What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles

Earning 60,000 Flying Blue Miles quickly

With American Express Membership Rewards Cards

In Canada, the most common way to earn Flying Blue miles is through American Express Membership Rewards cards. Membership Rewards points can be converted into Flying Blue Miles at a ratio of 1,000 Membership Rewards points = 750 Flying Blue Miles.

Therefore, you need 80,000 Membership Rewards to get 60,000 Flying Blue Miles.

American Express Credit Cards are known to offer generous welcome bonuses. A favourite of mine has always been The Platinum Card^® since the bonus is constantly relatively high.

With the current promotion, you can earn 80,000 Welcome Bonus points after you charge $7,500 in net purchases to your Card in your first 3 months of Card membership.

This means you will get between 87,500 to 102,500 Membership rewards since the spending you have to make to unlock the bonus will also generate points; the difference will depend on the earning categories accelerator.

So, The Platinum Card^® will give you between 65,625 to 76,875 Flying Blue Miles upon unlocking the bonus.

The Platinum Card^® comes with a high fee. However, various perks will offset it, such as the $200 annual travel credit, unlimited access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide (including the Air France Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau), multiple Amex promotional offers, etc.

If you are travelling as a family, both adults should subscribe to a card to double the amount of Flying Blue Miles. Should you need more than that, you can sign up for the other American Express Cards available:

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
American Express Platinum Card^® Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$799	Welcome offer Up to 100,000 points	Apply NowCompare
Business Platinum Card^® from American Express Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$799	Welcome offer Up to 120,000 points	Apply NowCompare
American Express^® Gold Rewards Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$250	Welcome offer Up to 60,000 points	Apply NowCompare
American Express^® Business Gold Rewards Card^® Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$199	Welcome offer Up to 70,000 points	Apply NowCompare
American Express Cobalt^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$191.88	Welcome offer Up to 15,000 points	Apply NowCompare

With Air France KLM Flying Blue Card

If you regularly buy Flights with Air France KLM, you should apply for the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard. With this Card, you earn 30 XP per year for your Flying Blue Elite Status. And you earn 5 Miles per euro spent on Air France KLM flights.

You can also earn more Miles with InCard and eShop offers.

Compare

Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard^®

Brim Flying Blue First-Year Annual Fee Rebate

Annual fee: $0 $132No annual fee the first year; No annual fee the first year
Our valuation: $132Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueAnnual fee rebated$132Total$132Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.; Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueAnnual fee rebated$132Total$132Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer: First Year Annual Fee Rebate; $132 annual fee rebated

With the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard^®, you can earn Flying Blue Miles on all your purchases:

2 miles per dollar on food and drinks
1 Mile per dollar for all other purchases (including at Costco)

As an Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard credit cardholder, you earn 30 XP per year to help you qualify for Flying Blue Elite Status.

This card comes with many insurance coverages for your purchases and travels.

Legal

60 XP as a welcome bonus

Annual fee

Primary card$132

Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$80,000

Household$150,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

2xRestaurants
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$490

2nd Year Value$283

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Travel medical (65+)Up to $5,000,000 / 3 days

Trip CancellationUp to $2,000

Trip InterruptionUp to $2,000

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $1,000

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500

Travel AccidentUp to $150,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionUp to $999 / 90 days

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,500 / 1 years

Auto Rental CollisionUp to $85,000 / 48 days

Round-trip fares for 60,000 Flying Blue Miles or less

Europe

With 60,000 Flying Blue Miles or less, you can redeem for pretty much anywhere in Europe or up to two round-trip flights. Indeed, one-way fares start at 15,000 Flying Blue Miles. Various dates are available whether you are looking for a short-term escape or peak summertime.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul cdg calendar

So, you can either travel to Europe twice with the welcome bonus you get from The Platinum Card^® or bring a companion along for the cost of $499, which is the net annual fee you are paying when subscribing to the card.

When considering the rise in airfare prices, $499 is a bargain for two round trips to Europe.

Here are a few destinations available at the low price of 30,000 Flying Blue Miles per person for a return flight to the Old Continent.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul lis en

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul ams en

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul ath en

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul bcn en

There is a direct flight form Quebec City to Paris on Air France, and the low fare also applies from there!

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yqb cdg en

Can’t find low fares to where you want to go, such as Croatia or Italy? You can use a low-cost carrier to get you anywhere you desire from Paris or Amsterdam, Flying Blue’s main hubs, and the one-way flights towards them from Montreal and Quebec are often priced at 15,000 Flying Blue Miles.

And with Promo Rewards, it can go as low as 7,500 Flying Blue Miles, like this example between Montreal and Nice via Paris:

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Air France YUL CDG NCE Award Promo Details FR

Morocco

You can find fares at 16,000 Flying Blue Miles to Morocco or 32,000 for the round-trip ticket.

This means that you would be able to get two flights with the welcome bonus of The Platinum Card^® since the purchase you make to unlock the bonus will also generate points. Even if you spend solely on the 1X category, you will earn enough to bring someone with you or go twice.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul cnm en

New York City

Delta Airlines link Montreal and JFK airport. A one-way flight to the Big Apple costs 10,500 Flying Blue Miles, which means you could get up to 3 round trips with The Platinum Card^®’s welcome bonus.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul nyc en

Mexico City

Looking for some sun and something more exotic? You can fly one-way to Mexico City with 18,500 Flying Blue Miles or 37,000 return with Aeromexico.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul mex en

Ecuador and Colombia

Using Flying Blue Miles to the northern South American countries is another option. You can travel with 22,500 Miles for a one-way or 45,000 Miles return to Bogota.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul bog en

Reaching Ecuador is a bit more expensive than Colombia, but you can get away with 30,000 Flying Blue Miles for a one-way and the same price back, making the most of your The Platinum Card^® welcome bonus.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul uio en

French Polynesia

The availability of these low fares to French Polynesia is scarce, but you can fly round-trip to the exotic islands for less than 60,000 Flying Blue Miles from Los Angeles!

If you are travelling from Canada, you will need to purchase a positioning flight to the city of the Angels which you can easily do with other programs such as Aeroplan since Air Canada links LAX with many major airports in the country.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Lax ppt en

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Ppt lax en

Oceania and the South Pacific

You can redeem Flying Blue Miles for round-trip tickets from Australia and New Zealand to the South Pacific on Air New Zealand and Aircalin.

Or you can employ them to hop around the different islands by using Noumea, Aircalin’s hub, as a base.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Akl nou en

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Nou bne en

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Flying blue partner aircalin

One-way fares for 60,000 Flying Blue Miles or less

Africa

Paris and Amsterdam are major hubs for connecting flights from North America to Africa. Therefore, you can find one-way fares for 35,000 Flying Blue Miles to African Safari gateways such as Nairobi, Cape Town or Johannesburg.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul nbo en

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul cpt en

Asia

Similarly, you can travel to popular destinations in Asia for 35,000 Flying Blue Miles on a one-way flight, such as Vietnam, Singapore and Japan. Once in South-East Asia, you can take a low-cost carrier to go to wherever you wish.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul sgn en

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul sin en

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul nrt en

This can be an excellent alternative as these places, especially Japan, are very trendy, and prices can be very high in other programs; having American Express Membership Rewards in your pocket gives you the flexibility to choose the best program for your trip at the most crucial point which is when you are looking for availability and pricing.

South America

Flying Blue Miles can be an excellent way to travel to South America such as Brazil, Chile or Argentina, to experience the colourful carnival, explore the beauty of Patagonia or embark on an Antarctica cruise. SkyTeam partners such as Aerolineas Argentinas and Delta Airlines allow you to redeem less than 60,000 miles for a one-way flight to Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Buenos Aires, and other regional destinations.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul eze en

Family Sweet Spots

It is worth mentioning that Flying Blue’s perfect for families with children aged 11 years old or less, as their tickets are discounted. Therefore, with fewer than 60,000 Flying Blue Miles, you can purchase 4 one way to Europe for your family trip.

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Yul cdg family

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - France family

With two adults contributing to the Flying Blue Miles balance, you can earn enough for the return tickets.

Furthermore, booking with Flying Blue entitles you for checked luggage which can be significant savings for the family!

Each month, Flying Blue has Promo Rewards, which gives you significant discounts.

For April 2023, you can travel from Montreal to Europe in economy for 50% fewer Miles! As a result, 60,000 Flying Blue Miles would be enough for 4 round trips!

What to do with 60,000 Flying Blue Miles - Screenshot 2023 04 01 at 1.02.23 pm

You can find more about the promotion here:

Bottom Line

The Flying Blue program has various great uses, mainly with its low cost to Europe and the monthly Promo Rewards. With the Air France-KLM Flying Blue credit card, you can get More Miles when you buy Air France KLM flights or through InCard and eShop offers. And you have many opportunities to earn Flying Blue Miles with American Express in Canada and France. Or you can buy Flying Blue Miles.

Indeed, they have a lot of fantastic bonuses that can fly the whole family to Europe when paired with amazing Promo Rewards like the current one!

In addition to bonus miles, the ability to earn 5 Membership Rewards per dollar with the American Express Cobalt^® Card on basics such as groceries, restaurants and various other things with gift cards (Amazon, fuel, SAQ, Netflix, etc.) means that you can 3.75 Flying Blue Miles per dollar!

Again, we see that Membership Rewards are so versatile and useful since you don’t have to decide what kind of points you need until the time for redemption.

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
American Express Cobalt^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$191.88	Welcome offer Up to 15,000 points	Apply NowCompare
American Express Platinum Card^® Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$799	Welcome offer Up to 100,000 points	Apply NowCompare
Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard^® Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$132 $0	Welcome offer No welcome offer	Apply NowCompare

Go further with Flying Blue

To maximize your Flying Blue Miles earning, check our complete Flying Blue program guide and our best credit cards to earn Flying Blue Miles in Canada ranking. And if a Miles purchase promotion is running, take advantage via our Flying Blue Miles purchase guide with Air France.

Compare

American Express Cobalt^® Card

American Express Amex Membership Rewards

Annual fee: $191.88
Our valuation: $255Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.; Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer: Up to 15,000 points

Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

15,000 Aeroplan points
15,000 Avios points
15,000 Flying Blue Miles
18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
Home food delivery.
Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category	Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.)	5
Home food delivery	5
Restaurants and bars	5
Convenience stores	5
Streaming services	3
Service station	2
Transport	2
Travel	1
Other	1

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
Additional cards: $0.
Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.