All about Flying Blue and my favorite cards
How I Use Flying Blue Miles to Make Europe Affordable for My Family
A couple of years ago, I was trying to plan a family trip to Europe, but every time I searched for flights, I felt like my dream was slipping further out of reach. I had the points, but the prices? Yikes. Then I stumbled across a one-way flight to Paris for less than 15,000 miles—and not just for one person, but for all six of us. I was hooked.
That flight was thanks to Flying Blue, the loyalty program of KLM and Air France. It’s one of my favorite ways to stretch points for big family trips. If you're a mom trying to make travel work without blowing the budget, Flying Blue should definitely be on your radar.
👉 If you're just starting with points, check out my guide to the best beginner cards for family travel. It walks you through exactly how we earn and redeem enough points to fly our whole family around the world.
Flying Blue is especially helpful for families because it partners with all the major credit card point programs. That means whether you’re earning points from your everyday groceries or family dinners out, you can combine them and transfer them straight into Flying Blue when you're ready to book.
If you’ve ever struggled to find enough award seats for your whole crew or felt like the only options were middle seats at 4 AM, this program might just change everything.
Why I Love Flying Blue for Family Trips
Flying Blue is part of the SkyTeam alliance, which means you can use their miles not only on KLM and Air France but also on partner airlines like Delta, Virgin Atlantic, and others. This opens up routes all over Europe, Asia, and even within the U.S.
Here’s why it works so well for families:
More award availability: It’s honestly one of the few programs where I’ve consistently found 4+ award seats on the same flight.
Monthly Promo Rewards: These are discounted award flights released each month. We’ve booked Europe flights for under 12,000 miles before—yes, really!
Stopovers: You can often add a second city to your trip for no extra miles. Paris and Amsterdam in one go? Yes, please.
(And yes, you can fly Virgin Atlantic Upper Class using Flying Blue miles—for as low as 56.5k miles + taxes)
Earning Points for Flying Blue
Since Flying Blue accepts transfers from all the major point programs, you’ve got options when it comes to earning. But here’s the thing: I know it can feel overwhelming when you’re trying to choose the right credit card to start with—especially if you're juggling a million other things like soccer practice and piano lessons.
If that’s you, here’s a list of flexible travel credit cards I recommend. These are the ones I’ve personally used to book award flights with Flying Blue:
👉 My favorite cards for family-friendly travel rewards
That list includes cards that earn transferable points, plus a couple from Capital One, which is one of the only banks I can name directly here. The Capital One Venture X and Venture Rewards cards are great for families—they earn 2x miles on everything, and you can transfer those miles to Flying Blue when you’re ready to book.
💡 Tip: If you’re not earning points through shopping portals yet, check out this guide on Rakuten vs. Capital One Shopping. It’s one of the easiest ways to boost your miles with very little effort.
How to Search and Book Flying Blue Flights
The easiest way to search for Flying Blue award flights is through the Air France app or website—but heads up, their desktop version can be glitchy. I almost always use the app for faster results.
Here’s a quick version of how I do it:
Create a Flying Blue account (it’s free).
Use the app to search “pay with miles” one way at a time.
If you’re booking for multiple people, start by searching for one adult to find the best rates, then repeat with your full group.
Look for Promo Rewards, which are labeled on the calendar.
Don’t transfer your points until you confirm availability. Transfers are one-way, and you don’t want to get stuck.
Want more tips like this? Join my email list right here for weekly updates on award availability, flight deals, and travel tricks for families like yours.
A Few Things to Know Before You Book
Flying Blue miles expire after 2 years unless you keep your account active. Booking a partner flight, earning miles from a rental car or hotel, or having Flying Blue status helps reset the clock.
You can book flights on partners like Delta, WestJet, and Japan Airlines using Flying Blue miles.
Fuel surcharges can be high, especially flying out of Europe. Promo Rewards often help offset this.
Lap infant tickets cost 10% of the adult cash fare. You’ll need to call Flying Blue to book those.
Customer service is generally helpful! You can call them at +1 (800)-237-2747 if anything goes wrong during the booking.
Real Bookings We've Made with Flying Blue
JFK to London in Virgin Atlantic Upper Class: 56.5k miles + $202 each
Main cabin flights within the U.S. on Delta: 11.5k + $22 each
Roundtrip to Europe in economy for under 30k miles total per person
Some of the best values I’ve seen lately have come from pairing Flying Blue’s Promo Rewards with points we earned on our everyday spending.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve got a European trip on your bucket list—or even just want more affordable domestic flights—Flying Blue is one of the most flexible and family-friendly programs out there. We’ve used it again and again for trips with our four kids, and I always recommend it to moms who are trying to stretch their points a little further.
Want help getting started? Here’s my free guide to the best beginner cards, and feel free to message me on Instagram or join our private Facebook group right here. You’re not alone in this!
