Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard review

How the Air France KLM card earns miles

This card earns Flying Blue miles, the loyalty currency of Air France and KLM. Flights bought from Air France or KLM earn 5 Flying Blue miles per euro spent, restaurants and bars earn 2 miles per dollar, and everything else earns 1 mile per dollar. Select Brim merchant partners pay up to 30 miles per dollar, though those offers vary by partner.

Take an example budget of $400 a month at restaurants and bars and $1,200 a month on everything else. That works out to 800 miles plus 1,200 miles, or 2,000 miles a month and 24,000 miles a year, before counting any Air France or KLM flights you charge to the card.

The welcome offer

Under the current offer, the $132 annual fee is waived for your first year, and new cardholders get a 60 XP boost toward Flying Blue status. Welcome terms change from time to time, so check Brim’s website for the current offer and any conditions attached to it before you apply.

Because the first year costs nothing, you get twelve months to see how many miles and XP the card actually adds to your account before the fee applies.

Flying Blue miles and XP

The card’s most distinctive feature is XP, the points Flying Blue uses to decide elite status. Each year you renew, the card adds 30 XP to your account. If you already fly Air France or KLM a few times a year, that yearly top-up can make reaching or keeping a status level noticeably easier.

The card also includes a DragonPass lounge membership, though you pay for each lounge visit, and additional cards cost $50 a year each. It’s the only card in CreditLab’s catalog that earns Flying Blue miles directly, so there isn’t a like-for-like alternative if Flying Blue is your main program.

Fees, interest and the fine print

The annual fee is $132, waived in the first year under the current offer. From year two, the fee is easiest to justify if the yearly 30 XP matters to your status plans, since the everyday earn rates alone are modest.

The 2.5% foreign transaction fee is a real drawback on a travel card: $1,000 charged in euros or another foreign currency adds about $25. Purchases carry 19.99% interest and cash advances 21.5%. Paying your full statement balance by the due date avoids purchase interest.

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

The Air France KLM card makes sense if you fly Air France or KLM regularly, care about Flying Blue elite status and want a steady way to earn XP between trips.

If you rarely fly these airlines, the 1 mile per dollar base rate and the foreign transaction fee make it hard to justify once the free first year ends. A flexible points card or a no-fee cash back card will likely serve you better.

How it compares

The United MileagePlus Neo World Elite Mastercard is the closest alternative for someone loyal to a different airline. It costs $89 a year, earns its top rate of 1.25x on United Airlines and Star Alliance flights and lists a welcome offer of up to 25,000 MileagePlus miles. Like the Air France KLM card, it charges a 2.5% foreign transaction fee.

If you mainly want to avoid fees abroad, the Wealthsimple Credit Card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee, and earns 1% cash back on everything. You give up Flying Blue miles and XP, but spending in euros costs nothing extra.

Before you apply

The recommended credit score is 720 or higher, and Brim Financial makes the final decision based on your full credit profile. The first-year waiver, XP benefits and earn rates can change, so confirm the current terms on Brim’s website before you apply.