Amex's 25% Flying Blue bonus ends Oct. 31. Book the cheapest business award and you lose the lounge

American Express is running a 25% transfer bonus to Air France-KLM Flying Blue through October 31. It is also offering 20% extra on transfers to Aeromexico Rewards through October 30. Both bonuses are for US Membership Rewards members.

A 25% bonus sounds like a cheap ticket to Europe in a lie-flat seat. But there is a catch that matters to anyone who cares about lounges. Since September 8, Flying Blue's cheapest business class awards on Air France and KLM no longer include the lounge.

The bonus, in plain numbers

Here is how the offers work, based on the terms Amex shows to members:

• Flying Blue: 1,000 Membership Rewards points become 1,250 Flying Blue miles. The offer runs from 12:00 a.m. MST on October 1 to 11:59 p.m. MST on October 31, 2026.
• Aeromexico Rewards: 20% extra Aeromexico points on each transfer, through 11:59 p.m. MST on October 30, 2026.
• Minimum transfer: 1,000 points.
• Enrollment: you need a Flying Blue account before you move points.
• No take-backs: once points leave Amex, you cannot move them back.

We could not confirm these terms on a public Amex or Flying Blue page. Amex only shows transfer offers after you log in. The terms above match the offer text published by LoyaltyLobby. Check your own Amex account before you plan around them.

The math is simple. A 25% bonus means you need 20% fewer Amex points for the same award. An award that costs 50,000 miles would take 40,000 points.

The lounge catch

On September 8, Flying Blue split new Air France and KLM award tickets into Light, Standard and Flex. Flying Blue's own rules spell out the business class difference:

• Business Light: one checked bag, no changes, no refunds, and "lounge access available at an extra cost"
• Business Standard: two checked bags, changes and refunds for 70 euros, lounge access included
• Business Flex: free changes and refunds, free seat selection, lounge access included

Business Light is limited to two fare classes, O and Z. If your trip mixes Air France or KLM with a partner airline, Flying Blue says only Standard is offered.

We covered the change in detail in our story on Business Light awards. The short version: the lowest price on the search page may not include the lounge.

Your status and cards still count

Flying Blue says benefits tied to your status "remain unchanged" on any fare. So if your airline status already gets you into lounges, Light may be fine.

Your Amex card can help too. If you fly KLM home from Amsterdam to the US, the Platinum Card gets you into the new Centurion Lounge at Schiphol. It sits on the non-Schengen side, where US flights leave. Platinum also includes Priority Pass. At Schiphol, that covers Aspire Lounge 41 on the same side, rated 4.6 by our users.

Our take: transfer for Standard, not Light

This part is our opinion. If lounge access matters to you and you have no airline status, the bonus works best as a way to pay for Business Standard.

Here is why. The bonus cuts the Amex points you need by 20%. Light saves miles too, but it also drops the lounge, a checked bag and any chance to change your plans. With the bonus, the Standard award may cost you about what Light would have cost without it. That keeps the lounge and the flexibility.

If you hold a Platinum card and fly from Amsterdam, Light is easier to defend, because you have a lounge either way. From Paris-Charles de Gaulle, check what your cards cover before you give up the Air France lounge.

Before you move a single point

• Find the award first. Transfers are final, so confirm the seat is there.
• Price both fares. Compare Light and Standard for your exact dates.
• Budget for the cash part. Amex's terms say taxes, fees and airline surcharges apply on Flying Blue awards.
• Mind the dates. Aeromexico ends October 30 and Flying Blue ends October 31, both at 11:59 p.m. MST.

See every lounge you can use with your card on our Amsterdam airport page and Paris-Charles de Gaulle page.