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A new partnership has been announced between SkyTeam member Air France–KLM’s Flying Blue program and Bangkok Airways, a small independent regional carrier. With this tie-up, travelers can now earn and redeem miles through both Flying Blue and FlyerBonus, Bangkok Airways’ loyalty program.
Let’s take a closer look at how this partnership works in practice and how travelers can use it to their advantage.
There’s no easy way to transfer points or miles into Bangkok Airways. Since earning FlyerBonus miles isn’t realistic for most U.S. travelers, we’ll focus on redeeming miles through Air France–KLM Flying Blue.
On the earning side, travelers flying on Bangkok Airways can now credit their flights to Flying Blue to earn miles. Likewise, Air France–KLM flyers could choose to credit their flights to FlyerBonus if they’d like to build that balance instead.
Where Does Bangkok Airways Fly?
When it comes to redemptions, it’s important to understand where Bangkok Airways operates. The carrier is primarily a regional airline within Thailand, serving ten domestic cities along with two destinations in Cambodia and one in Laos. It also operates narrow-body aircraft to Malé (MLE) in the Maldives, making it the only airline offering year-round nonstop service between Thailand and the Maldives.
Most flights originate from Bangkok (BKK), but Bangkok Airways also operates routes from Koh Samui (USM) to Singapore (SIN), Hong Kong (HKG), and Chengdu (TFU).
Flying Blue Award Chart for Bangkok Airways Flights
Air France–KLM doesn’t publish partner award charts, but our research into Bangkok Airways led us to create the following chart showing how many Flying Blue miles are typically required to book these flights. You can find it below.
| Economy | Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok (BKK)- Thailand/Laos/Cambodia | 11,500 | 23,500 |
| Chiang Mai (CNX)- Koh Samui (USM) | 14,500 | N/A |
| Chiang Mai (CNX)- Phuket (HKT) | 16,500 | N/A |
| Koh Samui (USM)- Singapore (SIN) | 14,000 | 28,000 |
| Koh Samui (USM)- Hong Kong (HKG) | 17,500 | 35,000 |
| Bangkok (BKK)- Male (MLE) | 27,000 | 54,000 |
Bangkok (BKK) to Phuket (HKT)
Domestic Thailand flights start at 11,500 miles plus about $4 in taxes and fees. For example, the Bangkok–Phuket route can be booked using Flying Blue miles.
However, these short-haul flights often cost $30–$60 when booked directly through local carriers, so using over 11,000 miles for this award isn’t a great deal.
Bangkok (BKK) to Malé (MLE)
Longer routes are where Flying Blue redemptions start to make more sense. A direct Bangkok–Malé flight costs 27,000 miles in economy, which could be a decent use of points for the 4.5-hour flight.
Cash fares can be as low as $300, so this can be worthwhile — especially when there’s a transfer bonus to Flying Blue.
Hong Kong (HKG) to Koh Samui (USM)
This route prices at 17,500 miles plus $47 in fees for economy. Like the Malé route, it’s the only nonstop option, and fares often hover around $300, which yields roughly 1.4 cents per mile in value.
If you’re planning to include Thailand’s beaches in a broader Asia trip, redeeming Flying Blue miles for this flight could save a bit of cash while keeping your itinerary on the simple side.
Easy Ways to Earn More Flying Blue Miles
This partnership is appealing because Flying Blue miles are easy to earn via transfers. This makes it simple to top off your account for an award booking.
Here’s a look at some of Flying Blue’s transfer partners:
Outside of transferring credit card points, remember that Flying Blue occasionally sells miles at a steep discount. However, always compare the cash price of the flight — especially on Bangkok Airways — to the effective cost of buying miles. In some cases, it may be cheaper to simply pay for the ticket outright.
Bottom Line
It's always a good thing when an airline adds a new partner. And here, there are some obvious use cases for booking Bangkok Airways flights with Flying Blue miles.
If you’re planning a trip to Thailand, either on its own or as part of a larger Southeast Asia itinerary, this partnership is worth noting. The best value will likely come from Bangkok Airways’ longer routes, while domestic redemptions are usually better paid in cash. And if you can catch a transfer bonus to Flying Blue, you’ll unlock even more value from your miles.
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