Flying Blue Choice Benefits
Some of you may roll your eyes that I’m talking about the Air France/KLM Flying Blue program yet again today. I’ve described ad nauseum why I enjoy the program and the credit card, to the point where I invested years to obtain Flying Blue Platinum status. (It’s not just about booking La Premiere.) But groan no more. Today, I’m talking about a Flying Blue program angle I previously haven’t. This article’s all about the recent addition of Flying Blue Choice Benefits and why they matter for certain existing and aspiring Air France/KLM loyalists.
XP Background
Friendly reminder, Air France/KLM Flying Blue calls their elite currency “Experience Points,” or XP. This is how these airlines measure progress to their various status levels, similar to American Airlines’ Loyalty Points. Flying Blue is one of the more convoluted programs for achieving increasing levels of status. It’s about playing chess rather than checkers. (Beyond Platinum, Flying Blue offers Ultimate status. These elites earn UXP.)
But achieving Flying Blue Choice Benefits is probably straightforward to the vast majority of eligible elites. That’s because these benefits start for those earning a minimum of 450 XP in a qualification year. Indeed, getting that far with XP generally entails a solid understanding of the program.
Choice Benefits offer a loyalist a list of reward selections at the 450, 600, and 750 XP levels. So what’s Flying Blue offering?
What Are Flying Blue Choice Benefits?
Here are the options at each of the three Choice Benefit thresholds. Qualifying members may select one after reaching each level:
450 (U)XP
- Flying Blue Silver Status Card – gift this status to another Flying Blue member
- 20k Miles Overdraft
- 15k Redeemable Miles
- 20 Additional (U)XP
600 (U)XP
- Flying Blue Gold Status Card – gift this status to another Flying Blue member
- 30k Miles Overdraft
- 20k Redeemable Miles
- 30 Additional (U)XP
750 (U)XPÂ
- Flying Blue Platinum Status Card – gift this status to another Flying Blue member
- 40k Miles Overdraft
- 30k Redeemable Miles
- Upgrade Voucher
My Take on the Flying Blue Choice Benefits
First off, bravo to Air France/KLM Flying Blue for offering this new perk option, over and above what the program previously provided. Given the fair challenge it can be to collect XP, I’m a bit disappointed the benefits don’t start at lower XP levels. But I’m certainly not complaining, since it’s a bonus with a program where I was already deeply committed. Regardless, collecting XP without flying has recently become much easier.
If things go as I expect, I’ll reach the 450 XP and 600 XP levels soon. Barring any major surprises – not necessarily a safe assumption – I hope/plan to reach at least 750XP in the next qualification year. What would I pick at each level, though?
My Picks
At 450 XP threshold, I’m planning to pick 15k redeemable miles. Silver status doesn’t come with anything particularly noteworthy, so I don’t deem it to be much of a gift – especially for anyone who can easily pick up that status with the right Air France card welcome offer. The overdraft across all levels seems fairly useless. Anyone at these elite levels probably doesn’t need a small mileage loan. I feel the same way about the few additional XP, at least for my situation.
Things get a bit more interesting at the 600 XP level. Again, I and many other Flying Blue elites have little or no need for a few more XP or a mileage loan. But gifting Flying Blue Gold status to another member could be interesting, enabling someone to potentially jumpstart their quest for Platinum. (Or they could potentially choose to requalify for Gold, but why settle?) I’m confident I’ll redeem for gifting Gold, as that would mean more to someone else than 20k more redeemable miles would to me.
I probably won’t reach 750 XP in my current qualification year, if ever. Regardless, the decision there is/would be a no-brainer for me, and I imagine most everyone else. The ability to gift Flying Blue Platinum status – something that took me years to reach – is simply remarkable.
Conclusion
The Flying Blue Choice Benefits are a bit more exclusive than I’d like them to be, starting at the 450 XP level of entry. But perhaps that lines up with what Air France/KLM’s views on elite status. Despite a slight shift recently, these airlines don’t want to make certain things too easy. After putting years into reaching Platinum status, I’m fine with that arrangement
What do you think of the new Flying Blue Choice Benefits?
I think these are really lackluster but then again that would largely describe Flying Blue overall these days. Remember the recent devaluation where they said that they were jacking up business class award prices 20% so they could provide a lot of availability? Every time – and I’ve looked a lot – I’ve checked, there was absolutely no business class saver space across the Atlantic. That tells me two things: FB doesn’t offer the value they purport to offer and they’re untrustworthy.
I’m truly pleased that you find value in the program. Maybe my extra large height, size, and width color my views but I’m not seeing anything to remotely get excited about in the past year or so.