There is a small ritual that governs the first of every month for a certain kind of traveler. Coffee, laptop, and a quick refresh of the Flying Blue rewards page to see which cities Air France and KLM have decided to put on sale. August’s list has landed, and while it is not the fireworks display that July was — business class to Europe from New York at 45,000 miles was a genuine event — it rewards anyone willing to look past the headline.

Here is what’s on offer, and how to get the miles into your account before the window closes.

The mechanics, briefly

Flying Blue, the shared loyalty program of Air France and KLM, releases a fresh batch of Promo Rewards on the first day of every month. The discount is up to 25% off the program’s lowest saver rate, and it applies to select routes in select cabins. Standard one-way pricing between North America and Europe sits at 25,000 miles in economy, 40,000 in premium economy, and 60,000 in business, so a full 25% haircut brings those to 18,750, 30,000, and 45,000 respectively.

This month’s awards must be booked between August 1 and August 31, 2026, for travel through January 31, 2027. That is a generous six-month runway that covers autumn in Europe, the Christmas markets, and the blessedly quiet first weeks of January.

What’s discounted in August

Economy from North America — 18,750 miles each way. Phoenix, Seattle, and Dallas are available to everyone. Los Angeles, Orlando, and Miami are on the list too, but only for subscribers to Flying Blue Extra, the program’s paid membership tier (from €379 a year). If you are not enrolled, those routes simply will not appear in your search results.

Economy to Asia and the tropics — 22,500 miles each way. Seoul, Beijing, and Hong Kong are open to all members. Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre, Curaçao, and Mauritius are Extra Exclusive.

Premium economy — 30,000 miles each way. This is where August quietly shines. Seven cities are discounted with no subscription required: New York, Washington, Houston, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, and Mexico City. Longer hauls to Fortaleza, Mumbai, and Shanghai price at 37,500, with Abidjan and Johannesburg reserved for Extra members. Air France’s premium economy is a fixed-shell recliner rather than a lie-flat seat, but at 30,000 miles for a transatlantic crossing, the value proposition is difficult to argue with — particularly since carrier-imposed surcharges are now capped in the premium cabins.

Business class — 63,750 miles each way. Three destinations only: Cayenne, Bogotá, and Libreville. No United States or Canadian gateways this month. If you were holding out for another JFK-style deal, the honest advice is to wait.

Intra-Europe. Paris to Geneva, Copenhagen, or Nice runs 7,500 miles in economy; Amsterdam to Zurich, Manchester, or Munich the same. Business class from Paris to Rome and Amsterdam to Barcelona sits at 18,750. Extra subscribers additionally get Oslo, Bologna, Budapest, Berlin, Lyon, and Venice.

One detail worth committing to memory: Flying Blue permits a connection anywhere in Europe — as far east as Turkey — at no additional mileage cost. A Dallas–Amsterdam economy award at 18,750 miles can just as easily become Dallas–Copenhagen or Dallas–Istanbul via Amsterdam for the same price. Always search the true destination rather than the gateway.

How to get the miles

Flying Blue’s great virtue is accessibility. It partners with essentially every transferable currency in the American market, which means you almost certainly already hold points that can become Flying Blue miles.

  • American Express Membership Rewards — 1:1, effectively instant
  • Chase Ultimate Rewards — 1:1, effectively instant
  • Capital One — 1:1, 1,000-point minimum, effectively instant
  • Citi ThankYou — 1:1 normally, and currently better (see below)
  • Bilt Rewards — 1:1, 2,000-point minimum
  • Wells Fargo Rewards — 1:1
  • Marriott Bonvoy — 3:1, 3,000-point minimum, typically one to three days
  • Brex — 3:2; HSBC — 1,250:1,000; Barclays — 7,000:5,000

And then there is the reason to pay attention this month specifically. Citi is running a 20% transfer bonus to Flying Blue through 11:59 p.m. Eastern on August 22, 2026. Holders of the Citi Strata Elite, Strata Premier, Prestige, or AT&T Access More cards receive 1,200 Flying Blue miles for every 1,000 ThankYou points moved. (No-annual-fee Citi cards transfer at a weaker underlying ratio, so check yours before assuming.) Bonuses of this size to Flying Blue appear roughly once a year.

Stack it against the promo pricing and the arithmetic becomes rather pleasant:

  • Economy to Europe: 18,750 miles → 15,625 Citi points
  • Premium economy to Europe: 30,000 miles → 25,000 Citi points
  • Business to Bogotá: 63,750 miles → 53,125 Citi points

Twenty-five thousand Citi points for a premium economy seat across the Atlantic is, by any reasonable measure, an excellent trade.

The fine print that actually matters

Transfers are irreversible. Confirm your award seat is bookable before moving a single point — Promo Rewards are capacity-controlled, and the lowest-priced inventory can vanish well before August 31. Use the Flying Blue award calendar to scan a month at a time rather than clicking through dates one by one.

Miles cover the fare, not the taxes, airport charges, or carrier-imposed surcharges, which you will pay in cash. Awards must be booked through airfrance.com or klm.com. Changes and cancellations cost €70 plus any fare difference, which is forgiving enough that speculative bookings are reasonable if you find a date that nearly works. And children aged two to twelve receive an additional 25% off award tickets, promo pricing included — a meaningful saving for family travel over the holidays.

The verdict

August is a premium economy month. If you are near San Francisco, Washington, New York, Houston, Las Vegas, or San Diego and you have Citi points sitting idle, 25,000 of them for a 30,000-mile transatlantic award is the best value on this list by some distance. Economy travelers from Phoenix, Seattle, and Dallas do well too.

Everyone else — particularly those hoping for a discounted business class seat to Europe — has permission to sit this one out. The list resets on September 1.

This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. Award pricing and availability are dynamic and subject to change; confirm current terms with Air France, KLM, and your points program before transferring.