Can you earn Flying Blue XP without flying?

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.