Tag: Flying Blue

Flying Blue members now have more options when booking award flights with Air France and KLM.

The joint loyalty program of Air France and KLM announced the change in mid-August, and the new pricing went live Tuesday, September 8. Instead of a single award option, flights now come in three flavors: Light, Standard, and Flex.

The names are pretty straightforward. Light costs fewer miles and includes less. Standard sits in the middle. Flex costs more miles in exchange for more flexibility and included benefits.

But the differences aren’t limited to mileage prices.

Depending on the tier, checked bags, changes and refunds, seat selection, and even business class lounge access can come and go. Flex awards can also require considerably less cash alongside the miles.

Ultimately, choosing which award to book now takes a little more thought.

Flying Blue Awards Now Come in Three Tiers

Flying Blue modeled the new award tiers after the fares Air France and KLM already sell on paid tickets.

The three options apply to new award bookings on flights operated and marketed by Air France and KLM. Awards on partner airlines aren’t changing. If an itinerary combines an Air France or KLM flight with a partner flight, Standard will be the only option.

At the most basic level, the three tiers work like this:

• Light: Fewer miles, fewer included benefits, and no changes or refunds.
• Standard: More miles, additional baggage, and changes or refunds for €70.
• Flex: The most miles, more included benefits, and changes and refunds without a fee.

Exactly what’s included depends on the cabin.

A short economy flight from Amsterdam (AMS) to Paris (CDG) gives a good idea of how the new pricing works.

Award	Miles	Taxes and Fees
Light	8,000	$99.20
Standard	10,000	$99.20
Flex	14,000	$99.20

Light costs 8,000 miles but doesn’t include a checked bag. It also can’t be changed or refunded.

For another 2,000 miles, Standard adds a checked bag and free standard seat selection at check-in. Changes and refunds are allowed for €70, with any fare difference also due when changing a flight.

Flex costs 14,000 miles. It adds advance standard seat selection and removes the change and refund fees.

On a short flight like this, the differences are relatively easy to weigh. Light saves 6,000 miles over Flex but comes with far fewer options if plans change. Standard splits the difference at 10,000 miles.

Long-haul awards are where the gaps start getting larger.

More on This: Can You Cancel an Award Ticket and Get Your Miles Back?

The Price Differences Can Get Pretty Big

A KLM economy flight from New York (JFK) to Amsterdam (AMS) shows just how far apart the three options can get.

The Light award starts at 27,500 Flying Blue miles.

Award	Miles	Taxes and Fees
Light	27,500	$138
Standard	32,500	$138
Flex	52,500	$39.30

Light saves 5,000 miles compared with Standard, but there’s no checked bag and no option to change or refund the ticket.

Standard adds the checked bag and allows changes and refunds for €70.

Flex is a much bigger jump at 52,500 miles. That’s another 20,000 miles over Standard for the same economy seat.

There’s something else happening with the price, though. The cash portion drops from $138 to $39.30.

That’s by design. Flying Blue said when it announced the changes that Flex awards would come with a lower mandatory cash contribution.

So the choice isn’t always between spending fewer or more miles for extra flexibility. On some awards, it’s also a choice between spending more miles or more cash.

Business Light Comes With an Even Bigger Catch

The biggest tradeoff might be in business class.

Business Light still includes the business class seat, SkyPriority, two carry-ons, one checked bag weighing up to 32 kilograms, and standard seat selection at check-in.

But lounge access isn’t included.

That’s a notable change for anyone accustomed to thinking of lounge access as part of the business class experience on Air France or KLM.

Here’s how the three options priced on a flight from Portland (PDX) to Amsterdam (AMS):

Award	Miles	Taxes and Fees
Business Light	60,000	$347.10
Business Standard	75,000	$347.10
Business Flex	110,000	$39.30

Business Light saves 15,000 miles compared with Standard, but lounge access isn’t the only thing missing. Light includes one checked bag instead of two, and the award can’t be changed or refunded.

Standard costs 75,000 miles and brings those benefits back. Lounge access and a second checked bag are included, while changes and refunds cost €70.

Business Flex goes all the way to 110,000 miles. It includes advance standard seat selection, two checked bags, lounge access, and changes and refunds without a fee.

The cash difference is notable, too. Light and Standard both require $347.10. Flex requires just $39.30.

That’s more than $300 less out of pocket, but it comes at the cost of another 35,000 miles over Standard.

Flying Blue Status Can Change the Equation

Flying Blue status can make some of these choices look different.

Status benefits still apply regardless of which award tier is booked. That includes benefits such as additional baggage allowances and waived change and refund fees where applicable.

Flying Blue even accounts for this on the booking page, showing applicable status benefits above the Light, Standard, and Flex options.

For someone with status, that could make a cheaper Light award more attractive. If an existing status benefit already covers something Light leaves out, spending more miles on Standard or Flex may not add as much.

Without status, there’s more reason to look closely at what’s included before going with the lowest mileage price.

More on This: I Want to Travel With Points. Where Do I Start?

More Options Come With More to Consider

Flying Blue miles are relatively easy to earn without flying Air France or KLM. The program partners with American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards, among others.

That’s a big part of what makes Flying Blue useful. Points already sitting in one of those programs can be transferred when an award comes along.

That hasn’t changed. But redeeming those miles on Air France and KLM now comes with a few more things to consider.

Light can save a meaningful number of miles, but it can also mean no checked bag, no changes or refunds, and even no lounge access in business class. Standard adds many of those benefits back. Flex can require substantially more miles, but comes with fewer restrictions and a lower cash contribution.

The 60,000-mile Business Light example sums up the tradeoff pretty well. Saving 15,000 miles over Standard is meaningful. So is giving up lounge access, a second checked bag, and the ability to change or cancel the trip.

The cheapest Flying Blue award may still be the one worth booking. It’s just no longer the only number worth looking at.