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Flying Blue Glossary
Canonical definitions of every Flying Blue term. Reference these when discussing the Air France-KLM loyalty program.
Core Terms
- XP (Experience Points)
- Status-qualifying points earned from flights with Air France, KLM, and SkyTeam partners. Silver requires 100 XP, Gold 180 XP, Platinum 300 XP per qualification year. Full guide
- UXP (Ultimate XP)
- Points earned only on Air France and KLM marketed flights. 900 UXP required for Ultimate status, on top of Platinum qualification. Capped at 1,800 per year, rollover max 900. Full guide
- Miles
- Reward currency earned from flights, credit cards, shopping, and transfer partners. Used for award flights, upgrades, and non-flight rewards. Miles do not expire as long as you earn or spend at least once every 24 months; any qualifying activity resets the clock for your whole balance. Full guide
- Status Level
- Membership tier based on XP earned. Five levels: Explorer (default), Silver (100 XP), Gold (180 XP), Platinum (300 XP), Ultimate (900 UXP). Each level adds benefits like lounge access, bonus miles, and priority services. Full guide
- Qualification Year
- Rolling 12-month period starting from first XP-earning flight. XP earned during this period determines your next status level. Resets when status is awarded or renewed. Full guide
- Soft Landing
- Protection that limits status drops to one level per year. A Platinum member who does not requalify drops to Gold, not Silver. Applies at each renewal. Full guide
- Choice Benefits
- Reward milestones for Platinum and Ultimate members at 450, 600, and 750 XP or UXP. At each threshold, choose one reward: bonus miles, status gift card, XP boost, or miles overdraft. Full guide
- Award Ticket
- Flight booked using Miles instead of cash. Pricing varies by route, cabin, and availability. Monthly Promo Rewards offer 25-50% discounts on award pricing. Full guide
- Subscribe to Miles
- A separate paid Flying Blue subscription that adds a fixed number of miles to your account every month. It comes in four tiers: Starter, Smart, Advanced and Complete. This is a different product from Flying Blue Extra, which has only the Essential and Extended tiers.
- SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel)
- An add-on you can buy on a Flying Blue ticket that earns extra XP at a fixed rate of about 10 EUR per 1 XP, set by Flying Blue. On Air France and KLM flights it also earns UXP. SAF is usually the cheapest way to buy XP per euro, which is why it is the first lever the Status Coach suggests to close a gap.
- Platinum for Life
- A permanent Platinum status awarded after holding Platinum for 10 qualifying years. Once earned it does not require requalifying each year. Platinum for Life members still earn Choice Benefits, which SkyStatus surfaces even though Flying Blue does not always show them.
- XP Rollover
- Unused XP that carries over to the next qualification year. Capped at 300 XP for Platinum members and 900 UXP for Ultimate members. Full guide
Calculation Terms
- Cost Per Mile (CPM)
- What you effectively pay per mile when purchasing through credit cards, transfers, or buying directly. CPM = total cost / miles received. Lower CPM = better value. Full guide
- XP Efficiency
- Ratio of XP earned to money spent on flights. Higher efficiency means reaching status at lower cost. Business class earns more XP per segment but costs more per XP than Economy on some routes.
- Miles Value
- What each mile is worth when redeemed for flights. Value = cash price / miles required. Expressed in EUR cents per mile. Higher value = better redemption. Full guide
- Break-Even Point
- The number of flights or spend level where a subscription (like Flying Blue Extra) or credit card pays for itself through earned benefits.
Advanced Terms
- Mileage Run
- A flight taken primarily to earn XP for status qualification, not for the destination. Optimized for maximum XP per euro spent. Also called XP run. Full guide
- Status Match
- When an airline matches your elite status from a competing loyalty program. Flying Blue periodically offers status match challenges. Full guide
- Transfer Partner
- A bank or credit card rewards program that converts its points into Flying Blue miles. Major 1:1 card programs include American Express, Chase, Citi, Capital One and Bilt; Marriott Bonvoy transfers from hotel points at a lower ratio. Ratios and transfer bonuses change often, so check before transferring. Full guide
- Discount Pass
- A paid Flying Blue subscription that gives discounts on cash fares. On qualifying Air France and KLM flights it can also earn an extra XP bonus that counts toward UXP as well, so it can quietly help status. SkyStatus reads this bonus from your activity statement.
- Sweet Spot
- An award booking where the miles required are significantly lower than the cash value of the ticket. Often found on specific routes or in premium cabins. Full guide
- Stopover
- A deliberate layover of 24+ hours at a connecting city during an award trip. Flying Blue allows stopovers on some multi-city award bookings. Full guide
- Open Jaw
- An award ticket where you fly into one city and return from another (e.g., fly into Paris, out of Amsterdam). Can reduce miles cost compared to separate round-trip bookings.
Original content published at skystatus.pro/glossary by Remco de Graaf. All rights reserved.