If you want to get more value from your credit card points, learning how to book a Flying Blue reward flight can be a great place to start. I always transfer my Chase Ultimate Rewards points to airline partners instead of booking flights directly through the Chase travel portal because it gives you more value per point.
For my trip to the South of France, I used this strategy to book a round-trip flight from Chicago to France for 58,000 Chase points plus $270 in taxes and fees.
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What Is a Flying Blue Reward Flight?
Flying Blue is the loyalty program for Air France and KLM. It also gives you access to flights operated by other partner airlines, including Delta.
One of the reasons I like Flying Blue is that you can transfer points from a few different travel credit cards, including Chase and Capital One. They also tend to offer flights for less points than other airline programs, but you may spend more in taxes and fees.
Instead of using my Chase points to book through the Chase travel portal, I transferred my points to Flying Blue and used them to book my flights.
My Flying Blue Reward Flight to France
For this trip, I wanted to fly into Nice and return home from Marseille. This worked well because I could visit multiple cities without having to backtrack to the same airport.
My flights were:
- Chicago (ORD) → Nice (NCE) on Delta
- Marseille (MRS) → Chicago (ORD) on KLM
- 58,000 Flying Blue miles
- $270 in taxes and fees
- Economy seats
Both flights were economy, but I was still happy with the redemption because I got better value from my Chase points than I would have by booking through the Chase travel portal.
Why I Transferred Chase Points to Flying Blue
I generally prefer transferring my Chase points to travel partners when I can get a better value per point.
Transferring points to an airline partner can sometimes stretch your points further, especially if they’re offering a special promotion. Chase will offer transfer bonuses to their partners throughout the year. Flying Blue also runs special promos on their reward flights on the first of each month.
The key is to compare the two options before transferring your points. Just because you can transfer points doesn’t automatically mean it’s the best deal.
I check how many points the flight costs through the Chase portal and compare that with the number of airline miles required through a transfer partner. I also consider the taxes and fees before making a decision.
Flying Blue Reward Flights Can Cost Less During the Off-Season
One thing to keep in mind is that I booked this trip during the summer when the lavender fields are in bloom.
Summer is one of the busiest times to travel to Europe, so award flights can require more points than they would at other times of the year.
I have a lot of open availability in the summer, so I checked multiple dates to find the best redemption rates.
Flying Into Nice and Out of Marseille
Another part of this booking that I really liked was being able to fly into one French city and leave from another.
I flew into Nice and out of Marseille, which made sense for my itinerary.
This type of booking is sometimes called an open-jaw itinerary. Instead of flying round-trip from the same airport, you arrive in one destination and depart from another.
It can be a great option when you’re traveling around a country or region because you don’t have to waste time returning to your original airport. In my case, I stayed in Nice a few days before traveling to Aix-en-Provence and ending in Marseille.
Is a Flying Blue Reward Flight Worth It?
For me, yes!
I was able to book my flights to France for 58,000 points and $270 in taxes and fees. Even though I was flying economy, I still got better value from my Chase points by transferring them to Flying Blue rather than booking the same trip through the Chase travel portal.
Before booking a Flying Blue reward flight, I recommend comparing:
- The cash price of the flight
- The number of points required through Chase
- The number of Flying Blue miles required
- Taxes and fees
- Different travel dates
- Nearby airports
- Whether you can book a partner airline
Taking a few extra minutes to compare these options can help you get significantly more value from your points.
Make sure to check out my Paris itinerary.
Where to Stay in Nice and Marseille
- Palm Hotel Nice – central location with excellent hospitality and good A/C
- Life Marseille Vieux Port – excellent location across the street from the marina with clean and comfortable rooms