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There are just two days left to take advantage of the 30% transfer bonus between Citi ThankYou Points and Flying Blue, and three days left to book Flying Blue’s August Promo Awards…the cheapest of which will get you from New York City to Paris for only 8,000 ThankYou Points if you stack both promotions. ThankYou Point > Flying Blue transfers are typically instantaneous so this opportunity still lives, but you need to act fast! 

Flying Blue’s latest Promo Awards, stacked with the current 30% Citi ThankYou Point to Flying Blue transfer bonus, can get you from the US to Europe this October or November for as little as 16k ThankYou points roundtrip. ThankYou points must be transferred by August 29 to qualify for the transfer bonus and Flying Blue Promo Awards must be booked by August 30, 2018, to qualify for the discount.

I even see award space available around the Thanksgiving holidays to get to Europe for 8,000 ThankYou points. Continuing reading to learn how to book.

Flying Blue Promo Awards

Flying Blue is the loyalty program of Air France/KLM, Air Europa, Kenya Airways, and TAROM Romanian. Promo Awards let you fly from select North American cities to anywhere in Europe for big discounts. 

Through August 30, 2018, you can book awards between:

  • New York (JFK) and Paris (ORY) in Air France economy for 50% off: 11,000 miles + $86.43 in taxes/fees.
  • Boston (BOS) and Europe in Air France economy for 25% off: price varies depending on where you fly. Boston to Copenhagen, for example, costs 16,125 miles + $107.78 in taxes/fees.

There are a few Canadian cities on sale as well, which could be worth positioning to, especially if you live in the northwest United States:

  • Edmonton to Europe in KLM Business Class for 50% off: price varies depending on where you fly. Edmonton to Amsterdam, for example, costs 30,250 miles + $252.89 in taxes/fees.
  • Calgary to Europe in KLM Business Class for 25% off: price varies depending on where you fly. Calgary to Amsterdam, for example, costs 43,375 miles + $252.89 in taxes/fees.
  • Vancouver to Europe in Air France or KLM or Business Class to Europe for 25% off: price varies depending on where you fly. Vancouver to Amsterdam, for example, costs 43,375 miles + $244.85 in taxes/fees.

Flying Blue changed their award pricing in June. They no longer have award charts and instead base pricing on origin, destination, and travel date. So how much it will cost you to get from your North American origin is going to depend on where you go exactly in Europe, but the lowest prices I see are 11,000 miles in economy from New York to Paris (ORY) and 30,125 miles in Business from Edmonton

You are not required to book Promo Awards roundtrip. You could book just one way in economy for half off.

Example Promo Award Space

New York City (JFK) to Paris (ORY) in Air France economy, two travelers, for 11,000 Flying Blue miles each:

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Out-of-pocket taxes and fees would be $86.43 each.

Boston to Copenhagen in Air France economy, two travelers, for 16,125 Flying Blue miles each:

NOVEMBER

Out-of-pocket taxes and fees would be $107.78 each.

Edmonton to Amsterdam in KLM Business Class, two travelers, for 30,125 miles each:

OCTOBER

Out-of-pocket taxes and fees would be $252.89 each.

Searching and Booking

I am happy to report that the award space calendar search function is back!

Flying Blue made a very annoying change to their website in June that made it impossible to search for award space by the month or even the week. It required that you searched day by day. Thankfully that appears to have just been a temporary malfunction. As you can see from the calendars above, you can now search for award space a month at a time once again.

To display a months’ award space at a time, check the box that says you are looking for flights around these dates which can be found onthe search page (in the dates section).

Once you find the award space you want, you can book directly on airfrance.com.

Citi ThankYou Points > Flying Blue Transfer Bonus

Transfers between Citi ThankYou Points earned by the Citi Prestige, Premier, or Chairman Card and Flying Blue, made before 11:59 pm ET August 29, 2018, will earn 30% bonus miles.

You must transfer ThankYou Points in 1,000 point increments.

That makes all of the above options much cheaper. For example…

  • New York (JFK) to Paris (ORY) in Air France economy would drop to 8,000 miles one way.
  • Boston (BOS) to Copenhagen in Air France economy would drop to 12,000 miles one way.
  • Edmonton to Amsterdam in KLM Business class would drop to 23,000 miles one way. Even with the $252.89 in out-of-pocket taxes/fees, that price is worth taking a positioning flight for. Standard Business Class prices to Europe are around 60 to 70k miles one way. 

Transfers between ThankYou Points and Flying Blue are instantaneous so you don’t have to worry about losing award space. Find award space first, then transfer, then book online at airfrance.com.

Don’t forget to check viable options you could book in cash.

Cash flights to Europe in economy can be cheap as the competition is stiff with so many low-cost carriers. You should always be checking the cash price of tickets before using your rewards, but it’s especially important to compare on routes that can be cheap. Make sure it’s worth it to use your points/miles, and don’t forget to factor in out-of-pocket cost as Flying Blue awards collects fuel surcharges (minor on economy tickets, heftier on Business Class tickets).

Bottom Line

Flying Blue’s July Promo Awards, bookable only through August 30, allow you to fly between New England and Europe on the cheap in economy for as little as 11,000 miles one way.

Stack that with the 30% ThankYou Point transfer bonus (lasts through August 29) to Flying Blue miles, and you’ve got yourself a dirt cheap price of 8,000 ThankYou points one way. How cheap? Saver level awards with United MileagePlus cost 30k one way (in economy) in October and November. AAdvantage awards cost 30k one way (in economy) in October, and 20k one way in November. SkyMiles cost 32.5k one way in October and November. You’re going to pay fuel surcharges for a Flying Blue award you wouldn’t pay with an American loyalty program, but depending on where you fly and in what class, out-of-pocket cost (including unavoidable taxes) can be more than worth it.

Want Flying Blue miles to book future Promo Awards?

The Citi ThankYou Premier card just boosted it’s sign bonus to a record-high 60,000 ThankYou Points for spending $4,000 in three months. ThankYou Points transfer 1:1 to Flying Blue, unless there is transfer bonus like the one right now that garners 30% more miles for your points. The ThankYou Premier also has awesome category bonuses for a card with a $95 annual (that’s waived the first year): 3 ThankYou Points per dollar spent on travel and gas purchases and 2 ThankYou Points per dollar spent on dining purchases.