You have 60,000 points sitting in a bank account and a trip to Europe in mind. Then a Flying Blue transfer bonus appears, promising 25% more miles. Should you move your points today, or is this bonus just average? And what if your bank isn't the one offering it?
Those questions matter because Flying Blue is one of the most widely reachable airline programs in the US. Seven major bank programs transfer to it, and by our count US banks have run at least 13 Flying Blue transfer bonuses since September 2024, all between 20% and 40%. Bonuses are common, so the real skill is knowing which ones to act on.
In this guide, you'll see which banks transfer to Flying Blue and every recent bonus. You'll also get the exact maths of what a bonus saves, plus a simple framework for deciding whether to transfer now or wait.
Key Takeaways
- Two Flying Blue bonuses are live as of October 5, 2026: Amex Membership Rewards +25% and Rove Miles +40%, both through October 31, 2026.
- 20–25% is the normal range. Amex, Chase, and Citi have each repeated Flying Blue bonuses in that band since 2024, so a 20% offer is rarely a once-a-year event.
- A 25% bonus cuts a 60,000-mile business class award to 48,000 bank points, saving 12,000 points on a single one-way ticket.
- Never transfer speculatively. Transfers are one-way, and Flying Blue has changed its award pricing twice since January 2025.
- Stack the bonus with Promo Rewards when the dates line up, because the two discounts multiply.
Which Banks Transfer to Flying Blue
Before a bonus matters, you need a path into the program. The good news is that almost every major US transferable currency reaches Flying Blue, and nearly all of them transfer at 1:1. The details below decide how quickly you can act when a bonus or a good award appears.
| Bank program | Ratio to Flying Blue | Minimum transfer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Membership Rewards | 1:1 | 1,000 points | No excise tax fee (it applies only to US airlines) |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 1:1 | 1,000 points | Transfers are typically instant |
| Capital One Miles | 1:1 | 1,000 miles | |
| Citi ThankYou Points | 1:1 on Strata Elite, Strata Premier, and AT&T Access More; 1:0.7 on other cards | 1,000 points | Your card type sets your ratio |
| Bilt Rewards | 1:1 | Varies | |
| Wells Fargo Rewards | 1:1 | Varies | |
| Rove Miles | 1:1 | 2,000 miles, then 100-mile steps |
Two details on this table change real decisions:
- Citi's ratio depends on your card. On a no-fee ThankYou card, 10,000 points become only 7,000 Flying Blue miles, which wipes out most of a 25% bonus.
- Amex transfers to Flying Blue carry no excise fee. Amex charges $0.0006 per point (capped at $99) only on transfers to US airlines such as Delta, so Flying Blue avoids that cost entirely.
Chase transfers to Flying Blue are typically instant, and other banks are often quick too, but timing varies by bank. If an award seat is scarce, allow for a delay of up to a day or two before you count on the miles.
For a deeper look at the program itself, including award pricing and partner airlines, see our Air France-KLM Flying Blue partner page.
Every Recent Flying Blue Transfer Bonus
Knowing the history tells you whether today's offer is strong, average, or weak. The table below lists the US bonuses we could confirm through at least two reputable sources or an official announcement. Dates are shown as published; a few end dates were only reported at the month level.
| Bank | Bonus | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Amex | +25% | October 1–31, 2026 (live) |
| Rove | +40% | October 1–31, 2026 (live) |
| Citi | +20% | July 19 – August 22, 2026 (premium cards only) |
| Amex | +25% | June 2026 |
| Chase | +20% | May 1–27, 2026 |
| Amex | +20% | October 2025 |
| Rove | +20% | Ended October 22, 2025 (Rove's first-ever bonus) |
| Chase | +20% | September 10–30, 2025 |
| Citi | +20% | June 22 – July 2025 |
| Chase | +25% | May 1–31, 2025 |
| Chase | +20% | December 2024 – January 15, 2025 |
| Amex | +20% | October 2024 |
| Capital One | +20% | September 2024 |
What the Pattern Tells You
A few patterns stand out, and they shape how patient you can afford to be. None of them guarantees a future bonus, but together they show how often offers have repeated.
- Amex has offered a Flying Blue bonus every October since 2024, and added a 25% bonus in June 2026.
- Chase has run roughly two a year, at 20–25%, often in May and again in late summer or winter.
- Citi has run roughly one a year, usually in summer.
- Capital One's only confirmed US Flying Blue bonus in this period was September 2024.
- Rove is the outlier: its October 2026 offer is 40%, double its 2025 bonus and the largest on this list.
So a 20% Flying Blue transfer bonus is routine. A 25% bonus is good, and anything above that is unusual. You can track every live offer across all banks on the transfer bonus tracker.
What a Flying Blue Bonus Actually Saves You
Percentages hide the real number that matters: how many bank points you spend on the ticket you want. The examples below use Flying Blue's published starting prices for one-way Air France and KLM flights between the US and Europe, as of October 2026.
| Award (one-way, US–Europe) | Miles needed | Bank points at 1:1 | With Amex +25% | With Rove +40% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy (from) | 25,000 | 25,000 | 20,000 | 17,900 |
| Premium economy (from) | 40,000 | 40,000 | 32,000 | 28,600 |
| Business (from) | 60,000 | 60,000 | 48,000 | 42,900 |
The bonus columns round up to each bank's transfer step: 1,000 points for Amex and 100 miles for Rove. A 25% bonus on a business class award saves 12,000 points. At TransferPoints' estimated value of about 2 cents per Amex point, that is roughly $240 of value on one ticket.
Stacking the Bonus with Promo Rewards
Flying Blue runs Promo Rewards every month, discounting selected routes, typically by up to 25%. The October 2026 promotion requires booking by October 31, 2026 for travel through March 31, 2027.
Because the transfer bonus applies when you move points and the promo applies when you book, the two discounts multiply:
- Business from 45,000 miles on October's promo routes (for example Seattle and Mexico City) costs just 36,000 Amex points with the 25% bonus.
- Economy from 18,750 miles on promo routes such as Boston and Houston costs 15,000 Amex points with the bonus.
That is the strongest case for acting on a bonus: a specific promo seat, available now, inside the bonus window.
Fees Still Apply
A bonus reduces miles, not cash costs. Flying Blue awards on Air France and KLM include taxes and carrier surcharges. Business class departing the US has typically run roughly $200–300 one-way. Departing Paris is far more expensive, with business fees reported around $489–609. Factor that into return flights before you transfer.
Transfer Now or Wait? A Decision Framework
A bonus is only valuable if it attaches to a booking you will actually make. Because transfers can't be reversed, the decision comes down to whether you have a real award to book and how long you can wait.
Transfer now if:
- You have found an award seat at a price you're happy with, and a bonus is live at a bank you hold.
- The seat is a Promo Rewards price that expires before the next likely bonus.
- Your trip is soon, and award prices on your route have been rising.
Wait if:
- You have no specific redemption in mind yet.
- Your bank has a bonus pattern (for example, Amex's October and June offers) and your travel dates are flexible.
- You hold a Citi no-fee card, where the 1:0.7 ratio erases most of a typical bonus.
Consider a different bank if:
- You hold more than one currency. With Rove at +40% and Amex at +25% this month, the same award costs about 5,100 fewer points through Rove.
Before you transfer, confirm the seat exists. A tool like FlightPoints shows award availability across programs, so you transfer only when the seat exists. Also read: How to find award flights after a transfer bonus.
Common Mistakes with Flying Blue Bonuses
Most expensive mistakes with a Flying Blue transfer bonus happen in the gap between transferring and booking. These are the ones we see most often, and each is avoidable.
- Transferring before checking availability. Flying Blue business class seats at the lowest price can be hard to find. Miles stuck in the wrong program have no other use.
- Ignoring the new fare tiers. Since September 8, 2026, Air France and KLM awards come in Light, Standard, and Flex versions. The headline 60,000-mile business price is the Light fare. Standard costs more miles but includes checked bags and allows changes for a fee.
- Forgetting about price changes. Flying Blue raised its US–Europe starting prices in January 2025 (business went from 50,000 to 60,000 miles). Miles you transfer "for later" can lose value.
- Overlooking expiry. Flying Blue miles expire after 24 months without qualifying activity. Since May 2026, a single clock covers your whole balance, and new earning activity such as a card transfer resets it.
- Assuming all Citi cards earn 1:1. Check your card before counting the bonus.
Track Flying Blue Bonuses with TransferPoints
The hard part of using a Flying Blue transfer bonus isn't the maths. It's noticing the offer in time, across seven banks, while knowing your ratio and whether the bonus beats waiting. Missing a short window, or transferring at the wrong ratio, costs real points.
TransferPoints puts that information in one place:
- Bonus Tracker: Every live transfer bonus across all eight bank programs we cover, in one list on the bonus tracker.
- Transfer Calculator: See how many miles your points become, with any active bonus applied.
- Partner pages: Compare every bank's ratio and transfer path to Flying Blue side by side.
Transfer Calculator
Conclusion
A Flying Blue transfer bonus is worth acting on when it attaches to a real booking, not because the percentage looks big. Bonuses of 20–25% have repeated several times a year since 2024, so the bonus itself is rarely scarce. The award seat, the Promo Rewards price, and your ratio are what make a specific bonus valuable.
The mistake to avoid is transferring speculatively. Find the seat, confirm your bank's ratio, then use the bonus to reduce the cost. TransferPoints keeps the bonuses, ratios, and partner paths in one view, so you spend less time checking and more time deciding.
Check the live bonus tracker before your next Flying Blue transfer to see whether a bonus changes the maths.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Flying Blue transfer bonuses stack with Promo Rewards?
Yes. The transfer bonus applies when you move points from your bank, and Promo Rewards apply when you book the award. The discounts multiply: a 45,000-mile Promo Rewards business seat costs 36,000 Amex points during a 25% transfer bonus. Both windows must overlap, and Promo Rewards seats are limited, so confirm availability before transferring.
Does Amex charge the excise tax fee on transfers to Flying Blue?
No. Amex charges an excise tax offset fee of $0.0006 per point, capped at $99, only on transfers to US airline programs such as Delta SkyMiles and JetBlue TrueBlue. Flying Blue is the program of Air France and KLM, so transfers to it carry no fee. That makes a 100,000-point Flying Blue transfer up to $60 cheaper than the same transfer to Delta.
How long do transfers to Flying Blue take?
Chase transfers to Flying Blue typically post instantly, and transfers from other major banks are often fast as well. Some take longer, occasionally up to a day or two, depending on the bank and on account checks. If you are chasing a scarce award seat, plan for a possible delay. Never transfer on the assumption that a seat will still be there in two days.
Can I move Flying Blue miles back to my credit card points?
No. Transfers from bank programs to Flying Blue are one-way and cannot be reversed. Once points become Flying Blue miles, they can only be used within Flying Blue or pooled with family members' accounts. That is why you should only transfer when you have a specific award ready to book.
Is a 20% Flying Blue transfer bonus worth waiting for?
Usually not, if you already have a good award available. Bonuses of 20% have appeared several times a year since 2024, but award seats and Promo Rewards prices disappear quickly. A 20% bonus on a 60,000-mile ticket saves 10,000 points, which is less than the extra cost of losing a promo price. Wait only if your dates are flexible and you have no seat yet.
Do Flying Blue miles expire after I transfer them?
Flying Blue miles expire after 24 months without qualifying activity. Since May 4, 2026, your whole balance shares one expiry date, and new earning activity, such as a credit card transfer, extends it by 24 months. Transferring points therefore restarts the clock, but holding miles for years without activity still carries risk.
How this guide was made: The TransferPoints team researched and drafted this guide with AI assistance. Every transfer ratio, bonus, and award price was checked against official bank and airline information, reputable points publications, and TransferPoints' transfer data on October 5, 2026. Bonuses and award prices change often, so confirm terms with your bank before transferring. Spot an error? Email [email protected].