Flying Blue Miles: How to Book Flights to Europe with Points
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Flying Blue is the loyalty program for Air France and KLM, and it is one of the most useful programs for US families trying to get to Europe on points. We used it to fly all four of us from Washington Dulles to Athens — 29,500 miles per person and $280 total in taxes for the whole family.
If you want to see how that fit into the full booking picture for our Greece trip, I have the complete breakdown here. How We Used Points to Cover Flights and Hotels to Greece
This post is about Flying Blue specifically — what it is, why it works well for Europe flights, and how to use it.
BEST OFFERS LINK: [Before you read another word, check out my best offers page. I update it every month with the highest current bonuses on the cards I actually use and recommend. If you’re going to apply for a card, that’s the place to start.]
What Flying Blue Is
Flying Blue is the rewards program for Air France and KLM. Miles earned or transferred into Flying Blue can be used to book flights on Air France, KLM, and their SkyTeam alliance partners — which includes Delta.
That last part is worth pausing on. Delta is one of the most useful airlines for US families because of how many domestic routes it covers and how it connects to international flights. Flying Blue lets you book Delta flights at award rates that are frequently lower than what Delta charges through its own SkyMiles program. I have a full post on exactly how to do that here. How to Book Delta Flights with Points
Why Flying Blue Works Well for Europe
A few things make this program stand out for families trying to get to Europe.
It transfers directly from Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. If you have a Chase Sapphire card or an Amex card, you already have access to Flying Blue. You do not need to build a separate stash of miles from scratch — you move what you have and book.
Award availability on Air France and KLM transatlantic routes is generally good. This is not a program where you search for weeks and find nothing. Flexibility by a few days helps, but availability to major European cities exists consistently.
The pricing is distance-based. Flights to Western Europe — Paris, Amsterdam, and connecting cities — cost fewer miles than flights deeper into Europe or to other regions. Our Athens routing was priced at 29,500 miles per person, which is competitive for a transatlantic business or economy award.
How to Transfer Points to Flying Blue
If you have Chase Ultimate Rewards from a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Chase Ink Business Preferred, log into your Chase account, go to transfer partners, select Flying Blue, enter your amount, and confirm. Transfers are instant and arrive in your Flying Blue account within minutes.
If you have American Express Membership Rewards, the process is the same through your Amex account. Also transfers at 1:1, also instant.
One thing worth knowing: transfer bonuses come up periodically for Flying Blue from both Chase and Amex. When those are active, you get more miles per point transferred. I post them in my monthly roundups when they appear. transfer bonuses post
How to Search for Award Flights
Go to airfranceklm.com and log into your Flying Blue account. Search your route and travel dates the same way you would search a cash ticket. When results come up, look for the miles pricing option — it will show you the award cost alongside the cash price.
A few things to keep in mind when searching:
Flying Blue uses dynamic pricing, which means the miles required can vary by date, route, and how far in advance you are booking. The same flight on different dates can cost different amounts. Flexibility with dates almost always finds better pricing.
You can search Delta flights directly on the Flying Blue site. Enter your US departure city and destination, and Delta-operated flights will appear alongside Air France and KLM options. The award rates for Delta flights booked through Flying Blue are often significantly lower than booking through Delta directly.
Flying Blue Promo Rewards
Every month Flying Blue publishes a list of discounted award routes called Promo Rewards. These are specific city pairs at a reduced miles price — sometimes 25 to 50 percent off the standard rate. They rotate monthly and are worth checking any time you have flexibility in your travel plans.
You can find the current Promo Rewards on the Flying Blue website under the Promo Rewards section in the award booking area.
The Cards That Give You Access to Flying Blue
The current offers on Chase Sapphire and Amex cards are on my best offers page. These are the cards I actually use, and I update the page every month with the highest current bonuses available. [BEST OFFERS LINK]
If you are starting from scratch and want to understand which card to get first and how to build toward a trip like this, that is what The Blueprint covers. It is my free points and miles course — which cards make sense for your situation, how to earn points faster than you expect, and how to actually search and book award travel.
You can get it here: You can get it here: Join The Blueprint, my free points and miles course!
Posts in the Greece Series
How We Used Points to Cover Flights and Hotels to Greece
Flying Blue Miles: How to Book Flights to Europe (You’re Here)
Best Paros Itinerary for Families: 5 Nights with Kids on a Greek Island
Acron Villas Paros: A Hyatt Property Review
Athens with Kids: Our Complete 2-Day Family Itinerary
Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
I found out about points and miles accidentally.
I was researching index funds and happened upon the points and miles community through creators who also post about budgets, financial independence, and investing.
Points and miles allowed those people to travel and work toward financial independence simultaneously.
Thank goodness I got started when I did. The past almost two years of travel have been something we will never forget.
Earning points and miles through credit cards is only a good choice if you have the financial discipline to use them, like cash/debit cards.
Since we started traveling with points and miles, we have had more money going into our investment and savings accounts than ever.
Now I'm excited to teach you!
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