You can buy Air France miles directly from Air France, or earn them faster by putting spending on an airline credit card
Air France sells miles year-round through their frequent flyer program, Flying Blue. You can purchase miles outright using a credit card or bank transfer, or you can accumulate them by charging purchases to an airline-branded credit card. The price per mile varies depending on how many you buy at once — buying in bulk is cheaper per mile than buying small amounts. Most people find that a credit card earns miles faster than buying them outright, because you get miles for every dollar spent plus sign-up bonuses.
The main decision is whether to buy miles now for a specific trip you have booked, or to build miles over time through card spending. Buying miles makes sense if you are close to a redemption goal and need just a few hundred more. Building through a card makes sense if you fly Air France regularly or plan to within the next year or two.
Key Takeaways
- Air France miles can be purchased directly through the Flying Blue website in increments starting at 1,000 miles, with per-mile costs that drop as you buy more.
- An Air France credit card typically earns miles faster than buying them outright, especially when you factor in sign-up bonuses and category bonuses on everyday spending.
- Miles purchased directly expire after 24 months of no activity in your Flying Blue account, while miles earned through credit card spending follow the same expiration rule.
- You can combine purchased miles with miles earned through credit card spending and other activities in the same Flying Blue account.
How to buy miles directly from Air France
Log into your Flying Blue account at flyingblue.com or create one if you do not have an account yet. You will need a valid email address and password. Once logged in, look for the "Buy Miles" or "Purchase Miles" option in the account menu — this is usually under a section labeled "Manage Your Account" or "Miles."
Select the number of miles you want to buy. Air France offers packages in tiers: typically 1,000 miles, 5,000 miles, 10,000 miles, and larger amounts. The per-mile cost decreases as the package size increases. For example, buying 10,000 miles at once costs less per mile than buying 1,000 miles. You will see the total price in US dollars (or your local currency) before you confirm.
Enter your credit card information and complete the purchase. Air France accepts major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. The miles will post to your Flying Blue account within a few hours, though sometimes it takes up to 24 hours. You can use those miles when ready to book flights or transfer them to partner airlines if your account is set up for transfers.
Earning miles faster through an Air France credit card
An airline credit card typically earns miles at a higher rate than buying them outright. Most Air France-branded cards earn 1 mile per dollar spent on all purchases, plus bonus miles in specific categories like dining or travel. The sign-up bonus alone — often 50,000 to 75,000 miles — can be worth $500 to $750 in redemption value, which is far more than you would pay to buy that many miles directly.
The card also waives the annual fee for the first year at most issuers, and some cards waive it permanently if you charge a certain amount each year. You earn miles on every purchase: groceries, gas, utilities, restaurants. Over the course of a year, a person who spends $30,000 on a card earning 1 mile per dollar will accumulate 30,000 miles plus the sign-up bonus, without paying anything extra beyond normal spending.
If you do not fly Air France frequently, a general travel rewards card may earn miles faster. Some cards earn 2 to 5 points per dollar on travel and dining, which you can then transfer to Flying Blue as part of a transfer partner network. Compare the earning rate, annual fee, and sign-up bonus of any card you are considering before you explore.
When buying miles makes sense versus earning them
Buy miles outright if you have a specific flight booked and need just a few hundred or a few thousand more miles to reach the redemption threshold. For example, if you have 45,000 miles and need 50,000 for a transatlantic flight, buying 5,000 miles may be faster and cheaper than waiting months to earn them through a credit card.
Earn miles through a credit card if you plan to fly within the next 12 to 24 months or if you spend enough on everyday purchases to accumulate miles naturally. The sign-up bonus alone often covers a short-haul flight, and the ongoing earning rate means you build a balance without extra cost. A credit card also protects you from the expiration rule: miles earned through card spending reset the expiration clock each time you earn new miles, whereas purchased miles expire after 24 months of no activity.
Some people do both: they hold a credit card for ongoing earning and buy miles occasionally to top up a balance before a trip. This approach works if you have the cash on hand and want to book a flight sooner than your card earning would allow.
Understanding Air France mile expiration and account activity
Miles in your Flying Blue account expire after 24 months of no activity. Activity includes earning miles, redeeming miles, or making a purchase with a co-branded credit card. If you buy miles and then do not use them or earn any new miles within 24 months, those purchased miles will disappear.
The expiration rule applies equally to purchased miles and earned miles — there is no distinction. However, if you hold an Air France credit card and charge something to it every 24 months, your entire account stays active and no miles expire. Many people keep a small recurring charge (like a monthly subscription) on their card specifically to keep the account active.
If your miles do expire, you can reactivate your account by earning or purchasing miles again, but the expired miles themselves cannot be recovered. Check your Flying Blue account regularly to see your balance and the date of your last activity.
How purchased miles compare in price to earning them
The cost of buying miles directly varies by package size and by time of year. Air France occasionally runs promotions where the per-mile cost is lower, so it is worth checking the Flying Blue website before you buy. A rough estimate: buying 10,000 miles might cost $100 to $150, which works out to 1 to 1.5 cents per mile.
Earning miles through a credit card typically costs you nothing beyond what you would spend anyway. If you spend $1,000 per month on a card earning 1 mile per dollar, you earn 12,000 miles per year at zero additional cost. The sign-up bonus of 50,000 to 75,000 miles is essentially free if you meet the spending requirement through normal purchases.
Redemption value varies widely depending on the flight you book. A short-haul domestic flight might cost 25,000 miles, while a premium cabin transatlantic flight might cost 100,000 miles or more. The higher the redemption value of your target flight, the more valuable each mile becomes, which makes earning through a card even more attractive.
Transferring purchased miles to partner airlines
Air France allows Flying Blue members to transfer miles to partner airlines at a 1:1 ratio. Partners include airlines like KLM, Alitalia, and others in the SkyTeam alliance. If you buy miles and then decide you want to use them on a different airline, you can transfer them to a partner account.
Transfers typically process within a few business days. You will need the frequent flyer account number of the partner airline you are transferring to. Some transfers may have restrictions — for example, you cannot transfer miles to a partner account in a different country than your Flying Blue account. Check the Flying Blue website for the current list of partners and any transfer restrictions before you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy miles as a gift for someone else?
Air France does not allow direct purchases of miles as a gift. However, you can purchase miles into your own account and then transfer them to another person's Flying Blue account, provided that person has an active account. Some credit card issuers also allow you to add an authorized user to your card, which lets that person earn miles on their own spending.
What happens if I buy miles and then find a cheaper flight?
Miles do not expire when ready after purchase, so you can hold them and use them whenever you find a flight that works. If you buy miles and then book a flight that costs fewer miles than you purchased, you keep the leftover balance in your account. There is no refund for unused miles.
Do I have to use purchased miles before earned miles?
No. When you redeem miles for a flight, Air France deducts from your total balance without distinguishing between purchased and earned miles. You can use them in any order you choose.
Is there a limit to how many miles I can buy at once?
Air France does not publish a hard limit on mile purchases, but very large purchases may require you to contact customer service directly. For most people, buying through the website in standard package sizes is straightforward and when ready.
Can I buy miles with points from another rewards program?
No. Air France requires payment by credit card or bank transfer to purchase miles directly. However, some credit card issuers allow you to transfer points to Flying Blue, which is a different transaction from buying miles. Check your card's transfer partners to see if Flying Blue is included.