To the point
Flying Blue has announced the launch of a new feature: the Flying Blue Free Stopover for members redeeming Flying Blue Miles.
Flying Blue has announced a new feature to its program: a free stopover on flight rewards booked with Flying Blue Miles!
Flying Blue is a fast-growing program, particularly in Canada following the partnership with American Express Membership Rewards and the launch of a credit card with Brim. In recent months, we have seen the addition of features such as the Flying Blue Family accountthe possibility for families to pay 25% less in miles for children aged 2 to 11, and the launch of unbeatable promotional rates from Canada to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East (starting at 12,500 points).
Let’s analyze this new feature.
Free stopover on Flying Blue Flight Rewards
Ben Lipsey, Head of the Flying Blue program at Air France-KLM (and former Air Canada executive), said yesterday that the Flying Blue program would soon offer a free stopover on a Flight Reward itinerary.
For the time being, this feature will only be available for flights operated entirely with Air France or KLM. But Flying Blue wants to offer this functionality to all Flying Blue partners, starting with Delta Airlines.
For example, you can make a free stopover with Flying Blue at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS). This stop can be for a maximum of one year.
Given the combined network of Air France and KLM, the possibilities offered by Flying Blue are interesting:
This new free stopover feature with Flying Blue will also apply to 5th Freedom flights (i.e. flights operated by an airline between two third countries). Ben Lipsey gave the example of the KLM flight from Singapore (SIN) to Bali (DPS).
For example, you could book a flight reward between Paris (CDG) and Bali (DPS) with a free Flying Blue stopover in Singapore (SIN). By combining Air France and KLM flights.
Here are some 5th Freedom flights operated by Air France and KLM before the pandemic:
| Airline | Origin | Destination |
| Air France | Los Angeles (LAX) | Papeete (PPT) |
| Air France | Miami (MIA) | Port-au-Prince (PAP) |
| Air France | Guadeloupe (PTP) | Port-au-Prince (PAP) |
| Air France | Freetown (FNA) | Conakry (CKY) |
| KLM | Bahrain (BAH) | Kuwait (KWI) |
| KLM | Damman (DMM) | Muscatel (MCT) |
| KLM | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) | Jakarta (CGK) |
| KLM | Singapore (SIN) | Denpasar (DPS) |
| KLM | Buenos Aires (EZE) | Santiago (SCL) |
For example, you could book a flight from Paris to Papeete with a free Flying Blue stopover in Los Angeles for up to one year.
But this could also include flights like Paris – Montreal – Pointe à Pitre with a free Flying Blue stopover in Montreal.
Tips for finding Flying Blue Flight Rewards
On the Air France KLM website, there is a tip you need to know to run a 30-day search using your Flying Blue Miles.
Instead of doing a one-way search as you would typically do when searching for a flight reward, search for a round-trip flight. By indicating the same date for the outbound and inbound flights.
This unlocks a hidden option: a 30-day flight reward calendar. As shown below:
You can then select the date with the best price in Flying Blue Miles and proceed with the booking.
It should soon be possible to add a free Flying Blue stopover on your journey.
Earn Flying Blue Miles in Canada
Transfer your Membership Rewards Points to Flying Blue Miles
The primary method of earning Flying Blue miles in Canada is through American Express Rewards Cards. You can transfer your Membership Rewards into Flying Blue Miles at a ratio of 1,000 Membership Rewards points = 750 Flying Blue Miles.
Here are the American Express Rewards Cards available in Canada:
The best Membership Rewards card in Canada for earning Flying Blue miles is the American Express Cobalt® Card as it offers:
- 5 points per dollar for grocery, restaurant, bar, food delivery, or convenience store purchases
- 3 points per dollar for streaming services
- 2 points per dollar for travel, local transportation, and gas stations
- 1 point per dollar on everything else
If we translate this into Flying Blue Miles, we get:
- 3.75 Flying Blue Miles per dollar for grocery, restaurant, bar, food delivery, or convenience store purchases
- 2.25 Flying Blue Miles per dollar for streaming services
- 1.5 Flying Blue Miles per dollar for travel, local transportation, and gas stations
- 0.75 Flying Blue Miles per dollar for other purchases
Transfer your Marriott Bonvoy points to Flying Blue Miles
The second method of earning Flying Blue miles in Canada is through Marriott Bonvoy Amex credit cards. You can transfer your Marriott Bonvoy points into airline miles including Flying Blue Miles at the ratio of 3 Marriott Bonvoy points = 1 Mile.
And if you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, you’ll earn 5,000 bonus Miles. Thus, 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 25,000 Flying Blue Miles.
The two Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards available in Canada are:
A Flying Blue credit card
In October 2022, the Air France KLM World Elite MasterCard® from BRIM was launched in Canada. It allows you to earn Flying Blue Miles directly.
The earning rates are:
| Expenses | Earning rate |
| Air France and KLM flight ticket (for Flying Blue members) | 5 Miles/1 Euro (in addition to regular miles earned according to status) |
| Restaurants and bars | 2 Miles/dollar |
| Everything else | 1 Mile/dollar |
| Selected BRIM retail partners | Up to 30 miles/dollar |
Bottom line
The Flying Blue free stopover is a new feature of the Flying Blue program to compete with other programs like Aeroplan (and its stopover costing 5,000 points). We look forward to seeing this feature implemented, and especially to seeing it rolled out with other Flying Blue airlines such as Delta Airlines or Korean Air.
And to see what kind of combinations this could give with Flying Blue Promo Rewards.
Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
