Is a stopover free with Flying Blue?

Yes, a stopover on a Flying Blue award ticket costs no extra miles. You pay the same number of miles as for a direct flight. You do pay taxes and surcharges for all flight segments, which may be slightly higher than a direct flight.

How do you book a stopover with Flying Blue?

A stopover must be booked by phone through Flying Blue customer service (KLM: +31 20 474 7747, Air France: +33 9 69 39 36 54). Online booking is not possible. Ask for a one-way award with a stopover in Amsterdam or Paris, and provide your preferred dates for each segment.

Flying Blue stopover: free stop on award tickets

Q: Can I combine a stopover with Promo Rewards?

No, Promo Rewards only apply to standard one-way or round-trip bookings. Stopovers, multi-city and open-jaw bookings are excluded from Promo Rewards. You can book the outbound as a Promo Reward and the return as a regular award ticket with stopover.

Last updated: February 19, 2026 - 8 min read - See sources

By Remco de Graaf Flying Blue Platinum member since 2005, every status from Silver to Platinum. 30 years building digital products, 15+ mileage runs, 50+ countries. Founder of SkyStatus.

What is a stopover?

A stopover is a planned stop of at least 24 hours on your award ticket. Flying Blue allows you to add a free stopover to one-way awards. For example, you can fly from Amsterdam to Bangkok with a stopover of a few days in Paris, on a single award ticket, without paying extra miles. This also works on partner airlines.

SkyStatus Flight Ledger with multi-segment trips: BOG-AMS-CDG-BOG and CDG-TUN stopover routes, all Business Class with XP and miles per flight — The Flight Ledger in SkyStatus displays multi-segment trips clearly. Here you can see two stopover-style routes: Bogota via Amsterdam and Paris, and Tunis via Paris with a stop in Sweden. All segments, XP and miles at a glance.

Quick facts

Cost

Free

No extra miles

Duration

24 hours - 1 year

Minimum 24-hour stop

Locations

AMS or CDG

Amsterdam or Paris (hub cities)

Booking

Phone only

Not available online

On this page

How does a Flying Blue stopover work?
Step-by-step booking
Concrete examples
Rules and conditions
Smart stopover strategies
Stopover vs. open jaw vs. multi-city
Frequently asked questions
Sources and verification

How does a Flying Blue stopover work?

Flying Blue prices award tickets per direction. When you book a one-way award, you may add a stop in a hub city (Amsterdam Schiphol or Paris Charles de Gaulle) without paying extra miles. The stopover must last at least 24 hours and at most 1 year.

In practice, this means you combine two destinations on a single award ticket:

Segment 1: your origin to the hub city (e.g. New York to Paris)
Stopover: 1 day to 1 year in Paris
Segment 2: the hub city to your final destination (e.g. Paris to Bangkok)

You pay the miles rate for the longest route (in this case New York - Bangkok via Paris). The stop in Paris is included for free. You only pay the taxes and surcharges for all segments in cash.

SkyStatus XP Simulator Segment Breakdown: 4 legs AMS-CPH-OSL-CPH-AMS, each +15 XP, KL Business Class — Segment Breakdown of a route via Copenhagen hub: 4 legs, each +15 XP. More segments via a hub earn more XP than a direct flight - exactly the principle behind a stopover.

SkyStatus XP Simulator Segment Breakdown: 2 legs AMS-OSL-AMS direct, each +15 XP — For comparison: the same AMS-OSL route flown direct has only 2 legs. Via a hub (4 legs) you earn double the XP on a paid ticket.

Why is this valuable? Adding a few days in Paris or Amsterdam "for free" to your trip is one of Flying Blue's best-kept secrets. You are flying through a hub anyway. Instead of a quick connection, you turn it into a mini-vacation. On an intercontinental award ticket, you easily save EUR 200-500 on a separate ticket or hotel in the hub city.

Step by step: booking a stopover

Booking a stopover requires a phone call. Here is how to do it:

Booking process

Check availability online: go to klm.com or airfrance.com. Search each segment separately with "Book with miles" - 1 passenger, one-way. Note the available dates and miles prices for both segments.
Verify the route: the stopover must be on a logical connection. Amsterdam works for KLM routes, Paris for Air France routes. The connection must go through the hub.
Call customer service:
- KLM Flying Blue: +31 20 474 7747
- Air France Flying Blue: +33 9 69 39 36 54
Request a one-way award with stopover: provide your preferred flights, dates and cabin class. Make sure to state explicitly that you want a stopover (not just a connection).
Confirm the price: you should pay the same number of miles as for a direct flight to your final destination. The surcharges (taxes + fees) may be slightly higher due to the extra segment.

SkyStatus Add Flight wizard step 4: AMS-CDG-JFK route, 4 segments, 90 XP total, 24,000 miles — The Add Flight wizard in SkyStatus shows all segments of a multi-segment trip: AMS-CDG-JFK round trip via Paris. 4 segments, 90 XP and 24,000 miles total. This is how you track a stopover route in your tracker.

Phone booking fees: some Flying Blue call centers charge a booking fee for phone bookings (around EUR 20-25). This is a service fee, not a surcharge on the award ticket. Check this with your agent. Elite members (Gold and above) are often exempt from this fee.

Concrete examples

Example 1: Amsterdam - Bangkok via Paris (Business Class)

Segment 1: AMS to CDG (Air France, 1 hour)
Stopover: 3 days in Paris
Segment 2: CDG to BKK (Air France, 11 hours)
Miles: 60,000 miles one-way (same as direct AMS-BKK)
Bonus: 3 days in Paris on your award, without extra miles

Example 2: Paris - Tokyo via Amsterdam (Economy)

Segment 1: CDG to AMS (KLM, 1 hour)
Stopover: weekend in Amsterdam
Segment 2: AMS to NRT (KLM, 11 hours)
Miles: 25,000 miles one-way (same as direct CDG-NRT)
Bonus: weekend in Amsterdam included for free

Example 3: New York - Cape Town via Amsterdam (Business Class)

Segment 1: JFK to AMS (KLM, 7 hours)
Stopover: 5 days in Amsterdam
Segment 2: AMS to CPT (KLM, 11 hours)
Miles: 60,000-80,000 miles one-way
Bonus: five days in Amsterdam on a single award ticket

Rules and conditions

The Flying Blue stopover has a number of important rules:

Rule	Details
Ticket type	One-way awards only (single direction). Not available on round-trip bookings through the website.
Stopover location	Amsterdam (AMS) or Paris (CDG). Must be a hub on the route.
Minimum duration	24 hours. Anything shorter counts as a regular connection.
Maximum duration	Up to 1 year after your first flight segment.
Number of stopovers	1 per one-way award.
Extra miles	None. You pay the same rate as for a direct flight.
Booking method	Phone only. Cannot be booked online.
Partner airlines	Stopovers also work on award tickets with SkyTeam partners.
Promo Rewards	Not combinable. Promo Rewards only apply to standard one-way or round-trip bookings.
Cabin class	Both segments may be in different cabins (e.g. Economy outbound, Business after the stopover).

Note on round-trip bookings: online you can only book standard round-trip tickets. To have a stopover on both the outbound and return, book two separate one-way awards with a stopover each. The total miles cost is the same as a round trip.

Smart stopover strategies

SkyStatus XP Simulator: AMS-CPH-OSL route via hub, 4 legs, +60 XP total, with Segment Breakdown and Run Summary — The XP Simulator calculates exactly how much XP a hub route yields. AMS-CPH-OSL round trip via Copenhagen: 4 legs, +60 XP total. Useful for planning routes with stopovers and seeing the XP impact.

1. Combine a Promo Reward outbound with a stopover return

Promo Rewards offer 25-50% off but do not allow stopovers. The smartest strategy: book the outbound as a Promo Reward (cheaper in miles) and the return as a regular award with stopover. This way you benefit from both advantages.

Example: Amsterdam - Bangkok round trip with maximum value

Outbound (Promo Reward): AMS-BKK, Business Class, 45,000 miles
Return (regular + stopover): BKK-CDG (stopover 4 days Paris) - CDG-AMS, 60,000 miles
Total: 105,000 miles + 4 days in Paris for free
Without strategy: 120,000 miles (regular round trip, no Paris)
Savings: 15,000 miles AND 4 days in Paris

2. Build in a mini-vacation

A stopover of 2-5 days in Amsterdam or Paris is the perfect mini-vacation. You are in the city for your connection anyway. Instead of waiting 2 hours at Schiphol, spend a weekend in the city center. Hotels in Amsterdam and Paris cost EUR 100-200 per night, but the flight portion is free.

SkyStatus Flight Ledger July 2025: mileage run AMS-ZWE-CDG-AMS-CDG-TRN-CDG, 6 flights Business Class KLM, +90 XP — A real mileage run with stopover elements: AMS-ZWE-CDG-AMS-CDG-TRN-CDG in July 2025. 6 Business Class flights via multiple hubs, +90 XP in two days. On paid tickets, routes like this maximize XP.

3. Use stopovers to make long trips more enjoyable

A stopover makes long journeys more pleasant. Instead of waiting hours at an airport, you explore a city. This works on both award tickets and paid tickets. Note: for mileage runs focused on Flying Blue XP, you need a paid ticket, since award tickets do not earn XP.

4. Mix cabin classes

You may book different cabin classes per segment. Fly Economy to the hub city and Business Class for the long segment, or the other way around. This can reduce the total miles price if Business Class on the short segment is relatively expensive.

5. Combine with a paid ticket for XP

Award tickets (booked with miles) earn no XP. Want both a stopover and to earn Flying Blue XP? Then book a paid ticket with a connection and stay more than 24 hours in the hub city. Alternatively, book the outbound as a paid ticket (for XP) and the return as an award with stopover (for the extra city).

No XP on award tickets: Flying Blue does not award XP on flights booked with miles. This also applies to award tickets with a stopover. If you want to earn XP and do a stopover, combine a paid ticket with a separate award ticket.

SkyStatus miles Balance page: 370,820 miles, portfolio value EUR 9,270, Monthly Flow chart and Source Efficiency breakdown — Your complete miles overview in SkyStatus: balance, value, earning sources and monthly flow. With 370,000+ miles you have plenty for an intercontinental Business Class award with a free stopover.

Track your miles for your next stopover

Keep track of how many miles you have, and plan your next award with a stopover.

Start tracking for free

Stopover vs. open jaw vs. multi-city

These three terms are often confused. Here is the difference:

Type	Explanation	Example	With Flying Blue
Stopover	Stop of 24+ hours in a hub city, same ticket	AMS - CDG (3 days) - BKK	Free on one-way awards (by phone)
Open jaw	Return from a different city than your destination	Out: AMS-BKK, return: Singapore-AMS	Book as two separate one-way awards
Multi-city	Multiple destinations on one ticket	AMS-BKK-SIN-AMS	Not available as a single award ticket. Book as separate one-way awards.

The advantage of one-way awards with Flying Blue is flexibility. You can simulate an open jaw by booking two separate one-way tickets, each with its own stopover. This gives you more control over dates and cabin classes than a round-trip ticket.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Flying Blue stopover?

A stopover is a planned stop of at least 24 hours and up to 1 year on your award ticket. You can add a free stopover to one-way awards with Flying Blue. The stop is in a hub city: Amsterdam (AMS) or Paris (CDG). You pay no extra miles.

Is a stopover free?

Yes. You pay the same number of miles as for a direct flight to your final destination. Taxes and surcharges may be slightly higher due to the extra flight segment, but the miles price does not change.

How do you book a stopover?

Stopovers must be booked by phone through Flying Blue customer service. Online booking is not possible. Call KLM (+31 20 474 7747) or Air France (+33 9 69 39 36 54) and request a one-way award with a stopover.

Can I combine a stopover with Promo Rewards?

No. Promo Rewards only apply to standard one-way or round-trip bookings. Stopovers, multi-city and open-jaw bookings are excluded. You can book the outbound as a Promo Reward and the return as a regular award with stopover.

Which cities allow a stopover?

Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). These are the hub cities of KLM and Air France. The stopover must be on a logical connection on your route.

Do I earn XP on an award ticket with a stopover?

No. Award tickets (booked with miles) do not earn Flying Blue XP, even with a stopover. Want to earn XP and include a stopover? Then book a paid ticket with a connection and stay more than 24 hours, or split your trip: paid ticket outbound (for XP) and award with stopover on the return.

Sources and verification

Last verified: February 19, 2026. All facts checked against at least two independent sources.

Flying Blue - Reward Tickets - official award booking rules
KLM - Spend miles - booking rules and conditions
FlyerTalk - Flying Blue Stopover Rules - community experiences and routing rules
Flying Blue - Book award flights - official multi-city award booking

This guide is based on publicly available information from Flying Blue, independent sources and personal experience as of February 2026. Booking rules may change. Always check the current terms on flyingblue.com or call customer service. SkyStatus is not affiliated with Air France-KLM or Flying Blue.