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Best Ways To Book KLM Business Class With Points [Step-by-Step]

BY 

Stephen Au

- UPDATED: October 22, 2021   |    2

1. Travel  / 
2. Airlines

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KLM, the flag carrier of the Netherlands, is one of the world’s largest full-service airlines.

As the oldest airline in the world operating under its original name, this Amsterdam-based airline has a storied history exceeding over 100 years!

One fun fact is that KLM is actually owned by the same company that owns Air France. Along with other subsidiary airlines, the Air France-KLM Group comprises one of the largest airline groups in the world.

KLM mostly offers nonstop flights to Amsterdam (AMS), and as a SkyTeam airline, it has a variety of ways to book business class flights using points.

A Look Inside KLM Business Class

KLM, just like Air France, has an interesting hodgepodge of aircraft. Similarly, KLM’s business class seat varies depending on which aircraft you’re flying on.

Although KLM retired its 747 aircraft, it still operates the 787 Dreamliner, 777, and A330-300 on flights between the U.S. and Holland.

The best seats are aboard the 787-9 Dreamliner, as they are reverse herringbone seats that recline fully flat and are situated in a 1-2-1 configuration. Plus, every seat has direct aisle access, and the design of the seat is such that you feel like you’re in your own private pod.

The other business class seats aboard the A330 or 777 aircraft are still lie-flat, but they are staggered, forward-facing seats in a 2-2-2 layout. These seats don’t have direct aisle access at every seat and are slightly more cramped. On the plus side, though, the legroom on the 777 and A330 is generally better than in reverse herringbone seats.

Generally, your biggest motivator for booking KLM business class should be if you need to access a nonstop business class route to Amsterdam (AMS).

When you fly, you’ll enjoy extra checked baggage allowances, dedicated check-in lines, business class lounge access, priority boarding, decent catering, and solid service.

But the souvenir Delft Blue houses that the airline provides to business class passengers are one of the best perks — a very unique gift, indeed!

Again, the high-level concept here is that you should try to fly on the 787-9 business class — the other products are acceptable, of course, but the 787-9 is KLM’s flagship.

How To Fly KLM Business Class Using Points

KLM is less reliable than its sister airline Air France at releasing award availability.

In general, KLM has a smaller network of routes, owed in part to its fleet size of 115, which is around half of Air France’s 213 aircraft.

Its business class flights are best booked in advance. In general, it’s possible to find award space for up to 4 business class passengers on a KLM flight between the U.S. and Europe as long as you plan at least 7 months in advance and have a flexible departure date.

KLM imposes around $200 to $350 in fuel surcharges for flights between the U.S. and Europe, with U.S.-bound flights seeing higher fees.

Also, KLM has a reliable list of nonstop flights between the U.S. and Amsterdam:

Nonstop service to certain cities like Los Angeles is very difficult to find Saver-level award space for, so just keep that in mind.

Let’s take a look at our favorite loyalty programs to book KLM business class with!

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

KLM’s frequent flyer program, which is shared by Air France, is called Flying Blue.

The miles you earn and redeem are called Flying Blue miles, and this loyalty program boasts excellent redemption rates that are about as good as you can get.

For flights between the U.S. and Europe, Flying Blue has multiple buckets of award fares, ranging from cheapest to most expensive. As you can imagine, the cheapest awards are generally the hardest to find, while the most expensive awards are the easiest to find.

For example, on a nonstop, business class flight between Chicago and Amsterdam, you’ll find the following award fare buckets:

With such a huge range of possible costs, you should strive to book tickets that fall under the cheapest bucket, known as the Saver award.

Hot Tip: Partner frequent flyer programs like Delta SkyMiles only have access to the lowest-level Saver awards.

Here’s the range of prices for one-way flights in the cheapest business class bucket:

Being able to redeem as few as 53,000 miles for a one-way business class flight to Europe, especially when compared to some one-way economy tickets to Hawaii being that expensive, is a treat!

If you’re redeeming Flying Blue miles, the best place to search for award space is on none other than KLM’s website!

Follow these steps to book your KLM business class flight using Flying Blue miles:

1. Visit KLM’s homepage.
2. Select your country (United States for most readers).
3. On the homepage in the top-right corner, click Log in and enter your Flying Blue account details.
4. After logging in, click Book with Miles on the top of the search box.
5. Click Round trip or  One-way.
6. Enter your flight information.
7. Click Search flights.
8. Find your desired flight option, redeem your Flying Blue miles, and pay for taxes and fees with a credit card.

Here’s what a successful award chart looks like when done on KLM’s website:

Earning Air France/KLM Flying Blue Miles

Flying Blue miles are one of the easiest miles to accumulate. That’s because Flying Blue is a transfer partner of Amex Membership Rewards, Brex Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex, Brex, Chase, Capital One, and Citi transfer almost instantly at a 1:1 ratio.

Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1 ratio with a bonus of 5,000 Flying Blue miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at a time to Flying Blue.

Lastly, Bank of America issues an Air France/KLM Flying Blue co-branded credit card that earns Flying Blue miles.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

Credit Card	Key Benefits & Info
New 100k Welcome Offer The Platinum Card® from American Express Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 60,000 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 10x points on eligible purchases on the Card at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the U.S., on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status available to Basic Card Member only. $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $25 back each month on select Equinox memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. $179 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $695 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $2,200 Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Platinum, see our thoughts on the cards incredible benefits and perks, which includes travel insurance coverage, car rental insurance and so much more. Check out our full review to see why it’s one of the best travel credit cards.
New Welcome Offer American Express® Gold Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Rose Gold is here to stay. Card Members can choose between a Gold or Rose Gold Card. Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. Earn 4x Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, including takeout and delivery, and earn 4x Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x). Earn 3x Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year. $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $250 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,320 Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Gold Card, see our guides on its benefits and perks, as well as our full review.

Business Owner? Check out our article on the best Amex business cards that earn Membership Rewards points.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a nifty non-alliance partner of KLM. Even though Virgin Atlantic isn’t a SkyTeam airline, it has close partnerships with Delta, Air France, KLM, and other airlines on an individual basis.

When redeeming Virgin Points, you can only book KLM business class flights at the Saver level, which limits the number of flights you can book to a small fraction of what’s available on Flying Blue’s website.

Additionally, Flying Club passes on all fuel surcharges on KLM.

Flying Club uses the following award chart for KLM flights between Amsterdam and the U.S.:

As you can see, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club also mandates standard and peak dates, which are listed below:

That means a one-way business class flight departing on September 1, 2022, will be priced under peak pricing while a one-way business class flight departing on September 10, 2022, will fall under the standard pricing umbrella.

Redeeming Virgin Points for KLM flights is doable completely online — just follow these instructions:

1. Go to Virgin Atlantic’s website.
2. At the top banner of the homepage, there’s a search box. Enter your airport pairs, number of passengers, and travel date(s).
3. Under the number of passengers, click Advanced search. In the area that says Show Price in, click Points. In the area that says Show Fares For, click Upper Class.
4. Perform the search.
5. Choose the options that fit your needs, redeem your Virgin Points, and use a credit card for taxes and fees.

Earning Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Virgin Points

Virgin Points are also very easy to earn.

Though Flying Club doesn’t have as many transfer partners as Flying Blue, it does have partnerships with Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Chase, Amex, and Citi transfer almost instantly at a 1:1 ratio.

Marriott Bonvoy transfers take around 6 to 10 business days, and its transfer ratio is 3:1 with a bonus of 5,000 Virgin Points when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

Bank of America also issued co-branded Virgin Atlantic Flying Club credit cards that earn points directly.

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO & BENEFITS
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Enjoy new benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on dining and 2x points on all other travel purchases, plus more. Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel. With Pay Yourself BackSM, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories. Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21. Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more. Get up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through 12/31/2021, and get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app, including cardio, running, strength, yoga, and more. Take classes using a phone, tablet, or TV. No fitness equipment is required. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,200
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year. Through 12/31/21, gas station & grocery store purchases will also count towards earning your Travel Credit Earn 5x total points on air travel and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $750 toward travel Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® Excellent Credit Recommended (740-850) Annual Fee: $550 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,000
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not including Target® or Walmart® purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year. Earn 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services Earn 3% cash back on drugstore purchases Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 14.99% - 24.74%. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0

Business Owner? Check out our article on the best Chase business cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points.

Delta SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles is the frequent flyer program associated with Delta Air Lines. Although it gets a lot of criticism for being devalued frequently, it’s still a useful program!

We wouldn’t recommend Delta as our first option, but if you happen to already have a bunch of Delta SkyMiles, using them for KLM business class flights is a good way to get value.

Here’s the award chart for flights between the U.S. and Europe:

The good news is that even though redemption prices are much higher than expected, you won’t pay for fuel surcharges on flights from the U.S. You will still have to pay for fuel surcharges on flights from Europe, however.

Delta SkyMiles allows its members to make partner award bookings completely online, so follow these steps to book your ticket 100% online!

1. Go to Delta’s homepage.
2. On the top banner, you’ll see a search box. Check off the box that says Shop with Miles.
3. Click Advanced search under the number of passengers and choose Delta One from the Best Fares For dropdown box.
4. Find your desired flights, spend your Delta SkyMiles, and enter your credit card information to pay for taxes and fees.

Earning Delta SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles, thanks to lucrative co-branded partnerships and a strong brand in the U.S., are easy to earn.

Its 2 transfer partners are American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex transfers instantly at a 1:1 ratio, while Marriott Bonvoy transfers in about 1 business day at a 3:1 ratio with a bonus of 5,000 SkyMiles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy to Delta.

Also, American Express has several Delta co-branded credit cards that each offer unique benefits, fee structures, and bonus categories to earn SkyMiles.

Recommended Delta Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $50 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Earn 2x Miles on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1x Mile on all other eligible purchases. $100 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year, receive a Credit to use toward future travel. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $99. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Delta Gold Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $400 Must Reads: For more info on the Delta Gold Card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership. Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights. Earn 3x Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. Earn 2x Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1x Miles on all other eligible purchases. Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card.*Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®. Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $250 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Delta Platinum Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $600 Must Reads: For more info on the Delta Platinum Card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership. Earn up to 60,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 15,000 MQMs four times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights. Receive a Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details. Complimentary access into the Delta Sky Club® for you when traveling on a Delta flight. Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge or Escape Lounge – The Centurion® Studio Partner when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card. Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Earn 3x Miles on Delta purchases. Earn 1x Mile on all other eligible purchases. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $550 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $600 Must Reads: For more info on the Delta Reserve card, see our insights on its benefits and our full review.

Korean Air SKYPASS

Korean Air SKYPASS is yet another excellent-value frequent flyer program.

Although Korean Air miles have an amazing value proposition, we should warn you that Korean Air miles are actually very difficult to earn.

Fuel surcharges are all passed on, and Korean Air only permits round-trip award bookings on partner-operated flights, including KLM.

But if these quirks are fine with you, here’s the fantastic redemption chart for SkyTeam flights between the U.S. and Europe booked with SKYPASS miles:

Korean Air SKYPASS’s booking process is significantly more complicated, so be prepared to jump through more hoops to get this redemption price.

You can only book award flights for 5 immediate family members, including your spouse, children, parents, siblings, parents-in-law, children-in-law, grandparents, or grandchildren. Additionally, you must provide proof of relationship through the website, fax, or via a local office.

Here’s how to book your flight:

1. Find partner-level award availability from Virgin Atlantic or Delta.
2. Transfer your Marriott Bonvoy points to Korean Air — this may take from 2 days to 3 weeks to complete, so just keep the timing in mind.
3. Write down the flight details and call Korean Air SKYPASS at 800-438-5000 to book the ticket using your SKYPASS miles and a credit card for taxes and fees.

Earning Korean Air SKYPASS Miles

Korean Air SKYPASS has only 1 transfer partner: Marriott Bonvoy.

Marriott Bonvoy transfers may take upwards of 3 weeks, and transfers process at a 3:1 ratio. You’ll get a bonus of 5,000 SKYPASS miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

U.S. Bank is also the exclusive issuer of co-branded Korean Air SKYPASS credit cards, both personal and business versions.

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn up to 14x total Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Card. 2x Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains). 1x point for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, qualifying you for Silver Elite Status. Restrictions apply. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $0 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $210
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 3 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases + 10X total points on eligible purchases in select categories. 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. Earn up to 17x total Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card. 2x Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year. 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,050
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $200 in Statement Credits for eligible purchases at U.S. Restaurants within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Enjoy up to $300 in statement credits each year of Card Membership for eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. 3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2 points on all other eligible purchases. Receive 1 free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points) at a participating hotel. Certain hotels have resort fees. Enjoy unlimited airport lounge visits when you enroll in Priority Pass™ Select membership. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $450 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $525
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Welcome Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn up to $150 back in statement credits on eligible purchases made on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. 4x points at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. 2x points on all other eligible purchases. Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Certain hotels have resort fees. Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status with your Card. Plus, earn Gold Elite status after making $35,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual fee: $125 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $525

Aeromexico Club Premier

Aeromexico Club Premier is a frequent flyer program that doesn’t get discussed all that often.

Because this program is quite complex, most have written it off as a non-starter. But we’re here to tell you that it’s a worthwhile program to consider anyway.

Here’s Aeromexico’s award chart for U.S.-Europe flights in KLM business class:

High season includes the following date ranges:

• The Monday before Easter season until the Sunday after Easter season (4 weeks)
• June 1 to August 18
• December 8 to January 16

For example, a KLM business class flight departing on August 1st will cost 114,000 Club Premier points while a KLM business class flight on September 30th will cost 110,000 Club Premier points.

Aeromexico Club Premier doesn’t allow any award flights to be booked online, so you’ll need to follow these instructions to redeem your Club Premier points:

1. Find partner award availability using the Virgin Atlantic or Delta websites.
2. Call Aeromexico Club Premier at 855-412-2650.
3. Feed the agent your travel details.
4. Redeem your points, pay for taxes and fees, and confirm the reservation.

Earning Aeromexico Club Premier Points

Aeromexico Club Premier is transfer partners with Amex Membership Rewards (1:1.6 ratio), Citi ThankYou Rewards (1:1 ratio), Brex Rewards (1:1), Capital One Miles (1:1), and Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 ratio).

Marriott Bonvoy also comes with a transfer bonus whereby if you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to Aeromexico Club Premier, you’ll get an extra 5,000 points.

Amex transfers take 2 to 12 business days, Citi transfers are almost instant, Brex transfers take up to 1 business day, Capital One transfers are almost instant, and Marriott Bonvoy takes around 4 business days.

Recommended Citi Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Citi Premier® Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases. Annual Hotel Savings Benefit 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 UP's Bonus Valuation*: $1,280
Citi Rewards+® Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site)	Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 13.49% – 23.49%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5). The Citi Rewards+® Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap. Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases. The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 13.49% – 23.49%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi’s discretion. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $320

Other Options for Booking KLM

KLM partners with a slew of other airlines (and loyalty programs) like Alitalia MilleMiglia, China Southern Sky Pearl Club, and Aeroflot Bonus.

Unfortunately, these miles are typically difficult to use, difficult to earn, or don’t offer stellar value.

Great KLM Business Class Redemptions

There’s no shortage of ways to redeem points and miles for KLM business class.

In the sections above, we focused on the best frequent flyer programs to use for booking KLM business class.

Putting all of the knowledge together, here’s what it would cost for each program to book a round-trip business class flight on KLM between the U.S. and Amsterdam:

Korean Air is the cheapest option by around 20%, which is a big chunk! But that doesn’t take into account that Korean Air miles are hard to come by with just 1 transfer partner in Marriott Bonvoy.

The most practical transfer partners for most of us will be Air France/KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

In particular, Flying Blue has the best award availability, being that Flying Blue miles can be used for various types of award space.

Virgin Points can easily be used for KLM flights, too, but you can only use them for Saver award space, which can be hard to find.

Flying Blue and Flying Club are both transfer partners with Amex, Chase, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy. In addition, Flying Blue has a 2:1.5 transfer ratio with Capital One miles and a 1:1 transfer ratio with Brex.

Additionally, Delta SkyMiles is another option, especially if you have a ton of Delta miles sitting around — but the award prices aren’t attractive compared to Flying Blue and Flying Club.

Lastly, Aeromexico Club Premier is yet another option, being a transfer partner of Amex, Brex, Citi, Capital One, and Marriott Bonvoy.

On the topic of stopovers, you’ll encounter the following routing rules:

• Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and Delta SkyMiles don’t allow stopovers
• Korean Air allows 1 stopover per SkyTeam ticket
• Aeromexico Club Premier allows 1 stopover on round-trip flights only, not one-way flights

Let’s take a look at some of the best example redemptions you can make aboard KLM business class:

• Atlanta (ATL) – Amsterdam (AMS) one-way in KLM business class during the standard season for 48,500 Virgin Points + ~$302 in taxes and fees
• Boston (BOS) – Amsterdam (AMS) one-way in KLM business class for 53,000 Flying Blue miles + ~$241 in taxes and fees
• Chicago (ORD) – Amsterdam (AMS) round-trip in KLM business class for 80,000 Korean Air miles + ~$711 in taxes and fees
• Detroit (DTW) – Amsterdam (AMS) one-way in KLM business class for 110,000 Aeromexico Club Premier points + ~$241 in taxes and fees
• Houston (IAH) – Amsterdam (AMS) one-way in KLM business class for 120,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
• Las Vegas (LAS) – Amsterdam (AMS) round-trip in KLM business class for 80,000 Korean Air miles + ~$711 in taxes and fees
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Amsterdam (AMS) one-way in KLM business class for 120,000 Delta SkyMiles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
• Miami (MIA) – Amsterdam (AMS) one-way in KLM business class for 110,000 Aeromexico Club Premier points + ~$241 in taxes and fees
• Minneapolis (MSP) – Amsterdam (AMS) one-way in KLM business class for 57,500 Flying Blue miles + ~$241 in taxes and fees
• New York (JFK) – Amsterdam (AMS) one-way in KLM business class for 57,500 Flying Blue miles + ~$241 in taxes and fees
• Orlando (MCO) – Amsterdam (AMS) one-way in KLM business class during the standard season for 48,500 Virgin Points + ~$302 in taxes and fees
• San Francisco (SFO) – Amsterdam (AMS) round-trip in KLM business class for 80,000 Korean Air miles + ~$711 in taxes and fees
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Amsterdam (AMS) one-way in KLM business class during the standard season for 48,500 Virgin Points + ~$302 in taxes and fees

How To Earn Enough Miles for KLM Business Class

KLM business class is easy to book, as long as you find award availability.

In the sections above, we presented a handful of the best frequent flyer programs to use for KLM business class award flights.

Korean Air SKYPASS offers the lowest rates by far, while Air France/KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club are the next best programs.

However, this doesn’t account for the difficulty of earning Korean Air miles, so we actually recommend Flying Blue and Flying Club as realistic and accessible programs.

Flying Blue has the broadest award space while Flying Club only has access to partner-level awards.

Lastly, some other options include Delta SkyMiles and Aeromexico Club Premier.

Whichever way you decide to redeem points, we want to show you how easy it is to earn enough points, as long as you stick to transferable currencies:

• Amex Membership Rewards points transfer to Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Delta SkyMiles, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club almost instantly at a 1:1 ratio. It also transfers to Aeromexico Club Premier at a 1:1.6 ratio in 2 to 12 business days.
• Brex Rewards transfer to Aeromexico Club Premier and Air France/KLM Flying Blue at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly.
• Capital One miles transfer to Air France/KLM Flying Blue at a 2:1.5 ratio almost instantly. It also transfers to Aeromexico Club Premier at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly.
• Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Air France/KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club almost instantly at a 1:1 ratio.
• Citi ThankYou Rewards Points transfer to Aeromexico Club Premier, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly.
• Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Aeromexico Club Premier (4 days), Air France/KLM Flying Blue (3 days), Delta SkyMiles (1 day), Korean Air SKYPASS (2 days), and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (6 to 12 days) at a 3:1 ratio. All of these programs also get a bonus of 5,000 miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

In the past, transfer bonuses have been offered from Amex or Citi to Aeromexico, Flying Blue, and Flying Club. These bonuses range anywhere from 15% to 30%.

When Should You Search for Award Space

KLM usually occupies the extremes of award space. For certain stretches, even months, of the calendar, they may release sparse or no award space. And sometimes, KLM releases 8+ business class seats on the same flight for 75% of the month.

Based on our research, we’ve found that KLM business class award space is much easier to find on flights between Amsterdam and the central U.S. or East Coast.

On flights between the West Coast and Amsterdam, it’s generally pretty difficult to find business class award space, especially for the nonstop Los Angeles route.

That being said, it’s best to start your search early, at least 7 months in advance, to maximize your odds of successfully booking a flight.

We recommend performing award searches on KLM’s website if you plan on redeeming Flying Blue miles. Otherwise, you can perform award searches on Delta’s or Virgin Atlantic’s website.

What Makes KLM a Great Redemption Business Class

KLM is one of the world’s oldest airlines, so it’s an established brand with consistent service.

Unfortunately, its business class seat is inconsistent and highly dependent on the aircraft you fly. For the best privacy and experience, we recommend booking flights on the 787-9 Dreamliner.

All other planes have staggered, forward-facing seats in a 2-2-2 configuration which don’t feature direct aisle access at all seats.

Let’s take a look at why you’d want to fly KLM business class.

Convenient Schedules Nonstop to Amsterdam

KLM flies almost exclusively to and from Amsterdam, which is the capital of the Netherlands.

The biggest appeal of flying KLM business class is being able to fly nonstop from a variety of international gateways in the U.S.

Although other airlines like Delta also offer nonstop service, KLM is, by far and away, the airline with the best route network between the U.S. and Amsterdam.

Enhanced Connectivity to Niche Cities

KLM usually gets compared to Air France in terms of its route network and list of destinations.

Sure, Air France has a fleet size of nearly double KLM’s, but KLM still offers nonstop flights to some places where Air France does not.

This includes:

• Bahrain (BAH)
• Dammam, Saudia Arabia (DMM)
• Kigali, Rwanda (KGL)
• Mombasa, Kenya (MBA)
• Zanzibar City, Tanzania (ZNZ)

Essentially, you can fly to any of these above cities with just 1 stop on KLM, which is a convenient perk!

Final Thoughts

Overall, KLM’s business class product isn’t typically talked about in the same breath as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and even Asian airlines.

Indeed, the biggest benefit of flying KLM is the nonstop schedule to Amsterdam — it’s very much an airline of convenience.

To that end, KLM business class can conveniently be booked using any type of transferable rewards points — we recommend Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Delta SkyMiles, Korean Air SKYPASS, and Aeromexico Club Premier as our top programs.

You now have all of the information you need to book a business class flight on KLM with points!

The information regarding the Chase Freedom Unlimited® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
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