Flying Blue stopovers: Extend your trip and book an additional flight at no extra cost

Attention, all travel enthusiasts. If you want to maximize your travel plans and book an additional flight at no extra cost, booking a Flying Blue stopover can help unlock more value from your miles. In 2022, Air France-KLM Flying Blue began allowing stopovers on its own one-way, round-trip and multi-city award ticketed flights. Then, in 2023, the airline loyalty program expanded stopovers to all partner award tickets.

It is seemingly an almost too-good-to-be-true award redemption. However, keep reading to find out how to book a Flying Blue stopover.

What is the Flying Blue stopover?

Suppose you are booking an itinerary from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). In that case, a layover allows you to stay for a maximum of 23 hours and 59 minutes in Amsterdam. If you want to stay in Amsterdam longer, you must book two one-way tickets: LAX to AMS and then AMS to FCO.

The free stopover, offered by Flying Blue, would allow you to stay in Amsterdam for up to 12 months at no additional cost.

For example, suppose you're traveling from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) on Air France. In that case, you can stay for up to 12 months in Singapore before continuing on KLM's fifth-freedom flight from Singapore to Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS). Theoretically, this itinerary would cost the same miles as traveling directly from Paris to Bali.

Or you could fly from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on KLM, stay for a few days, and then continue to Prague Airport (PRG) for the same price as a ticket from New York to Prague.

Flying Blue's stopover also works on partner-operated tickets. For example, you could fly China Airlines from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to Los Angeles via Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) and spend a few days in Taiwan before continuing to California.

Related: The best programs for maximizing stopovers and open jaws on award tickets

How to book Flying Blue stopovers

Unfortunately, you must call Flying Blue at 800-375-8723 to inform the agent that you'd like to book a stopover. Therefore, before you call the agent, search for award availability on airfrance.fr/en or klm.com and find the specific flight itinerary that suits your needs.

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While calling to book a stopover may seem inconvenient, TPG's senior credit cards editor, Matt Moffitt, booked a one-way business-class award flight from Stuttgart, Germany, to Los Angeles in November for summer 2024 travel plans. According to Matt, booking a free stopover in Paris with a Flying Blue agent only took 11 minutes and was "easy."

Paris and Amsterdam are likely the cities with the most stopovers, as almost all Air France's and KLM's flights originate or terminate in their hubs.

Related: Doors, wireless charging and 4K video: A first look at Air France's new Boeing 777 business class

Bottom line

Although Flying Blue uses a volatile dynamic pricing model, free stopovers increase Flying Blue's customer value proposition. Free stopovers give tourists another city to visit at no additional miles or allow you to break up two long flights with a 24-hour-plus hiatus. With up to 12 months to break up layovers, travelers can be strategic about how they want to book their connecting flights.

For example, students studying abroad in Europe can book Amsterdam or Paris as a stopover city and another European city as a final destination for a couple of weeks down the road. That's the perfect case for a weekend trip.

As a reminder, Flying Blue miles are transferable at a 1:1 ratio from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi ThankYou Rewards program and Chase Ultimate Rewards.