Flying Blue Stopovers: How to Fly to Two Cities on One Award Ticket

When you book an award ticket with Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France and KLM, you can add a free stopover at one of its hubs (Paris or Amsterdam). 

And since award flight pricing is region-based, a flight from the US to Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Rome, Berlin, and even Marrakech will cost the same.

Stopover vs. Layover

First things first: here's how a stopover differs from a layover.

Layover: Less than a 24-hour gap between connecting flights on the same itinerary. You usually spend layovers in the airport.

Stopover: A gap of at least 24 hours between flights, but can be several days. You’ll leave the airport, go through immigration, and visit the city or region where your stopover is. 

How to use the Flying Blue stopover strategy

To turn a standard connection into a stopover, you need to follow a few steps.

Identify points to transfer

Every credit card point currency transfers to Flying Blue, so this is a widely accessible partner.  

Watch for transfer bonuses to Flying Blue. When I booked, a 20% transfer bonus was running, so 100,000 points became 120,000 Flying Blue miles. 

Map your route

Register for a free Flying Blue loyalty account and start searching for flights to your final destination. 

You can search on either Air France’s site or KLM’s. Even though KLM is based in Amsterdam and Air France is in Paris, both airlines’ sites display the same flights and award availability. 

Look for flights with connections in either Paris or Amsterdam.  Write down dates, flight numbers, cabin class, and award pricing.

Call Flying Blue

You cannot book a Flying Blue stopover online. You have to call Flying Blue customer service.

The number is 1-800-375-8723. 

Tell the agent you want to book a flight to your final destination with a stopover in Paris (or Amsterdam). 

Tell them your dates and flight numbers. (They can also give you options over the phone, but I think it’s best to have a plan ahead.)

Book

Then, the agent will tell you the cost of the tickets, plus taxes. 

If you have the points transferred to Flying Blue, the agent can book it for you on that call. 

The agent will usually wait for you to transfer your points while on the call. (Most Flying Blue transfers are instant.)

If you want to wait, or need to check with your travel companion first, the agent will hold the award space (the ticket) for 72 hours, or three days from the time you call. Transfer your points to Flying Blue, call back within that time window, and have the agent book your stopover. 

Things to know

• Taxes and fees will be slightly higher when adding a stopover. For my flights, a stopover added an extra ~$100 in fees per ticket. 
• Stay within the same Flying Blue region. This strategy works when your end destination is another European city.
• You have to call. If you try to do this solely online, you will come up empty and frustrated. 

Example: How I turned a Flying Blue layover into a stopover

I had a flight with the following itinerary: JFK > CDG > RAK. But I decided to turn that connection in Paris stopover before ultimately arriving in Marrakech. I mean, who can say no to a detour in Paris? 

Note: Flying Blue categorizes Morocco as part of the “Europe region”, even though it is actually part of North Africa. Flying Blue’s regional definitions are why I was able to pull this off.