Air France-KLM Credit Card Offering Huge Bonus

Air France-KLM Credit Card Offering Huge Bonus

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The information and associated card details on this page for the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Air France-KLM World Elite Mastercard has been in the US market for several years now, and is issued by Bank of America. We’re increasingly seeing non-US airlines launch credit cards in the United States, and that’s pretty cool.

As flagged by Doctor of Credit, we’ve seen a new limited-time welcome bonus rolled out on this card, which is in line with the best bonuses I’ve ever seen on this card. Specifically, you can earn 70,000 Flying Blue miles upon completing minimum spending, plus can get quite a bit of help toward status.

Let’s take a closer look at the card…

Air France-KLM Credit Card details

Here are the basics of the Air France-KLM credit card:

  • Welcome bonus: earn 70,000 bonus miles plus 40 XP after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days, plus 60 XP upon approval
  • Annual fee: $89 (not waived the first year)
  • Return on spending: 3x miles per dollar spent directly with Air France, KLM, and SkyTeam member airlines, 1.5x miles per dollar spent on all other purchases
  • Other benefits: 5,000 miles every year on your account anniversary after you spend $50 or more on purchases within the anniversary year, plus 20 XP on your account anniversary every year without any spend requirement, plus 40 additional XP on your account anniversary when you spend $15,000 in purchases within the cardmember year
  • Foreign transaction fees: None

For context on XPs, that’s the metric by which you earn status with Flying Blue:

  • 100 XPs gets you Silver status, which you could earn with this bonus
  • You then need 180 additional XPs to earn Gold status
  • You then need 300 additional XPs to earn Platinum status
Redeem Flying Blue miles for travel on KLM

My take on the Air France-KLM Credit Card

In general I don’t recommend using an airline credit card for a majority of your spending, as there are typically better credit cards for everyday spending. That’s more general commentary than something specific to this card.

That’s simply because cards that accrue transferable points give you a lot more flexibility, and often have better bonus categories and welcome bonuses.

Is this the most amazing airline credit card ever? No. But I do think it offers some solid perks and unique benefits that could make it a keeper:

  • Earning 1.5x miles per dollar spent on all purchases is better than average for an airline credit card
  • While the card has an $89 annual fee, the 5,000 bonus miles when spending $50 on the card in a year (which is a reasonable threshold) should nearly cover the annual fee in terms of value
  • The card can help you earn XPs toward Flying Blue status, which some may find to be worthwhile

Personally I don’t have the card. Flying Blue is transfer partners with Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou. I’d rather maximize my rewards with some of those credit cards, since many of them offer 1.5-2x points per dollar spent.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Learn More Terms Apply.
  • 5x total points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
  • 3x points on dining
  • 2x points on travel purchases
  • $95
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Learn More Terms Apply.
  • 3x points on Travel after the $300 Annual Travel Credit
  • 3x points on Dining
  • $300 Travel Credit
  • $550
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Learn More Terms Apply.
  • Earn 3x points on travel
  • Earn 3x points on shipping purchases
  • Cell Phone Protection
  • $95
American Express® Gold Card
  • 4x points at restaurants
  • 4x points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases annually
  • 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com
  • $250
The Platinum Card® from American Express
  • Earn 5x points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through Amex Travel (up to $500k/year)
  • $200 Annual Uber Credit
  • Amex Centurion Lounge Access
  • $695
Citi Premier® Card
  • Earn 3x Points on Airfare
  • Earn 3x Points on Hotels
  • Earn 3x Points at Restaurants
  • $95
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
  • Earn 2x miles on every purchase
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary
  • $395
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • Global Entry/TSA Pre-Check Credit
  • $95
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
  • Unlimited 2x miles per dollar
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • Capital One Travel Portal
  • $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Bilt Mastercard®
Learn More Terms Apply
  • 3x on Dining
  • Earn Points on Rent with No Fees
  • 15 Points Transfer Partners
  • $0

On top of that, we even sometimes see transfer bonuses to Flying Blue (typically around 25%), which can improve your points earning rates even more.

Redeem Flying Blue miles for travel on Air France

Bottom line

The Air France-KLM Card is one that many people may not have considered, but it could be worthwhile. The card currently has a bonus of 70,000 Flying Blue miles plus 100 XPs upon completing minimum spending.

This is an excellent offer for those who have had most other cards but not this one. But in the long run, I think there are more lucrative cards out there.

Anyone plan on picking up the Air France-KLM World Elite Mastercard?

Conversations (20)
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  1. Anu Guest

    Does anybody with this card know how how to obtain your Flying Blue account number if you didn't provide it while applying fro the card? I got approved for the card and I have already activated it. However, I have not received an information regarding the Flying Blue account where my rewards would be deposited. BOA tells me contact Flyingblue and Flyingblue is telling me to contact BOA.

  2. Mehdi Guest

    I may be wrong but the this card and getting at least a silver status if starting fresh, every spent on AF-KLM flight will give 3 miles with the card and 6 miles with the silver status, 9 miles total, which would be better than other credit cards.
    I may consider this card, including the tips you guys provided around the $100 gift card.

  3. Arbee Guest

    I think its a great way to access (and get rewarded for) transatlantic and other klm and af flights without being locked into delta pricing which is often higher than klm/af own pricing for the same flights. Plus get more miles for their intra-europe flights which get minimal credit if bought via delta. FB has great promo deals btw for their transatlantic flights, much better than delta ones.

  4. Benjamin Guest

    Does anybody know if there is an end date to this deal? I’m planning on buying some flight tickets in May and we have a trip to Peru coming up at the end of April, so I would like to delay getting the card until a little closer to when those bigger expenditures will hit, but I also don’t want to run the risk of missing out on this.

  5. Colin Guest

    Curious if there is any first had experience with getting a second BoAAFKLM card? I have one, got it in May 22. My plan had been to close it before the annual fee hits and then wait to some great SUB pops up and reapply. Now I’m wondering if just going for this now and then closing the OG card when I had planned on. I read that getting a second is possible: you still...

    Curious if there is any first had experience with getting a second BoAAFKLM card? I have one, got it in May 22. My plan had been to close it before the annual fee hits and then wait to some great SUB pops up and reapply. Now I’m wondering if just going for this now and then closing the OG card when I had planned on. I read that getting a second is possible: you still get the welcome offer points but something with the xps like not all of the xps maybe the 60 and not the 40? Any insights here?

  6. Kyle Guest

    If you log in to your flying blue account and make a dummy booking, the payment page will likely show you an offer with the same bonus + a $100 statement credit. $-11 in year one? Yep, I got the card.

  7. Zooey Guest

    There is a YMMV opportunity to get a $100 credit in addition to this bonus. I checked earlier today and was able to trigger it by making a cash dummy booking (TATL biz) while not logged into a Flying Blue account. On the final payment page, there is an offer to sign up for the card that includes the statement credit.

    1. Marvin Guest

      thank you for this tip..I followed your advice and got the $100 statement credit

  8. Mark Guest

    Why is 70k SUB huge? Seems pretty standard these days in terms of SUB. To be huge, it need to be 100k+

    1. TravelinWilly Diamond

      It's huge for the BofA FB card.

      The standing offer is usually 50K at signup, with 70K being a periodic promotion which is what we're seeing now.

    2. Harry Guest

      I look at this way. Carded out Amex - pop-up anything I try. One more Chase Ink card scheduled for 2025. I fly Air France/KLM business class X 2 on points quite often. A lot of "miles" come from Amex transfer. So this is 75,000 SUB + spend that would probably have to get from Amex. Question for you, have you ever gotten 75,000 Amex miles for $89 less $100 statement credit on a dummy booking? Didn't think so.

  9. Bryan C Guest

    I've got ~79k stranded on flyingblue that expire in April with no real ability to book another flight on that airline until next year. Going to apply as this likely is the only way I can keep those miles from expiring. Unless anyone has a better idea on how to keep those miles?

    1. Joe Guest

      Buy 1000 miles. Buy something through their shopping portal or use their card for a dining establishment linked to the card. I remember with American I used to refresh my miles with just a cup of coffee from a café that was on their dining program. If you're in Europe just buy a short haul flight on AF or klm

    2. Jim Lovejoy Guest

      If those aren't counted as miles earned from flying any points earning, including transfers from credit cards will extend the miles.
      If they are earned from flying crediting any SkyTeam flight to flying blue will extend them.

  10. Brent Guest

    I'm fascinated by this card. It is one that doesn't quite make sense to most US customers, but could easily with a tweak. The 3x for SkyTeam, not just Flying Blue, make it a plausible alternative to a Delta card. The points are obviously better than SkyMiles, and the earn rate of the card at the sub $100 price point is also better. The tough part is the inability to get decent perks with FB...

    I'm fascinated by this card. It is one that doesn't quite make sense to most US customers, but could easily with a tweak. The 3x for SkyTeam, not just Flying Blue, make it a plausible alternative to a Delta card. The points are obviously better than SkyMiles, and the earn rate of the card at the sub $100 price point is also better. The tough part is the inability to get decent perks with FB Silver status. If the XP earning structure were better for Delta flights, I could see this being a savvy move. But right now, you would have to fly nearly 100 segments domestically to really move the needle on the value of the FB status.

  11. Ben Guest

    One does not need 580 XPs for Platinum. One only needs 300 XP.

    1. TravelinWilly Diamond

      Wrong.

      If one is starting with no status, then 580 XPs are required to get to Plat, 100 (Silver) + 180 (Gold) + 300 (Plat) = 580 in a year.

      If one is starting with Plat for the year, then 300 XPs are required to maintain Plat each year thereafter.

    2. Branton Guest

      Ben is correct. If you start with no status, and you earn 300 XP points during the annual period, you will become Platinum as soon as you hit 300 XP. Your Platinum status continues through the remainder of the current annual period and is retained for the next annual period. Any extra XP points above 300 roll over on your XP counter for the next annual period. So, starting from nothing, you become Silver at...

      Ben is correct. If you start with no status, and you earn 300 XP points during the annual period, you will become Platinum as soon as you hit 300 XP. Your Platinum status continues through the remainder of the current annual period and is retained for the next annual period. Any extra XP points above 300 roll over on your XP counter for the next annual period. So, starting from nothing, you become Silver at 100XP, gain 80 more XP and become Gold, and the gain an additional 120 XP to become Platinum….but all of this has to be achieved within your annual period.

    3. Benjamin Guest

      I’m intrigued by this. I live in NYC but am Dutch and so KLM is my home airlines. I’d been meaning to apply for this card a while back but missed out on the previous welcome bonus, so this may be the moment for me to jump in. However, realistically, I don’t fly home more than once a year, and my (infrequent) vacations take me all over the globe, not necessarily to home or Europe...

      I’m intrigued by this. I live in NYC but am Dutch and so KLM is my home airlines. I’d been meaning to apply for this card a while back but missed out on the previous welcome bonus, so this may be the moment for me to jump in. However, realistically, I don’t fly home more than once a year, and my (infrequent) vacations take me all over the globe, not necessarily to home or Europe for that matter. I’m not too enamored with Skyteam but when I fly in the US I do tend to fly Delta over other airlines… would have liked to stick with Alaska but their route network from New York is almost useless to me so being loyal to them doesn’t give me much. Interested to read other’s opinions on this card.

    4. Levi Diamond

      You need 300 XP for Platinum in a status year which you started as a Gold (when you move from Silver to Gold a new status year with approximately zero XP (whatever excess XP in the transaction which pushed you over 180 would rollover) starts).

      So from non-status, you first become Silver with 100 XP which starts a new status year (resetting your XP to zero but extending the deadline to requalify or move up...

      You need 300 XP for Platinum in a status year which you started as a Gold (when you move from Silver to Gold a new status year with approximately zero XP (whatever excess XP in the transaction which pushed you over 180 would rollover) starts).

      So from non-status, you first become Silver with 100 XP which starts a new status year (resetting your XP to zero but extending the deadline to requalify or move up to 12+ months from then). You then have to go from Silver to Gold by adding roughly 180 more XP over that 12-13 months, which will likewise reset your XP balance and status year.

      It is true that if you can get 300 XP per year over a reasonably consistent cadence (e.g. 25 XP per month), you'll eventually (within 2 years) be Platinum.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Joe Guest

Buy 1000 miles. Buy something through their shopping portal or use their card for a dining establishment linked to the card. I remember with American I used to refresh my miles with just a cup of coffee from a café that was on their dining program. If you're in Europe just buy a short haul flight on AF or klm

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Zooey Guest

There is a YMMV opportunity to get a $100 credit in addition to this bonus. I checked earlier today and was able to trigger it by making a cash dummy booking (TATL biz) while not logged into a Flying Blue account. On the final payment page, there is an offer to sign up for the card that includes the statement credit.

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TravelinWilly Diamond

Wrong. If one is starting with no status, then 580 XPs are required to get to Plat, 100 (Silver) + 180 (Gold) + 300 (Plat) = 580 in a year. If one is starting with Plat for the year, then 300 XPs are required to maintain Plat each year thereafter.

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