Flying Blue pauses the SAF XP price rise until 1 December: what we know
Developing story. We reported this change on 2 November 2026. On 3 November Flying Blue paused it and set 1 December as the new start date. On 4 November Flying Blue customer service answered the biggest open question. SAF you buy before 1 December keeps the old rate, also for a flight after that date. Air France, KLM and Flying Blue have not confirmed that officially yet. We added the reply on 5 November. This article is the short version of our investigation into the SAF and donation XP change. We will update both articles when Flying Blue, KLM or Air France says more.
In short: the old rate until 30 November, EUR 15 per XP from 1 December
On 2 November 2026 Flying Blue raised the XP price of SAF and Miles donations without notice. On 3 November it paused the change. From 4 November, SAF earns 1 XP per started EUR 10 again, and contributions made since 2 November are credited at that rate too. From 1 December 2026, SAF costs EUR 15 per XP, 50% more. While the new rate was live, it also rounded down, and most Miles donations cost 3,000 Miles per XP instead of 2,000. Flying Blue has not yet said whether those two details also apply from 1 December.
Flying Blue has postponed its SAF XP price rise by four weeks. For two days, SAF XP quietly cost 50% more. Then Flying Blue director Tiffany Funk wrote on FlyerTalk that the rollout went badly and that the change is paused. The new rate of EUR 15 per XP now starts on 1 December 2026. Here is what that means, what is still open and what you can do before then.
From 1 December, SAF costs 50% more per XP, and most Miles donations very likely too
| Way to earn XP | Until 30 November (old rate) | On 2 and 3 November (new rate, then paused) | From 1 December |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAF paid in euros | 1 XP per started EUR 10, rounded up. EUR 188 earns 19 XP | 1 XP per full EUR 15, rounded down. EUR 188 earned 12 XP | EUR 15 per XP, confirmed. Rounding not announced |
| SAF paid in Miles | 2,000 Miles per XP | 3,000 Miles per XP | Not announced |
| Miles donation to a charity | 2,000 Miles per XP | 3,000 Miles per XP at 14 of 21 charities. Seven charities and A Tree For You stayed at 2,000 | Not announced |
From 1 December, every euro of SAF earns a third fewer XP. If the new rate rounds down again, small amounts lose even more. EUR 68 would earn 4 XP instead of 7, and EUR 100 would earn 6 XP instead of 10. Paid in Miles, a euro of SAF still cost 200 Miles on 2 and 3 November. Only the XP per euro went down.
Our SAF guide explains how the option works. It shows the rate that applies until 30 November.
Flying Blue: the rollout went badly, the new rate starts on 1 December
On 3 November Tiffany Funk, director of Flying Blue, posted in the FlyerTalk thread where members had first reported the change. She wrote that Flying Blue changed the XP for SAF and charitable contributions on Monday 2 November, with unclear messaging and without notice. In her words, Flying Blue "didn't handle the rollout well". She calls the change part of a continuous review of the elite programme. It affects a small share of members, she writes, but for them it matters a great deal. The pause is meant to give members time to adjust their plans.
The post settles three things:
- From 4 November, SAF and charitable contributions earn XP at the old rate again.
- Contributions made since 2 November are credited at the old rate as well.
- The new rate of EUR 15 per XP starts on 1 December 2026. Flying Blue adds that even at that rate "no program in the market will recognize SAF contributions more generously than Flying Blue, including on award tickets".
The post leaves four things open:
- What happens to the XP and UXP of SAF bought before 1 December for a flight after that date. Flying Blue customer service has since answered this, see below.
- Whether the new rate rounds down again, as it did on 2 and 3 November.
- Whether a Miles donation and SAF paid in Miles go to 3,000 Miles per XP. The post only names EUR 15.
- Whether UXP keep following XP, as members reported for the two days at the new rate.
What we saw while the new rate was live
On 2 November the new rate showed up in two independent places.
First, the SAF offers in KLM bookings. We checked four bookings. Together they had twelve SAF offers with a price. All twelve matched the rule "euros divided by 15, rounded down". That included offers on bookings made long before November. Offers that members posted on Reddit matched the same rule.
Second, the donation data behind flyingblue.com. This data lists, for each charity, how many Miles buy one XP. At 14 of the 21 charities, that was 3,000 Miles per XP.
The public pages never changed. On 2 November all 54 KLM and Air France status pages we checked in 12 languages still stated EUR 10 per XP. Until 30 November that is the right rate again. The full reconstruction, with screenshots and archive copies, is in the investigation.
Platinum and Ultimate members will pay the most
For Platinum and Ultimate members, every SAF XP also counts as UXP, and SAF is the only way to buy UXP. From 1 December, reaching Ultimate through SAF alone costs EUR 13,500 instead of EUR 9,000. Qualifying for Platinum through SAF alone costs EUR 4,500 instead of EUR 3,000.
SkyStatus member data shows how much status depends on SAF. SAF made up 14.8% of all XP that SkyStatus members earned in 2026. Of the SkyStatus members who flew in 2026, 35.9% bought SAF that year. Of the SAF money SkyStatus members spent, 70.7% came from members who signed up as Platinum or Ultimate. At the new rate, SkyStatus members would pay about 55% more for the same SAF XP.
Our analysis of status you can buy shows how much XP members get from credit cards, SAF and donations instead of flights.
Why pricier fuel does not explain the XP cut
Many members first blamed the price of sustainable fuel. The Miles donations show that fuel is not the reason. A Miles donation to a charity buys no fuel at all, yet on 2 November its XP price rose by the same 50%.
Pricier fuel would not need an XP cut either. KLM sells SAF as a share of your flight's fuel. If fuel gets more expensive, you already pay more euros for the same share. KLM also says it uses your entire contribution to buy extra SAF. So your euros still buy SAF. Only the number of XP per euro goes down. That is Flying Blue's choice, not a fuel cost.
Flying Blue's own explanation does not mention fuel. It speaks of a review of the elite programme, so that it can keep delivering the benefits and service members expect. Before that, Air France customer service had given a member a similar reason in a WhatsApp reply shared in a French Facebook group: a better balance between XP from flights and XP from SAF. Our investigation weighs six hypotheses. We had already rated one of them as the strongest: Flying Blue wants to hand out fewer cheap XP that you buy without a flight or a partner. Both explanations fit that hypothesis.
Timeline: two days at the new rate
- Around 26 October: the SkyStatus founder still saw the old rate when booking with KLM.
- 1 November: members of a French Flying Blue group on Facebook reported fewer XP for SAF. One of them quoted the service line for Ultimate members naming 1 November.
- 2 November: the new rate went live, according to Flying Blue. The first public report followed on FlyerTalk at 10:46 UTC.
- 3 November: Flying Blue director Tiffany Funk announced the pause on FlyerTalk.
- 4 November: the old rate applies again, also to contributions made since 2 November.
- 1 December: the new rate of EUR 15 per XP starts.
SAF bought before 1 December for a later flight: the old rate, says customer service
SAF XP, and for Platinum and Ultimate members the UXP, reach your account after the flight, not when you buy. So which rate do you get for SAF you buy in November for a flight in December? The old rate if the day you buy counts, the new rate if the day you fly counts. Flying Blue's post of 3 November does not say.
Flying Blue customer service does. On 4 November a SkyStatus member asked on WhatsApp. The member wanted to add EUR 150 of SAF to a booking in January. The website showed 15 UXP for that amount. Would it really be 15, or 10 at the new rate? The chat went to a Flying Blue representative, who replied the same evening: "Our system calculates the XP based on your purchase date, not your flight date." Bought now, at EUR 10 per XP, the EUR 150 earns 15 XP. Bought in December, the same EUR 150 earns 10.
This is the first answer from the airline side to this question. It fits what we saw earlier. The KLM app estimated SAF bought before November at the old rate. And article 9 of the KLM SAF terms says the terms in force at the time of booking apply. Still, it is a customer service answer in one member's chat. Air France, KLM and Flying Blue have not said anything official about it yet. The first credits for flights from 1 December will show whether the system does what customer service says.
For a flight up to 30 November the question does not arise. That SAF earns the old rate, also when you bought it before November.
What you can do before 1 December
Until 30 November, SAF and Miles donations earn XP at the old rate. That leaves four weeks.
- Miles donation: the XP land straight away. A donation made before 1 December earns 1 XP per 2,000 Miles.
- SAF on a flight up to 30 November: earns the old rate of 1 XP per started EUR 10.
- SAF on a flight from 1 December: bought before 1 December, it earns the old rate, Flying Blue customer service says. If you planned SAF for that flight anyway, that is 50% more XP for the same money. The credit after your flight is the proof.
From 1 December we no longer recommend buying SAF for status by default. At EUR 15 per XP, SAF is a more expensive way to get XP than Flying Blue Extra Extended for regular flyers. It is also more expensive than the Amex cards available in the Netherlands. There is one exception. For a Platinum member just short of Ultimate, SAF can still make sense, because it remains the only way to buy the last few UXP. For cheaper ways to earn status, see how to earn XP fast.
SkyStatus keeps calculating with the old rate for now. Every affected guide shows a notice about the change, and so does the app.
KLM and Air France have not answered our questions yet
On 2 November 2026 we asked the press offices of KLM and Air France whether the change is permanent and why it was not announced. We also asked why the status pages still state the old rate, and what happens to SAF bought before the change. Neither has responded yet. Flying Blue has since answered part of this in public, in the post described above. Flying Blue customer service answered the question about SAF bought before the new rate starts, in the chat shown above. That is not an official statement.
Air France-KLM published its third quarter results on 5 November 2026. The press release and the results presentation do not mention XP for SAF or for Miles donations. We will add any response the day it arrives.
Frequently asked questions
How many XP does SAF earn now?
Until 30 November 2026, SAF earns 1 XP per started EUR 10 again, rounded up. Flying Blue paused the new rate on 3 November, and contributions made since 2 November are credited at the old rate. From 1 December 2026, SAF costs EUR 15 per XP.
Is the price rise cancelled?
No, it is postponed. Flying Blue director Tiffany Funk wrote on FlyerTalk on 3 November that the new rate of EUR 15 per XP starts on 1 December 2026.
Did Miles donations change too?
On 2 and 3 November, 14 of the 21 charities asked 3,000 Miles per XP instead of 2,000. Since 4 November donations earn XP at the old rate again. Flying Blue names charitable contributions together with SAF, but has not said how many Miles per XP a donation will cost from 1 December.
What happens to SAF I buy before 1 December for a later flight?
Flying Blue customer service says it keeps the old rate. On 4 November it told a SkyStatus member in writing that the day you buy decides, not the day you fly. Air France, KLM and Flying Blue have not confirmed it officially yet. SAF XP and UXP are credited after the flight, so check the credit. For a flight up to 30 November, the old rate applies anyway.
Sources
- SkyStatus investigation, with all captures, archive copies and calculations
- FlyerTalk - post by Flying Blue director Tiffany Funk, 3 November 2026: change paused, new rate from 1 December 2026
- SkyStatus member data, aggregated and refreshed every week (latest measurement in November 2026)
- KLM - Flying Blue status page - EUR 10 per XP, also on 2 November 2026
- Air France - Flying Blue status page - same text
- KLM - SAF information page - no rate, says the entire contribution buys extra SAF
- Flying Blue - Your actions go a long way - "1 XP for every 2,000 Miles donated or spent"
- FlyerTalk - thread 2082868 on XP for CO2 offsets and donations
- Reddit - r/flyingblue, thread "50% price increase when buying SAF", 2 November 2026, offers posted by members
- French Flying Blue group on Facebook - WhatsApp reply from Air France customer service shared by a member, read on 3 November 2026 (not linked, private individuals)
- WhatsApp chat of a SkyStatus member with the verified Air France account, answered by Flying Blue customer service on 4 November 2026: the purchase date decides the SAF rate (shown with the member's permission, member not named)
- Air France-KLM - Q3 2026 press release, 5 November 2026: nothing on XP for SAF or Miles donations
This article summarises the SkyStatus investigation of 2 November 2026, updated on 4 November with Flying Blue's response and on 5 November with a reply from Flying Blue customer service. That investigation is based on live captures of KLM, Air France and Flying Blue pages, Wayback Machine copies, public forum posts and aggregated SkyStatus member data. We say clearly what we observed and what we infer. SkyStatus is an independent tool and not affiliated with Air France-KLM or Flying Blue.