Making it easier for you with our COVID‑19 loyalty measures

2020 has been a challenging year to say the least. We hope 2021 will bring you everything you're looking for and more. While we wait for the horizon to clear, we are extending the measures we put in place last year. Indeed, we are committed to staying in touch and helping eligible members to retain all their benefits by providing a wide range of support. So keep an eye on this page:

We keep your Miles safe

As an extension of our previous measures, we will now prevent all Miles of our Explorer members from expiring until 31 December 2021.

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How are my Miles affected by Flying Blue's latest COVID-19 measures?

In April 2020, we announced and implemented immediate measures to prevent Miles from expiring until the end of 2020. To this day, the situation remains uncertain. Therefore, we have decided to extend those measures by another 12 months. If you are an Explorer member, all your Miles will remain valid until the end of December 2021.

Where can I see that the validity of my Miles has been extended until the end of 2021?

As an Explorer member, you can find the updated validity date of your Miles in your Flying Blue account.

Will the validity of my Miles be extended until the end of 2021?

If you are a Silver, Gold or Platinum member your Miles are valid for life. Are you an Explorer member with Miles expiring between December 2020 and November 2021? Then we will extend the validity of your Miles to December 2021. Miles with a validity date of January 2022 and beyond are not impacted by this measure.

We maintain your status

Good news: you keep all your advantages! As an extension of our previous measures, we renew the levels of all our Elite members with a qualification period between now and December 2021.

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Will I keep my current level in my next qualification period?

In case your qualification period ends between now and December 2021, you will keep your current level even if you do not reach the XP objective. Some examples:

A Silver member with a qualification period ending in April 2021:
- If you have gained 120 XP, your counter will be offset by 100 XP to maintain Silver and you keep a surplus of 20 XP.
- If you have gained 65 XP, we will credit the missing 35 XP and then offset your counter with 100 XP to reset your XP counter to 0 and maintain your Silver level.
→ The surplus XP measure applies in addition to this measure. Please see the specific Q&A for more info.
A Gold member with a qualification period ending in April 2021:
- If you have gained 220 XP, your counter will be offset by 180 XP to maintain Gold and you keep a surplus of 40 XP.
- If you have gained 120 XP, we will credit the missing 60 XP and then offset your counter with 180 XP to reset your XP counter to 0 and maintain your Gold level.
→ The surplus XP measure applies in addition to this measure. Please see the specific Q&A for more info.
A Platinum member with a qualification period ending in April 2021:
- If you have gained 450 XP, your counter will be offset by 300 XP to maintain Platinum and you keep a surplus of 150 XP.
- If you have gained 250 XP, we will credit the missing 50 XP and then offset your counter with 300 XP to reset your XP counter to 0 and maintain your Platinum level.
→ The surplus XP measure applies in addition to this measure. Please see the specific Q&A for more info.

When will I see that my level has been renewed?

On the first day of your new qualification period, you can see in your Flying Blue account that your current level has been renewed. In your activity overview you will see “XP offered by Flying Blue” with the number of XP that have been credited to reach the XP objective (if applicable), and “Counter offset” with the XP objective of your level deducted from your counter. The validity date of your digital card will be updated at the end of your current tier validity period.

I want to upgrade to a higher level. Will I also benefit from your COVID-19 measures?

Our measures enable Elite members to maintain their current level. If you were able to travel and you are on the way to a higher level, we rewarded you with double Miles and double XP from July until December 2020. The surplus XP measure may also help you in reaching a higher level.

Will I keep my current XP balance in my next qualification period?

We will automatically offset the number of XP needed to maintain or upgrade a level. Any surplus XP will remain on your account. Some examples:

A Silver member with a qualification period ending in April 2021:
- If you have gained 120 XP, your counter will be offset by 100 XP to maintain Silver and you keep a surplus of 20 XP.
- If you have gained 65 XP, we will credit the missing 35 XP and then offset your counter with 100 XP to reset your XP counter to 0 and maintain your Silver level.
→ The surplus XP measure applies in addition to this measure. Please see the specific Q&A for more info.
A Gold member with a qualification period ending in April 2021:
- If you have gained 220 XP, your counter will be offset by 180 XP to maintain Gold and you keep a surplus of 40 XP.
- If you have gained 120 XP, we will credit the missing 60 XP and then offset your counter with 180 XP to reset your XP counter to 0 and maintain your Gold level.
→ The surplus XP measure applies in addition to this measure. Please see the specific Q&A for more info.
A Platinum member with a qualification period ending in April 2021:
- If you have gained 450 XP, your counter will be offset by 300 XP to maintain Platinum and you keep a surplus of 150 XP.
- If you have gained 250 XP, we will credit the missing 50 XP and then offset your counter with 300 XP to reset your XP counter to 0 and maintain your Platinum level.
→ The surplus XP measure applies in addition to this measure. Please see the specific Q&A for more info.

What will happen to my years counting towards Platinum for life?

If you keep your current Platinum level during your next qualification period based on our special measures, that membership year will count towards the 10 consecutive years needed to qualify for Platinum for life. For example:

You have been a Platinum member for 9 consecutive years, and your current qualification period will end on 31 December 2021. Because of our measures, you will be maintained and reach 10 consecutive years of Platinum. On 1 April 2022, we will change your level to Platinum for life.
You have been a Platinum member for 7 consecutive years, and your current qualification period will end on 31 December 2021. Because of our measures, you will be maintained. On 1 January 2022, your 8th consecutive year of Platinum will start.

Surplus XP Support

As an extension of our previous measure, we will automatically top up the surplus XP for Elite members with a qualification period between now and December 2021, if it’s lower than last year. That way, you hold on to all your XP and don’t miss out on maintaining or boosting your status. The surplus XP support will be added within a month after the start of your new qualification period.

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What does “surplus XP support” mean?

At the start of your new qualification period, we compare your number of surplus XP with the number you had at the start of the previous qualification period. If your current number of surplus XP is lower, we will automatically credit XP to your counter to match the surplus XP you had at the start of your previous qualification period. See the examples at the end of these Q&A for more information.

What are surplus XP?

At the end of your qualification period after maintaining your level, your XP counter will be offset by the XP objective of the corresponding level. Any XP gained above the level threshold are called surplus XP and are kept on your XP counter for the next qualification period. This way, your surplus XP give you a head start for maintaining your level in the next period.
Flying Blue is one of the few loyalty programmes to offer the benefit of keeping your XP into the next period after the counter offset. Most loyalty programmes reset the counter to zero at the end of the qualification period by default.

Why are we protecting your surplus XP?

Our Elite members have indicated that surplus XP is a very much appreciated and distinguishing feature of our programme. We know many members are happy with the opportunity to keep their extra XP for the new qualification period, building up a buffer of surplus XP. In the current situation, our members have shared concerns that their surplus XP will diminish due to limited opportunities to travel and gain XP. By protecting surplus XP, we support our loyal customers and enable them to keep their surplus XP which they often have built up over many years.

Will I benefit from surplus XP support?

You will benefit from surplus XP support in case:

you are a Flying Blue Silver, Gold or Platinum member;
your qualification period ends between now and December 2021; and
your current surplus XP is lower than it was at the beginning of your previous qualification period.

Some examples:

A Silver member with a qualification period ending in April 2021:

If you have gained 120 XP, your counter will be offset by 100 XP to maintain Silver and you keep a surplus of 20 XP.
If you had a surplus of 60 XP in your previous qualification period (ending in April 2020), we credit you 40 XP (surplus XP support) within a month, so you again have a head start of 60 XP.

A Gold member with a qualification period ending in April 2021:

If you have gained 220 XP, your counter will be offset by 180 XP to maintain Gold and you keep a surplus of 40 XP.
If you had a surplus of 80 XP in your previous qualification period (ending in April 2020), we credit you 40 XP (surplus XP support) within a month, so you again have a head start of 80 XP.

A Platinum member with a qualification period ending in April 2021:

If you have gained 450 XP, your counter will be offset by 300 XP to maintain Platinum and you keep a surplus of 150 XP.
If you had a surplus of 250 XP in your previous qualification period (ending in April 2020), we credit you 100 XP (surplus XP support) within a month, so you again have a head start of 250 XP.

When and how will you inform me if I benefit from this measure?

If you have opted-in to receive communication about programme information, we will inform you via e-mail within a month after your last qualification period ended. In addition, you can then also find the update in your online activity overview.

How can I benefit from surplus XP support?

As an eligible Flying Blue member, you do not have to do anything to benefit from surplus XP support. We will automatically take care of that. Within the first month of your new qualification period, we will add the XP to match your previous number of surplus XP. You can see the credited XP in your activity overview under this description: “surplus XP support”.

When and how will I see the surplus XP support in my account?

Within the first month of your new qualification period, we will credit the XP to ensure your surplus is the same as the period before. When checking the activity overview in your Flying Blue account, you will see the credited XP under this description: “surplus XP support”.

How can I check my surplus XP from the previous qualification period?

You can check your surplus XP in your online account. It is listed as a separate activity, called “Surplus XP available on the XP counter”.

Which members benefit from surplus XP support?

If you are a Silver, Gold or Platinum member and your qualification period ends between now and December 2021, you may benefit from protected surplus XP. Explorer members do not have surplus XP.

Examples surplus XP support

Note: examples are based on Platinum members, but the same logic also applies to Silver and Gold.

Platinum member A

Qualification end date December 2019:
XP counter: 900 XP
Counter offset: 300 XP
Surplus: 600 XP

Qualification end date December 2020:
XP counter: 800 XP
Counter offset: 300 XP
Surplus: 500 XP
Surplus XP support: 100 XP

Qualification end date December 2021:
XP counter: 700 XP
Counter offset: 300 XP
Surplus: 400 XP
Surplus XP support: 200 XP

Platinum member B

Qualification end date December 2019:
XP counter: 350 XP
Counter offset: 300 XP
Surplus: 50 XP

Qualification end date December 2020:
XP counter: 320 XP
Counter offset: 300 XP
Surplus: 20 XP
Surplus XP support: 30 XP

Qualification end date December 2021:
XP counter: 160 XP
Plus 140 XP offered by Flying Blue to maintain Platinum
Counter offset: 300 XP
Surplus: 0 XP
Surplus XP support: 50 XP

Platinum member C

Qualification end date December 2019:
XP counter: 350 XP
Counter offset: 300 XP
Surplus: 50 XP

Qualification end date December 2020:
XP counter: 220 XP
Plus 80 XP offered by Flying Blue to maintain Platinum
Counter offset: 300 XP
Surplus: 0 XP
Surplus XP support: 50 XP

Qualification end date December 2021:
XP counter: 340 XP
Counter offset: 300 XP
Surplus: 40 XP
Surplus XP support: 10 XP

Rebook and cancellation policy for reward tickets

Due to the uncertainty surrounding travel in this period, we want to give you peace of mind and flexibility when booking your travel. For this reason, reward tickets are changeable without a fee and refundable from now on.

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I want to rebook my reward flight. Can I do that without having to pay a change fee?

You can rebook your reward ticket or Promo reward ticket without having to pay a change fee under the following circumstances:

if your reward flight has been cancelled by the airline, or
if the travel date of your reward flight or Promo reward flight is on or before 30 September 2021, and
your request for change is made before departure of the first flight.

Original ticket conditions apply for rebooking other reward tickets and Promo reward tickets.

I want to rebook my reward flight. Can I change the destination and/or date?

If you want to rebook your reward flight or Promo reward flight, you can change travel date, destination or both for tickets that fall under the circumstances mentioned in the previous question.

Change of travel date: for flights booked on Air France, KLM and partner airlines you can rebook in the same booking class. If we are unable to do so, we will issue a new ticket upon your request. The number of Miles and airport taxes required may be different for this new reward ticket.
Change of destination: you can use the full value of your original tickets for new tickets with Air France, KLM, Delta Air Lines or Virgin Atlantic.

Contact customer service to rebook your flight.

I want to rebook my reward flight. How is it done?

Contact our customer service to rebook your flight.

I want to cancel my reward flight. Can I do so without having to pay a cancellation fee? Will I get a refund?

You can cancel your reward ticket or Promo reward ticket without having to pay a cancellation fee under the following circumstances:

if your reward flight has been cancelled by the airline, or
if the travel date of your reward flight or Promo reward flight is on or before 30 September 2021, and
your request for cancellation is made before departure of the first flight.

Both Miles and cash will be credited. Please note that ticketing fees are non-refundable. Original ticket conditions apply for cancelling other reward tickets and Promo reward tickets. Contact customer service to cancel your flight.

I want to cancel my reward flight. How is it done?

Contact our customer service to cancel your flight.

My reward flight has been cancelled. Will I get a refund?

Please contact the airline to learn more about the possibilities for a refund.

My reward flight has been cancelled. Can I rebook my flight?

Please contact the airline to learn more about the rebooking possibilities.

What happens if I don't have the result of the mandatory PCR test in time?

In case you did not receive the result of your mandatory PCR test in time, you cannot board your flight and your travel needs to be postponed. When rebooking your flight in the same cabin class, the fare difference between different booking classes is waived if:

you contact Flying Blue customer service within 48 hours before your flight departure; and
you delay your flight by maximum 4 days or until the next available flight.

Please contact Flying Blue customer service for more information.

Flying Blue is the loyalty programme of