May 18, 2023, 6:14 pm
Last edit by: Xandrios
The free stopover benefit was announced about six months ago, however, users are still experiencing difficulties in booking. I've pulled info and data points from this thread to summarize what is known to date:
1. The booking cannot be made online; it can only be done by calling Flying Blue
2. Users report the max stopover is 1 year
3. Expected pricing: per a post from mbspiegel, also referencing an OMAAT post. Use Flying Blue's mileage estimator (go to flyingblue.us, click "Earn & Spend Miles," then "On flights," then scroll all the way to the bottom). Price each segment separately as well as the single itinerary from AtoC. Note that the calculator is not always 100% correct, make sure to search a few dates to see if there are no other amounts on offer. Taxes are the sum of all taxes that would be charged on the individual segments.
Example estimator quotes:
65K miles for SFO to AMS
97.5K miles for AMS to KGL
95K miles for SFO to KGL
The whole journey with free stopover should be bookable for 95K miles.
4. Availability: In order to get the lowest possible pricing, you must find availability for each segment using the the lowest pricepoints found in the mileage estimator. In the above example, mbspiegel found availability which listed the segments and 65K and 97.K respectively.
5. Per feralized Inform the agent you want to book a free stopover and you understand the way to accomplish this is in manual mode. "When I asked her what she did differently, she mentioned that in the back-end, they have 2 modes - Automatic and Manual. She says that this type of booking must be done in manual mode, and that the agent needs to put both legs in, and not just the origin to final destination."
6. HUCA until you get an agent who is familiar or willing to try booking for you in manual mode
1. The booking cannot be made online; it can only be done by calling Flying Blue
2. Users report the max stopover is 1 year
3. Expected pricing: per a post from mbspiegel, also referencing an OMAAT post. Use Flying Blue's mileage estimator (go to flyingblue.us, click "Earn & Spend Miles," then "On flights," then scroll all the way to the bottom). Price each segment separately as well as the single itinerary from AtoC. Note that the calculator is not always 100% correct, make sure to search a few dates to see if there are no other amounts on offer. Taxes are the sum of all taxes that would be charged on the individual segments.
Example estimator quotes:
65K miles for SFO to AMS
97.5K miles for AMS to KGL
95K miles for SFO to KGL
The whole journey with free stopover should be bookable for 95K miles.
4. Availability: In order to get the lowest possible pricing, you must find availability for each segment using the the lowest pricepoints found in the mileage estimator. In the above example, mbspiegel found availability which listed the segments and 65K and 97.K respectively.
5. Per feralized Inform the agent you want to book a free stopover and you understand the way to accomplish this is in manual mode. "When I asked her what she did differently, she mentioned that in the back-end, they have 2 modes - Automatic and Manual. She says that this type of booking must be done in manual mode, and that the agent needs to put both legs in, and not just the origin to final destination."
6. HUCA until you get an agent who is familiar or willing to try booking for you in manual mode
Air France & KLM Free Stopover - New Benefit?
Dec 20, 2022, 10:45 pm
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 9
Gave up
Thanks to everyone who gave their input, I really appreciate it. I just gave up after several calls to customer service as they have no clue what they’re doing and the cost of miles they are seeing is different & more expensive than what I’m looking at.
I went ahead and booked 2 business class seats YYZ > CDG for 105,000 miles which includes FB’s 25% off promo for this month plus $466 for taxes and surcharges. The agents are seeing a cost of 101,500 miles per passenger on their end which is absurd.
I’ll book our flight from CDG to our final destination separately and maybe just economy, the cheapest I’m seeing is 14,000 miles for 2 seats.
I went ahead and booked 2 business class seats YYZ > CDG for 105,000 miles which includes FB’s 25% off promo for this month plus $466 for taxes and surcharges. The agents are seeing a cost of 101,500 miles per passenger on their end which is absurd.
I’ll book our flight from CDG to our final destination separately and maybe just economy, the cheapest I’m seeing is 14,000 miles for 2 seats.
Dec 20, 2022, 11:34 pm
#17
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Southern California
Posts: 391
Don't give up
I just booked a one way with stopover of 7 days in Paris. It took 4 phone calls but got it done. I called the 800 number in US. Lot of resistance that it is not in the system yet. Ask them to run a simulation of what you want. Once they ran a simulation, it was done. Have the flight numbers and the dates of flights ready to give the agent.
And check your booking online immediately to match what you wanted.
If you are on hold to reach an agent, know that the call will hang up exactly at one hour.
And check your booking online immediately to match what you wanted.
If you are on hold to reach an agent, know that the call will hang up exactly at one hour.
Dec 21, 2022, 8:23 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 9
I just booked a one way with stopover of 7 days in Paris. It took 4 phone calls but got it done. I called the 800 number in US. Lot of resistance that it is not in the system yet. Ask them to run a simulation of what you want. Once they ran a simulation, it was done. Have the flight numbers and the dates of flights ready to give the agent.
And check your booking online immediately to match what you wanted.
If you are on hold to reach an agent, know that the call will hang up exactly at one hour.
And check your booking online immediately to match what you wanted.
If you are on hold to reach an agent, know that the call will hang up exactly at one hour.
I don’t even know if it’s worth it to pay €100 to cancel the 2 biz tickets I already booked just to go through all this headache again trying to add a stopover with reps who have no clue.
Dec 23, 2022, 11:04 pm
#19
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Southern California
Posts: 391
Here is an example. Suppose you wanted US-CDG-FCO. Check online for US-CDG segment for the low rates. If from east coast, it may be 55,000. From west coast it would be 80,000 per person one way. Then for CDG-FCO, again check for low rates online, most likely it would be 20,000 per person one way. You need to find the lowest rate for each segment. Then check US-CDG-FCO as one way with no stop over. For west coast-CDG-FCO, it was 68,000 per person one way.
Now call the US 800 number and tell them you want to book your itin with a stop over in CDG. You will get push back that it cannot be done yet, they have not been trained yet etc. Ask them nicely to please run a simulation and see what happens. Tell them you know people who have done this successfully. Give them the dates and flight numbers of what you have found. HUACA may not help as there were only two english speaking agents.We talked to the same agent twice, who had resisted the first time. We persuaded him on the 2nd call to please try. He did and was himself surprised with the results.
Now call the US 800 number and tell them you want to book your itin with a stop over in CDG. You will get push back that it cannot be done yet, they have not been trained yet etc. Ask them nicely to please run a simulation and see what happens. Tell them you know people who have done this successfully. Give them the dates and flight numbers of what you have found. HUACA may not help as there were only two english speaking agents.We talked to the same agent twice, who had resisted the first time. We persuaded him on the 2nd call to please try. He did and was himself surprised with the results.
Dec 23, 2022, 11:16 pm
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 9
Here is an example. Suppose you wanted US-CDG-FCO. Check online for US-CDG segment for the low rates. If from east coast, it may be 55,000. From west coast it would be 80,000 per person one way. Then for CDG-FCO, again check for low rates online, most likely it would be 20,000 per person one way. You need to find the lowest rate for each segment. Then check US-CDG-FCO as one way with no stop over. For west coast-CDG-FCO, it was 68,000 per person one way.
Now call the US 800 number and tell them you want to book your itin with a stop over in CDG. You will get push back that it cannot be done yet, they have not been trained yet etc. Ask them nicely to please run a simulation and see what happens. Tell them you know people who have done this successfully. Give them the dates and flight numbers of what you have found. HUACA may not help as there were only two english speaking agents.We talked to the same agent twice, who had resisted the first time. We persuaded him on the 2nd call to please try. He did and was himself surprised with the results.
Now call the US 800 number and tell them you want to book your itin with a stop over in CDG. You will get push back that it cannot be done yet, they have not been trained yet etc. Ask them nicely to please run a simulation and see what happens. Tell them you know people who have done this successfully. Give them the dates and flight numbers of what you have found. HUACA may not help as there were only two english speaking agents.We talked to the same agent twice, who had resisted the first time. We persuaded him on the 2nd call to please try. He did and was himself surprised with the results.
Just want to manage my expectations before I speak to an agent who doesn’t know how to do this.
Dec 23, 2022, 11:23 pm
#21
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Southern California
Posts: 391
Mine was SFO-CDG-FCO. SFO-CDG is 80,000 per person one way. CDG-FCO is 20,000 per person one way. SFO-CDG-FCO without stop over was 68,000 per person one way.
I paid 68,000 per person one way. CDG stop over for 7 days. The stop over was free, only some additional taxes.
I paid 68,000 per person one way. CDG stop over for 7 days. The stop over was free, only some additional taxes.
Dec 23, 2022, 11:29 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 9
Thank you for your responses though, I really appreciate it. Will think about it if I want to attempt again, not sure I want to get frustrated over the holidays lol
Dec 23, 2022, 11:47 pm
#23
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Southern California
Posts: 391
CDG-BCN should be 21,500 per person one way at low rate. You probably picked a date or flight that was not low rate, that's why you had 70,000 for 2. It should be 82,500 per person one way YYZ-CDG-BCN and that's the usual rate, its not a promo.
Dec 24, 2022, 5:22 pm
#24
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 58
I was able to book two stopovers, one yesterday and today.
Yesterday París 3 days and today AMS 3 days.
Both agents knew exactly how to do it, seemed very familiar and experienced with it, and one even went so far to say they don't cost anything but sometimes the pushed out date can result in a higher priced fare. Which was the case in my ATH - YUL flight, so shifted it a day and all good.
Yesterday París 3 days and today AMS 3 days.
Both agents knew exactly how to do it, seemed very familiar and experienced with it, and one even went so far to say they don't cost anything but sometimes the pushed out date can result in a higher priced fare. Which was the case in my ATH - YUL flight, so shifted it a day and all good.
Dec 28, 2022, 4:00 pm
#25
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: aegean gold , klm explorer
Posts: 508
I was able to book two stopovers, one yesterday and today.
Yesterday París 3 days and today AMS 3 days.
Both agents knew exactly how to do it, seemed very familiar and experienced with it, and one even went so far to say they don't cost anything but sometimes the pushed out date can result in a higher priced fare. Which was the case in my ATH - YUL flight, so shifted it a day and all good.
Yesterday París 3 days and today AMS 3 days.
Both agents knew exactly how to do it, seemed very familiar and experienced with it, and one even went so far to say they don't cost anything but sometimes the pushed out date can result in a higher priced fare. Which was the case in my ATH - YUL flight, so shifted it a day and all good.
Dec 28, 2022, 4:20 pm
#26
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 58
So I do believe it isn't always hunky doory. My other leg didn't have to change any dates etc for stopover, just stayed at same rate.
I am annoyed they ticketed me in USD for one booking, which after forex was 80.00 more than my other same ticket which was done in CAD. Not end of the world but still annoying
Dec 28, 2022, 4:52 pm
#27
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: aegean gold , klm explorer
Posts: 508
Well one caveat was I was flying on 17th and with a 3 day stopover, the agent said the award became very expensive. If I slid it to leaving the 16th no increase, so I did that.
So I do believe it isn't always hunky doory. My other leg didn't have to change any dates etc for stopover, just stayed at same rate.
I am annoyed they ticketed me in USD for one booking, which after forex was 80.00 more than my other same ticket which was done in CAD. Not end of the world but still annoying
So I do believe it isn't always hunky doory. My other leg didn't have to change any dates etc for stopover, just stayed at same rate.
I am annoyed they ticketed me in USD for one booking, which after forex was 80.00 more than my other same ticket which was done in CAD. Not end of the world but still annoying
I wonder what happens when I do MNL - (KUL) - AMS, cut it for 90 days and move on with AMS - (EZE) - SCL. This could be waaaay to good to be true.
Dec 28, 2022, 6:55 pm
#28
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Paris
Programs: FB Platinum, All Accor Platinum
Posts: 532
You can get some really great opportunities with this, but you have to be sure about the second flight date because changing it later maybe end up costing you a lot more miles.
Dec 29, 2022, 1:16 am
#29
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: aegean gold , klm explorer
Posts: 508
So basicly after i get my coffee
Dec 29, 2022, 2:38 am
#30
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: aegean gold , klm explorer
Posts: 508
Just got off the phone
Agent had to put on hold to look it up, but came back and had it figured it. Was told the same fare buckets need to be available on both dates, so no extending low season tickets into high seasons (didn't expect it to work)
You cant add it when you are already booked, they see that as cancel and resale.
Edit: Called back with 2 Z fares, agent disagreed on availily, but found another date that worked. So I have a ticket MNL-SCL with an 88 day break in Ams for 115k in C. Agent is gonna call me back because he couldnt figure out the payment. The man was verry annoyed for not getting propper training on this.
edit2: Agent called me back, Ticketed for 115k milles and 71 in taxes acros the world in C. Wonder how long this lasts, because this is to good to be true lol.
Agent had to put on hold to look it up, but came back and had it figured it. Was told the same fare buckets need to be available on both dates, so no extending low season tickets into high seasons (didn't expect it to work)
You cant add it when you are already booked, they see that as cancel and resale.
Edit: Called back with 2 Z fares, agent disagreed on availily, but found another date that worked. So I have a ticket MNL-SCL with an 88 day break in Ams for 115k in C. Agent is gonna call me back because he couldnt figure out the payment. The man was verry annoyed for not getting propper training on this.
edit2: Agent called me back, Ticketed for 115k milles and 71 in taxes acros the world in C. Wonder how long this lasts, because this is to good to be true lol.
Last edited by Yreal; Dec 29, 2022 at 5:08 am