Flying Blue (Air France, KLM, and Other Partners) - 7500 miles for fees&taxes on intra Europe awards

Just found online what was discussed at the DO.http://www.airfrance.nl/X02/en/local/voyageurfrequent/flyingblue/fblue_profiter_aeriens.htm

New option!
You can now use your Award Miles to pay for taxes and service fees on your Award tickets. This option costs 7,500 Miles per flight. It is available for all AIR FRANCE and KLM flights in Europe*. To benefit from this option, please contact Flying Blue Customer Service.

*except domestic flights in France

Just found online what was discussed at the DO.http://www.airfrance.nl/X02/en/local/voyageurfrequent/flyingblue/fblue_profiter_aeriens.htm

New option!
You can now use your Award Miles to pay for taxes and service fees on your Award tickets. This option costs 7,500 Miles per flight. It is available for all AIR FRANCE and KLM flights in Europe*. To benefit from this option, please contact Flying Blue Customer Service.

*except domestic flights in France

This has actually been the case for some while.

The main point of the presentation at the DO was that they are looking to pay fuel surcharge with miles (see other thread).

With the increased fuel surcharges these days, 15K miles is actually not even that bad for ~150 euro of fees. Thats 1 cent per mile, pretty much spot on how I value FB miles. So if you have to book an award, it might not be a bad option.

Nevertheless, an intra-european rt in Y would be 45-50K miles this way, or, about 500 euro when you consider each FB mile to be 1 cent. Not many cases where that is actually a good deal. Though I guess its better than 35K miles and 150 euro fees.

With the increased fuel surcharges these days, 15K miles is actually not even that bad for ~150 euro of fees. Thats 1 cent per mile, pretty much spot on how I value FB miles. So if you have to book an award, it might not be a bad option.

But not a good one...you presumably would prefer to use your miles in a way that values them at more than the value you've placed on them.

I'd still prefer to go with BA on this one - for an amount of BA miles less than or equal to the 15K FB miles mentioned, you could fly return to/from Zones 1 or 2 and the UK, with only a nominal fee (€27) being levied. No taxes, no fuel surcharges.

It indeed has been the case for a long time but the rate wasn't published online, you'd have to call (so I thought they would fluctuate depending on route).

Sorry, but is that amount only for taxes and service fee, or does it also include the fuel surcharge?

Sorry, but is that amount only for taxes and service fee, or does it also include the fuel surcharge?

The very few times I have used this possibility by calling, it did include the fuel surcharge.

It indeed has been the case for a long time but the rate wasn't published online, you'd have to call (so I thought they would fluctuate depending on route).

Not quite true. It only applies to "European" redemptions, and the amount was always 7,500 regardless of the actual taxes/fees.

Thread from 2010: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/flying-blue-air-france-klm-other-partners/1111008-europe-pay-award-fees-taxes-miles-question.html

This has actually been the case for some while.

The main point of the presentation at the DO was that they are looking to pay fuel surcharge with miles (see other thread).

Really? I did not know that and do not recall reading about it on FT! Yes, you are right about the fuel surcharge.

The very few times I have used this possibility by calling, it did include the fuel surcharge.

And did they charge you for booking by phone or was the fee waived?

And did they charge you for booking by phone or was the fee waived?

There was no mention of a booking fee, nor was there any charge on my credit card.

Sorry, but is that amount only for taxes and service fee, or does it also include the fuel surcharge?

The idea is that it replaces the need to pay ANY money. On a European redemption - tick the box to pay all monies owed with the extra miles, and it goes through automatically.

At least, the one and only time I used this facility, I was able to do it online, but that's over 2 years ago now. Worked fine at the time!

did you see this update?

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/6008/capturedcran20120531230.png

u can view directly the fees

I noticed quit recently they displayed the fee at this stage on the booking engine. I remember, not a long time ago, that you selected flights with the amount of miles only. It's an improvement as sometime other carriers have less taxes.

good news :)
I spent time comparing between AF / KLM and AZ (the charges are lower on AZ)

Short discussion also here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/flying-blue-air-france-klm-other-partners/1349362-up-again-booking-engine-down-due-maintenance.html)