How to maximize the Chase 20% transfer bonus to Flying Blue

Rewards programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One, Bilt and Citi ThankYou Rewards occasionally offer bonuses for transferring points or miles to partner hotel and airline programs. These transfer bonuses are one of the best ways to unlock outsize value from transferable rewards currencies.

Chase Ultimate Rewards is offering a particularly enticing transfer offer right now: a 20% bonus on points transferred to Flying Blue through May 27. Here's what you need to know.

Flying Blue program basics

Flying Blue is the loyalty program for Air France, KLM and Transavia. With hubs in Paris and Amsterdam, Air France and KLM offer extensive connectivity to destinations across Europe and beyond.

However, you're not limited to flights operated by Air France, KLM and Transavia when redeeming Flying Blue miles. You can also use your miles for flights operated by many other airlines, including:

• Aerolineas Argentinas
• Aeromexico
• Air Europa
• China Airlines
• China Eastern Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Garuda Indonesia
• Kenya Airways
• Korean Air
• Middle East Airlines
• Saudia
• TAROM
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• Xiamen Airlines

You can book award flights with Flying Blue miles directly on the KLM or Air France website. While Flying Blue uses dynamic pricing, the program still regularly offers solid value — especially on economy awards.

And if you're flying with a child, the program offers a 25% discount on award tickets for children between the ages of 2 and 11. When booking a flight for multiple passengers, the total number of miles needed is listed, but on the next page, you can break down the fare cost per passenger by selecting "View trip details and fare conditions." The 25% discount isn't available on some awards, such as the program's already reduced Promo Rewards and on awards operated by partners.

Flying Blue also offers a free stopover program, allowing you to spend extra time — up to 12 months — in a layover city. This works on most award tickets, including partner awards. However, these awards can't be booked online; you must call Flying Blue to book.

Flying Blue transfer bonus

Typically, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Flying Blue at a 1:1 ratio. However, with the current 20% bonus that runs through May 27, for every 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points you transfer, you'll receive 1,200 Flying Blue miles.

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But remember to always check on reward availability before transferring points to Flying Blue (or any other partner program). Once points are transferred from Chase, they can't be transferred back. With partner transfers, it's a one-way street — once miles are in your Flying Blue account, they are there to stay.

Points typically transfer instantly from Chase to Flying Blue, but it may occasionally take longer.

How to leverage the Chase Ultimate Rewards-Flying Blue transfer bonus

Like anything else in the points and miles world, flexibility is key when it comes to award flights. But with many SkyTeam partner airlines and over a dozen nonalliance partners, there are plenty of opportunities to redeem Flying Blue miles. Let's look at some of our favorites.

Take advantage of monthly Promo Rewards

Flying Blue runs monthly Promo Rewards — announced on the first of every month — allowing you to snag discounted award flights. Typically, Promo Rewards offers discounted awards within Europe and on some long-haul routes connecting Europe to select international destinations during a set time frame.

For the May Promo Rewards, you can book a one-way flight in economy from 16 different U.S. cities to Europe for just 18,750 miles plus taxes and fees. The promotion also includes discounted flights from New York and Mexico City for just 30,000 miles (plus taxes and fees) one-way in premium class.

With the 20% transfer bonus offer in play, you'll only need to transfer 16,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to get enough Flying Blue miles to book an 18,750-mile Promo Rewards flight.

Fly to northern Africa

Although the program doesn't offer an award chart, flights to northern Africa are often priced similarly to those to Europe. For example, in November, we were able to find flights from San Francisco to Marrakech, Morocco, for just 25,000 miles plus $170 in taxes and fees one-way.

With the 20% transfer bonus, you're looking at just 21,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (plus the $170 in taxes and fees) per passenger.

Book on a partner airline

You also have plenty of non-KLM and -Air France options for redeeming your Flying Blue miles, such as Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic. And, in many cases, booking through Flying Blue will cost fewer miles than booking directly with the airline.

For example, at the time of writing, you could use your Flying Blue miles to fly Delta between New York and Dakar, Senegal, for 24,500 Flying Blue miles plus $45.50 in taxes and fees.

With the 20% transfer bonus, you'd only need to transfer 21,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per passenger each way.

When comparing the cost against booking with Delta directly, the same flight on the same day requires 57,000 Delta SkyMiles plus $18 in taxes and fees.

How to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points

If you want to earn more Chase Ultimate Rewards points, the following Chase credit cards could be worth adding to your wallet:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

According to TPG's May 2026 valuations, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents each when maximized with travel partners.

Related: Chase Ultimate Rewards points: How to redeem for maximum value

Bottom line

If you have flexible travel plans and a stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, this transfer bonus could unlock excellent value on Air France, KLM and partner awards. Just make sure to confirm award availability before transferring, since transfers to Flying Blue are irreversible.