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Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® review
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SkyTeam flyers will find excellent rewards.
- Get this card if you’re a frequent SkyTeam flyer or you want Flying Blue status qualifiers.
- Pick something else if you fly infrequently. You might get more out of a general travel card.
- Apply if you have a good to an excellent credit score of 670 to 850.
25,000
Miles as welcome offer
Up to 3x
Miles
$89
Annual fee
17.49% to 25.49%
Purchase APR (variable)
Details
| Product Name | Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® |
|---|---|
| Card type | Mastercard |
| Annual fee | $89 |
| Purchase APR | 17.49% to 25.49% variable |
| Balance transfer APR | 17.49% to 25.49% variable |
| Balance transfer fee | $10 or 3% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
| Cash advance rate | 20.49% to 26.49% variable |
| Cash advance fee | $10 or 3% of the cash advance amount, whichever is greater |
| Penalty APR | 29.99% fixed |
| Foreign transaction fee | None |
| Interest free period | Up to 25 days |
| Late payment fee | Up to $39 |
| Returned payment fee | Up to $28 |
Expert review
Review by
Kevin Joey Chen
kevin.chen@findercrew.comKevin Joey Chen is a credit cards, banking and investments writer whose work and analysis have appeared on CNN, U.S. News & World Report, Lifehacker and CreditCards.com. He's passionate about helping you get your finances in order and expertly navigate the cutting-edge financial tools available -- including credit cards, apps and budgeting software.
Expert review
The Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® offers accelerated rewards on direct SkyTeam purchases, an annual boost for Flying Blue status qualifiers and bonus miles on your card anniversary.
The perks
- Signup bonus: 25,000 bonus miles.
Earn this bonus after you make $1,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.According to our March 2019 valuation, this bonus is worth $325. It’s solid, though you’ll find better bonuses with similar mid-tier cards.
- Rewards: Up to 3x miles.
Earn 3x miles on direct Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines purchases. You’ll also earn this rewards rate on direct SkyTeam-airline purchases, giving you lots of flexibility.Earn 1.5x miles on all other purchases.You can redeem your miles for flights with any airline in the SkyTeam alliance. Also, use miles for hotel stays, car rentals, seat upgrades and more.
Which airlines are in SkyTeam?
According to SkyTeam, you can fly to 1,062 destinations in 177 countries. Member carriers include:
- Aeroflot
- Aerolíneas Argentinas
- Aeroméxico
- Air Europa
- Air France
- Alitalia
- China Airlines
- China Eastern
- Czech Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Garuda Indonesia
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- MEA
- Saudia
- TAROM
- Vietnam Airlines
- Xiamen Air
How does the SkyTeam Alliance program work?
- Anniversary bonus: 5,000 miles.You’ll receive these miles on your card anniversary if you’ve made at least $50 in purchases in the preceding card year.
According to our March 2019 valuation, this bonus is worth $65.
You’ll also like …
- Earn up to 60 Experience Points (XP) every card year.Earn 20 XP every year on your card anniversary.
Earn another 40 XP on your card anniversary if you’ve made at least $15,000 in purchases within the preceding card year.
You need 100 XP to advance from Explorer to Silver. The latter tier offers perks such as priority check-in and boarding, complimentary standard seat selection and an additional baggage item on every SkyTeam flight.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Don’t pay fees on purchases made with your card while abroad.
What to watch out for
- Annual fee: $89.
You’ll pay this much annually to own the card.
- No standard complimentary perks.
While you’ll get accelerated rewards on direct SkyTeam-airline purchases, an anniversary mile bonus and bonus XP, you’ll miss out on standard perks such as complimentary checked baggage or priority boarding.
- Penalty APR: 29.99% variable.
If you make a late payment, Bank of America may apply this penalty APR to all of your balances.
Compare travel credit cards
Bottom line
The Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® can be a good choice for frequent flyers. It’s particularly helpful if you often fly with SkyTeam airlines, as you’ll earn a strong 3x miles on direct SkyTeam purchases.
Also, consider the card if you’re shooting for status in Flying Blue. You’ll need 100 XP to reach Silver, much of which you can earn through the card.
If you’re an infrequent flyer, you’ll probably earn more with other travel credit cards.