Numerous reports have sprung up recently concerning a “fraud crackdown” from Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France, KLM, Air Europa, and Kenya Airways. Here’s the situation– in more than one instance, a traveler has opened up a Flying Blue account in order to book an award trip, transferred in points from American Express Membership Rewards or CITI Thank You Points, booked the award, and then been informed later that the transaction was “fraudulent”.
The result? Cancelled reservation, confiscated miles, closed account.
In correspondence from Flying Blue, one customer was told:
[T]he use of our frequent flyer accounts as boxes opened to transfer miles with our non air partners won’t be allowed anymore .
Excuse me?
Let’s be clear – the point of the American Express and CITI is exactly that – to transfer points from a non-air partner (the bank) to the airline partner (here Flying Blue) in order to book a ticket. The rationale from Flying Blue is astoundingly lacking in logic.
This is not a problem of people buying or selling points – we are talking about people using their own points to book tickets for themselves or spouses/friends. Think about it – American Express does not even allow customers to transfer points to accounts other than your own or an authorized cardholder on the same account.
So we are left scratching our heads, wondering when someone with common sense will step in and put a stop to this witch-hunt.
I run an award booking service, Award Expert, which does not engage in the buying and selling of points – but this news is especially concerning to me because I bring an enormous amount of business to FlyingBlue – to the tune of several bookings per week. As a lawyer and consumer advocate, FlyingBlue better think twice before going after any of my clients and I beg.
This issue is quickly making its way up the Air France/KLM food chain and I trust that with appropriate pressure from AMEX and CITI, we can quickly put to bed this unbelievable charade on the part of the Flying Blue.
I mean I would argue that the “business” you bring to Air France/KLM isn’t all that valuable to them if your clients never fly them as a paying customer. At the same time, if they don’t like it they shouldn’t participate in the AMEX or Citi rewards program and their behavior is pretty absurd.
Wow, this is crazy!
@chasgoose: My point is not that I benefit Flying Blue, just that I have a lot at stake because I do so many bookings with them.
But, it’s not like I am totally invaluable. I’ve booked many standard awards — 300K r/t in business class between NA and EUR — and I am sure AF is very happy to accept that for a transatlantic flight. I’ve also booked several client revenue tickets on them, including seven in the last week.
I don’t get this, but I seem to recall when I set up my FB account 10 or so years ago that you could not (or at least the website said you couldn’t) set up the account until you had already booked or flown your first flight with AF – unlike almost every other FF program where anyone could set up a FF number with just a few keystrokes and never fly them (which I have done a number of times with other airlines). I can’t say I tried it until after flying AF, but I was pretty much a newbie to FF programs at the time. I wonder if this is still a rule of some sort – that you cannot book a FF award until you have flown them once because you are not really a FB member until you have taken an AF flight. I just know that I both buy tickets and get award tickets with AF most years, the bulk of the miles are from Amex transferred in for the latter, and have not heard any objection.
Hi Matthew,
I am a newbie to your blog and I enjoy reading your posts. Is there any new information about this situation with Flying Blue? Just curious.
@Jerome: Sadly, the problem continues. We do not have a solution and the so-called Flying Blue fraud department continues to be on the attack.
Is this still a problem? Booking ticket for a neighbor, want to make sure we won’t have an issue.
@Bobby: Yes, this is still a problem.
hi, is this still going ? fast forward to 9 months later in 2016 ?
any help would be appreciated.
thanks
Jesse, this is still a problem.
Be very cautious of dealing with Flying Blue. No funny business.
we (my gf) just opened up a new FB account for this reason, to use amex bonus points for a europe trip.
do you think if we call FB directly this might avoid the “fraud” detection ? and/or what about booking via klm not AF (even tho both are fb)
any thoughts ?
thanks
Booking KLM or AF will make no difference but I don’t anticipate any issues with your booking if the account holder is one of the travelers.
I’m confused. Your last comment seems to indicate that bookings identified as fraud were those for other than the actual card holder or maybe even a legitimate (i.e. spouse of cardholder) authorized user. Is that the case? If so, why wasn’t that mentioned anywhere in the article? Most people book for themselves and their immediate family members. If that works, I don’t see any issue here.
In one case, it happened to the cardholder and account member booking a ticket for himself. There is no rhyme nor reason to how Flying Blue acts other than that it seems to target newly opened accounts with transfers from AMEX and booked online.
I think this is happening to me, I opened a new F.Blue account and transferred my amex points and can no longer access F.Blue on the AF or KLM websites, I don’t know what to do, any suggestions? This is pretty scary… thanks in advance
Write to customer service via email (last link on page below).
https://www.klm.com/travel/gb_en/flying_blue/member_support/contact_flying_blue/index.htm
If it’s a new FB account, booking 3 tickets for myself, my Mom and my son, would it be better to transfer in Chase UR instead of Amex MR since I have that option?
Hi, by the way! It’s Lela from Seattle. I got met you at Seattle FTU whilst squashed in a cab hearing about your new son 😉
Hi Lela! I don’t think it matters where the points come from, just be sure to book over the phone.