Good News: Flying Blue Reinstates Status-Earning XPs on Basic Fares

Updated: February 12, 2026, 9:44am CST

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Small Wins: Earn XPs on Air France and KLM’s Basic Economy Fares
Final Thoughts

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We’ve learned of some rare good news in the world of airline loyalty programs.

Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue has just reintroduced status-earning XPs on its most restrictive economy fares. This comes after the program previously removed XPs from these fares.

Let’s take a look at the details and what this could mean for your 2026 status goals.

Small Wins: Earn XPs on Air France and KLM’s Basic Economy Fares

Whether it’s top-end tickets in first and business class or regular economy tickets, airlines are increasingly unbundling fares. That can mean anything from not including a carry-on bag (as with low-cost airlines) to removing lounge access on business-class tickets, and even awarding no status-earning points at all.

The latter was recently trialed by Air France and KLM‘s Flying Blue loyalty program with the introduction of its Basic economy fare. The great news is that the airlines have backtracked and reinstated the awarding of their status-earning XP (experience points) when purchasing a basic economy fare.

Basic fares are only available on select European routes, such as Air France’s connection between Paris (CDG) and Prague (PRG).

Flying Blue members who book the lowest Basic fare will now earn 2 XP and 2 UXP for taking this flight.

Air France Basic Fare XP — Image Credit: Air France

The play is a strategic move by Flying Blue to attract members to book Air France and KLM tickets on routes where European low-cost competitors — like EasyJet, Ryanair, and Wizz Air — might be a more attractive option for travelers who simply want the lowest prices.

As someone who is actively chasing status with Flying Blue, this will certainly be a factor I’ll consider when booking economy tickets in Europe.

In addition to the XPs, these basic fares, which otherwise only include a small bag (or personal item) for non-Flying Blue members, also come with members’ associated perks and benefits. For example, as a Flying Blue Platinum member, I’d still get 2 checked bags, free seat selection, lounge access, and SkyPriority Benefits even when booking a Basic fare.

Hot Tip:

Clearly, things are in flux with Flying Blue. It was only recently that the program sent out a survey to members, suggesting that the lowest business-class fares might come with zero XPs.

Final Thoughts

Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue program remains a solid choice for status-earning in the SkyTeam alliance. As other loyalty programs make it harder to earn status, it’s great to see Flying Blue rewarding its loyal members even when they’re booking the cheapest fare types.

Hopefully, we can take this as a sign that Flying Blue is no longer looking to remove XP earning from its lowest business class fares, too. Time will tell.