Flying Blue, the Air France-KLM loyalty program, is a generous Online Status Match For elite members of Alaska Airlines MileagePlan, American Airlines AAdvantage, JetBlue TrueBlue Rewards and United Airlines MileagePlus programs.
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles elite members are not eligible for this offer, likely because Delta is a member of the same SkyTeam as Air France-KLM.
The following statuses align with Flying Blue Silver (SkyTeam Elite): Alaska MVP and MVP Gold, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 1 and 2, United Premier Silver.
You can match to Flying Blue Gold (SkyTeam Elite Plus) if you hold the following statuses: Alaska MVP 75K and 100K, American Platinum, Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum, Concierge Key, JetBlue Mosaic 3 and 4, United Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, Premier 1K, Global Services.
It’s important to note that unlike the status match challenges offered by other airlines, U.S. and Mexican residents must pay a fee: $99 to match to Flying Blue Silver status and $299 to match to Flying Blue Gold status.
What are the benefits of Flying Blue Silver and Gold status?
Unfortunately, Flying Blue Platinum status, a valuable perk that allows you to use miles to book Air France’s famous La Premiere first class, is not available to residents of the U.S. and Mexico under this match offer.
RELATED: 10 Things That Impressed Me About Air France’s Amazing La Premiere First Class
Flying Blue Silver is the lowest level of Flying Blue elite status and includes some basic benefits:
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- 6 Flying Blue Miles for every euro you spend on Flying Blue tickets
- Free Standard Seat Selection
- Priority check-in and boarding
- SkyTeam Elite Benefits (the most notable SkyTeam Elite benefit is free checked baggage on all Flying Blue and SkyTeam partner flights)
Flying Blue Gold members enjoy all the benefits of Flying Blue Silver members, plus:
- 7 Flying Blue Miles for every euro you spend on Flying Blue tickets
- Access to SkyTeam lounges on international flights operated by Flying Blue or SkyTeam airlines (valid for yourself and one guest)
- Access to partner airline lounges including Virgin Atlantic, Qantas and Air Mauritius
- SkyTeam Elite Plus (SkyPriority boarding, priority immigration, and other perks)
- 50% off Preferred Seats and Delta Comfort+
Related: The ultimate guide to earning and spending Air France-KLM Flying Blue points
At TPG, we’re big fans of Flying Blue even without elite status. The program is a transfer partner for all major credit card currencies, making it easy to earn Flying Blue miles and allowing you to book a business class flight to Europe for as little as 50,000 Flying Blue miles, which is a great deal.
To apply for the match, you must have a valid Flying Blue account ( Free and online). A decision will be made within 3 business days and the new status will appear on your account within 5 business days.
Once matched, your Flying Blue status is valid for 12 months. To maintain your status, you must re-qualify by meeting the standard Flying Blue qualification levels. There are no shortcuts to extend your status during the matching period.
It’s important to note that while the status match offered by other programs is usually free, U.S. and Mexico residents must pay $99 for Silver status and $299 for Gold status.
Conclusion
It’s a generous but unusual offer from a solid airline loyalty program, but it might scare off some members because it requires members to pay a fee to match a status that other programs offer for free. Still, if you plan on flying with Air France-KLM or other SkyTeam airlines like Delta, Korean Air, or China Eastern, it could be a great opportunity to try out the perks of another loyalty program, especially if you’re traveling internationally.
You can apply for Flying Blue status match Online here.