If you’ve flown Air France or KLM in the past two decades, you may already know thatthese two airlines merged in 2004. The Air France-KLM Group flies routes globally from two of the largest hubs in Europe: Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol. Both of the airlines are part of the SkyTeam alliance.

Here’s what a strategic points collector needs to know and understand about Air France-KLM and its loyalty program, Flying Blue. We'll cover how earning and redeeming miles works, how to get the maximum value from your miles, and other reasons that this rewards program is worth a second glance.

About Air France-KLM

Branding and operations. While the Air France-KLM merger brought the two airlines together under one company, they still operate as separate brands. This is why you’re still able to book a flight on an Air France aircraft or go to the KLM website to browse fares.

Loyalty program. Despite being two separate brands, Air France and KLM have a joint loyalty program called Flying Blue. It’s free to join, and as a member, you’ll earn Flying Blue miles redeemable for award flights.

Classes of service. Air France operates aircraft with four classes of service: economy, premium economy, business and La Première (first). KLM operates three classes of service: economy, premium comfort and business.

Main U.S. routes. Both Air France and KLM cover quite a bit of the world.

The U.S. cities Air France flies to include:

Air France U.S. destinations

Atlanta.

Boston.

Chicago-O’Hare.

Dallas-Fort Worth.

Detroit.

Houston-Intercontinental.

Los Angeles.

Miami.

New York-John F. Kennedy.

Newark.

San Francisco.

Seattle.

Washington-Dulles.

KLM operates service to:

KLM U.S. destinations

Austin.

Atlanta.

Boston.

Chicago-O’Hare.

Houston-Intercontinental.

Las Vegas.

Los Angeles.

Miami.

New York-John F. Kennedy.

San Francisco.

Salt Lake City.

Washington-Dulles.

How to earn Flying Blue miles

If you want to start earning miles with Flying Blue, KLM and Air France’s frequent flyer program, you’ll first need to sign up for an account. It’s free and easy to do so online.

Earn by flying

You can earn Flying Blue miles by flying with Air France, KLM or partner airlines, then crediting the miles to your Flying Blue account. Note that the transfer list includes non-SkyTeam partners as well as those who are a member of the airline alliance.

Air France or KLM

When you fly Air France or KLM, how many miles you earn is determined by how much you spend on each ticket — minus taxes — and your elite status with the airline. Keep in mind, Flying Blue works in euros. In terms of an exchange rate, 1 euro has fluctuated between the equivalent of $0.97 and $1.23 over the past five years.

Here’s how many bonus miles you can expect to earn if you have Flying Blue elite status.

Flying Blue is an example of a revenue-based rewards program, at least on the earning side for Air France- and KLM-operated flights. Simply put, the more money you spend, the more rewards you earn.

Partner airlines

When you fly partner airlines, the miles earned are based on the distance flown multiplied by a percentage based on your ticket’s fare class. This means you’ll earn more miles if you book a business class ticket than a budget economy seat.

The percentage varies depending on which partner airline you are on. You can click through the individual partner pages on the Flying Blue website to get specifics.

Earn by spending on credit cards

With the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®, Air France-KLM flyers can receive the following welcome offer: Get 50,000 Bonus Miles after you make $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

After this initial welcome bonus, you’ll continue earning 3 miles per dollar spent with Air France, KLM and other SkyTeam airlines, and 1.5 miles per dollar on all other purchases. And, you’ll automatically earn 5,000 miles each year on your account anniversary after you’ve spent at least $50 on the card.

Earn with transfer partners

Perhaps the easiest way to get your hands on Flying Blue miles is by transferring flexible currency from a bank rewards program. Luckily, Air France-KLM partners with all of the major transferrable point programs.

You can transfer the following points to Flying Blue:

American Express Membership Rewards.

Capital One Miles.

Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Citi ThankYou Points.

Marriott Bonvoy.

Bilt Rewards.

Of all the flexible point programs listed above, the majority transfer to Flying Blue at a 1:1 point ratio. The exception to this is Marriott Bonvoy, which transfers points at a rate of 3:1.