Virgin Flying Club vs Flying Blue
Both Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Air France/KLM Flying Blue are airline loyalty programs. They share enough overlap that travelers regularly compare them, but the right answer depends on your typical trips.
Quick spec comparison
| Spec | Virgin Flying Club | Flying Blue |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | Airline miles | Airline miles |
| Alliance / network | SkyTeam (associate) | SkyTeam |
| Fixed award chart? | Yes | Yes |
| Fuel surcharges on awards | Yes (high on Virgin metal) | Yes (modest on AF/KL) |
| Expiration | Expire after 36 months of inactivity | Expire after 24 months of inactivity |
| Transfers in from | Chase UR, Amex MR, Capital One, Citi TY, Bilt, Marriott Bonvoy | Chase UR, Amex MR, Capital One, Citi TY, Bilt, Marriott Bonvoy |
| Signature sweet spots | Delta One US-Europe one-way for 50K, ANA First Class round-trip US-Japan for 110K, ANA Business round-trip US-Japan for 90K | Promo Awards (50K business one-way US to Europe — monthly), Standard saver business at 60-72K US to Europe, Intra-Europe at 15-28K business |
| Flagship benefit | Transfer-in partner from every major bank — easiest to top up | Monthly promo awards offer the cheapest legit transatlantic business |
Where Virgin Flying Club wins
- Best ANA First Class redemption in the points world.
Where Flying Blue wins
- Promo awards are the cheapest scheduled-monthly transatlantic biz class.
Pick Virgin Flying Club if…
You're targeting one of these specific redemptions: Delta One US-Europe one-way for 50K or ANA First Class round-trip US-Japan for 110K. Virgin Flying Club is the program built for them.
Pick Flying Blue if…
You're targeting one of these specific redemptions: Promo Awards (50K business one-way US to Europe — monthly) or Standard saver business at 60-72K US to Europe. Flying Blue is the program built for them.
Can you have both?
Yes — and you probably should. Most serious award travelers maintain status (or at least active accounts) across multiple programs because the best partner award for a given route is rarely the same program twice in a row. Find the saver seat first; then book through whichever program prices it cheapest.
Find availability before you transfer
AwardLocker shows live saver award space across every program. Confirm space first, then transfer points only when you're ready to book.
Check availability →