You have been accumulating Flying Blue miles from several flights, and the question eventually arises: is it enough to book a ticket without pulling out the credit card? The answer depends on the destination, the chosen cabin, and the timing of the booking. Since January 2025, the minimum thresholds in miles have been increased by the Flying Blue program, which changes the game for planning a reward flight.
New Flying Blue mile floors since 2025
Before estimating the number of miles needed, it’s important to understand a recent change. Since January 13, 2025, Flying Blue has raised the starting prices in miles for Air France and KLM flights.
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On transatlantic routes, the minimums are now set at 25,000 miles in Economy per leg, 40,000 in Premium Economy, and 60,000 in Business. These figures correspond to the lowest available fare, excluding taxes and carrier surcharges.
Pricing remains dynamic: the price in miles varies according to the date, demand, and booking class. A Paris-New York flight in Economy may cost 25,000 miles on a Tuesday in November, but much more on a Saturday in July. The floors do not guarantee availability at this rate on every flight.
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To know precisely how many Air France miles for a free flight, you need to cross-reference the destination, period, and targeted cabin.
Rates in miles by cabin and destination zone
Are you heading to Europe for a weekend, or aiming for a long-haul flight to Asia? The number of miles required varies significantly.
Short and medium-haul flights in Europe
A one-way ticket in Economy on an intra-European flight generally starts at a few thousand miles. For a round trip from Paris to Lisbon or Paris to Rome, the total cost in miles remains accessible to travelers who regularly accumulate miles.
Short flights in Economy are the easiest to finance with miles. The availability of reward seats is often better than on highly sought-after long-haul routes.
Transatlantic and intercontinental flights
It’s on long-haul flights that miles hold their true value. With the new floors:
- Economy: starting from 25,000 miles per leg, meaning a minimum of 50,000 miles for a round trip transatlantic
- Premium Economy: starting from 40,000 miles per leg, an interesting option for gaining comfort without aiming for Business
- Business: starting from 60,000 miles per leg, which represents a ticket whose price in euros often exceeds several thousand euros
Long-haul Business offers the best value/miles ratio, as the price gap between a paid ticket and a reward ticket is most pronounced there.
Monthly Promo Rewards: the lever to pay fewer miles
The starting rates are not always the best possible price. Every month, Flying Blue publishes a list of destinations in Promo Rewards, with discounts of 25 to 50% on the number of miles required.
Specifically, a transatlantic flight in Economy at 25,000 miles can drop to 18,750 miles with a 25% Promo Reward. In Business, a route at 60,000 miles can go down to 45,000, or even 30,000 miles on certain destinations.
These promotions change every month and apply to specific routes. They are not announced long in advance.
To take advantage of them, two reflexes help:
- Check the list of Promo Rewards as soon as it is published monthly on the Flying Blue website
- Maintain flexibility on dates and destinations
- Check availability early, as reward seats at reduced rates go quickly on popular routes
Don’t have enough miles for your dream destination at the standard rate? Waiting for a Promo Reward can cut the cost in half.
Taxes and surcharges: what miles do not cover
A reward ticket is never completely free. Miles replace the ticket price, but airport taxes and carrier surcharges remain to be paid in euros.
On an intra-European flight, these fees remain moderate (a few dozen euros in general). On a long-haul flight, the bill for taxes and surcharges can amount to several hundred euros, depending on the airline operating the flight and the departure and arrival airports.
Carrier surcharges vary significantly from one partner airline to another. Some SkyTeam airlines apply much lower surcharges than Air France on similar routes. Comparing routing options before finalizing the booking can sometimes significantly reduce the euro amount.
Accumulate miles faster than just flying
Reaching 50,000 or 100,000 miles solely through flying takes time. The Flying Blue program offers other accumulation channels.
Air France co-branded credit cards allow you to earn miles on every daily purchase. Program partners (car rental companies, hotel chains, online retailers) also offer miles on eligible transactions.
Transferring points from certain partner banking programs is another lever. These points converted into Flying Blue miles can supplement an insufficient balance before a reward booking.
Combining flights, co-branded cards, and partner purchases significantly accelerates accumulation. A regular traveler using these three channels can gather the miles for a round trip transatlantic flight in Economy in less than a year.
The number of miles for a free flight thus depends as much on the accumulation strategy as on the displayed fare. The 2025 floors set a framework, Promo Rewards create opportunities, and taxes remind us that no reward ticket is truly zero euros. Maintaining flexibility on dates and monitoring monthly promotions remains the most reliable way to maximize the value of each accumulated mile.