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Air France/KLM is one of the largest airlines in Europe. It was formed in 2004 by the merger of Air France and KLM. The company operates out of hubs in Paris and Amsterdam, serving destinations worldwide. Both airlines are members of the SkyTeam airline alliance.
The combined loyalty program for both airlines is Flying Blue, and while the program has a relatively generous expiration policy, it is overall pretty complicated.
Do Flying Blue Miles Expire?
Your Air France/KLM Flying Blue program expire if you have no qualifying activity on your account for a two-year period. Per the Flying Blue Terms and Conditions (warning: PDF):
“For Explorer Members aged 18 years and older, Miles are valid for two (2) years, after such time the Company shall cancel the Miles in case no registered Earn Activity extends the validity of the Miles.”
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What Counts as Qualifying Activity?
In its wisdom, Air France–KLM Flying Blue decided that one type of qualifying activity is not good enough. Instead, there is a complex system with two types of qualifying activity: “Overall” and “Partial.” Both types extend the validity of miles earned, though in different ways.
Overall qualifying activity
You can extend all of your miles, regardless of how they were earned, for two years from the date of one of the following activities:
- Taking a qualifying flight with Air France, KLM, Aircalin, Kenya Airways, TAROM, Transavia, Air Corsica, or with one of Flying Blue's SkyTeam partners.
- Making a purchase with your Flying Blue co-branded credit card.
- Holding Flying Blue Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Ultimate status.
This makes extending mileage validity easy for U.S.-based travelers. All they need to do, for example, is replace their SkyMiles number on a Delta ticket with their Air France–KLM Flying Blue account number. As Delta, Air France, and KLM are all SkyTeam members, this prevents your Flying Blue miles from expiring for another two years.
Partial extending activities
Partial extending activities only affect miles earned with Flying Blue partners (car rental partners, hotel partners, experience partners, and some select airlines). Earning miles with any of these partners resets the clock by two years — but only for the miles earned from these types of partners.
Here's an example: If you earn Flying Blue miles from booking a hotel stay, that activity also extends the life of the miles earned from car rentals, experience partners, etc. However, it will not extend the life of miles earned from flying with Air France, KLM, or any SkyTeam members. These Flying Blue miles will expire without appropriate extension activities.
Earning Flying Blue Miles Through Credit Cards
By far, the easiest option for U.S. residents to earn bonus Flying Blue miles and maintain account activity is through everyday spending on the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®. The card is currently offering a 50,000 bonus miles-mile sign-up bonus after you make $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening, plus 60 XP upon approval.
As Air France and KLM are European airlines, it's no surprise that residents of several European countries can apply for a Flying Blue co-branded credit card. American Express issues Flying Blue co-branded cards for residents of France and The Netherlands, while residents of Switzerland can apply for a co-branded Mastercard. Spending on all these cards will ensure your Flying Blue miles don't expire.
Boosting Your Air France KLM Flying Blue Mileage Balance
You have plenty of options if you need to boost your Flying Blue Mileage. The program is a partner with every single major transferable flexible points currency around. However, one thing to keep in mind is that transfers do not extend the validity of your miles. Also, you should not transfer points speculative only if you need to take advantage of a specific redemption like Flying Blue’s excellent monthly Flying Blue Promo Rewards.
Use AwardWallet to Track Flying Blue Miles Expiration
Two years is a little short. Therefore, it would help to Keep a close eye on your Flying Blue Mileage balance in case an expiration creeps up on you. The easiest way to do so is to use AwardWallet to keep track of balance. This way, you will receive a timely reminder if you have any miles in danger of expiring.
Since Flying Blue is a combined loyalty program of several airlines you can choose to link either your Air France or your KLM Flying Blue account to AwardWallet. Once linked you are set with AwardWallet keeping an eye on your account.
Related: How to Track Your Rewards Using AwardWallet
Our Take
If you are into Flying Blue miles, then it pays to understand when your Flying Blue miles will expire. However, this can get a little complicated with multiple accounts across different airlines and hotels. In this situation, you can always use AwardWallet to keep on top of your Flying Blue expiration dates. Ultimately, doing so will ensure you don't lose any of your precious points or miles.
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