Aeroplan vs Flying Blue: earning and status rules

How does Flying Blue award Miles on Air France flights?

Flying Blue credits Miles and XP on flights marketed by Air France (AF), whatever the operating carrier, and that takes in train, bus and limousine services carrying an AF flight number. [4] Rail is the narrow case: a member earns Miles for the train only when it is taken before or after an international flight departing from or arriving at Paris-Charles de Gaulle or Paris-Orly. [4] Award tickets booked with Miles earn nothing. [4] Miles are credited on purchases of extras too, such as upgrades, extra-legroom seats, additional baggage and special meals. [4]

For Air France-marketed flights, the credit is a flat rate per euro spent, set by the member's level:

A second method applies to Air France-marketed flights sold as Tour Operator fares and to flights operated by Air France but marketed by Flying Blue partner airlines. [4] There, Miles come from the distance flown, the percentage attached to the booking class, and Elite Bonus Miles where the member holds status. [4] Distance here means the miles between origin and destination, not Flying Blue Miles, and Air France applies a minimum of 500 miles on domestic flights and 750 miles on international flights, so a 274-mile one-way domestic flight marketed by Air France still credits 500 Flying Blue Miles. [4]

The same booking class does not credit the same share on every route: Economy Y is 100% on long-haul, 300% on medium-haul and 250% on short-haul, and Air France publishes separate tables for each. [4]

How do Flying Blue XP and status levels work?

A member has up to 12 months to collect enough XP to hold or raise a level, and the qualification period starts when the first Mile or first XP is credited. [6] XP is earned on eligible fares on eligible flights marketed or operated by Air France, KLM, Transavia or Aircalin, on Air Corsica flights between Paris-Orly and Corsica, and on flights with SkyTeam airline partners; UXP is earned only on flights marketed by Air France or KLM. [6]

XP for a flight comes from its distance band and cabin, and connecting itineraries are counted segment by segment: Flying Blue's own example gives Frankfurt to New York via Amsterdam in Economy as 5 XP plus 10 XP, so 15 XP, and Nice to Tokyo via Paris in Business as 6 XP plus 36 XP, so 42 XP. [6]

On medium-haul routes, members earn 2 XP on the Economy Basic fare and can add 2 XP more on Economy Flex fares. [6] XP can also be earned on the ground: a contribution to sustainable aviation fuel credits 1 XP for every €10 or 2,000 Miles contributed. [6]

Renewing a level takes 100 XP at Silver, 180 at Gold and 300 at Platinum. [6] A member who collects enough XP to move up is upgraded immediately, the XP that bought the new level is deducted, and Elite members keep any surplus above the threshold up to a maximum of 300 surplus XP, with a fresh 12-month period starting at the upgrade. [6] A member who misses the minimum for their current level drops one level, an Explorer account is reset to 0 XP, and a Platinum member falls to Gold and then Silver before becoming Explorer again. [6] Ten consecutive years at Platinum, reaching the required threshold each time, produces Platinum for Life. [6]

Do partner flights earn the same Flying Blue Miles and XP?

Not automatically, because the marketing carrier decides the method. [4] A flight marketed by Air France credits Miles per euro whatever aircraft operates it, but a flight operated by Air France and marketed by a Flying Blue partner airline moves to the distance-and-booking-class method. [4] XP follows a different list again, so two flights of the same length can credit differently depending on who sold the ticket and who flew it. [4] [6] These are crediting rules only; they say nothing about whether award space exists on a given partner flight. [6]

How should you weigh Aeroplan against Flying Blue for a transatlantic trip?

On the Flying Blue side, three published numbers carry most of the decision: the Miles-per-euro rate for your level, the XP your cabin and distance band earns, and the XP threshold for the level you want to keep. [4] [6] A Business-class flight in the Long 3 band, over 5,000 miles, credits 36 XP, and Silver renewal needs 100 XP, so one such trip covers more than a third of the requirement before any other flight. [6]

Status also changes what the trip itself is worth: Silver raises the per-euro rate to 6, adds priority check-in, baggage drop-off and boarding, and includes one free extra checked baggage item on SkyTeam flights; Gold lifts the rate to 7 and adds SkyTeam lounge access with a guest, subject to conditions, plus SkyPriority. [6]

For the Aeroplan half of the comparison, start with the Aeroplan region-based award pricing guide and the Aeroplan programme page.

Exceptions and limits

• A train, bus or limousine segment credits Miles only when it carries an AF flight number, and a train earns Miles only before or after an international flight to or from Paris-Charles de Gaulle or Paris-Orly. [4]
• Miles are not credited on award tickets. [4]
• Distance-based earning uses minimum distances of 500 miles on domestic and 750 miles on international flights, so very short sectors credit more than their length. [4]
• Surplus XP is kept only by Elite members, meaning Silver and above, and only up to 300 XP. [6]
• Missing a renewal threshold costs one level, and an Explorer counter is reset to 0 XP rather than protected. [6]
• Platinum for Life requires 10 consecutive years at Platinum with the required threshold reached each year. [6]

Frequently asked questions

Do Flying Blue award tickets earn Miles?

No. Miles are not credited on tickets booked with Miles. [4]

How much XP do you need to keep Flying Blue Silver?

100 XP within the qualification period. Gold needs 180 XP and Platinum 300 XP to be renewed for another 12 months. [6]

Do connecting flights earn more Flying Blue XP?

Yes, each segment is counted and then added up: Frankfurt to New York via Amsterdam in Economy credits 5 XP plus 10 XP, for 15 XP in total. [6]

Can you earn Flying Blue XP without flying?

Yes. A contribution to sustainable aviation fuel credits 1 XP for every €10 or 2,000 Miles contributed. [6]

Is Flying Blue status based on Miles?

No, status is earned through XP, while the Miles-per-euro rate rises with the level held: 4 for Explorer, 6 for Silver, 7 for Gold, 8 for Platinum and 9 for Ultimate. [6]

Related pages

Programmes: Flying Blue, Aeroplan. Comparisons: Air Canada Aeroplan vs United MileagePlus, Lufthansa Miles & More vs Air France-KLM Flying Blue. Guides: Aeroplan region-based award pricing, glossary of frequent flyer terms.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Aeroplan is not covered here: its award pricing and routing rules are documented on the Aeroplan programme page, and no airline or partner availability is treated as equivalent or guaranteed across the two programmes.

1. Flying Blue: earning conditions and fare tables for Air France-marketed flights, checked 18 October 2026
2. Flying Blue: Status & XP, checked 18 October 2026