Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card Review 2024 (2024)

What makes the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard unique is that you can earn elevated rewards not only on Air France and KLM but on any airline within the SkyTeam alliance—which includes Delta in the U.S. Most co-branded airline cards only offer higher rewards when you book a flight within the brand.

You’ll also get a welcome bonus big enough to potentially cover a round-trip flight to Hawaii from the mainland or even to the Middle East if combined with a Flying Blue Promo reward, which can save you up to 25% off your reward booking.

Additionally, there’s a 5,000-mile bonus every year for spending $50 on the card. That’s a low spending threshold to achieve. And you’ll only pay an $89 annual fee.

Card ownership also gives you a lift toward Silver elite status, the first rung on the airline’s elite status ladder, which includes several perks and benefits. You’ll get 20 Experience Points on your card anniversary—you need 100 total to earn Silver elite status—and another 40 XP after you spend $15,000 or more on purchases within the anniversary year for a total of 60 XP. Additional XP are earned through flights.

• $89 annual fee
• Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of opening the account. Plus, earn 60 Experience Points upon approval
• Earn 3 miles per dollar spent on Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and SkyTeam member airlines purchases and 1.5 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases
• Earn 5,000 bonus miles every year you spend $50 on the card
• Rewards can be redeemed on SkyTeam member airlines
• Up to 60 XP can be earned per year toward elite status through a combination of anniversary awards and spending
• No foreign transaction fees

Earning Rewards

The Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard earns 3 miles per dollar spent on Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and SkyTeam member airlines purchases and 1.5 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases.

The card also has the following welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of opening the account. Plus, earn 60 Experience Points upon approval.

Redeeming Rewards

Because you can redeem your Flying Blue miles for flights on SkyTeam airlines, it may take a little work to get the most value for your earnings. You can search for the itinerary you want through the Flying Blue website, and it will show you the price for your desired ticket.

Another way to maximize your earnings is to check Flying Blue’s Promo rewards site for monthly deals, which can be as much as 25% off the standard price. You can book using your rewards by finding the Promo rewards offer you’re interested in and booking through the Flying Blue program.

You can redeem Flying Blue miles on either the Air France or KLM website.

Rewards Potential

To determine the reward potential of the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®*, Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $118,438 annually and has $39,337 in annual expenses that could be reasonably charged to a credit card. The following reward potential assumes all airfare purchases are made with Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines or SkyTeam member airlines.

Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®* Rewards Potential

There is an anniversary bonus of 5,000 miles every year after making at least $50 in purchases, meaning our sample family can expect to earn 65,160 miles each year. There is also an opportunity to earn a first-year welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of opening the account. Plus, earn 60 Experience Points upon approval.

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

• Lyft. Get a $5 credit for every three rides taken in a calendar month (capped at one per month). You can also save 10% on scheduled rides to U.S. airports when you use your card.
• ShopRunner membership. Get free two-day shipping and free return shipping at select online retailers.
• Instacart. Get two free months of free delivery with Instacart+ and $10 off your second order each month.
• Peaco*ck. Get $3 off Peaco*ck Premium or $5 off Peaco*ck Premium Plus each month when you use your card to subscribe.
• Mastercard Golf. Access to exclusive golf experiences with the PGA Tour.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 21.24% - 29.24% variable

Fees

• Annual fee: $89
• Balance transfer fee: 4% of the amount of each transaction
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: None

Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®* vs. Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

If you’re based in the U.S., you might consider a card from the SkyTeam alliance’s only U.S.-based carrier, Delta. The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card comes with a similar annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (terms apply, see rates & fees). But the rewards rate on the Delta Gold Amex is different: Earn 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, at U.S. supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and 1 mile per dollar on other eligible purchases.

The Delta card also offers a free first checked bag and a $200 Delta flight credit to use toward future travel if you spend more than $10,000 in a calendar year on the card. But the Delta Gold Amex doesn’t come with an elite status boost. Depending on your goal, that may mean more to you than the card’s other perks.

Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®* vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

If you don’t care about tiers or airline alliances and are simply looking to earn rewards you can redeem for any flight you want, look to a general-purpose travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. For an annual fee of $95, cardholders will earn 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 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 other purchases.

Ownership of this card also means your Chase Ultimate Rewards® are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase. But, as a general-purpose travel rewards card, there’s no boost toward airline elite status.

Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®* vs. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Even if you do find yourself turning to SkyTeam airlines whenever you book a flight, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) may be a stronger option. Compared to the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®*, many cardholders will earn more miles with the earning categories on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. The card earns 2 miles per dollar on all eligible purchases, 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25 and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel.

A major perk of the miles earned with the Venture X is that they can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to Flying Blue. This means you can transfer miles from your card to book a flight with any SkyTeam alliance member through Flying Blue. Additionally, you’ll have access to all of Capital One’s airline transfer partners, allowing you to use your miles toward a valuable flight that might not be within the SkyTeam alliance.

The Venture X is a premium travel card with a hefty $395 annual fee. However, this fee can be easily offset by taking advantage of the card’s $300 annual travel credit valid on purchases through Capital One Travel and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus (equal to $100 toward travel).

The Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®* is ideal for those who want an airline rewards program that makes award travel accessible or 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 choice for those who want to save up for SkyTeam awards without the higher annual fees of Delta credit cards.

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

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual rewards
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors come together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates credit cards.

To view rates and fees for Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card please visit this page.