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
Airline: Air France and KLM.
Routes: Economy awards between Europe and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL), Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Cost: Varies by the airport, with awards starting at 11,250 miles.
Travel dates: Travel from Oct. 1 through March 31. You must book by Oct. 31.
Promo Rewards between North America and Europe
The cheapest awards are from Chicago.
There’s also award space for 15,000 miles from Houston and San Francisco.
As you can see from this calendar search, economy-class award space from San Francisco to Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) is plentiful:
For those interested in flying toward the front of the plane, there aren’t any published promo rewards for premium cabins this month. However, there’s still decent business-class award space from the major U.S. gateways to Europe for under 100,000 miles.
One-way flights between New York City (NYC) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) start at 56,500 miles.
Meanwhile, business-class award rates from airports like SFO, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) start at 80,000 miles for flights to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). You might find lower award rates by selecting another European destination as your end point.
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 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.
Now, select the flight you’d like to book and follow the on-screen prompts to complete your booking.
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.
