Europe awards starting at 11,250 miles, 41,250 miles for business class: This month’s Flying Blue Promo Rewards

1 September 2023

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

When booking discounted travel, numerous opportunities are available, ranging from paid ticket sales to redemption promotions. However, one of the most reliable deals is the monthly Promo Rewards offered by Air France-KLM Flying Blue.

These exclusive discounts are on the Flying Blue website and apply to flights to and from specific cities or region pairs for booking until the end of each month and for a specified travel window.

This month, there are enticing offers for one-way economy flights to various European cities, requiring fewer than 12,000 miles. This represents a significant discount compared to what other loyalty programs typically charge for similar award tickets. If you’re planning a fall or winter trip to Europe, this could be an exceptional deal worth considering.

Deal basics

NICK ELLIS/THE POINTS GUY

Airline: Air France and KLM.
Routes:
Economy awards between Europe and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Miami International Airport (MIA), Ottawa International Airport (YOW), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). While not listed on the promo reward homepage, we also found business-class awards from select U.S. airports.
Cost: Varies by the airport, with awards starting at 11,250 miles.
Travel dates:
Travel from Sept. 1 through March 31. You must book by Sept. 31.

Promo Rewards between North America and Europe

The cheapest awards are from New York and Newark.

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There’s also award space for 12,750 miles from Boston and Miami.

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As you can see from this calendar search, economy-class award space from Los Angeles to Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) is plentiful:

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While not listed on the promo reward homepage, we found one-way promo rewards from JFK to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) from just 41,250 miles.

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Boston to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) has business-class award rates from 46,875 miles.

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Even on long-haul flights, business-class deals are to be had, like this one from LAX to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) for 50,250 miles.

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Remember, Flying Blue lets you add a free stopover on your connection(s). So, for example, you could fly from the U.S. to Paris, spend a few days in Paris and then travel on to your final destination for no additional miles. To book a ticket with a stopover, you’ll need to call Flying Blue at 1-800-375-8723.

Related: The best ways to get to Europe using points and miles

How to book

Book Flying Blue Promo Rewards like any other Flying Blue award ticket. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Book Promo Rewards tickets on the Air France or KLM website. Log in to your account and click the “Book with Miles” button on the home screen. Then, enter your desired itinerary and click the “Search flights” button.

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Now, select the flight you’d like to book and follow the on-screen prompts to complete your booking.

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If you plan to transfer points to book this award, find award space first, place your ticket on hold and then transfer your points; you never want to transfer points without concrete dates in mind.

Related: When should I transfer points to airline and hotel partners?

Earning Flying Blue miles

Boosting your Flying Blue balance is easy since the program partners with all major transferable points currencies.

You can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards. You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points you transfer.

Based on our tests, Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase and Citi transfers should post almost instantly. However, that wasn’t the case with our test transfer from Marriott, which took three days to arrive in our Flying Blue account. Because of this, credit card points are your best bet if you hope to book right away, though Flying Blue generally allows three-day holds on award tickets when you call.

Related: How to fly to Hawaii for just 35,000 miles round trip

Maximize your purchase

Use a card that earns additional points on airfare purchases to pay taxes and fees on your award ticket.

Some of the best cards include The Platinum Card® from American Express (5 points per dollar spent on airfare booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), the Citi Premier® Card (3 points per dollar spent on air travel; see rates and fees), the Chase Sapphire Reserve (3 points per dollar spent on travel), the American Express® Gold Card (3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel) and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2 points per dollar spent on travel).

Bottom line

Few sales are as reliable as the Promo Rewards we see each month from Air France-KLM Flying Blue. Boosting your Flying Blue balance is easy since the program partners with all major transferable points currencies. Since you can reserve these tickets on the Air France or KLM website, they’re simple for anyone to book.

Related reading:

Key travel tips you need to know — whether you’re a beginner or an expert traveler
The best travel credit cards
The 18 best places to travel in 2023
6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
13 must-have items the TPG team can’t travel without

Additional reporting by Ehsan Haque, Clint Henderson, Andrew Kunesh and Benji Stawski.

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