Flying Blue simplifies its miles expiration starting May 2026

Good news for Canadian members of the Air France-KLM loyalty program: Flying Blue announces a major simplification of its miles expiration policy, effective May 4, 2026.

For years, Flying Blue’s expiration policy has been one of the most complex among major loyalty programs. Two categories of miles, different rules depending on how they were earned, multiple expiration dates to track… The result: members losing part of their balance without really understanding why. All of that will soon be history.

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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.

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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

What changes with the new policy

Starting May 4, 2026, any eligible activity—booking a flight, renting a car, hotel stay, or purchase with a partner—will extend the validity of your entire miles balance by 24 months. No more tracking multiple expiration dates based on the origin of the miles.
Until now, Flying Blue distinguished two types of miles with very different rules:

Miles earned through flights: their expiration could only be extended by another flight or by using a Flying Blue co-branded credit card.
Miles earned through commercial partners (hotels, cars, bank point transfers): these miles had no effect on flight miles.

From now on, there will be only one type of miles, with unified expiration. Any eligible activity extends the entire balance by 24 months.

Existing balances are also affected

Good news for those who have already accumulated miles: existing balances will be merged on the implementation date, applying the most favorable validity period. Any eligible activity starting May 4, 2026 will extend the entire balance by 24 months.

Who is exempt from expiration?

Certain members continue to benefit from miles that never expire, regardless of their activity:

Elite and Elite Plus members
Holders of a Flying Blue co-branded credit card such as the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard^®
Flying Blue Extra subscribers
Members under 18 years old

What this means in practice for Canadians

For Canadian travelers who accumulate Flying Blue miles through American Express, Cobalt, or other bank program transfers, this change is particularly advantageous. In practice, simply transferring a small amount of Amex points to Flying Blue will reset the 24-month clock to zero, making Amex transfers a true safety valve for keeping your balance active.

In other words, even without flying, you can protect your miles through a simple commercial activity with a partner.

This update is one of the best news from Flying Blue in a long time. Here’s how to take advantage of it:

Set an annual reminder (or at 22 months) to perform a small eligible activity: a minimal point transfer, car rental, or hotel booking through a Flying Blue partner is more than enough to extend everything. If you’re building a reserve of miles for a business class trip to Europe, a strategy often recommended to maximize the value of your points, this simplified rule allows you to build long-term without stress.

Finally, this announcement is also a good time to check your current Flying Blue balance and identify miles that might be at risk of expiration before May 4, 2026.

Capture d’écran, le 2026 02 27 à 07.56.25

When does the new Flying Blue expiration policy take effect?

Flying Blue’s new unified expiration rule takes effect on May 4, 2026. From that date, any eligible activity (flight, hotel, car rental, purchase with a partner) extends the entire miles balance by 24 months.

How do I prevent my Flying Blue miles from expiring?

Simply perform at least one eligible activity every 24 months: book an Air France or KLM flight, transfer points from a partner program like American Express, rent a car, or stay at a partner hotel. Even a small point transfer is enough to reset the clock to zero for your entire balance.

Will my existing Flying Blue miles be affected by this change?

Yes, but favorably. At the time of implementation on May 4, 2026, all your existing miles will be merged into a single balance, applying the most favorable expiration date. You will not lose any miles in the transition.

Are Flying Blue Elite members affected by miles expiration?

No. Members with Elite and Elite Plus status, holders of a Flying Blue co-branded credit card, Flying Blue Extra subscribers, and members under 18 years old continue to benefit from miles that never expire, regardless of their activity.

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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

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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.

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