August 20, 2026
Flying Blue Award Tickets Are Changing—And Not for the Better
Toni Perkins-Southam
Flying Blue is changing how you book award flights on Air France and KLM. While the lowest award rates aren’t increasing, you’ll soon get fewer perks for your miles.
Here’s what you need to know.
Flying Blue Introduces Light, Standard, and Flex Awards
Starting Sept. 8, Air France and KLM Flying Blue award flights will offer three fare options:
- Light: The lowest-priced award. These tickets won’t allow changes or refunds and won’t include advance seat selection. Economy and premium economy Light awards won’t include a checked bag, while business-class Light awards won’t include lounge access.
- Standard: Includes many of the benefits Flying Blue award tickets offer today, including checked baggage and the ability to change or refund your ticket for a fee.
- Flex: The most expensive option, offering free changes and cancellations, seat selection and lower cash surcharges.
So a business-class award from Paris (CDG) to New York (JFK) that currently starts at 60,000 Flying Blue miles will still cost 60,000 miles as a Light award, for example. But that ticket won’t include lounge access and can’t be changed or canceled.
A Standard award with benefits closer to what you get today will cost 75,000 miles—a 25% increase.
Economy awards follow a similar pattern. A transatlantic award that currently starts at 25,000 miles will remain 25,000 miles as a Light fare, while a Standard award will start at 30,000 miles.
What Won’t Be Affected
It’s not all bad news (but just barely). Flying Blue and qualifying SkyTeam elite members will keep their applicable benefits on Light awards, including baggage allowances, seat selection and lounge access.
That could make Flying Blue elite status more valuable under the new structure. The Air France KLM Visa Signature® Card can help cardholders earn Flying Blue Silver status, which includes an additional checked bag on eligible SkyTeam flights—even when booking a Light award that doesn’t otherwise include one.
The changes apply to Air France- and KLM-operated flights. Partner-operated awards won’t use the new structure. Existing award bookings will also retain their current terms, and La Première awards aren’t changing.
Flying Blue Promo Rewards, however, will continue as Light fares and be subject to the same restrictions.
Related: Best Credit Card Welcome Offers: August 2026
Our Take
Flying Blue may be keeping its lowest award rates, but those miles will soon buy fewer perks. Travelers who want the flexibility and benefits currently included with award tickets will need to spend more miles.
If you have an Air France or KLM award in mind, you may want to book by Sept. 7 before the new structure goes into play.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. American Express is a Travel Mom Squad advertiser, but we always show the best public offer even when we don’t earn a commission. Terms Apply.
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