4 Changes That Would Make Air France KLM Flying Blue Even Better

Air France KLM Flying Blue is becoming one of Canada’s leading airline loyalty programs. This is despite Air France and KLM being European carriers.

Harmonized transatlantic pricing, as well as the launch of the co-branded Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®, has helped make the program more attractive in the Canadian market.

While Flying Blue might arguably be the best SkyTeam airline program for Canadians, there are still ways for it to improve and better compete with other programs, especially with our homegrown Aeroplan program.

In this article, let’s explore four changes that would make Air France KLM Flying Blue even better.

1. Taxes and Fees for Premium Cabins

Air France KLM Flying Blue imposes competitive award pricing, particularly for transatlantic flights. Fairly recently, the program harmonized its North America–Europe pricing, with one-way tickets costing as low as:

• 20,000 miles in economy
• 35,000 miles in premium economy
• 50,000 miles in business class

Flying Blue’s pricing scheme beats its competitors, such as Aeroplan; however, tickets with Flying Blue are subject to carrier-imposed surcharges, or the dreaded fuel surcharges.

If you book premium economy or business class, you should expect to pay $200–300 (all figures in CAD) per direction.

Looking at a specific example, a one-way business class ticket between Calgary and Amsterdam comes with $265 in carrier-imposed surcharges.

While that isn’t as hefty as what the likes of British Airways Executive Club charge, fuel surcharges are a bane within the Miles & Points community.

As such, we loved to see Flying Blue reduce its surcharges to make the program even more attractive and popular.

2. Partner Award Pricing

Among SkyTeam carriers, Air France KLM Flying Blue is arguably the best loyalty program for Canadians. As mentioned above, the program offers competitive pricing on transatlantic Air France and KLM flights.

However, this competitive pricing doesn’t extend to SkyTeam and non-alliance partners.

For example, a one-way flight from Vancouver to Taipei on China Airlines usually prices out at 82,500 Flying Blue miles plus $148 in taxes and fees.

Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines’ newly launched route between Manila and Hanoi prices out at 17,500 Flying Blue miles in economy and 35,500 miles in business class. These amounts seem excessive for a flight that only lasts for three hours.

Comparing these…