These days I don’t hunt down airline standing as I used to previously. Whereas I nonetheless assume there’s enormous worth to incomes airline miles, the worth of standing merely isn’t there in the best way that it was once — upgrades are more durable to return by, premium cabins are sometimes priced extra moderately in money, and all of the whereas airways have (largely) made standing more durable to earn.
That being mentioned, I’m discovering myself desirous about pursuing a brand new airline standing alternative for the primary time in a very long time. I’m considering of going for elite standing with Air France-KLM Flying Blue, so let me clarify why.
What intrigues me about Flying Blue elite standing
There are a number of causes I’d wish to pursue elite standing with Flying Blue, although let me begin with the most important — it certain can be good to have the ability to redeem miles for Air France firstclass.
I rank Air France as having among the finest firstclass merchandise on this planet (and the bottom expertise is the most effective on this planet), although you possibly can solely redeem miles for it in case you have Flying Blue Gold elite standing or above.
Admittedly even in case you have elite standing, these awards aren’t low-cost. For instance, flying from the United Stats to Europe will value you 220,000-230,000 miles one-way in firstclass. Whereas that’s steep, I’d argue that there are circumstances the place this may very well be a superb possibility:
My intent is under no circumstances to only continuously fly throughout the Atlantic in Air France firstclass with miles, because it’s nonetheless not low-cost. Nevertheless, I do assume there are circumstances the place it’s undoubtedly value it for an important day, and having Flying Blue elite standing is the best strategy to accomplish that.
Even past the primary class angle, there are some causes that I feel crediting SkyTeam flights to Air France-KLM Flying Blue is the most suitable choice:
- I discover Flying Blue to be probably the most helpful SkyTeam loyalty program, particularly for these seeking to journey throughout the Atlantic in enterprise class; Flying Blue has much more entry to Air France and KLM enterprise class awards than accomplice applications do
- I fly SkyTeam airways a good bit (together with Delta), although frankly I don’t actually have a lot curiosity in going for elite standing or crediting my flights to Delta SkyMiles
What it takes to earn Flying Blue elite standing
Flying Blue makes use of “XP” (which stands for “expertise factors”) because the metric for incomes standing. The system of qualifying for standing works a bit in a different way than with different applications:
- 100 XPs will get you Flying Blue Silver standing
- You then want 180 further XPs to earn Flying Blue Gold standing
- You then want 300 further XPs to earn Flying Blue Platinum standing
Nevertheless, there’s a bit extra nuance to this, which additionally makes it simpler to earn standing. For instance, you don’t want 580 XPs in a yr to earn Platinum standing:
- When you earn 100 XPs in a yr, you’ll earn Silver standing
- Your standing will then be reset, and also you’ll must earn 180 XPs over the subsequent 12 months to earn Gold standing
- Your standing will then be reset, and also you’ll must earn 300 XPs over the subsequent 12 months to earn Platinum standing
- Sustaining standing on an ongoing foundation merely requires 100 XPs for Silver, 180 XPs for Gold, and 300 XPs for Platinum
I feel incomes Flying Blue Gold standing is ample, although if I get into the Flying Blue ecosystem and discover it to work effectively for me, it’s value noting that you just get lifetime Flying Blue Platinum standing when you earn the standing for 10 years.
So far as incomes XPs goes, under is the chart displaying what number of XPs you earn per phase.
It’s undoubtedly best to rack up XPs with brief haul worldwide flights. Simply to offer a few examples:
- A roundtrip nonstop Delta enterprise class ticket from Tampa to New York would earn you 12 XPs
- A roundtrip Aeromexico enterprise class ticket from Miami to Lima by way of Mexico Metropolis would earn you 78 XPs
- A roundtrip Aeromexico enterprise class ticket from New York to Sao Paulo by way of Mexico Metropolis would earn you 108 XPs
How I might earn Flying Blue elite standing
I’m not seeking to spend my total life mileage operating in an effort to earn Flying Blue elite standing. Fairly on the contrary, I feel I might earn it with pretty minimal effort:
- The Air France-KLM Flying Blue Card in america usually presents XPs as a part of the welcome bonus; for instance, this previous spring we noticed a bonus that included 100 XPs (along with miles), so I’ll wait till a proposal like that’s obtainable as soon as once more
- I might merely credit score the Delta flights that I take inside america to Air France-KLM Flying Blue as an alternative of Delta SkyMiles
- Pursuing Flying Blue elite standing can be a superb motive to evaluation some extra SkyTeam merchandise; for instance, possibly that is the push I must do one other Aeromexico evaluation, as I’d wish to evaluation the provider’s Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 787-9 enterprise class
- Flying Blue awards members with XPs for donating to charity or shopping for carbon offsets, and XPs doubtlessly rack up fairly rapidly this manner (nevertheless, it seems to be like a part of this program has been suspended, possibly briefly)
If nothing else, maybe pursuing Flying Blue elite standing would assist me kind some form of a method with SkyTeam, since at present I’m not likely invested in any SkyTeam program past transferring factors to Flying Blue when there are switch bonuses and I’m seeking to fly throughout the Atlantic.
It certain can be good if there have been some form of a standing match or standing problem program from Flying Blue, however even ranging from scratch, this shouldn’t be that difficult.
Backside line
I’m significantly contemplating going for elite standing with Air France-KLM Flying Blue. One in every of my major motivations is having access to Air France firstclass awards, on condition that solely Flying Blue Gold members can redeem miles this manner.
Larger image, it simply appears to make sense to pursue standing with some SkyTeam program, since at present I don’t have a lot of a method with crediting my SkyTeam flights. It will additionally simply typically be fascinating to see how good Air France and KLM are in the case of elite recognition.
Does this concept appear completely silly? I’m open to suggestions and concepts, and am curious if anybody else takes a method like this.
