Flying Blue award chart and search guide
Flying Blue does not publish a fixed award chart. What a seat costs in miles moves with the route, the cabin, the date and how full the flight is, so the same trip can look impossible one day and cheap the next. Most members search once, see a price that makes no sense, and pay cash instead. The seats are usually there. This guide shows how Flying Blue prices award tickets, which dates to search, when prices drop, and how to read the calendar so you book at the lowest price.
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What is award availability?
Award availability is the number of seats an airline makes available on a specific flight for booking with Flying Blue miles instead of cash. Not every seat can be booked with miles, and the price in miles varies by day. The difference between searching smartly versus not can save you tens of thousands of miles on the same flight. This guide shows you how to always find the lowest price.
Quick facts
Dynamic pricing: how it works
Since June 2018, Flying Blue uses dynamic award pricing. There is no longer a fixed award chart: the price in miles varies per flight, per day and per cabin class. Just like cash tickets, supply and demand determine the price.
In practice this means:
- A different price every day - the same flight can cost 60,000 miles on Tuesday and 120,000 miles on Friday
- Minimum fares still exist - Flying Blue maintains a floor price per route and cabin (see table below)
- One-way pricing - awards are priced per direction. A round trip is simply two one-way tickets
- Flexibility pays off - shifting by one day can sometimes save 50% in miles
There are two price levels to watch for:
- Lowest fare (saver) - the floor price in miles. Limited availability, but the best deal. Requires flexible dates.
- Higher fare (flex) - two to three times more expensive, but available on virtually any flight that still has cash seats. Useful when you must travel on a specific date.
SkyStatus member data backs up that observation. Of the award journeys to North America and other long-haul destinations booked by members who were Platinum or Ultimate when they joined SkyStatus, 58.9% cost exactly a floor or Promo price. For other members it was 45.7% (October 2026). Part of that gap probably comes down to experience: Platinum and Ultimate members tend to book more often and know where to look.
The calendar trick: find the cheapest day
Most travelers search for award tickets by entering a specific date and checking what is available. That is the slowest method. There is a much smarter way: the calendar trick.
How the calendar trick works (step by step)
- Go to airfrance.com or klm.com and log in with your Flying Blue account
- Select "Book with miles" (the toggle above the search form)
- Enter your origin (e.g. Amsterdam) and destination
- Choose one-way
- Select 1 passenger
- Leave the date field empty - remove any pre-filled date using the X button
- Click search
You will now see a calendar overview showing the lowest award price per day across approximately 11 months. The cheapest days are highlighted in green, and each month shows a grey bar with the lowest fare for that month.
Using the arrows you can navigate month by month through the entire booking window. This way you find the cheapest day to fly in a few seconds, instead of running dozens of individual searches.
Award chart: minimum fares by route
Despite dynamic pricing, Flying Blue maintains a fixed floor price per route and cabin. These are the minimum fares for award tickets on Air France and KLM flights (one-way):
| Route | Economy | Premium Eco | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short-haul Europe (AMS-BCN) | 5,000 - 10,000 | - | from 20,000 |
| Long-haul Europe (AMS-IST) | 8,000 - 15,000 | - | 20,000 - 35,000 |
| North America (AMS-NYC) | 25,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 |
| Asia (AMS-NRT) | 30,000 | 50,000 | 85,000 |
| Africa (AMS-NBO) | 30,000 | 50,000 | 85,000 |
| South America (AMS-GRU) | 30,000 | 50,000 | 85,000 |
Minimum fares after the increase of January 13, 2025. Prices per one-way, excluding taxes and surcharges. The transatlantic minimums (25,000/40,000/60,000) are exactly verified. Asia, Africa and South America (30,000/50,000/85,000) were verified on klm.nl in October 2026. The European rows are indicative based on multiple sources. Source: flyingblue.com, One Mile at a Time.
Keep in mind that the minimum fares in the table are the absolute floor price. The actual dynamic price on popular dates and routes can be two to three times higher. A Business Class seat to New York can cost 180,000+ miles on a busy Friday in July, while the same route on a quiet Tuesday in February shows the minimum fare of 60,000 miles.
Light, Standard and Flex: award fares from September 8, 2026
From September 8, 2026, every new award booking on Air France and KLM operated flights comes in three fare options: Light, Standard and Flex. The miles price you see in the calendar now depends on the option as well as the date. Light sits at the lowest price point, but strips conditions that every award used to include. Partner awards are not affected, and an itinerary that mixes Air France or KLM with a partner flight only offers Standard.
- Light: no checked bag in Economy, no voluntary changes or refunds, and in Business no included lounge access. Business Light only shows up in the O and Z booking classes.
- Standard: roughly the old conditions. Checked baggage included, changes and refunds for EUR 70, lounge access included in Business.
- Flex: free changes and refunds, included advance seat selection and a lower mandatory cash surcharge, at a higher miles price.
Awards booked before 8 September 2026 keep the old conditions; new bookings pick one of the three options. In the first observed examples the Standard option cost 25 percent more miles than Light on the same flight, so treat the floor prices in the table above as Light-level prices.
Measured: how often members actually paid a floor or Promo Reward price
Of the award journeys between Europe and North America (Mexico included) that SkyStatus members have booked since February 2025, 59.3% cost exactly a floor price or a Promo Reward price. All other journeys cost a different, dynamic price. Across all these journeys and all cabins, the median price was 45,000 miles per passenger. For journeys to Asia, Africa, South America, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean islands booked since June 2025, 46.4% cost exactly a floor or Promo price. Within Europe, the median price over the last 24 months was 13,000 miles per passenger.
SkyStatus member data, October 2026, based on 297 journeys by 75 members to North America, 280 journeys by 68 members to other long-haul destinations and 637 journeys by 156 members within Europe, counted per passenger, from their own Flying Blue statements. The statement does not show the cabin, so a floor price is recognized by its exact amount. Other long-haul destinations are counted from June 2025, the month after the 85,000-mile Business floor price first appeared in members' statements. Our members are self-selected optimizers, not a random sample of Flying Blue members.
Full report: Flying Blue by the Numbers · Methodology
Promo Rewards: the best deals
The absolute cheapest award tickets are not found through regular searching, but through the monthly Promo Rewards from Flying Blue. These are temporary offers with up to 25% discount on the regular award price for selected routes.
- When: new Promo Rewards appear on the first day of every month
- Discount: up to 25% under the current Promo Rewards terms, in Economy as well as Premium Economy and Business (older promotions went as far as 50%)
- Travel period: usually valid for travel up to approximately 6 months after the publication date
- Where to find them: on flyingblue.com under "Spend miles"
- Booking: online only, not by phone
Example: Promo Reward in action
AMS-SFO Business Class: regular minimum fare 60,000 miles one-way. With a Promo Reward at 25% discount you pay 45,000 miles. A cash ticket for the same flight easily costs EUR 2,500+. The value per mile: over EUR 0.05.
Short-haul routes sometimes drop to 6,000 miles one-way in Economy during a Promo Reward. Compare that to the regular Light price from 8,000 miles.
More about spending your miles wisely in our guide to spending miles and points.
Partner awards via SkyTeam and more
Flying Blue miles are not limited to KLM and Air France. You can spend them with 36+ partner airlines, including all SkyTeam members and a range of non-alliance partners. This opens up an enormous network of destinations.
SkyTeam partners (18 active members)
As a SkyTeam member, Flying Blue gives access to the full alliance network:
- Korean Air - excellent Business Class to Asia, often good availability
- Delta - large US network, but availability can be limited
- Virgin Atlantic - to London, the Caribbean and the US (joined SkyTeam in 2023)
- SAS - to Scandinavia and the US (joined SkyTeam in September 2024)
- Air Europa - to South America, often with very low surcharges
- Kenya Airways - to East Africa
- Saudia - to the Middle East
- Vietnam Airlines - to Southeast Asia
- China Eastern, China Airlines, Xiamen Airlines - to China and Taiwan
- Aeromexico, Aerolineas Argentinas - to Latin America
- Garuda Indonesia - to Indonesia
- Middle East Airlines, TAROM - regional partners
Non-alliance partners
Additionally, you can spend Flying Blue miles with airlines that are not SkyTeam members:
- Japan Airlines - premium product to Japan
- Qantas - to Australia
- Etihad Airways - to the Middle East and beyond
- Malaysia Airlines - to Southeast Asia
- El Al - to Israel
- Transavia - European destinations with Flying Blue miles
- GOL, Copa Airlines, WestJet - to the Americas
More about all partners in our guide to Flying Blue partner airlines.
Tools for award searching
Besides the official Flying Blue website, there are external tools that make searching for award availability easier.
1. Flying Blue website (free)
The official search engine on airfrance.com and klm.com is the starting point. Use the calendar trick for the best overview. KLM's website generally has fewer technical issues than Air France's.
2. AwardFares (paid)
AwardFares is currently the best external tool for Flying Blue award searches. It offers:
- Search availability across many dates and routes at once
- Automatic alerts when desired availability appears
- A dedicated Promo Rewards finder for Flying Blue
- Pricing: Gold plan USD 9.99/month, Diamond plan USD 19.99/month
3. ExpertFlyer (paid)
ExpertFlyer shows award fare class availability (e.g. whether a seat in booking class "X" is available). It does not show the dynamic miles price - for that you still need to check the airline website. Useful for setting up alerts though. Pricing: USD 9.99/month.
4. Seats.aero (free/paid)
Seats.aero is a popular award search engine for 20+ programs. Flying Blue support is inconsistent though: in August 2024, Flying Blue data became temporarily unavailable after Flying Blue placed its search function behind a login. Check the current status on the website. Pro plan: USD 9.99/month or USD 99/year.
10 tips for smart searching from Amsterdam
1. Always use the calendar trick
Leave the date field empty and search with 1 passenger. In a few seconds you see the cheapest day across 11 months. See the step-by-step instructions.
2. Always search one-way
Flying Blue prices everything per direction. By searching one-way you can combine different dates, different cabins or even different airlines for the outbound and return. This gives you maximum flexibility.
3. Check Promo Rewards on the 1st of the month
Popular routes in Business Class sell out within days. Check immediately on the 1st and book without hesitation. Promo Rewards can only be booked online.
4. Be flexible with dates
The difference between Tuesday and Friday can be 50% or more. Midweek flights (Tuesday, Wednesday) are often cheaper than Friday and weekends, but it is not a fixed rule.
SkyStatus member data points the same way. For departures on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, 63.6% of award journeys cost exactly a floor or Promo price, compared with 44.1% on other days (SkyStatus members' award journeys to North America and other long-haul destinations, October 2026).
5. Book early for premium cabins
The booking calendar opens 359 days in advance. Search immediately when your desired date becomes available for the best chance at the lowest fare in Business Class.
SkyStatus members' statements add a caveat. Across all cabins, the share of journeys to North America and other long-haul destinations at exactly a floor or Promo price was highest for bookings made 2 to 6 months before departure, not for the earliest bookings. Treat this as an indication, not a firm result: the smallest group in that comparison has 27 members (October 2026).
6. Consider last-minute too
Airlines sometimes release unsold premium seats 1-2 weeks before departure for award bookings at the lowest fare. If your dates are flexible, last-minute booking can be surprisingly cheap.
7. Try a connection
If a direct flight is expensive, try a route with a connection. AMS via Paris CDG to your final destination is priced as one origin-to-destination itinerary: a connection can cost fewer or more miles than the nonstop, so compare the whole trip.
8. Compare KLM with Air France
On routes that both KLM and Air France fly (e.g. AMS vs CDG to New York), award prices can differ per day. Compare both to find the cheapest one. Bonus: from Amsterdam the taxes and surcharges are generally lower than from Paris.
9. Check partner airlines
If the KLM or AF price is high, search the same route via a SkyTeam partner. Korean Air to Asia and Air Europa to South America regularly offer better fares or availability.
10. Use AwardFares for alerts
Set up an alert for your desired route and cabin. You will automatically get a notification when the lowest fare becomes available, without having to search manually every day.
Taxes and surcharges
With every award ticket you pay, in addition to miles, an amount in euros for taxes, airport fees and carrier-imposed surcharges (the term Flying Blue uses for fuel surcharges). The amount differs by route, airline and departure airport.
| Route | Economy (indicative) | Business (indicative) |
|---|---|---|
| Within Europe | EUR 30 - 60 | EUR 50 - 80 |
| AMS to North America | EUR 100 - 150 | EUR 200 - 350 |
| CDG to North America | EUR 150 - 200 | EUR 300 - 500 |
| Asia/Africa | EUR 100 - 200 | EUR 200 - 400 |
Amounts are indicative and vary by flight and date. Departing from Paris CDG is more expensive due to French aviation taxes. Always check the total price when booking. Last verified: 13 July 2026.
Some partner airlines charge significantly less in surcharges. Air Europa and Delta have lower surcharges than KLM and Air France on comparable routes. This can make the difference when choosing a partner award.
Rebooking and cancellation: for awards booked before September 8, 2026, changes and cancellations cost a flat fee of EUR 70, waived for Platinum and Ultimate members. For bookings made from that date the fee depends on the fare option: Light awards include no voluntary changes or refunds, Standard charges EUR 70, and Flex includes free changes and refunds (see the fare options section above).
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Start tracking for freeFrequently asked questions
How far in advance can I book an award ticket?
Flying Blue opens the booking calendar up to 359 days (approximately 12 months) in advance. This applies to Air France and KLM flights. Partner airlines sometimes have a shorter window. For the best availability in Business Class, it is wise to search as soon as the calendar opens.
What is the calendar trick?
By searching on airfrance.com or klm.com with "Book with miles", 1 passenger, one-way and leaving the date field empty, you get a calendar overview with the lowest award price per day across approximately 11 months. Read the step-by-step instructions.
Are award tickets cheaper on certain days?
Yes. Due to the dynamic pricing model, flights on Tuesday and Wednesday are on average cheaper than on Friday and weekends. During the low season you are more likely to find the minimum fare. Promo Rewards offer the absolute lowest fares.
Do I pay taxes on top of an award ticket?
Yes, every award ticket includes taxes, airport fees and carrier-imposed surcharges in euros. Within Europe approximately EUR 30-60, intercontinental EUR 100-400 depending on route and cabin. See the full overview.
Do I get better award prices with Flying Blue status?
Not officially. KLM's list of status benefits names no award discount and no better access to the lowest fares. In my searches a Platinum account sometimes showed a lower miles price for the same Business seat than a Gold account did; I could not pin this to a fixed pair of prices, so treat it as an observation rather than a published rule. Read more about Platinum status.
Can I book a free stopover on an award ticket?
Yes, Flying Blue allows a free stopover of 24 hours to 1 year on one-way awards. This must be booked by phone. Example: AMS to Bangkok with a stopover of a few days in Paris, all on a single award ticket. This also works on partner airlines.
Can I book an award ticket for someone else?
Yes, you can use Flying Blue miles to book a ticket in someone else's name. The miles are deducted from your account, but the passenger does not need to be a Flying Blue member.
Does Flying Blue use dynamic or fixed pricing for award tickets?
Dynamic. Since June 2018, Flying Blue no longer has a fixed award chart. The price in miles varies per flight, per day and per cabin class. The same Business Class seat can cost 60,000 miles on a Tuesday and 180,000 miles on a Friday. However, Flying Blue maintains minimum fares per route that act as a floor price. Promo Rewards (monthly offers) go even lower with up to 25% discount.
When do Air France and KLM release award seats?
Air France and KLM open the booking calendar 359 days (approximately 12 months) in advance. Partner airlines sometimes have a shorter window. For the best availability in Business Class, search as soon as your travel date enters the booking window. Last-minute availability can also appear 1-2 weeks before departure when unsold premium seats are released for award bookings.
Do EU passenger rights apply to award tickets?
Yes. KLM's passenger rights notice, which implements EU Regulation 261/2004, explicitly covers passengers traveling on "a ticket issued under a frequent flyer programme". If your award flight from an EU airport (or into the EU on an EU carrier) is cancelled, overbooked or lands more than 3 hours late, you have the same rights as a cash passenger: care, rebooking or refund, and compensation of EUR 250 to 600 depending on distance, unless extraordinary circumstances apply. KLM offers the compensation as cash or as a higher-value non-refundable travel voucher (EUR 350 to 800). Paying with miles does not waive your passenger rights.
Sources and verification
Last verified: February 19, 2026. Facts checked against the sources below on the date shown.
- KLM - Passenger Rights (EU 261/2004) - award tickets are explicitly covered, compensation amounts and voucher alternative
- Flying Blue - Reward Tickets - official award search page and Promo Rewards
- Flying Blue - Book award flights - official award search and booking
This guide is based on publicly available information from Flying Blue, independent sources and personal experience as of September 2026. Award prices are dynamic and can change daily. Always check current prices on flyingblue.com or klm.com. SkyStatus is not affiliated with Air France-KLM or Flying Blue.