Flying Blue
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
Flying Blue is generally well-regarded by award travelers for its flexible redemption options and specific high-value "sweet spots," particularly for those transferring points from Indian credit cards or hotel programs. While users praise its unique free stopover feature and occasional promo awards to European hubs, opinions on standard economy redemption rates are mixed, with some finding them prohibitively expensive.
Pros
- Free stopover feature allows travelers to stay in hubs like Paris or Amsterdam for several days on a single ticket.
- Strong value on SkyTeam partner redemptions, such as long-haul business class on Vietnam Airlines.
- Frequent transfer bonuses from partners like Accor (e.g., 30% bonus) and 1:1 transfer parity with HDFC points.
- Promo awards can significantly lower costs for specific routes, such as Bengaluru (BLR) to Europe.
Cons
- Economy redemptions can be steep, sometimes exceeding 50,000 miles for a one-way ticket.
- Taxes and fees on award tickets can be significant, often ranging from 7,000 to 10,000 INR.
Caveats
- Award pricing is dynamic and not fixed; rates for the same route can vary significantly (e.g., 25k to 45k for economy).
- Availability for the best rates typically requires booking well in advance.
Best for
- Travelers with HDFC or Accor points looking for European redemptions.
- Users who want to maximize value by utilizing free stopovers in Paris or Amsterdam.
- Booking SkyTeam partner flights.
Avoid if
- You are looking for consistently low-cost economy awards without the flexibility to wait for promo deals.
- You prefer programs with lower taxes and fees on award bookings.
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 6-month half-life. The evidence is older (median age ~404 days) and is sourced entirely from a single niche community (r/indianawardtravel), which may reflect a specific regional perspective on point transfers and routes.
Sentiment
9 positive (56%) · 5 mixed (31%) · 2 negative (13%)
Trust + time weighted score: +37% · raw score 44%
What redditors said (10 of 16)
Thanks for your reply. Will explore. Have some flying blue miles as well.
However, the other 2 routes have Vietnam Airlines which is skyteam partner so you can check Flying blue and Qantas for them.
Flying blue has an amazing free stopover feature, ie fly from Venice to a hub (Paris/Amsterdam), stay for some days and then go to destination (BLR) all by paying single ticket. So we paid 30k FB + 7k inr taxes for 2 flights - one Venice to Amsterdam, stopover 3 days and then second to BLR. Definitely valued 3₹ inr/point.
I’ve looked into Flying Blue, but economy redemptions seem pretty steep (50k+ miles one way), so I’m not sure if I’m missing something or if there are better options.
worst flying blue
Transferred 30k Accor to Flying Blue, received 48k FlyingBlue miles including the 30% bonus. Redeemed 49k miles for a long haul business class ticket on A350 Vietnam Airlines via Flying Blue + 10k INR for taxes.
As you are looking in advance I think you can find award seats on Flying Blue and Qatar.
Virgin or flying blue
Transfer DCB to Flying blue and book for 11.5k pts + 6-7k taxes/person.
Flying Blue: You may find KLM/AF flights with a stop in Europe for a minimum of 1.15L points
Compare
Related
- Perplexity AI · related · 73 mentions
- Klook · related · 66 mentions
- KrisFlyer · related · 49 mentions
- Tabelog · related · 38 mentions
- Aeroplan · related · 36 mentions
- Maharaja Club · related · 35 mentions