Air France, KLM, and Etihad’s New Partnership Is Now Live

In September, Air France, KLM, and Etihad Airways announced a forthcoming partnership of their respective loyalty programs. Starting today, Air France-KLM Flying Blue members and Etihad Airways Etihad Guest members will be able to earn and redeem miles in their program of choice when flying either airline.

Each of these loyalty programs has a lot to offer, so this new partnership will be sure to benefit all flyers. Here’s what we know so far.

A New Partnership

The new partnership between Flying Blue and Etihad Guest will allow members to earn and redeem miles when flying Air France, KLM, and Etihad Guest. Benefits for elite status holders of these programs will be announced at a later date.

These reciprocal earning and redeeming benefits begin today.

Air France flies daily between Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). Etihad operates daily flights from AUH to both CDG and Amsterdam Airport Schipol (AMS). This partnership opens the door to over 60 new routes for members of Flying Blue and Etihad Guest.

What To Know About Flying Blue and Etihad Guest

Air France-KLM Flying Blue is a transfer partner of all the major transferrable points programs, including Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can redeem points for airline seats, hotels, and even electronics and other items at the Flying Blue Store. But the most rewarding way to redeem your Flying Blue miles is during a Flying Blue Promo Awards, which offer up to 50% off award flights. The destinations and discounted rates change each month.

Etihad Guest is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points, and Capital One Miles. The loyalty program now has a zone-based award chart providing more uniformity across all redemptions, including partner flights. Time will tell how this change will affect the airline loyalty program’s best sweet spots.

For now, you can look forward to redeeming miles for things like American Airlines business and first-class seats, U.S. West Coast to Tokyo, Japan, and more. Etihad Guest miles can also be redeemed for shopping and hotels.

Final Thoughts

Being able to earn miles in your preferred loyalty program when flying partner airlines is always a good thing. Time will tell just how great of a partnership this will be and what elite status holders can look forward to.