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Flying Blue has just increased its surcharges on award tickets operated by Air France and KLM. For Canadian travelers who accumulate Flying Blue miles, the bill rises significantly, especially in business class. Here’s what’s changing, how much it actually costs, and which options remain worthwhile.
Since June 2025, Air France-KLM has increased the carrier surcharges (often called “YQ taxes”) imposed on award tickets booked with Flying Blue miles. These fees are added to the number of miles required and represent a real dollar expense at the time of booking.
Important note: this increase only affects flights operated by Air France and KLM. Flights operated by other SkyTeam partners (Delta, Korean Air, etc.) are not affected by this increase.
Surcharges vary by class of travel and distance. Here are the approximate amounts for a round trip between Canada and Europe on a flight operated by Air France or KLM.
For a Canadian traveler booking a Montreal–Paris round trip in business class with Flying Blue miles, the surcharge bill goes from approximately $350 to $550 CAD. That’s a 57% increase. In other words, the “free” ticket now costs over $500 in fees.
In economy class, the increase is less dramatic in absolute value (+$100 CAD), but it still represents a 50% increase. For a family of four, that’s an extra $400 on a transatlantic round trip.
When surcharges increase, the perceived value of each mile decreases. Let’s take a concrete example for a Montreal–Paris round trip in business:
The loss isn’t catastrophic in this example, but it adds up. Moreover, surcharges reduce the gap between an award ticket and a paid ticket purchased on sale.
Air France-KLM has not provided an official justification. However, this decision follows a trend observed at several airlines (such as Porter) following the rise in oil prices. Carrier surcharges represent a direct revenue source for the airline, even on award tickets.
Furthermore, demand for business class award tickets to Europe remains very strong. Air France-KLM can afford to increase fees without losing many award bookings, as business class availability is already limited.
This increase doesn’t make Flying Blue unusable. However, certain strategies can help bypass or reduce these surcharges.
The most effective solution: book flights operated by SkyTeam partners that don’t impose (or impose few) surcharges. Flying Blue miles remain usable on these airlines, often with fees limited to airport taxes.
Flying Blue offers monthly “Promo Rewards” promotions with 25% to 50% reductions on miles required to certain destinations. These discounts partially offset the surcharge increase, especially in economy class.
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For Air France and KLM flights, other programs also allow you to book award tickets, sometimes with different surcharges. Aeroplan, for example, provides access to Air France flights through the Star Alliance–SkyTeam partnership (on certain itineraries). However, Aeroplan surcharges on Air France remain comparable.
On the other hand, for travelers flexible on the airline, the best travel credit cards in Canada provide access to programs like Aeroplan or Avios (British Airways), which sometimes offer better options to Europe.
In Canada, few credit cards allow you to earn Flying Blue miles directly. Here are the main options:
American Express cards with Membership Rewards offer the advantage of flexibility: you can also transfer to Aeroplan, Avios, or Marriott Bonvoy if Flying Blue surcharges become too high for your itinerary.
Yes, but in a more targeted way than before. Flying Blue retains several advantages despite this surcharge increase.
The increase in Flying Blue surcharges on Air France and KLM flights is bad news for Canadian travelers. In business class, the bill increases by approximately $200 CAD per round trip. The most effective workaround remains booking on SkyTeam partners like Delta or Korean Air, which don’t impose these surcharges.
For those accumulating Flying Blue miles through cards like the Cobalt Card from American Express or the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®, the program remains relevant provided you’re strategic in your bookings. Always compare surcharges before transferring your points.
Check out our selection of the best credit cards in Canada to maximize your rewards, regardless of the program chosen.
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