With the latest Flying Blue promo awards, you can save 25% on award flights to Europe from certain cities in North America.
This deal is good for flights booked by February 29, 2016. And for travel between April 1, 2016, and May 31, 2016.
Whether You’re Planning to Explore the Austrian Countryside or Roam the Streets of Paris, You Can Save 25% Flying Blue Miles on Flights from Certain North American Cities
I’ll explain how this deal works!
What’s the Deal?
Link: Flying Blue Promo Awards
Link: Flying Blue Frequent Flyer Program
Each month you can book discounted award tickets with Flying Blue miles. Flying Blue is the frequent flyer program for Air France and KLM.
This month, you can save 25% on award flights from these North American cities:
- Edmonton
- Houston
- Toronto
- Montreal
- Mexico City
25% Discount on Air France and KLM Award Flights to Europe on Coach or Business Class Flights
You’ll have to click through the Flying Blue Promo Awards site 1st to save the 25%.
And while Flying Blue is a member of the SkyTeam Alliance (includes airlines like Delta and Korean Air), you have to book your flight on Air France or KLM to get the discount with Flying Blue miles (not miles from another SkyTeam partners).
Is This a Good Deal?
Unfortunately, there’s only 1 US city on the list. Also, in the past, you’ve been able to save 50% on award flights.
Plus, Flying Blue charges taxes and fees, and how much you’ll pay depends on your routing.
For example, you can fly round-trip from Houston to Paris for 37,500 Flying Blue miles round-trip and ~$225 in fees. Normally Flying Blue charges 50,000 miles.
I Found Plenty of Dates Open in April for Discounted Awards From Houston to Paris
The same trip on United Airlines would cost 60,000 United Airlines miles and ~$85 in fees. You’ll pay an extra ~$140 in fees with the Flying Blue promo awards, which isn’t cheap. But you’ll save 22,500 miles! So this is still a good deal!
But do the math to see what makes sense for you!
Get a Good Deal on Award Seats Beyond Europe!
Your trip doesn’t have to end in Paris or Amsterdam (the hub destinations served by Air France and KLM)!
You can connect onward to other cities in Europe, near Asia, and the Middle East for the same number of miles! So you could fly to destinations like Tel Aviv, Moscow, Morocco, or Istanbul!
You Could Fly on to Istanbul for the Same 37,500 Flying Blue Miles!
Discounted Award Flights Within Europe
You can also save up to 40% on certain intra-European flights with this month’s Europe Specials. This could be a great deal for folks who want to stop in multiple European cities!
Although remember, if you have British Airways Avios points or Chase Ultimate Rewards points (because you can transfer those to British Airways Avios points), you have the option to book 1-way award flights under 650 miles within Europe for only 4,500 British Airways Avios points.
Europe also has several budget airlines. So it’s worth doing a quick search for cheap flights before booking an award flight within Europe.
Don’t Live Near Houston or the Other Included Cities?
Use your miles to get there on these airlines:
Southwest – If you need more Southwest points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Southwest. Plus, if you have the Southwest Companion Pass, a friend can fly with you for (almost) free!
British Airways – If you’re a short flight away from these cities, you can save miles by using British Airways Avios points to book an award flight on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines for 7,500 British Airways Avios points.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points, American Express Membership Rewards points, and Starwood points transfer to British Airways. Or sign-up for the Chase British Airways card.
Or look for a cheap paid flight!
Need More Flying Blue Miles?
Link: AMEX EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
Link: Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express
Link: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Link: Citi Prestige
Link: Citi ThankYou Premier
Link: Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
If you decide to book and need more miles, you can transfer to Flying Blue from 3 flexible point programs!
AMEX Membership Rewards
You can transfer to AMEX Membership Rewards points to Flying Blue at a 1:1 ratio. And you’ll earn AMEX Membership Rewards points with cards such as:
| American Express Membership Rewards Airline Transfer Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| AeroMexico | Air Canada | Alitalia |
| ANA | Asia Miles | British Airways |
| Delta Airlines | El Al | Emirates |
| Flying Blue (Air France / KLM) | Hawaiian Airlines | Iberia |
| JetBlue | Singapore Airlines | Virgin America |
| Virgin Atlantic |
| American Express Membership Rewards Hotel Transfer Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| Choice | Hilton | Starwood |
You Can Transfer AMEX Membership Rewards Points to Flying Blue at 1:1 Ratio
Citi ThankYou Points
Citi ThankYou points also transfer to Flying Blue at a 1:1 ratio. You can earn Citi ThankYou points with cards like:
- Citi Prestige
- Citi ThankYou Premier
- and Citi Chairman (no longer offered)
Starwood Preferred Guest
You can also transfer points earned from the AMEX Starwood personal and the AMEX Starwood small business cards to Flying Blue at a 1:1 ratio.
One of My Favorite Ways to Use Starwood Points Is Transferring to Airline Partners Like Flying Blue Because You’ll Earn a 5,000 Mile Bonus When You Transfer in Increments of 20,000 Starwood Points
And if you transfer 20,000 Starwood points, you’ll get a 5,000 mile bonus for a total of 25,000 Flying Blue miles.
Note: Starwood points can take up to 4 weeks to transfer to Flying Blue. Although in my experience it’s taken from 2 to 12 days. If you plan on booking, keep in mind your exact award ticket might disappear while waiting for the points to transfer!
Bottom Line
With this month’s Flying Blue Promo Awards, you can fly to Europe and more on KLM and Air France at a 25% discount. Departure cities like Houston, Toronto, and Montreal are on the list.
To get the discount, book through the Flying Blue Promo Awards site by February 29, 2016, for travel from April 1, 2016, to May 31, 2016.
This sale isn’t as good as previous sales, which have offered up to 50% off award tickets. And Flying Blue charges taxes and fees. But you still save miles compared to booking with other airlines like United Airlines.
I like that with Flying Blue awards you can travel on from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East, and near Asia for the same number of miles!
And it’s easy to get Flying Blue miles for your trip because you can transfer AMEX Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou, and Starwood Preferred Guest points at a 1:1 ratio.
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