In This Issue: 

✈️ Flying Blue and First Class With Air France La Première

💺  The Downfall of Lynx

🗺️  Chexy Deals: Fly to London, Tokyo, Delhi, Miami, Phoenix and more!

Exploring Air France KLM Flying Blue: A Traveler's Guide 

In recent years, Air France KLM Flying Blue has emerged as a great loyalty program for us North American travellers. With its accessibility through various transferrable points currencies and continuous addition of partners and features, Flying Blue stands out amidst a landscape where other programs are scaling back…😑.

Before delving into unique redemption opportunities, let’s understand the most important aspects of the Flying Blue program.

Dynamic Pricing Model

Flying Blue operates on a dynamic pricing model, meaning award flight costs fluctuate based on demand…which can be both good and bad! While this ensures availability on every Air France or KLM flight, it can lead to unpredictable mileage rates. 

What this means is that some days you might find a flight deal worth a great redemption but if you look at the same flight at another date, it might be double or even triple the initial cost.

Also, keep in mind that you should redeem Flying Blue miles when flights are priced at the lower end of the dynamic range to maximize value. 

Flying Blue also recently harmonized award costs for transatlantic flights, providing clarity and transparency for travellers. Here are the minimum miles required for transatlantic flights:

• Economy: 20,000 miles

• Premium Economy: 35,000 miles

• Business Class: 50,000 miles

In addition to the harmonized award costs, Flying Blue now offers free stopovers on award bookings, increasing the overall value for travellers planning multi-city itineraries.

Earning and Using Miles

You can accumulate Flying Blue miles through credit card partnerships and transfers from various loyalty programs. These miles can be utilized for flights across the expansive Air France KLM network. Read more on this here.

First Class With Air France La Première

While business class offers comfort, for those seeking the epitome of luxury, First Class reigns supreme.

Air France KLM Flying Blue recently broadened its horizons by introducing First Class award options with partner airlines, defying the trend where SkyTeam members typically restrict such redemptions.

Currently, Flying Blue miles can be used for First Class bookings with China Eastern Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, and Xiamen Air. Although First Class flights with Etihad Airways are not yet available for miles redemption… 😭.

However, this inevitably leads us to the renowned Air France La Première experience aboard the Boeing 777. Is it possible to secure a ticket for one of the world’s most exclusive First Class cabins using Flying Blue miles?

The answer is 100% … with some conditions. Accessing La Première requires either elite status with Flying Blue or the chance to snag a paid upgrade offer from business class, though not guaranteed 🤞.

To directly book La Première with points, you must have Flying Blue Platinum or Ultimate Elite status, which means accumulating a total of 580 “XP” by crediting paid flights with Air France and its partners to the Flying Blue program.

Note: Earning 100 XP elevates one to Silver, followed by another 180 XP for Gold, and then additional requirements.

Simply put, achieving Flying Blue Platinum status could entail around 20 round-trip business class flights from Toronto to Paris.

Subsequently, a one-way redemption in La Première typically is 220,000 Flying Blue miles for the Paris to New York JFK route. For the shortest and most economical La Première journey between Paris and Dubai, the cost stands at 175,000 Flying Blue miles.

While the effort involved in accumulating the necessary miles may seem substantial for a single one-way flight, for those wanting an unparalleled First Class experience, this method remains the most reliable.

Final Thoughts

Air France KLM Flying Blue offers a range of redemption options, from discounted monthly Promo Rewards to exclusive access to coveted First Class experiences like Air France La Première. While some redemptions may require significant effort or elite status, the rewards are undeniably luxurious.

The Downfall of Lynx 🐈

Lynx Air, the Calgary-based budget carrier, has filed for creditor protection and will halt all flight operations starting Monday, February 26, 2024, at 12:01 am.

Following an internal memo to employees and a press release on February 22 at 6 pm Mountain Time, the airline confirmed its closure. Lynx Air cited various challenges over the past year, including:

• Rising operating costs

• High fuel prices

• And regulatory hurdles.

Any flights scheduled after February 26, 2024, will be cancelled, and affected passengers may explore rebooking options by contacting Lynx Air.

Refunds will be processed through credit card companies, as the airline's contact center won't handle refund requests.

Note: Lynx Air travel vouchers will lose their value after February 26, 2024.

If you have travel planned with Lynx after the date provided above, you can seek refunds through your credit card companies.

Check out these awesome deals you don't want to miss if you're considering travelling in the next few months!

Aeroplan:

1. Toronto (YYZ)  ➡️ Frankfurt (FRA) 

   • Cost: 32,300 (Economy Class)

     

   • Dates: March 18th, 19th - 25th, 26th, 2024

   • Book: Here

2. Montreal (YUL) ➡️ Lisbon (LIS)

   • Cost: 32,100 (Economy Class)

     

   • Dates: April 6th - 13th, 2024

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3. Toronto (YYZ) ➡️ Miami (LAX)

   • Cost: 10,400 (Economy Class)

     

   • Dates: May 6th - 10th, 2024

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4. Toronto (YYZ) ➡️ Montreal (YUL) ➡️Barcelona (BCN)

   • Cost: 32,000 (Economy Class)

     

   • Dates: April 8th, 9th - 15th, 2024

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5. Montreal (YUL) ➡️ Barcelona (BCN)

   • Cost: 32,500 (Economy Class)

     

   • Dates: April 8th, 9th - 15th, 2024

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6. Toronto (YYZ) ➡️ Incheon (ICN) ➡️ Tokyo (NRT)

   • Cost: 50,000 (Economy Class)

     

   • Dates: April 16th - 23rd, 2024

   • Book: Here

7. Toronto (YYZ) ➡️ Delhi (DEL)

   • Cost: 32,500 (Economy Class)

     

   • Dates: April 2nd - 22th, 2024

   • Book: Here