Book flights to Europe starting at 18,750 miles: Check out Flying Blue’s May Promo Rewards

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

You have plenty of options when it comes to booking award flights, but one of the most reliable ways to get good value is through the monthly Air France-KLM Flying Blue Promo Rewards offers.

You can find these monthly discounts on this regularly updated page on the Flying Blue website. They apply to flights to and from specific cities or regions and are available for booking until the end of each month. They also apply to a specified travel window.

This month sees enticing offers for one-way economy flights between select U.S. cities and Europe starting at 18,750 miles. Plus, two routes between Europe and North America offer business-class awards starting at 45,000 miles. So, if you’re planning a trip to or from one of the eligible cities, this month’s Flying Blue Promo Rewards deal could be worth considering.

What is Flying Blue’s May award promotion?

Airlines: Air France and KLM.
Routes: Economy award fares are available on flights between select European cities and between Europe and select destinations in the U.S., Africa and Asia. Business-class seats are available on three routes, including between Europe and Montreal.
Cost: Short- and medium-haul economy awards start at 7,500 miles each way, long-haul economy awards start at 18,750 miles and long-haul business-class awards start at 45,000 miles.
Travel dates: Through Oct. 31.
Book by: May 31.

May Promo Rewards between North America and Europe

The May Flying Blue Promo Rewards promotion includes transatlantic routes between Europe and the following North America destinations:

• Atlanta (from 18,750 miles each way in economy)
• Boston (from 18,750 miles each way in economy)
• Miami (from 18,750 miles each way in economy)
• Minneapolis (from 18,750 miles each way in economy)
• Montreal (from 45,000 miles each way in business)
• Phoenix (from 18,750 miles each way in economy)
• Salt Lake City (from 18,750 miles each way in economy)
• San Francisco (from 18,750 miles each way in economy)
• St. Martin (from 63,750 miles each way in business)
• Washington, D.C. (from 18,750 miles each way in economy)

For example, you can snag a one-way economy award flight from Phoenix to Prague for 18,750 miles and $119.90 in taxes and fees.

Or, you could book a one-way business-class award flight from Montreal to Prague for 45,000 miles and $290 in taxes and fees.

Promo Rewards are only available on flights operated by Air France and KLM. So, although you can connect to other destinations within Europe (such as Prague in the examples above) as part of a Promo Rewards ticket, you’ll need to connect through Paris or Amsterdam. You can book most Promo Rewards tickets online, but you must call Flying Blue at 800-375-8723 to use Flying Blue’s free stopover option.

Related: Travel to Europe using points and miles: How to redeem your rewards for flights

How to book Flying Blue Promo Rewards flights

Book Promo Rewards tickets on the Air France or KLM website. Log in to your account, then click the “Book with Miles” tab on the home screen. After, enter your desired itinerary before clicking “Search flights.”

If you don’t see a Promo Rewards option on your desired travel date, look at surrounding dates for an award price that matches the Promo Rewards rate.

Once you find a flight you’d like to book, select it and follow the on-screen prompts to complete your reservation. If you plan to transfer credit card rewards to book this award, you should find award space first. Then, place your ticket on hold and transfer your points or miles.

Additionally, be sure to check your transferable reward accounts to see if there are any transfer bonuses. Currently, Chase Ultimate Rewards is offering a 25% transfer bonus to Flying Blue. Therefore, you can double-dip on both promotions and transfer just 15,000 Chase points to book an economy award seat at 18,750 miles.

Related: How to find the cheapest redemption rates using Flying Blue miles

How to earn Flying Blue miles

Boosting your Flying Blue balance is easy because the program partners with all the major transferable points and miles programs.

You can transfer rewards at a 1:1 ratio from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Wells Fargo Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards. You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points you transfer.

Related: Move over, Delta: Why Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue program has become my favorite SkyTeam loyalty program

Based on our tests, Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase and Citi transfers should post almost instantly. However, that wasn’t the case with our test transfer from Marriott, which took three days to arrive in our Flying Blue account. Because of this, credit card points and miles from the providers listed are your best bet if you hope to book right away.

Related: Why transferable points and miles are worth more than other rewards

Best credit cards to book Flying Blue award flights

We recommend using a card that earns bonus rewards on airfare purchases to pay the taxes and fees on your award ticket, letting you earn as many points or miles as possible toward your next redemption. Some of the best cards include:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 5 points per dollar spent on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights purchased through Chase Travel℠ and 3 points per dollar spent on other travel.
• American Express® Gold Card: Earn 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 5 points per dollar spent on travel purchased through Chase Travel and 2 points per dollar spent on other travel purchases.
• Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card (see rates and fees): Earn 4 points per dollar spent on airline purchases.

Bottom line

Few sales are as reliable as the Promo Rewards we see each month from Air France-KLM Flying Blue. Best of all, boosting your Flying Blue balance is easy since the program partners with all major transferable rewards programs. If you’re planning a trip to Europe, check whether this promotion works for you.

Related reading:

• How to pick the right travel credit card for you
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• The best credit card welcome bonuses