Now that there are hardly any benefits left to cut in Economy Class, numerous airlines are continuing the trend of unbundling in their premium cabins. Air France and KLM, for instance, introduced a Light fare for premium economy and Business Class cash tickets three years ago. The cheapest premium economy fare comes without a checked bag, while the Business Class Light fare comes with a reduced baggage allowance and no lounge access.
Until now, anyone booking an award flight was spared these restrictions. However, that is about to change. Flying Blue has announced that starting in September, the familiar Light, Standard, and Flex fares will also be applied to mileage tickets. In practice, this means a significant downgrade in included benefits for (mostly) the same points prices.
The new rules will apply to tickets booked from September 8, 2026, onward. Anyone who books by September 7 will still benefit from the old conditions. Furthermore, this change only affects Air France and KLM flights booked directly through Flying Blue.
The New Fare Structure for Award Flights
Going forward, award flights will use the same fare structure as cash tickets. There seems to be only one exception: Flying Blue has made no mention yet of the Economy Basic fare on short-haul routes (which does not even include a large carry-on bag).
In practice, this means reduced baggage allowances across all travel classes (no checked bags included in Economy & Premium Economy), and the elimination of the previous flexibility for cancellations and rebooking. Additionally, a standard Business Class Light ticket will no longer include lounge access unless you hold eligible frequent flyer status.
The new fare tiers are structured as follows:
Economy Class
- Economy Light (New): No checked baggage, 12 kg carry-on, no changes/refunds allowed.
- Economy Standard: 1x 23 kg checked baggage, 12 kg carry-on, changes/refunds for a €70 fee.
- Economy Flex (New): 1x 23 kg checked baggage, 12 kg carry-on, free cancellations.
Premium Economy
- Premium Light (New): No checked baggage, 12 kg carry-on, no changes/refunds allowed, SkyPriority included.
- Premium Standard: 2x 23 kg checked baggage, 12 kg carry-on, changes/refunds for a €70 fee, SkyPriority included.
- Premium Flex (New): 2x 23 kg checked baggage, 12 kg carry-on, free cancellations, SkyPriority included.
Business Class
- Business Light (New): 1x 32 kg checked baggage, 18 kg carry-on, no changes/refunds allowed, no lounge access, SkyPriority included.
- Business Standard: 2x 32 kg checked baggage, 18 kg carry-on, changes/refunds for a €70 fee, lounge access included, SkyPriority included.
- Business Flex (New): 2x 32 kg checked baggage, 18 kg carry-on, free cancellations, lounge access included, SkyPriority included.
A Hidden Mileage Devaluation
While the new fares are not yet bookable, a few pricing examples have already been released. These examples reveal the usual pattern for such announcements: tickets are by no means getting cheaper. Instead, the new Light fare will cost exactly as much as the current Standard fare. Anyone expecting the customary benefits will simply have to dig deeper into their pockets.
For example, a business class ticket from Paris to New York currently costs (in the best-case scenario) 60,000 miles + approx. €527. Moving forward, there will be three fares to choose from:
- Business Light: 60,000 miles + €527
- Business Standard: 75,000 miles + €527
- Business Flex: 110,000 miles + €262
This means 75,000 miles will be required instead of the previous 60,000 miles just to retain the benefits you are used to.
The only passengers who can breathe a sigh of relief are status customers with Flying Blue Platinum and above, as their usual status benefits remain completely intact. With Platinum status, even the cheapest Light ticket grants lounge access, two checked bags, and free cancellation options. SkyTeam Elite Plus members will also retain at least one extra piece of checked luggage and lounge access across all classes.
Our Verdict
The prices for Business Class award flights with Air France-KLM have already risen significantly over the last few years. Since 2025, you need a minimum of 60,000 miles instead of 50,000, not to mention the heavily increased fuel surcharges.
Soon, that entry price for a standard ticket will jump to 75,000 miles—with surcharges remaining just as high. The alternative is to give up cancellation flexibility and lounge access just to “save” miles. None of this sounds appealing. Moreover, only a fraction of flights are actually bookable at these “cheap” entry prices, with many dates costing significantly more.
It borders on mockery that Flying Blue is attempting to spin this massive downgrade as positive news. Their official statement reads:
“Flying Blue is evolving its reward tickets to better align with your travel needs. From September 8, 2026, all new reward bookings on Air France and KLM-operated flights will be available in three options: Light, Standard and Flex. More choice, more flexibility with reward tickets.”
More choice, more flexibility with reward tickets | FlyingBlue.com
Sources: Flying Blue, Live and Let’s Fly & Head for Points