{"id":88079,"date":"2023-07-21T21:11:16","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T21:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=88079"},"modified":"2026-04-08T13:47:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T13:47:01","slug":"flying-blue-stopover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/flying-blue\/flying-blue-stopover\/","title":{"rendered":"Air France\u2013KLM Flying Blue Awards Now Permit Free Stopovers on Partner Redemptions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Flying Blue<\/a>, the joint loyalty program of Air France and KLM, added a free stopover benefit on award tickets in late 2022, and that benefit has been extended to include partner award flights. Originally, you could only add stopovers to flights operated by Air France and KLM, but this perk now applies to partner airlines. Here are the positives and some quirks about this expanded benefit.<\/p>\n

Here's what we know so far about this exciting development.<\/p>\n

What is a Stopover?<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you're not familiar with stopovers<\/a>, you may want to brush up on the topic after this news. A stopover means you can add a stop at a city between your origin and destination. That stop is typically in the hub city of the airline you book with.<\/p>\n

The stop can be for any length of time you choose. We're talking days or even weeks \u2014 not hours. And adding this second destination to your itinerary comes at little to no extra mileage charge.<\/p>\n

Few programs offer stopovers anymore. Alaska Airlines offers free stopovers, and Air Canada offers stopovers starting at 5,000 Aeroplan points. Both are fantastic deals and are available on their own metal as well as on partner airlines.<\/p>\n

Check out this article to learn more: Beginners Guide: What is a Stopover & What is an Open-Jaw?<\/a><\/p>\n

How Do Flying Blue Stopovers Work?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Flying Blue stopovers were originally announced in this recorded webinar<\/a>, and using the stopover perk doesn't cost any extra miles. This allowed passengers to add a free stopover at the home hubs of Air France (Paris) and KLM (Amsterdam) before continuing on to another destination. This lets you break up long travel days or add a free visit to a second destination during your vacation.<\/p>\n

For example, you could book an Air France flight from Chicago to Paris, stop there for a few days, and then continue on to Johannesburg, South Africa. But now you could book your stopover on partner airlines, potentially routing through London with Virgin Atlantic instead.<\/p>\n

There are some restrictions to Flying Blue stopovers, however, and they continue to apply even when booking partner awards:<\/p>\n