Flying Blue is known for its generous promotions, and historically, the program has offered bonuses of up to 100%. If you don’t have enough miles for a specific award flight you want, now’s a good time to buy some because Flying Blue is running another promotion.
Current Promotion on Purchased Miles
Through March 9, 2025, you can purchase Flying Blue miles for a cost as low as 1.69 cents per mile, which equals a bonus of 80% over the standard rate of 3.05 cents per mile when you buy at least 24,000 miles.
Deal History of Purchased Miles
For context of the current deal, here’s the previous deal history of purchased Flying Blue miles:
- 80% bonus – February 17, 2025 to March 9, 2025
- 45% discount – November 29, 2024 to December 19, 2024
- 45% discount – October 14, 2024 to October 27, 2024
- 40% discount – July 15, 2024 to August 4, 2024
- 70% bonus – May 21, 2024 to June 16, 2024
- 35% bonus – April 4, 2024 to April 25, 2024
- 50% discount – February 6, 2024 to February 29, 2024
- 100% bonus – December 1, 2023 to December 21, 2023
- 100% bonus – October 23, 2023 to November 7, 2023
- 100% bonus – September 7, 2023 to September 27, 2023
- 100% bonus – May 22, 2023 to June 11, 2023
- 100% bonus – April 17, 2023 to April 30, 2023
- 100% bonus – February 7, 2023 to February 27, 2023
How Many Miles Can You Buy?
Flying Blue non-elite members can buy a maximum of 100,000 miles per calendar year, excluding any bonus miles.
Elite members have no limit on the number of miles they can purchase annually, but elite members may be limited on the number of bonus miles you can earn during specific promotions.
What Credit Card Should You Use to Buy Miles?
Buying Flying Blue miles goes through a third party called Points.com, which means the points you buy won’t be categorized as airfare or travel purchases.
Use a card that earns flat-rate rewards on everyday spending to maximize your points purchases. Here are great options for you to choose from:
Other Ways to Earn Flying Blue Miles
There are several other ways to earn Flying Blue miles instead of buying the miles.
You can easily transfer miles from the following rewards programs at a 1:1 ratio, except for Marriott Bonvoy which transfers at a 3:1 ratio:
- American Express Membership Rewards, which can be easily earned from cards such as the American Express Platinum Card® or American Express® Gold Card.
- Bilt Rewards, which can be easily earned from the Bilt Mastercard®.
- Capital One, which can be easily earned from the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
- Chase Ultimate Rewards, which can be easily earned from cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
- Citi ThankYou, which can be easily earned from cards such as the Citi Premier® Card.
- Marriott Bonvoy, which can easily be earned from cards such as the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, or Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.
When Do Flying Blue Miles Expire?
Air France – KLM Flying Blue has an overly complicated mileage expiration policy because it has different expiration policies for miles earned from flying and miles earned from other means, including transferring credit card points. You can reset the expiration of any miles in your account for another 24 months by (1) taking another flight on Air France, KLM, or partner airlines and crediting those miles to Flying Blue, (2) making a purchase with a Flying Blue credit card, or (3) if you have Flying Blue Silver, Gold, or Platinum status. Other mileage activity such as transferring miles, hotel stays, rental cars, and purchasing miles will not extended the life of miles earned via flying, but it will extend the miles you earned via those other non-flying activities (transferring miles, rental cars, etc.). For example, imagine you had 50,000 miles in your account from flying and 50,000 miles in your account from non-flying activities that are due to expire in a month. If you take a flight and credit it to Flying Blue, then the expiration of all 100,000 miles get extended. However, if you were to transfer new points into Flying Blue, then only the expiration for the 50,000 miles from non-flying activities would reset.
How to Redeem Flying Blue Miles
Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France, KLM, and several partner airlines, offers travelers numerous opportunities to maximize their miles. With a wide network of airline partners and easy earning options through major credit card transfer programs, Flying Blue provides excellent value for award redemptions. One of the best ways to use Flying Blue miles is through Promo Rewards, which offer discounts of up to 50% off standard award rates on select routes each month. These can yield incredible deals, such as business class flights between the U.S. and Europe for under 40,000 miles one-way. For standard redemptions, Flying Blue uses dynamic pricing but generally offers competitive rates. Flights from the U.S. to Europe start at 20,000 miles in economy, 35,000 in premium economy, and 50,000 in business class. These rates apply to destinations throughout Europe, including connecting flights, making it an excellent option for reaching various European cities. A unique sweet spot is that Flying Blue prices flights to North Africa the same as Europe, allowing travelers to visit destinations like Morocco or Tunisia for the same mileage as a European trip. The program also offers good value for flights to Hawaii on Delta, starting at 35,000 miles round-trip from the contiguous U.S. For those looking to explore beyond Europe, Flying Blue partners with airlines like Japan Airlines and Etihad Airways, opening up possibilities in Asia and the Middle East. The program also has an extensive network in Africa through partnerships with Kenya Airways and Air Mauritius, providing access to destinations that can be expensive when paying cash. While Flying Blue does impose fuel surcharges on some awards, they are generally moderate compared to other programs. Flexibility in travel dates and destinations is key to finding the best value, especially given the program’s dynamic pricing model.
