AF - KLM Flying Blue actually has tons of sweet spots, both in terms of redemption AND status earning. Why? It's because Flying Blue still counts elite status by segments, combined with your segment distance and cabin. This is good because unlike many other FFPs, it's not directly correlated to how much you spend.

If you are someone like me, who flies long-haul PE often, it can be very easy to attain ST Elite + (the equivalent of *A Gold). I became a silver member 4 months after joining, simply due to this segment - based FFP. I am already Gold (now 7 months after joining) and on track to make Platinum before 2023 runs out.

Plus, if your dates are flexible, there are tons of 55k mile redemptions in J between North America and Europe, nonstops AND single-stops included. Add in the fact that all the major US credit cards transfer to Flying Blue, and it's a no brainer for many of us.