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Flying Blue Reward Flight Devaluation – Cheapest Awards Lose Lounge Access
Flying Blue is making some rather unwelcome changes to reward flights from 8 September 2026, with Air France and KLM introducing Light, Standard and Flex options when booking with miles.
The biggest sting comes in Business Class. The cheapest Business Light rewards won’t include lounge access and will also be non-changeable and non-refundable, with only one checked bag included and advance seat selection charged separately.
Flying Blue can therefore say that its lowest reward prices aren’t increasing, but that’s only half the story. In one example, a Business Class redemption between Paris and New York remains available from 60,000 miles, but that now gets you the stripped-back Light option.
To get benefits closer to those currently included, you’d need Business Standard for 75,000 miles – 25% more.
| Business reward | Miles | Lounge | Changes/refunds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 60,000 | No | No |
| Standard | 75,000 | Yes | €70 |
| Flex | 110,000 | Yes | Free |
Economy and Premium Economy rewards will also get the new Light, Standard and Flex structure, with the cheapest options offering fewer benefits.
There is some good news if you have Flying Blue or qualifying SkyTeam status, as your status benefits will still apply where applicable. Existing reward bookings are also unaffected.
This feels like another blow for loyalty scheme members. Lounge access is a fundamental part of the Business Class experience, so stripping it from a Business Class reward feels like unbundling has gone a step too far. Perhaps more importantly, losing the flexibility to cancel or change a reward booking removes one of the big advantages of using miles in the first place.
If you’ve already got an Air France or KLM redemption in mind, I’d be looking at booking before the changes arrive on 8 September.
Finnair launches double Avios and Tier Points Offer
Finnair Plus has launched a new double Avios and double Tier Points promotion, which is worth a look if you have a Finnair trip coming up or are working towards status.
You’ll need to book between 18 and 27 August 2026, with the overall travel period running from 18 August 2026 until 31 March 2027.
The promotion covers Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class on eligible routes, and even eligible extras such as paid seats and baggage can earn double Avios and Tier Points.
Unlike the very generous offer we saw last year, this promotion is restricted to selected routes, and some destinations have their own, much shorter travel windows. Make sure you check the dates for your particular route before booking.
The double Tier Points are arguably the most interesting part. Finnair normally awards between 6 and 10 Tier Points per €1 of eligible spend, depending on your Finnair Plus status, so this promotion effectively doubles that to between 12 and 20.
| Finnair Plus level | Normal earning | With promotion |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 6 per €1 | 12 per €1 |
| Silver | 7 per €1 | 14 per €1 |
| Gold | 8 per €1 | 16 per €1 |
| Platinum | 9 per €1 | 18 per €1 |
| Platinum Lumo | 10 per €1 | 20 per €1 |
The extra Avios are also useful for UK collectors, as Avios can be transferred between Finnair Plus and British Airways Club accounts.
This is a good offer if you already have a Finnair trip in mind, particularly if you’re looking at Business Class where the higher spend could generate a substantial number of additional Avios and Tier Points.
It’s not quite as generous as last year’s promotion, but double Tier Points as well as double Avios is still well worth considering. Just remember that the booking window closes on 27 August.
Visit Finnair here to find out more.
American Airlines is bringing back seatback screens and adding more First Class seats
American Airlines has announced a major upgrade of its narrowbody fleet, bringing back seatback entertainment screens and adding substantially more First Class and extra-legroom seats.
It’s good news for UK travellers too, particularly those connecting onto American after a British Airways transatlantic flight or travelling around the US as part of a BA/American itinerary.
American previously removed screens from many of its narrowbody aircraft, relying instead on passengers streaming entertainment to their own devices. It’s now reversing that decision, with all new Airbus and Boeing aircraft delivered from 2028 getting seatback screens at every seat. Existing aircraft will also receive them as they’re refurbished, although the full rollout will stretch into the early 2030s.
The new entertainment systems will include 4K screens, Bluetooth connectivity, USB-C fast charging and improved flight maps, alongside American’s planned rollout of Starlink Wi-Fi.
There’s also good news at the front of the aircraft. American says around 25% of seats on its narrowbody departures are currently First Class or Main Cabin Extra, but it plans to increase this to around 40%.
The A319 and A320 will gain another row of First Class, the A321neo will receive additional First Class seating, and American’s future Boeing 737 MAX 10 will have 24 First Class seats. More Main Cabin Extra seats will also be added across much of the fleet.
This should be particularly welcome for BA Club members connecting within the US, with more premium seats hopefully meaning better availability. American domestic First Class isn’t anything like long-haul First, but the wider seat and extra space are certainly appreciated after crossing the Atlantic.
I’m also pleased to see American bringing the screens back. Using your own phone or tablet is fine for a short flight, but on a longer US domestic sector I’d much rather have a proper screen in front of me.
The downside is that we’ll have to wait a while, with new aircraft getting the screens from 2028 and the wider retrofit continuing into the early 2030s. Still, given how often BA passengers end up connecting onto American in the US, both changes are very welcome.
