Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® review

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.

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.

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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card		100,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus earn 25,000 after the first anniversary of card membership (offer expires 1/13/2021)	6x points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3x at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2x for all other purchases	$450		Earn 100,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 or more within your first 3 months, plus earn 25,000 after the first anniversary of card membership (offer expires 1/13/2021). Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Freedom Flex℠		$200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months, plus 5% cash back at grocery stores on up to $12,000 in the first year	5% back in rotating categories up to $1,500 combined each activated quarter (then 1%), 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases	$0		Get 5% back on purchases made through the Chase Travel Portal, making this a strong travel card as well as a solid everyday rewards card.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Citi Premier® Card		60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, flights and hotels and 1x points on everything else	$95		Earn 60,000 bonus points after making $4,000 in purchases with your card within the first 3 months of account opening.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Luxury Card Mastercard® Black Card™		N/A	1x points on all purchases with 2% point value when you redeem for airfare and 1.5% for cash back	$495		Receive an annual $100 air travel credit toward flight-related purchases including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card		35,000 miles after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months	2x miles on Delta purchases, restaurants and at US supermarkets and 1x miles on all other purchases	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($99 thereafter)		With a welcome offer worth up to $600, up to 2x miles on select purchases, and assorted Delta perks, this is a strong choice for Delta fans. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Hilton Honors American Express Card		80,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months	7x points on Hilton Honors purchases, 5x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations, 3x on all other purchases	$0		With a massive welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card and up to 7x points at Hilton, this is a solid pick for Hilton fans and occasional travelers. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Freedom Unlimited®		$200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months, plus 5% cash back at grocery stores on up to $12,000 in the first year	5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 5% on Lyft, 3% on dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases	$0		Now earning 5% on Chase Travel Portal purchases, this card has become a worthy travel card pick. Also get up to 5% on other everyday purchases.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Grand Reserve™ World Mastercard®		50,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days	5x points at Grand Reserve Partners, 3x points at any winery, wine club, wine shop, restaurant or bar and 2x everywhere else. Plus an additional 2x points at the wine merchant you spend the most each month.	$149		Earn 5x points at Grand Reserve Partners, 3x points at any winery, wine club, or wine shop, and 2x everywhere else.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
The World of Hyatt Credit Card		25,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. 25,000 points after spending another $6,000 in the first 6 months	4x total points at Hyatt hotels as a World of Hyatt member, 2x on gyms, commuting, dining and airlines and 1x on all other purchases	$95		Earn 25,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. 25,000 points after spending another $6,000 in the first 6 months.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card		130,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months	12x points on Hilton Portfolio spending, 6x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations, 3x on all other purchases	$95		With a big welcome offer worth up to $650, up to 12x points on spending, and free Gold status, this is an upgrade from the entry Hilton card. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card		10,000 miles after spending $500 in the first 3 months	2x miles at restaurants and on direct Delta purchases and 1x miles on all other purchases	$0		Earn 2x miles on Delta purchases and dining with this simple, entry-level Delta card, and pay no annual fee. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Luxury Card Mastercard® Titanium Card™		N/A	1x points on all purchases with 2% point value when you redeem for airfare and 1% for cash back	$195		Enjoy unique excursions, privileged access to exclusive events and insider opportunities.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi		N/A	4% at gas stations on up to $7,000 annually (then 1%), 3% at restaurants and on travel, 2% at Costco and 1% on all other purchases	$0		Get 3% back on your travel and dining purchases with no foreign transaction fees and use the card for your Costco membership.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Luxury Card Mastercard® Gold Card™		N/A	1x points on all purchases with 2% point value when you redeem for airfare or cash back	$995		Earn 2% point value when redeemed for airfare or cash back through the Luxury rewards program.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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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.

Frequently asked questions

• If my account has a penalty APR, how long will the rate last?

  The penalty APR will apply indefinitely. If you have a record of on-time payments, consider contacting Bank of America to ask if it will rescind the rate.

• If I qualify for the signup bonus, when will I receive my miles?

  You’ll see them in your Flying Blue account within four to six weeks.

• When will I receive my anniversary miles?

  If you qualify for the anniversary miles, look for them in your Flying Blue account within four to six weeks.