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Update 3/31/2025: Air France-KLM and Etihad have ended their codeshare agreement and are ending their interline agreement as of April 15, 2025. However, the good news is that the loyalty program partnership will remain intact.
Earlier this year, Etihad and Air France–KLM signed a new memorandum of understanding. This built on and developed the relationship the airlines have had for over a decade. One of the aspects mentioned in the agreement has now come to life: You can now book Etihad awards using Air France–KLM Flying Blue miles. That said, there is still plenty we do not know that needs cleared up in the future.
So, what do these redemptions Flying Blue redemptions for Etihad flights look like? Let's find out.
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Typical One-Way Award Redemptions
Most of the examples we looked at originate from Abu Dhabi (AUH), and we found award space to be plentiful. However, availability is not as abundant on routes originating from other cities and those requiring a connection. Some award highlights we found include the following.
Abu Dhabi to Washington D.C. from 87,000 miles
Heading over from the capital of the U.A.E. to the capital of the U.S. in business class oneway will set you back 87,000 miles plus $246.60 in taxes and fees. Considering how good Etihad’s business class is and that this is close to a 15-hour flight, this is an excellent deal for a $4,300 flight.
Abu Dhabi to Bangkok from 45,000 miles
Awards from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok were plentiful, with one-way business class awards setting you back 45,000 miles plus $209.10 in taxes and fees. Typical cash price of this flight? $2,700.
Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg from 48,000 miles
If you are heading to Southern Africa, a one-way award from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg will cost you 48,000 plus $207,70. Much cheaper than the $2,600 cash ticket for this flight.
Abu Dhabi to Kuwait City from 9,500 miles
Finally, flights originating from Abu Dhabi. If you are jumping around the Middle East and want to head to Kuwait City, a one-way award in business class will set you back 9,500 miles plus $119.20 in taxes and fees. That's a great fare considering this short hop regularly costs over $1,000.
London to Abu Dhabi from 50,000 miles
Heading from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi, a one-way business class award will set you back 50,000 miles plus $478.80 in taxes and fees. While this is the largest one-way fee we have seen, it is no surprise — primarily due to the insane Air Passenger Duty the U.K. government levies on premium cabin travel originating from a U.K. airport. It's still cheaper than the $3,000 price tag for a cash flight, however.
Awards With a Connection in Abu Dhabi
Finding Awards with a connection is a little more tricky. While there is no concrete data, we did notice that, in many cases, you could not book awards departing from a major SkyTeam partner hub. However, you could book awards with Etihad departing from a major Oneworld or Star Alliance hub.
Frankfurt to Singapore from 89,000 miles
One-way business class awards from Frankfurt to Singapore will set you back 89,000 miles plus $438.09 in taxes and fees. While not the greatest deal in history, it is still pretty good value for a 16-hour-plus journey with Etihad in business class that typically costs $3,000.
London to the Maldives from 77,500 miles
If you are based in the U.K. or traveling from London, a one-way award to the Maldives will set you back 77,500 miles plus 605.70 euros/~$652 in taxes and fees. Again, the high fees are predominantly due to the high U.K. Air Passenger duty.
What About First Class Award Space?
We looked at multiple routes and never found any first-class space on offer, regardless of the aircraft type. Whether this is due to a lack of award space or the fact that you cannot book Etihad first-class awards through Flying Blue remains to be seen. However, considering the recent addition of business class, it is safe to say that you can not book Etihad first-class space through Flying Blue at the moment of writing.
How Do These Awards Stack Up Against Others?
Historically, an excellent alternative for booking Etihad awards was using Air Canada Aeroplan. Although these awards have been restricted recently, they may or may not be coming back. However, looking at those prices gives you an idea about the rates Flying Blue is charging.
Take, for instance, the route from Frankfurt to Singapore via Abu Dhabi for 89,000 miles plus taxes and fees with Flying Blue. Booking the same route via Aeroplan would set you back 80,000 points plus taxes and fees.
The award from London to Abu Dhabi would set you back 45,000 points plus taxes and fees if you booked with Aeroplan. That's instead of the 50,000 miles you would end up paying if you booked with Flying Blue.
Finally, a one-way award on the route between Washington, D.C. and Abu Dhabi would set you back 90,000 points plus taxes and fees if you booked it with Aeroplan — rather than the 87,000 miles, you would pay to book it through Air France KLM Flying Blue.
Thus, award prices are mostly comparable — higher in some instances but lower in others.
Related: Air France-KLM Flying Blue Award Sweet Spots
What Has Been Implemented So Far?
- More than 40 new routes are available to book now for travel, starting from the 2023 winter season. These cover destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Australia.
- Air France began operating a daily service from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) on October 29, 2023.
- You can now book awards on Etihad metal using Flying Blue miles.
What We Don't Know Yet
The press release teased a massive potential future collaboration between the carriers with the following statement:
“The MoU also proposes the ability for frequent flyers of both Flying Blue and Etihad Guest to earn and redeem miles with Air France, KLM, and Etihad. The airlines will also explore terminal co-location, reciprocal lounge access, and ground handling, among other initiatives.“
The above statement raises several questions that now need to be answered, including:
- Will elites receive reciprocal status benefits, including lounge access?
- Which terminals could be co-located?
While the news of all these potential benefits is exciting, we will have to wait and see what the airlines come up with. However, Etihad Guest did take a step forward by publishing earning rates for Air France and KLM flights here.
How To Get Flying Blue Miles
Even if you don't hold the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® from Bank of America, it's quite easy to amass Flying Blue miles for an award redemption. You can take advantage of these numerous transfer partners:
Our Take
Although Air France–KLM Flying Blue and Etihad Guest have had a relationship since 2012, it was a simple codeshare for many years. It is only recently that the relationship has evolved. It's great to see awards coming into the mix, and we hope more details will emerge soon.
In terms of award pricing, these are not the best deals you can find for flying Etihad business class. However, in some cases, they provide good value for what they are. While Flying Blue will not generally be the go-to method for booking partner awards it is nice to know that that the option exists.
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