What is the difference between XP and miles?

Totally understandable question, because these are two systems that run simultaneously but serve completely different purposes.

XP: your key to status

XP stands for Experience Points and determines your Flying Blue status level. You earn XP primarily by flying with KLM, Air France, Transavia or another SkyTeam partner. The more XP you collect within your 12-month qualification period, the higher your status:

• Silver - 100 XP
• Gold - 180 XP
• Platinum - 300 XP
• Ultimate - 900 UXP (separate system, only on AF/KL flights)

Important: when you reach a level, the required XP is deducted from your balance. You then start over with the surplus. Excess XP (up to 300) can carry over via XP Rollover.

Besides flying, you can also earn XP through a Flying Blue American Express credit card (up to 60 XP per year) and SAF contributions.

Miles: your currency to spend

Miles are your reward points that you can redeem for flights, upgrades, seat selection and more. The big difference with XP is that you can earn miles in many more ways:

• By flying (you earn both XP and miles at the same time)
• With a Flying Blue American Express credit card (up to 1.5 miles per euro)
• Through the Flying Blue Store at online retailers
• By purchasing miles via Subscribe to Miles
• At hotels, car rental companies and other partners

Miles do not expire as long as you earn or spend miles at least once within 24 months.

In summary

When you take a flight, you earn both at the same time. But XP determines which benefits you get (lounge access, extra baggage, priority boarding), while miles are your currency for booking free flights.

In the SkyStatus Calculator you can see exactly how much XP and miles you earn for each flight.