How To Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue
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Written by
Joseph Hostetler
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Edited by
Jasmin Baron, CCC™
Flying Blue is the airline loyalty program of both Air France and KLM. These airlines are members of the SkyTeam airline alliance, meaning you can also use your miles to fly on partner airlines such as Delta and Virgin Atlantic. In other words, you can go nearly anywhere with Flying Blue miles. That makes it one of the top Chase transfer partners.
Transferring to Flying Blue is one of the most valuable ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Let’s take a look at how to transfer Chase points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue.
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Can You Transfer Chase Points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue?
Yes, you can transfer Chase points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue. Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer times to Flying Blue are typically instant, so if you see a specific award you want to book, you can transfer points to grab it immediately.
To transfer Chase points to Flying Blue, you must have at least one of the following travel credit cards:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
Other Chase credit cards earn Ultimate Rewards points, including the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited®, but they don’t allow you to convert rewards into airline miles unless you also have one of the cards mentioned above.
Chase Ultimate Rewards to Air France-KLM Flying Blue Transfer Ratio
Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to Flying Blue at a ratio of 1:1. That means 1,000 Chase points yield 1,000 Flying Blue miles.
That’s convenient — and helpful to understand the value you’ll get for your Chase points. We estimate that Flying Blue miles are worth 1.3 cents each on average (this can vary depending on how you use them).
Step-by-Step: How To Transfer Chase Points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Step 1: Sign in to Chase Ultimate Rewards and Choose Your Eligible Credit Card
When you log into the Chase Ultimate Rewards website, you’ll be given an option to view the dashboard of whichever Ultimate Rewards-earning credit cards you have. Select one that lets you transfer points to airline partners — such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
Step 2: Click “Transfer Points To Partners”
From your account page, tap on the tab labeled “Travel.” This will reveal a link to the Chase points transfer page.
Step 3: Locate Flying Blue
From here, you can browse all eligible airline transfer partners. Find and click Flying Blue.
Step 4: Confirm Your Flying Blue Account
To transfer points to Flying Blue, you must currently have a Flying Blue loyalty account. It’s free to join if you haven’t already.
Enter your loyalty number on this page to link your Chase account. Then hit “Next.”
Step 5: Transfer as Many Points as You’d Like
The final step is to input the number of points you’d like to convert. You can only enter increments of 1,000. Then confirm your transfer. That’s it! The points will appear in your Flying Blue account shortly.
When Does It Make Sense To Transfer Chase Points to Flying Blue?
In short, it makes sense to transfer Chase points to Flying Blue if it’ll give you the best value for your points.
If you can’t be bothered to check multiple Chase transfer partners for the best deal, it can be useful to simply keep the average Flying Blue miles value in mind. When an Air France or KLM award nets you more than 1.3 cents per mile, it’s probably a solid deal. You can figure out the value of your miles by using the following formula:
(Cash price of airfare – award taxes and fees) / required points = value per point
As a rule of thumb, I find that the best return on my Flying Blue miles is for international business-class seats. The cash prices are often astronomical, but award seats cost as little as 60,000 miles per adult — and 45,000 miles for kids under 12. I can book $7,000+ worth of fancy flights for me, my wife and my daughter for just 165,000 miles each way. That’s a steal.
When Does It Not Make Sense to Transfer Chase Points to Flying Blue?
Here’s an example where you might want to consider alternatives. This sample flight from New York-JFK to Paris (CDG) on Air France in economy class costs $374 in cash. Booking through Flying Blue, you would pay 18,750 miles and $137.40 in taxes and fees. That amounts to an unremarkable value of 1.26 cents per mile.
But when booking through another Chase partner, Virgin Atlantic, you could get the exact same seat for 12,000 miles and $162. That’s a much improved value of 1.76 cents per mile.
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue
As you can see, transferring your Chase points to Flying Blue is simple. But there are still easy ways to mess up your travel plans. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you make a transfer:
- Check for available seats just before you transfer: Award inventory can be fickle. Just because a seat was available yesterday (or even an hour ago) doesn’t mean it’s still there. Take another quick glance at the Air France or KLM website to ensure you’ll be able to redeem rewards for your specific flight.
- All transfers are final: When you convert Chase points into Flying Blue miles (or any airline or hotel rewards currency, for that matter), you can’t transfer them back to Chase.
- Chase Travel℠ may have a better deal: Depending on the Chase Ultimate Rewards card you’ve got, your Chase points can be worth between 1 and 2 cents each for flights booked through Chase Travel. Do the math to decide whether your points will be worth more by booking through Flying Blue or Chase Travel.
The information related to the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.
Frequently Asked Questions About Transferring Chase Points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Is it worth transferring Chase points to KLM?
It can be worth transferring Chase points to KLM if you can get a better value per Chase point than other competing programs (think Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, etc.).
How long does it take for Chase to transfer to Air France?
Chase states that most transfers are received the same day, but sometimes can take up to seven business days. That said, we’ve found that transfers typically post within minutes of the conversion being initiated.
What’s the best way to use Flying Blue miles?
You can often get excellent deals on Air France and KLM by booking Flying Blue Promo Rewards, which are discounted award flights between select destinations that change monthly. Award bookings on SkyTeam alliance partners can also be a good value.
