Business travel

How to get airmiles ? All you need to know

Côme Chenivesse

Côme Chenivesse

Mobility product manager

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The Flying Blue loyalty programme enables frequent flyers to easily collect miles from airlines such as Air France and KLM. These points can then be used to access different services or to obtain free tickets. Beware, however, as the type of reward may have a significant impact on the value of a single mile!

Overview

What is a Flying Blue mile?

 

 

Flying Blue is an airline company loyalty scheme. It allows frequent flyers to accumulate miles for each flight they take. This travel scheme is mainly offered by Air France and KLM, who merged to form a single group in 2004.

 

Flying Blue is also accepted and taken into account by all 18 airlines in the SkyTeam alliance, including:

 

  •     Aerolineas Argentinias;
  •     Aeroméxico;
  •     Air Europa;
  •     Alitalia;
  •     China Airlines;
  •     Czech Airlines;
  •     Delta Air Lines;
  •     Kenya Airways;
  •     Korean Air…

 

The Flying blue loyalty scheme allows two types of airmiles to be collected:

 

  • Prime-Miles, which can be used to purchase a “prime” airline ticket (in other words, only with your points and no money);
  • Experience points (XP) which determine your Flying Blue status (Silver, Gold and Platinum).

 

At Air France and KLM,  every euro spent is equivalent to 4 Flying Blue miles. In partner airlines, the rate of miles to unit varies depending on the distance of the flight and the booking class.

 

 

How long are Flying Blue miles valid?

 

 

It is possible to use your miles forever if you take at least one eligible flight every two years. In certain circumstances, you may not even need to meet this condition to keep your Flying Blues points indefinitely! There is no expiry date if:

 

  • You have at least a Silver Air France KLM American Express card;
  • Or you have Silver, Gold or Platinum Flying Blue status.

 

 

How much is a Flying Blue mile worth?

 

 

There is no set value for Flying Blue miles. It all depends on the nature of the reward you would like in exchange for your points. That is why it is important to optimise your miles by only selecting the rewards you are really interested in, giving you the best value per single mile.

 

In practical terms, the market value of a mile may vary from 0.10 to 5 euro cents, five times higher! Generally speaking, it is more profitable to buy a Business class airline ticket with airmiles, or to be upgraded.

 

The approximate value of a mile depending on the type of purchase is as follows:

 

  • Buying an item in the Flying Blue boutique is probably the easiest, but also the least profitable option. The value of a point may go down to 0.10 centimes, so for example, you would need 100,000 miles for a product worth €100.

 

  • Booking a short-haul flight (for example an internal flight in France) will give you between 0.27 and 0.32 euro cents per point in Economy class. If you opt for Business class, it becomes much more interesting: 1.89 euro cents on average.

 

  • Booking a long-haul flight is, overall, the most profitable option. A single mile will be valued at 1.04 euro cents in Economy class, between 1.3 and 2.2 euro cents in Business class and, finally, up to 2.3 euro cents in First class.

 

  • Buying a special offer Prime Flying blue ticket, in other words a ticket which is only accessible with airmiles, and which is offered at a reduced rate (25% to 50%) is a very effective way to mechanically increase the value of your points. In Business class and on a long-haul flight, the amount per unit may increase to as much as 3.5 or 5 euro cents!

 

 

Use your airmiles to upgrade

 

 

How many airmiles do I need to upgrade? Airline companies often offer the option of upgrading by using your points. This type of reward can be an extremely profitable way to spend your miles. The unit value is often between 4 and 9 euro cents.

 

 

Covering your employees’ fuel costs in France and abroad

 

 

The Mooncard Mobility fuel card can be used in all service stations and means your employees do not have to pay for their fuel out of their own pocket. The corporate card Mooncard corporate can be use for each expenses. A major benefit for any business trip! Book a demo.

 

 

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Côme Chenivesse

Côme Chenivesse

Côme Chenivesse is currently Product Manager Mobility at Mooncard, having previously worked at L'Argus, Nissan and General Motors. He has extensive product management experience in the mobility and automotive sectors.