As from June 2012, Flying Blue, Europe?s leading frequent flyer programme with 21 million members, is making its offer more attractive by offering a higher number of seats for award tickets on the Air France and KLM European* network and increasing the options of earning miles.
?Air France has undertaken a transformation plan in which Flying Blue is a strategic driver enabling the Company to become the reference in customer service by 2015. These major improvements are accessible to all members? stated Christian Herzog, SVP Marketing Air France and KLM.
Even more seats available for award tickets
Air France KLM now offers an additional number of seats on flights serving its European* network with access to one new fare class in Business and two new fare classes in Voyageur for booking award tickets. Award tickets represent on average 4% of available capacity, i.e. 13 Airbus A380s per day.
With the Flex awards, Air France KLM also allows members to enjoy greater travel flexibility.
Major innovations requested by customers
After conducting several different surveys with its Flying Blue members and customers, Air France KLM has introduced some major innovations:
- the amount of the fuel surcharge is now directly included in the cost of miles when purchasing award tickets for medium-haul flights. Only the airport taxes have to be paid separately.
- customers retain their Elite (Silver, Gold, Platinum) status more easily: all status miles in excess of the customer?s current card threshold level are automatically carried over from one year to the next**.
Flying Blue Store, an online store for earning and using miles
Since April 2012, the Flying Blue Store, a real online shop dedicated to Flying Blue members has been accessible on the www.flyingbluenews.com site. It notably allows:
- to purchase awards with 31 airlines and over 100 non-airline partners: Hertz, Avis, Sixt, Best Western, Hilton, UGC, resort car hire, etc. ,
- to earn miles with some one hundred partners (Amex, Accor for example) by making purchases with brands recommended by Flying Blue members which offer travel, design, art and decoration-related items such as Galeries Lafayette, Zara, Adidas, iTunes, FNAC.com, Fauchon and Lavazza,
- to benefit from promotional awards regularly published on the site.
*including North Africa and Israel
**For e.g., a Flying Blue Silver member with 35,000 status miles at the end of the year will be able to retain his Silver status the following year thanks to his 25,000 status miles. Moreover, he will begin the year with 10,000 status miles, corresponding to his 35,000 status miles from which the 25,000 status miles required to reach Silver are deducted. Previously, he would have had to reset his status miles account. This innovation will allow each customer to attain a higher status more quickly.
Using miles to travel to New York
For Ivory customers
- 3 Paris-New York round-trips in Voyageur class entitling customers to a Paris-Nice round-trip award ticket in Voyageur class.
- 4 Paris-New York round-trips in Voyageur class entitling customers to a Paris-Barcelona round-trip award ticket in Voyageur class.
- 7 Paris-New York round-trips in Voyageur class entitling customers to a Paris-New York round-trip award ticket in Voyageur class.
For Silver customers
- 2 Paris-New York round-trips in Voyageur class entitling customers to a Paris-Nice round-trip award ticket in Voyageur class.
- 3 Paris-New York round-trips in Voyageur class entitling customers to a Paris-Barcelona round-trip award ticket in Voyageur class.
- 5 Paris-New York round-trips in Voyageur class entitling customers to a Paris-New York round-trip award ticket in Voyageur class.
For Gold customers
- 2 Paris-New York round-trips in Voyageur class entitling customers to a Paris-Nice or Paris-Barcelona round-trip award ticket in Voyageur class.
- 4 Paris-New York round-trips in Voyageur class entitling customers to a Paris-New York round-trip award ticket in Voyageur class.
For Platinum customers
- 1 Paris-New York round-trip in Business class entitling customers to a Paris-Barcelona or Paris-Nice round-trip award ticket in Voyageur class.
- 2 Paris-New York round-trips in Business class entitling customers to a Paris-New York round-trip award ticket in Voyageur class.
A miles calculator is available on the site to calculate the number of award miles required for a specific flight.
Flying Blue in figures
- Europe?s leading frequent flyer programme with 21 million members in 2012
- 2/3 of members are international
- Miles are valid for life providing that customers travel once every twenty months or pay for their purchases with the Flying Blue American Express card
- Award tickets represent on average 4% of available capacity, i.e. 13 Airbus A380s per day.
- 31 airlines and over 100 non-airline partners.
- Four levels: Ivory, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Flying Blue is the frequent flyer programme of Air France and KLM, Tarom, Kenya Airways, Air Europa and Air Calin.
Source: Air France