I take the hint

This document may help those looking for information about AF/KLM loyalty
program, as not all information is in the same place. It is not
complete yet and may be inaccurate. Please PM me with suggestion to improve this FAQ.

As there have been several differences between the published benefits and the witnessed benefits by FT members, here is the colour code I adopted. In black in UNCONFIRMED information, published on KLM or AF websites. In green is information confirmed on this board by a FT member. In red are benefits either not available at all or often denied, according to FTers' reports.

1. Program levels


FB has 4 levels:

• Ivory, the basic entry level.
• Silver, reached at 30,000 status miles for France-based members, and 25,000 for others, or 15 qualifying segments.
• Gold level, reached at 60,000 status miles for French-based members, and 40,000 for others, or 30 qualifying segments.
• Platinum level, reached at 90,000 for France-based members and 70,000 for others, or 60 qualifying segments.

Segment are qualifying unless you live in France, in which case French domestic flights are excluded.

2. Elite benefits

A. Ivory members

None. What did you think?

B. Silver members

• Elite bonus of 50% of mileage flown
• Dedicated phone line
• Guaranteed seating in international flights booked 7 days in advance in full fare economy, on business days.
• Priority seating
• Priority boarding
• Priority on waitlist
• 5 kg of extra luggage
• Access to dedicated check-in counters where available
• Skyteam Elite status
• Extra inventory when booking awards (X for Ivory, X and W for elites)

C. Gold members

Same benefits as above, plus:

• Skyteam Elite Plus status except for US-based members, who are Elite ST, but treated as Gold members on AF/KLM flights/hub
• The elite bonus is 75%
• The guaranteed seat can be booked 24h in advance
• The extra luggage allowance is 10 kg
• Priority luggage delivery
• Access to lounges with one guest when flying a Skyteam flight
  Free Internet access in lounges has been denied so far at AMS.

D. Platinum members

Same benefits as above, plus:

• Everyone is now a ST Elite Plus
• The elite bonus is 100%
• The extra luggage allowance is 20 kg
• Status miles are reported on the next year if you earn more than 115,000 in a year, or 150,000 if you're based in France
• Holding Platinum status for 10 years earn a lifetime Platinum status.

The two last levels also gives various upgrades with hotel chains (good if available), and "free membership" with their loyalty programs (most of which are free or given to anyone who cares to join). Interesting to note:

• Upgrade at Sofitel, Radisson, NH
• [color=red]Intercontinental Ambassador (~ 150 dollars value)[color=red]
• Meridien Moments Gold
• 15% rebate at Hertz, with upgrade if avalaible
• Upgrade at Sixt if available

Note that at the moment, ICC is denying this benefit, and Meridien Moments is not telling. Error on their part or false advertising on FB's part, who knows, maybe it will be sorted soon...


2. How to get status miles?

Flying AF/KLM, Skyteam members and Kenya Airways give status miles, depending on distance flown and class of service. Flying other partners only gives miles counting toward award redemption but not status.


You also get status miles when paying with the AF American Express card, which must be linked, so far, with an Euro account based in France. The rate is 1.4 mile per euro spent with AF/KLM (including servair (duty free both onboard and in airports), as far as I could compute) and 1 mile per euro elsewhere.

Finally, you get 2,500 status miles when subscribing to an Abonnement card with AF, and 5,000 status miles when resubscribing. This card gives discount on full-fare domestic tickets in France, or discount on tickets on the COI (Carribean and Indian Ocean) AF routes, or both (in which case you get both miles).

3. Mileage earning with AF

A. Domestic short-haul flights

1,000 status miles in Y (full-fare economy and Abonnement)
500 status miles in W, E, A (discounted economy)
250 status miles in other fare codes.
N fare is reported not to get miles. X was reported as well, but it's not a published fare, it's an award fare...

B. European flights

The minimum mileage is 750 miles per segment. COS bonus is applied after the minimum mileage

According to the AF charts, you get 100% of mileage flown in any Economy fare, and 200% in Tempo Challenge (premium economy) and Affaires (Business), irrespective of the fare. Contradictory information have been presented, and confirmed by FTers based on actual credits, that you earn only 25% in N, and 50% in G and U. This information is still unconfirmed at this time.

C. Long-haul flights

Same as European flights, except the earnings are 150% for Alize (premium Economy on COI routes) and Affaires, and 300% in Première (First).

4. Mileage earning with other Skyteam members

The minimum mileage is 750. Usually, you earn 100% in Economy and 150% in Business, with the following exceptions:

• Aeromexico U and M fares are excluded, and travel from July 15th to August 15th, and December 15th to January 15th
• Continental E, EG, P, G, M and YN fares are excluded
• Alitalia gives a flat eanring of 500 miles in Economy and 1,000 in Business class for domestic flights. U and Z class are excluded, as well as flight AZ900-950 and AZ3xxx and AZ6xxx
• CSA E, Z, S, I, U, W and G fares are excluded
• DL N, O and R fares are excluded
• NW and Kenya Airways D and W fares are excluded, V only earns 25%, and free upgrades for elites
• KE gives 150% for First class, according to AF's website, and 300% according to KLM's. Mileage is restricted to First and Business class, and Z, W, Y and S economy fares. Exclusion dates of the Morning Calm program are applicable to mileage accrual in FB.

5. Mileage earning with airlines partners

The AF charts says that some fares may not be eligible for mileage earnings with partners. In any case, it's not status miles.

The standard rule is 100% in Economy, 150% for Business, and a minimum of 750 miles. This applies to:

• Air Alps, except that W, N, G and V fares are excluded
• Air Europa only in C, D, R, Y, M, B, K, W, X, O, U, V fares
• Air Calin, except between Wallis and Futuna
• Alaska Airlines
• Comair, except you only earn on South African domestic routes and X and U fares are excluded
• Horizon Air
• Avianca
• China Southern, except between France and China, and only in A, C, D, F, Y and W fares
• City Jet, except you only earn between Dublin and Malaga
• Global Pass
• Jet Airways for domestic flights, except between Jodhpur and Delhi and only in A, C, G, I, L, M, P, Q, S, T, U, V, Y, Z fares.
• Kenya Airways, except your miles are status miles
• Malaysian Airlines, except you also earn 300% in First, and you can earn only in A, B, C, D, F, H, K, M, Q, and Y fares. There are black-out dates, and you can't earn between Tawau and Tarakan, on domestic flights, and between Kuala Lumpur and France, Switzerland and Italy... an incentive to promote AMS, I suppose
• Malev, except on V and Z fares
• Maersk, except you only earn between Paris, Amsterdam, Aalborg and Billund, and not in I, R, X and N fares
• MEA
• TAAG, except you only gain miles between Paris and Luanda, and you earn 300% in First
• TAM, except you earn 200% in First, or 300% according to KLM website
• Ukraine International, except in A, E, G, I, O, U and X fares
• JAL offers conflicting information. 70% in Economy according to AF, 70% in Eco, 150% in Business and 300% in F according to KLM. I suppose AF only lacked the information about the front of the plane. There are a complex list of excluded dates, though, Caveat emptor! I guessed it's related to holidays in Asia...

The exceptions are the following airlines:

• Airlinair and Twin Jet, who offers set amounts of miles and operates only a few lines
• CCM, who'll probably use the same chart as AF's for domestic flights and fares based on what was done previously. To be confirmed.

7. Other earning opportunities.

8. Award redemption


Too bad, too much work, but I'll get back to updating the FAQ soon.