American Express Membership Rewards has launched an attractive 20% transfer bonus to Air France-KLM Flying Blue, running through October 31, 2025. This promotion allows Membership Rewards cardholders to receive 1,200 Flying Blue miles for every 1,000 points transferred, representing excellent value for travelers planning European or international trips.
Transfer bonuses to Flying Blue have become increasingly rare, with this being the first such offer in over a calendar year. The timing couldn’t be better for travelers looking to book spring and summer 2026 European vacations, as Flying Blue consistently offers competitive award pricing and better availability than many partner programs.
Flying Blue serves as the loyalty program for both Air France and KLM, giving you access to an extensive European network plus connections to destinations worldwide. The program has maintained its reputation for reasonable award pricing even as other programs have implemented significant devaluations.
The American Express to Flying Blue transfer bonus operates under straightforward terms designed for maximum accessibility. You must be enrolled in the Flying Blue program before making any transfers, though registration is free and takes just a few minutes online.
Transfers are typically instant, though American Express recommends allowing up to 48 hours for completion. The 20% bonus appears automatically when you initiate the transfer, so you’ll see exactly how many miles you’ll receive before confirming the transaction. You can take advantage of this offer multiple times throughout October, with each transfer requiring a minimum of 1,000 points and allowing up to 999,000 points per transaction.
Remember that point transfers are permanent – once you move your Membership Rewards points to Flying Blue, they cannot be transferred back. This makes it important to have specific redemption plans in mind or at least a strong likelihood of using the miles within Flying Blue’s expiration timeframe.
Flying Blue shines brightest for premium transatlantic travel, offering some of the most competitive business class award rates in the industry. Air France and KLM business class flights from North America to Europe start at just 60,000 Flying Blue miles one-way, which translates to only 50,000 American Express points with the current 20% bonus.
This pricing represents exceptional value when you consider that many competing programs charge 70,000-80,000 miles for similar routes. The bonus effectively gives you business class transatlantic flights at what many programs charge for premium economy, making it an ideal time to book that European vacation you’ve been planning.
For travelers with more adventurous destinations in mind, KLM’s extensive African network offers outstanding value. Business class flights from the United States to South Africa via Amsterdam require 115,000 Flying Blue miles, or just 96,000 American Express points with the bonus – a remarkable deal for such a long-haul premium cabin experience.
While Flying Blue excels at long-haul premium redemptions, it also offers excellent value for shorter flights within North America through its partnership with Delta Air Lines. Short domestic flights like Los Angeles to Las Vegas can be booked for as little as 5,000 Flying Blue miles one-way, meaning a round-trip ticket costs just 9,000 American Express points with the transfer bonus.
These short-haul redemptions work particularly well for last-minute travel or when cash fares are expensive. The ability to book Delta flights through Flying Blue often provides better award availability than booking directly through Delta SkyMiles, especially for popular routes and peak travel times.
Flying Blue’s monthly Promo Rewards program becomes even more attractive when combined with the 20% transfer bonus. These promotional awards typically offer 25% discounts on select routes, and when stacked with the transfer bonus, the savings become substantial.
For example, discounted economy awards to Europe that normally cost 18,750 miles drop to just 16,000 American Express points with the transfer bonus applied. Business class promotional awards priced at 45,000 miles become available for only 38,000 American Express points, representing exceptional value for premium European travel.
Flying Blue miles expire after 24 months of account inactivity, which is more generous than many competing programs but still requires attention. Unfortunately, transferring points from American Express doesn’t count as qualifying activity, so you’ll need to either fly on Air France, KLM, or SkyTeam partners, or maintain activity through a Flying Blue co-branded credit card.
This expiration policy makes it important to transfer points only when you have realistic plans to use them within the next two years. However, the relatively long expiration period and multiple ways to maintain account activity make Flying Blue miles more flexible than many airline currencies.
Historical data shows that American Express offers Flying Blue transfer bonuses roughly once per year, though the timing and bonus percentages vary. The current 20% bonus is slightly lower than the 25% bonuses commonly offered in previous years, but still represents significant value given the rarity of these promotions.
The gap between this offer and the previous one (over a calendar year) suggests that these bonuses are becoming less frequent. This scarcity makes the current promotion more valuable and worth considering even for speculative transfers, provided you have realistic travel plans within the expiration timeframe.
Flying Blue partners with all major transferable points currencies, including Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Points, in addition to American Express. This broad partnership network means you should consider which program offers the best transfer bonus or has points you’re less likely to use for other redemptions.
The current American Express 20% bonus compares favorably to typical transfer rates from other programs, which rarely offer bonuses to Flying Blue. However, if you have points in multiple programs, consider your overall redemption strategy and which points you value least for other uses before committing to transfers.
Flying Blue’s award availability often surpasses what you’ll find through partner programs like Delta SkyMiles, making it valuable even when the base transfer rate isn’t the most attractive. Air France and KLM reserve their best award space for Flying Blue members, giving you access to flights that may not appear when searching through other programs.
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