Flying Blue, the loyalty program for Air France and KLM, has raised the cost of its saver-level awards by 15-25% across all cabins.
Business class awards, which previously started at 50,000 miles each way between the U.S. and Europe, now begin at 60,000 miles. While this increase is unfortunate, it’s still a solid deal compared to cash fares that often start at $3,000 USD roundtrip.
Historically, saver-level award space for flights to Paris (CDG), Amsterdam (AMS), and beyond has been limited. However, Flying Blue has stated that the changes were made to improve availability. According to a statement provided to Frequent Miler, the adjustments have "significantly increased entry-level award availability, making it easier for members to book flights at the lowest mileage levels."
I recently faced this issue firsthand while trying to book a Starlux Airlines flight within the 72-hour window. Attempting to secure the booking online, I encountered the “Too Close to Departure” error. Determined to find an alternative, I called Alaska Airlines customer service directly, hoping they could complete the booking over the phone.
While availability improvements remain to be seen, Flying Blue’s business class awards are still among the most competitive options for travel to and from Europe. With partnerships across major credit card programs and frequent transfer bonuses, earning Flying Blue miles is relatively straightforward. That said, saver-level awards are likely to remain highly sought after.
To make sure you don’t miss out on that (still great) Flying Blue saver award space, set up Roame Alerts to be notified when space is available.
Economy and premium economy awards have also seen increases, with economy now starting at 25,000 miles (up from 20,000) and premium economy beginning at 40,000 miles (up from 35,000). However, Flying Blue sometimes runs special promo fares, such as the one in January offering economy fares as low as 15,000 miles and premium economy as low as 26,250 miles.
This change affects flights operated by Air France and KLM but does not impact partner awards.
Flying Blue’s changes may not be ideal, but with increased award availability, it’s still a program worth using to book premium travel at great rates.
