Which Airlines Use The Flying Blue Frequent Flyer Program?

Flying Blue is one of the largest airline frequent flier programs in Europe, with more than 20 million members. Founded in 2005, Flying Blue brought Air France and KLM together under the same frequent flier program one year after the Air France-KLM Group was created. Today, three airlines are part of the program, including KLM subsidiary Transavia.

Although only three airlines use the Flying Blue program, several airlines are partners, like Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, and Oman Air. In total, Flying Blue now has 36 airline partners and a new member joins the program every six seconds. Adding other travel partners like hotels and car rental companies, Flying Blue has more than 100 partners.

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Air France

Air France, the flag carrier of France, was founded in 1933. Over the course of its 91-year history, the airline has grown its network to nearly 200 destinations. Its fleet ranges from small Airbus narrowbodies like the A318 to larger widebodies like the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350. In 2023, the airline carried more than 50 million passengers, helping the Air-France KLM Group’s growth over 2022.

The French carrier’s operations can be divided into three main parts: passenger transport, cargo transport, and aircraft maintenance services. Since the earliest days of its operations, Air France has transported cargo, starting with newspapers and evolving into much more today. Now, the Air-France KLM Group has 15 dedicated cargo aircraft in addition to carrying cargo on passenger aircraft. According to its website, the Air France Industries-KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI-KLM E&M) has a workforce of nearly 13,000 and has eight logistics centers.

Photo: Carlos Yudica | Shutterstock

Every year, the group’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services work on more than 3,000 planes for more than 200 customers worldwide. Five-hundred in-workshop engine inspections are performed annually.

KLM

KLM, formally known as Royal Dutch Airlines, is the world’s oldest airline. Founded in 1919, KLM is also the oldest airline still operating under its original name. The airline’s first flight took place in May 1920 on a De Havilland DH16 to London’s Croydon Airport. In 1946, KLM became the first European carrier to operate scheduled flights to New York.

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Now KLM and KLM CityHopper have grown to transport more than 30 million passengers annually. The airline’s network includes 92 European cities and 70 intercontinental destinations. Last year, the airline announced it was investing in modernizing its fleet and that the Airbus A321neo would replace the aging Boeing 737s. KLM will add the A321neo to the fleet this year and from 2026, the Airbus A350 will replace the Boeing 777s and Airbus A330s.

Transavia

Transavia is the second largest airline in the Netherlands. The airline was founded in 1965 in Amsterdam and by 2000, opened its second base in Rotterdam. Six years after Rotterdam, Transavia opened a base in Eindhoven. Also in 2006, Transavia founded Transavia France which has four bases; Paris-Orly, Nantes, Lyon, and Montpellier.

Photo: Transavia

In 2023, Transavia transported nine million passengers with its fleet of 50 planes. Earlier this year, the airline operated its first flight on the Airbus A321neo after having a fleet of Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft. By the end of 2023, Transavia’s network reached 159 routes serving 110 destinations.

More about Flying Blue

Using Flying Blue is broken down into three simple steps:

1. Create an account or sign in
2. Earn as many Miles as you like
3. Spend your Miles and get rewarded

The Flying Blue program has five status levels all of which can be reached with Experience Points (XP). XPs are earned based on the class of travel and distance of the flight. The lowest status tier is Explorer, which is given to anyone who joins the program and earns 4 miles per Euro spent and has a 10% discount on the first checked bag. The second level of the program, Silver, is reached once one earns 100 XPs. Those with silver status:

• Earn 6 miles per Euro spent
• Priority check-in, bag drop, and boarding
• Some free seat options 24 hours before departure
• Free selection of standard seats
• One free checked bag on KLM or partner airlines

Gold is earned with 180 XPs and comes with the following benefits:

• Earn 7 Miles per euro spent
• Free access to our lounges with 1 guest. Your guest has to be on the exact same flight. Your flight has to be operated by KLM, Air France, Air Mauritius, China Southern Airways, GOL, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic or one of our SkyTeam partners.
• SkyPriority: priority access throughout the airport
• Free seat options 72 hours before departure
• Free selection of standard seats
• One free extra checked baggage item on flights with KLM or some of our partner airlines.

Photo: Tupungato | Shutterstock

The next tier is Platinum, which is earned with 300 XPs. Platinum has the following benefits:

• Choose any seat you want; they’re all free of charge.
• Bring 1 extra piece of checked baggage on flights with KLM or some of our partner airlines.
• Get access to our lounges and bring 1 guest with you. Your guest has to be on the exact same flight. Your flight has to be operated by KLM, Air France, Air Mauritius, China Southern Airways, GOL, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic or one of our SkyTeam partners.
• Get SkyPriority and enjoy access to priority lines at check-in, baggage drop-off, and boarding.
• Call the exclusive Platinum Service Line for 24/7 assistance.

The highest tier is Flying Blue Ultimate, which can be earned by gaining 900 UXPs. Ultimate Experience Points differ from XPs in that they can only be earned on travel by Air France and KLM or by buying Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Once one reaches Ultimate status, they have access to the following benefits:

• Earn 9 Miles per euro spent
• KLM and Air France lounge access for you and up to 8 travel companions
• SkyPriority services for you and your travel companions
• Ultimate Assistant available 24/7 to tailor your travel experience
• Four complimentary one-cabin upgrade vouchers per membership year
• One Flying Blue Platinum card for 1 of your travel companions
• Hertz Platinum Card with exclusive benefits