Flying Blue, the loyalty program for Air France and KLM, has updated how miles expire, and the changes are good news for members. Starting on May 4, 2026, miles now expire after 24 months of account inactivity instead of the old, more confusing rolling expiration rules. The key word here is “inactivity.” As long as you earn or redeem miles at least once every 24 months, your entire balance stays intact. This applies to all Flying Blue members, no matter what tier level you hold. The program has also made it clearer what counts as qualifying activity, which removes a lot of the guesswork that used to frustrate members trying to keep their accounts alive.

This new validity rule will even apply to miles you earned before. This means that if your balance previously had different expiration dates, the most favorable will be applied, giving all your Miles the longest possible validity. Existing balances will be automatically updated.

What counts as activity is broader than you might think. Earning miles through flights, credit card spending, hotel stays, car rentals, or partner purchases all qualify. So does redeeming miles for any reward. Flying Blue has a wide network of earning partners, which means you do not have to fly Air France or KLM to keep your miles from expiring. A simple purchase through a partner, like a hotel booking or a car rental, can reset your 24-month clock. This makes it much easier for casual members who do not fly frequently to hold onto their miles without losing them to expiration.

Traveler with backpack and rolling suitcase looking out airport window at airplane before departure

Our Take

Our take is that this is one of the more practical improvements a major airline loyalty program has made in recent years. The old expiration rules were confusing, and confusion costs members real value. A simple, clear 24-month inactivity rule is something anyone can manage, and the wide range of qualifying activities makes it even easier to stay active without going out of your way. If you have a Flying Blue balance sitting around, this update gives you a much better shot at actually using those miles for something valuable.

Flying Blue miles can be a powerful tool for booking flights, especially on partner airlines like Delta, where sweet spot redemptions can get you a lot of value per mile. With this new expiration policy in place, there is less pressure to rush into a redemption just to save your balance. Our recommendation is to link a Flying Blue earning partner to your everyday spending, even if it is just a hotel loyalty program or a shopping portal, so your account stays active without any extra effort. Points and miles only work for you if you keep them alive, and Flying Blue just made that a whole lot easier.