Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card Review 2023 (2023)

The Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard's $89 annual fee makes it a relatively inexpensive option when it comes toairline credit cards. But what really makes this Bank of America-issued card unique is that you can earn high rewards not only on Air France and KLM, but also on any airline within the SkyTeam alliance, which includesDeltain the US Most co-branded airline cards only offer higher rewards when you book a co-branded flight.

You'll also get a welcome bonus big enough to potentially cover a roundtrip flight to Hawaii from the mainland or even to the Middle East if you can combine it with a Flying Blue.promotional reward, which can save you up to 50% on your reward pool.

Plus, there's a bonus of 5,000 miles each year that spends just $50 on the card. That's a low spending threshold to achieve. Owning the card also elevates you to SkyTeam Silver elite status, the first rung on the airline alliance's elite status ladder and includes several perks and benefits. You'll earn 20 experience points (XP) on your card's anniversary (you need 100 total to earn Silver Elite status) and another 40 XP after spending $15,000 or more on purchases within the anniversary year for a total of 60 XP . Additional XP is earned through flights.

• Annual fee: $89
• Earn 70,000 bonus miles after making $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening
• Earn 3 miles per dollar spent on airline purchases from KLM, Air France and SkyTeam
• Earn 1.5 miles per dollar on all other spend
• Earn 5,000 bonus miles every year you spend $50 on the card
• Rewards can be redeemed on any of the SkyTeam member airlines.
• A total of 60 experience points (XP) can be earned per year towards elite status through a combination of anniversary awards and spending.
• No foreign transaction fees

earn rewards

La Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard gana 3Millas Flying Bluespent directly with Air France, KLM and SkyTeam member airlines.

All other spend earns 1.5 miles per dollar spent.

It also comes with the following welcome bonus: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after making $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

redeem rewards

Since you can redeem your rewards for flights on any of the nearly two dozen SkyTeam airlines, it may take a little work to get the most value out of your earnings. You can search for your desired itinerary via the Flying Blue website and it will show you the desired ticket price. You then need to go to that airline's site and book the ticket through the airline's frequent flyer program using your miles.

Another way to get the most value out of your winnings is to check the Flying Blue information.promotional rewardssite for their monthly offers that can be up to 50% off the standard price. You can book using your rewards by searching for the promotional rewards offer you're interested in and logging into that airline's frequent flyer program.

Reward Potential

To determine the rewards potential of the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard, Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine benchmark income and expense averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households generate $116,000 a year and have $36,177 in expenses that could reasonably be charged to a credit card.

According to Forbes Advisor estimates, our sample household will spend $2,443 on airfare per year. If someone who owns this card is spending their airline spend on flights with Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines or SkyTeam member airlines, their earnings would amount to 7,329 miles.

Additionally, Forbes Advisor estimates that the sample household will spend $33,734 on other purchases each year, earning an additional 50,601 miles. Plus, there's an anniversary bonus of 5,000 miles each year after spending at least $50 on purchases within the year.

In total, our sample family can expect to earn 62,930 miles each year. You'll also earn a first-year welcome bonus of 70,000 bonus miles.

As a global elite Mastercard, theAir France KLM World Elite Mastercard®*comes with the following benefits:

• Door board:Cardholders who are new to DashPass will receive a three-month membership. Cardholders will also get a $5 discount on their first order each month (valid through September 30, 2023), this $5 discount requires a DashPass membership.
• Lyft:Earn a $5 credit for every three trips taken in a calendar month (limit one per month).
• ShopRunner Membership:Get free 2-day shipping and free return shipping at select online retailers.
• Golf invaluable:Access to exclusive golf experiences with the PGA Tour.

Interest rates

• ABR: 19,99% - 27,99% variable

Fee

• Annual quota: $89
• Balance transfer fee: 3% of the amount of each transaction
• Foreign purchase transaction: None

Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®*against the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

If you reside in the US, you may also want to consider a card from the only US-based airline in the SkyTeam alliance, Delta. HeTarjeta Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Expresscomes with a similar annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 (terms apply. Seefees and charges). But the rewards rate on Delta Gold Amex is different: 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, at US grocery stores and restaurants worldwide, including US takeout and delivery and 1 mile per dollar on other eligible purchases.

The Delta card also offers a free first checked bag benefit and a $100 Delta flight credit to use on future travel if you spend more than $10,000 a year on the card. But Delta Gold AmEx doesn't come with an elite status boost. Depending on what your goal is, that may mean more to you than the other benefits of the card.

Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®*against the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

If you don't care about airline tiers or alliances and are simply looking to earn rewards that you can redeem for any flight you want, look for a general purpose travel card like theChase Sapphire Preferred. For an annual fee of $95, cardholders will earn 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Owning this card also means that yourultimate rewardsthey are worth 25% more when redeemed for rides through Chase. But, as a general-purpose travel rewards card, there's no push toward elite airline status.

Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®*vs Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®*

If your goal in purchasing a premium airline card is to enjoy the included benefits and gain an advantage in elite status, theCiti® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®also deserves consideration. The $450 annual fee is less than what you would pay for an Admirals Club lounge membership and the card grants you and up to two guests access to any lounge that is part of the Oneworld network, priority boarding and screening along with a free check baggage benefit for you and up to eight traveling companions.

However, the card's earnings structure makes it less than ideal for everyday use.2 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard is ideal for those who want an airline rewards program that makes award travel affordable and a co-branded credit card that earns more than 1 mile per dollar spent. With its relatively low annual fee, it could be a great option for those who want to save for SkyTeam awards without the higher annual fees of Delta credit cards.

To view the rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, visitthis page.

Methodology

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when rating credit cards. Cards are scored based on numerous factors, including:

• annual dues
• Welcome Bonus Offers
• Continuous win rates
• Individual Mileage Point Value
• Business or travel credits included
• Additional benefits for the cardholder

Card features that we expect cardholders to use most frequently carry a greater weight in our ratings. Taken together, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read more:How the Forbes adviser rates credit cards