Question

Can you earn Flying Blue XP without flying?

Asked by Mark on February 24, 2026

Is there a way to earn XP without actually flying? I have an Amex credit card but only earn miles with it.

Remco de Graaf Founder of SkyStatus and Director of Content at Reshift Digital. Founder of Zoom.nl (120,000 users) and Zoom Academy (80,000 paying students). Flying Blue Platinum member since 2005 with 15+ mileage runs across 50+ countries.

Expert answer

Short answer: mostly no, but there are exceptions. XP is primarily tied to flights, but there are two ways to earn XP without stepping on a plane.

XP is primarily tied to flights

Flying Blue designed it this way on purpose. XP (Experience Points) is meant to reward frequent flyers. You earn XP by actually flying with:

KLM and Air France
Transavia
Other SkyTeam partners such as Delta, Korean Air and Kenya Airways

Credit cards, shopping via the Flying Blue Store, Subscribe to Miles, hotel partners - all of these only earn miles, not XP.

Exception 1: annual XP bonus from the Flying Blue Amex

The Flying Blue American Express credit cards give you an annual XP bonus:

Flying Blue Amex Gold - 30 XP per year (EUR 16.50/month)
Flying Blue Amex Platinum - 60 XP per year (EUR 55/month)

This is a fixed bonus you receive once per year, regardless of how much you spend on the card. With a Platinum card you already have 60 of the 100 XP needed for Silver, without setting foot on a plane. Add two short European flights and you have Silver status.

View the Flying Blue Amex cards

Exception 2: SAF contributions

Through KLM and Air France you can voluntarily purchase SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) as an add-on to your booking. This earns roughly 1 XP per EUR 10 contributed. The special thing: SAF XP also counts as UXP, which means it contributes toward Ultimate status. You do need to have a flight booked to purchase SAF.

What does not work

A common misconception: Subscribe to Miles sounds like it would earn status, but it is purely a way to buy miles. It does not give XP. The same applies to miles earned through partners or received via promotions.

My advice: combine a Flying Blue Amex Platinum (60 XP per year) with targeted flights. Use the SkyStatus Trip Planner to find flights that yield the most XP per euro. With the Amex and a few flights, Silver (100 XP) or even Gold (180 XP) is very achievable.

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Last verified: February 24, 2026

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