee credit card that allows you to pay rent without a transaction fee and earn 1 point per dollar on rent (up to 50,000 points per calendar year).
You also earn 3x points on dining, 2x points on travel, and 1x points everywhere else.
The Bilt Rewards card also has great benefits for a no-annual fee card, including cell phone insurance, primary rental car insurance, 90-day purchase protection, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and no foreign transaction fees.
Plus, you can transfer your points to airline and hotel partners such as United Airlines, American Airlines, and World of Hyatt. Or redeem the points for travel or at Amazon.
Is the Air France KLM Mastercard Worth It?
The Air France KLM Mastercard® can be a good option for the first year to get the welcome bonus, but unless you fly Air France or KLM several times per year, a general travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is a better deal.
