In early February 2020, Delta, Air France-KLM, and Virgin Atlantic, finally launched their new transatlantic mega joint venture. Previously Delta had two separate transatlantic joint ventures — one with Virgin Atlantic, and one with Air France-KLM.
With this new joint venture, all four airlines will be coordinating on transatlantic flights, including aligning schedules and fares, and also offering reciprocal benefits to frequent flyers.
That increased frequent flyer reciprocity has gone live today.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue & Virgin Atlantic Flying Club partnership
As of today new frequent flyer reciprocity has been introduced between Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. There aren’t any major implications here for Delta SkyMiles, since Delta has long had individual partnerships with both airline groups.
What’s new here?
- You can now earn and redeem Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles on Virgin Atlantic
- You can now earn and redeem Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles on Air France-KLM
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue elite members can now receive elite benefits on Virgin Atlantic
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club elite members can now receive elite benefits on Air France-KLM
Let’s take a look at what you need to know about this new partnership.
Earning Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles on Air France-KLM
It’s now possible to earn Virgin Atlantic miles for travel on Air France-KLM. Here’s the earning chart for Air France:
Here’s the earning chart for KLM:
Rather confusingly, both of the charts reference that these are the mileage earning rates for Virgin Atlantic codeshares on these airlines, but the terms state that all Air France and KLM flights are eligible for Flying Club mileage accrual.
Flying Club elite members also earn their tier bonuses for Air France and KLM flights, including 30% for Silver members and 60% for Gold members.
It’s now possible to earn Flying Club miles on KLM
Earning Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles on Virgin Atlantic
It’s now possible to earn Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles for travel on Virgin Atlantic. Let’s take a look at those mileage earning rates.
Business Cabin (Upper Class):
- J, C: 200%
- D: 175%
- I: 150%
- Z: 100%
Premium Economy:
- W, S: 125%
- H: 100%
- K: 75%
Economy:
- V: 100%
- Y, B: 100%
- R, L: 75%
- U, M, E: 50%
- Q, X, N, O: 25%
- T: 20%
Flying Blue elite members also earn their tier bonuses for Virgin Atlantic flights.
It’s now possible to earn Flying Blue miles on Virgin Atlantic
Redeeming Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles on Air France-KLM
It’s now possible to redeem Virgin Atlantic miles for travel on Air France-KLM. There’s a published redemption chart, and boy is it kind of confusing.
There’s one award chart for travel on short haul Air France and KLM flights, which has no peak and off-peak pricing:
Then there’s a separate zone based chart with both peak and off-peak pricing for economy and business class. For example, here’s the business class off-peak chart:
Here’s the business class peak chart:
The above pricing is one-way, and there are surcharges on all awards. To give a couple of examples of business class one-way pricing:
- A UK to East Coast USA award costs 48,500-58,500 miles (that’s reasonable)
- A Greece to West Coast USA award costs 110,000-120,000 miles (that’s… not so reasonable)
It’s now possible to spend Flying Club miles on Air France
Redeeming Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles on Virgin Atlantic
Flying Blue doesn’t seem to publish an award chart for travel on Virgin Atlantic, though these awards can be booked directly online.
Redemption rates are roughly in line with what you’d expect, though there is one bright spot, which is that Flying Blue seems to largely have lower surcharges on Virgin Atlantic awards.
For example, Boston to London is bookable in Virgin Atlantic Upper Class for 56,500 Flying Blue miles plus 189EUR in taxes, fees, and carrier surcharges.
Those surcharges are way lower than what Virgin Atlantic Flying Club would charge directly, as they’d charge 47,500 miles plus $675 in taxes, fees, and carrier surcharges.
I’d gladly redeem an extra 9,000 miles to save over $400!
It’s now possible to spend Flying Blue miles on Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club elite benefits on Air France-KLM
With this new partnership, Flying Club Silver members receive the following perks on Air France and KLM:
- Priority check-in
- Priority bag drop
- Priority boarding
Flying Club Gold members receive the following perks on Air France and KLM, in addition to the above:
- Priority security
- Priority baggage handling
- One extra piece of checked baggage
- Air France and KLM lounge access for you and a guest
Flying Club Gold members now receive Air France-KLM lounge access
Air France-KLM Flying Blue elite benefits on Virgin Atlantic
With this new partnership, Flying Blue Silver members receive the following perks on Virgin Atlantic:
- Priority check-in
- Priority bag drop
- Priority boarding
Flying Blue Gold and Platinum members receive the following perks on Virgin Atlantic:
- Priority security
- Priority baggage handling
- One extra piece of checked baggage
- Lounge access, except they won’t get access to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow Terminal 3, but rather will be directed to the Qantas Lounge; on top of that, lounge access isn’t available in Barbados, Johannesburg, Las Vegas, Manchester, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago
Flying Blue Gold & Platinums now receive access to some Virgin Atlantic lounges
Bottom line
It’s nice to finally see the partnership between Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic rolled out, allowing members of both loyalty programs to earn and redeem points, and to receive reciprocal benefits.
There’s nothing here that’s really revolutionary, though I’d say the mileage earning and reciprocal benefits are good for those who are loyal to one of the programs.
Meanwhile there are some arbitrage opportunities when it comes to mileage redemptions, especially with regards to the difference in surcharges between Flying Blue and Flying Club.
What do you make of the new Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club partnership?
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