Air France KLM Visa review: Useful for Air France, KLM and SkyTeam loyalists
Editor's Note
If you frequently fly with Air France or KLM, the Air France KLM Visa Signature® credit card could be a smart addition to your wallet. You'll be able to accelerate your path to status, earn bonus miles on your Air France-KLM purchases and receive bonus anniversary miles after hitting a small spending requirement.
I advocate that most travelers have a cobranded card with the airline they fly most often, so they can enjoy additional perks with their favorite airline. This card is a solid choice for fans of the airlines it represents, but those who don't fly with either Air France or KLM often may find it hard to justify. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Air France KLM Visa: The basics
The $89-per-year Air France KLM Visa differs from many airline cards in that it doesn't provide expected perks like free checked bags and priority boarding. Instead, its focus is on earning miles and working toward status.
Standout perks include:
- Bonus miles on all Air France, KLM and other SkyTeam airline purchases
- Status boost each account anniversary, and further boosts after hitting spending requirements
- 5,000 bonus anniversary miles after spending $50 on purchases in an account year
Air France KLM Visa pros and cons
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Air France-KLM Visa benefits
If status with Air France-KLM is important to you, you'll get a lot out of the Air France KLM Visa. As part of this card's current welcome bonus, you'll receive enough Experience Points (XP) off the bat for Flying Blue Silver status, the second tier in the program.
You'll receive 20 XP on your account anniversary each year, the currency Air France-KLM Flying Blue uses to track status progress.
If you spend $15,000 on purchases in an account year, you'll earn an additional 80 XP (for 100 XP total). Spending $25,000 on purchases in the same account year will award you with an extra 60 XP (for 160 XP total). Reaching 100 XP will grant you Flying Blue Silver status, while reaching 160 XP will bring you just 20 XP shy of Flying Blue Gold status.
Flying Blue Silver status will grant you perks like an extra free checked bag and priority access for check-in and baggage drop-off. These benefits extend to SkyTeam and nonalliance partners as well.
Just keep in mind that you'll lose these benefits if you aren't able to maintain Silver status or above, since this card doesn't come with an ongoing free checked bag or priority check-in perk.
Flying Blue Gold status offers elevated perks when compared to Flying Silver, including seat selection 72 hours in advance of your flight (instead of 24 hours) and access to SkyTeam lounges with a guest (additional conditions may apply).
Spending $15,000 in a year shouldn't be too hard for those willing to put most or all of their purchases on their card. If you rent, you could use your monthly rent payments to easily hit this spending requirement, provided your leasing office accepts credit cards and you're comfortable paying a small transaction fee.
Aside from status boosts, receiving 5,000 bonus miles after spending $50 in an account year is a nice bonus. I'm not typically a fan of tying spending requirements to anniversary miles, since most credit cards don't do that. However, I can't see a scenario where someone would struggle to spend $50 in an entire year — especially since you can hit this requirement with any purchase, not just with Air France or KLM.
According to TPG's October 2026 valuations, those 5,000 bonus miles are worth $70.
All in all, this card is great for Air France-KLM fans who want help achieving status and spend a lot with either airline each year. Outside of that demographic, you'll probably find it difficult to justify this card.
How to earn and use your rewards
The Air France KLM Visa earns miles at the following rates:
- 3 miles per dollar spent on Air France, KLM and other SkyTeam airline purchases
- 3 miles per dollar spent on rent payments through Bilt (on up to $50,000 annually and a maximum of 75,000 miles earned, then 1 mile per dollar spent)
- 3 miles per dollar spent on dining
- 1.5 miles per dollar spent on everything else
The everyday spending categories are limited, but the card makes up for it by earning 1.5 miles per dollar spent on purchases outside its bonus categories. Its dining category is also solid, if you want to stack up miles when you dine out or order in.
I especially like that, for now, you can earn 3 miles per dollar spent on rent payments made through Bilt (up to $50,000 annually), given what I said earlier about using rent payments to meet a spending requirement for additional XP.
It's rare to see an airline card offer bonus rewards on purchases within the entire airline alliance, so this is a boost for those who like to fly with a variety of SkyTeam airlines, including Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic.
I generally recommend earning more flexible, higher-value transferable rewards on your everyday purchases. That said, if you're trying to achieve status with this card or need to earn a lot of Flying Blue miles, these are good earning categories.
When it comes time to redeem your Flying Blue miles, you can use them for seat upgrades, lounge access and extra checked bags, among other options. Of course, the best choice is to redeem your miles for flights, either with Air France-KLM or one of its SkyTeam airline partners. That includes flying Delta, a strategy that may appeal to those who frequently travel within the U.S.
It's important to keep in mind that Air France-KLM often charges high taxes and fees on award redemptions, making a good deal harder to come by compared to some other airline loyalty programs. In addition, Flying Blue recently devalued business class redemptions, reducing the value you'll be able to get out of what you earn with this card.
This program also charges a 70 euro ($79) change or cancellation fee for Standard fares, including those booked with miles. This can be prohibitive for those who like to book flexible award flights far in advance.
TPG contributing editor for credit cards, Matt Moffitt, enjoys redeeming Flying Blue miles for premium cabin flights with KLM. He redeemed 40,000 miles (plus $263 in taxes and fees) for a premium economy flight from Austin to Madrid and then 60,000 miles (plus $329) for a business-class flight from Valencia, Spain, back to Austin.
Downsides to consider about the Air France KLM Visa
While this card is a great choice for status chasers and high spenders with Air France-KLM, other travelers will likely struggle to find much value in it. The Air France KLM Visa's annual fee is lower than that of many other mid-tier cards at $89, but it isn't easily offset.
According to TPG's valuations, which peg Flying Blue miles at 1.4 cents per mile, the anniversary bonus miles on this card are worth $70. That will still leave you $19 short of breaking even on the annual fee. While offsetting 80% of the annual fee with one perk may be nice for some cardholders, others may want a card that they can more easily get positive value out of.
This card's lack of common perks like priority boarding and free checked bags for non-status holders will also be a letdown for some. If you prefer to receive those benefits without needing to work toward status, you probably won't be a fan of what the Air France KLM Visa has to offer.
Is the Air France KLM Visa worth it?
Yes, if you're aiming to earn or maintain status with Air France-KLM Flying Blue or you spend a lot on purchases with either airline each year. No, if you fly infrequently with those airlines or rely on perks like free checked bags to justify an annual fee.
When to apply for the Air France KLM Visa
For a limited time, new Air France KLM Visa cardholders can earn 70,000 bonus miles and 100 XP after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.
According to TPG's valuations, these miles are worth $980. The XP you receive from this welcome offer will grant you Flying Blue Silver status for one year.
This is a great offer for this card, considering you'll earn second-tier Flying Blue status and a nice chunk of miles to redeem, relative to the card's $89 annual fee.
Bank of America issues this card, so you'll be subject to its application restrictions. Bank of America has what's generally called the 2/3/4 rule, meaning you can't be approved for more than two new cards in 30 days, more than three new cards in 12 months or more than four new cards in 24 months.
Data points also show BofA prefers a preexisting relationship, so it may be worth opening and using a checking or savings account with it for a few months before applying. I was declined for a Bank of America card in part because I lacked an existing relationship with the bank.
Other cards to consider if you don't want the Air France KLM Visa
If the Air France KLM Visa isn't for you, here are a few other options to consider:
- If you want to earn bonus points on more airline purchases: The American Express Platinum Card® earns 5 points per dollar spent on airlines booked directly or through American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent). If you fly airlines outside of SkyTeam, this card may be a better fit. To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Platinum.
- If you want to earn transferable rewards for a similar annual fee: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) has a $95 annual fee, but earns transferable Ultimate Rewards points. These points can be redeemed with Air France-KLM Flying Blue and 13 other transfer partners. To learn more, check out our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
- If you want a better card for bonus rewards on popular bonus categories: The American Express® Gold Card earns 4 points per dollar spent on U.S. groceries and at restaurants worldwide (on up to $25,000 and $50,000 each calendar year, respectively, then 1 point per dollar spent). Amex Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Air France-KLM Flying Blue. To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Gold.
For additional options, check out our picks for the best airline cards.
Bottom line
The Air France KLM Visa can be a great addition to your wallet if you're a big Air France-KLM fan, especially if you want to achieve or maintain Flying Blue status. Its $89 annual fee may be hard for some to justify, but those who can make full use of its perks will reap plenty of benefits.
Most travelers can benefit from having at least one airline card in their wallet; this card may be the one to fill that spot for you if you often fly internationally with Air France or KLM.
Apply here: Air France KLM Visa Signature