Points Reckoning
Updated December 29th, 2019
The Air France/KLM Flying Blue program offers reliable, if otherwise low-value award opportunities. Despite great availability, 97.44%, value is limited by relatively high booking fees. As of December 2019, we’re placing an ACRV of 0.77¢ per Flying Blue mile.
| Current | Previous Period | $ Change | % Change | |
| Intra-Europe Value | 0.55¢ | 0.53¢ | +0.02¢ | +4% |
| International Value | 0.98¢ | 1.55¢ | -0.57¢ | -37% |
| Overall ACRV | 0.77¢ | 1.04¢ | -0.27¢ | -26% |
| Intra-Europe Non-Zero Average | 0.76¢ | 0.73¢ | +0.03¢ | +4% |
| International Non-Zero Average | 1.34¢ | 2.17¢ | -0.83¢ | -38% |
| Non-Zero Average | 1.05¢ | 1.45¢ | -0.40¢ | -28% |
| Award Availability | 97% | 96% | n/a | +2% |
| Average Fees | $153.76 | $141.59 | +$12.17 | +9% |
Also frustrating, is the face that Air France limits first class award bookings, La Premier, to their own top tier elites. A real shame, as their retrofitted 777’s are absolutely fantastic.
Oh those Fees!
Despite finding several very lucrative award opportunities, cash co-pays absolutely eviscerate Air France/KLM’s value.
Carrier imposed fees, taxes, fuel surcharges; call them whatever you want. Flying Blue has a metric ton of them. On the domestic(intra-Europe) side of our equations, they weren’t outlandish at $39.42. However, move over to the international side, and get this, we’re averaging a gut-wrenching $220.84 per ticket! Ouch. As I deduct fees from the lowest available cash price, it can really wreck a value. Just for comparison’s sake, US competitor Delta is currently averaging just $14.48.
Worth noting, is that British Airways‘s competing program, Avios, charges similarly ridiculous amounts in addition to mileage. So, it would seem the problem is a bit geographic.
| Redemption Count | ||
| Exceptional | >6¢ | 0 |
| Great | 4-5.99¢ | 1 |
| Good | 3-3.99¢ | 0 |
| Respectable | 2-2.99¢ | 6 |
| Acceptable | 1-1.99¢ | 26 |
| Terrible | <1¢ | 43 |
| No Availability | 0¢ | 2 |
| Award Availability | 97.44% | |
Looking at this month’s best/worst chart, we have an abysmal 0.00¢/mile value on the bottom and a very good 4.4¢ one on the top. For anyone curious, 0.00¢ comes from an economy flight between London and New York. Flying Blue was offering an award ticket for $322.84 + 23,500 miles. The lowest-priced cash alternative was $323, resulting in a redemption value of zed.
Conversely, we found a business-class seat on a flight between Athens and Toronto for just $277.93 + 72,000 miles. The lowest-priced cash alternative was $3,495, resulting in a 4.47¢ redemption value.
Compared to Industry Peers
[wpdatatable id=15 table_view=regular]For more information about how we value airline/hotel and other award currencies, please visit our valuation method and changelog pages.