What is the current Amex Canada → Flying Blue transfer bonus?
From March 18, 2026 through April 17, 2026, American Express Canada is offering a 25% transfer bonus when you move Membership Rewards points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue.
Under this promotion, the normal 1:1 transfer ratio becomes an effective:
- 1,000 MR = 1,250 Flying Blue miles
- minimum transfer: 1,000 MR
- transfer increments: 100 MR
- posted transfer time: within 3 days
For context, American Express Canada only upgraded Flying Blue to a full 1:1 transfer partner in January 2026. This promotion therefore stacks a meaningful bonus on top of an already improved baseline ratio.
How the 25% bonus affects common transfer amounts
The table below shows the effective miles received at several common transfer levels:
| Membership Rewards transferred | Flying Blue miles received |
|---|---|
| 10,000 MR | 12,500 miles |
| 20,000 MR | 25,000 miles |
| 36,000 MR | 45,000 miles |
| 48,000 MR | 60,000 miles |
| 64,000 MR | 80,000 miles |
To put those figures in context:
- 20,000 MR yields 25,000 Flying Blue miles, which can cover some one-way economy awards to Europe at the program's starting level.
- 48,000 MR yields 60,000 Flying Blue miles, aligning with Flying Blue's common starting price for one-way business class to Europe.
- 36,000 MR yields 45,000 Flying Blue miles, a particularly useful threshold when Flying Blue runs a 25% Promo Reward discount on business class.
Why this promotion is particularly relevant for Canadians
Two factors make this bonus more significant than a typical transfer promotion.
1) The underlying ratio has improved
Unlike the previous Canadian setup, where cardholders had to accept a weaker transfer ratio to access Flying Blue, Amex Canada points now convert at 1:1 as of January 2026.
This promotion is therefore not compensating for a weak transfer partner — it is adding a genuine bonus on top of an already competitive ratio for a limited window.
2) Flying Blue offers strong redemption options from Canada
Flying Blue is one of the more practical frequent flyer programs for Canadians, with useful applications including:
- Air France and KLM flights to Europe
- monthly Promo Rewards
- selected partner redemptions, including some strong value on WestJet and other partners
- one-way bookings, which are easier to piece together than fixed round-trip charts
For cardholders already earning Amex points in Canada, this ranks among the more valuable transfer bonuses available.
When this transfer bonus is worth using
This bonus is generally worth acting on if all three of the following conditions apply:
1) You have identified a specific award booking
Flying Blue uses dynamic pricing, so award availability and pricing vary by date and route.
The recommended approach is to:
- search for the award first,
- confirm the mileage price and taxes,
- then transfer your MR points.
2) The Flying Blue price compares favourably to alternatives
Before transferring, it is worth comparing the redemption cost against:
- Aeroplan
- cash pricing through your card or portal
- American Express's own Fixed Points Travel guide
Flying Blue will offer better value on some routes and dates but not all. The 25% bonus improves the equation, but it does not make every redemption worthwhile.
3) You are prepared to give up flexibility
Once points leave Membership Rewards, they become Flying Blue miles and cannot be transferred back.
This is an important consideration because MR points are flexible by nature. Keeping them in your account preserves access to:
- Aeroplan
- Avios
- a future hotel transfer
- or another redemption route inside your Amex Membership Rewards balance
When this promotion may not be the right move
This bonus is generally not worth using if any of the following apply:
- you’re transferring only because the bonus exists
- you haven’t checked real award availability yet
- the taxes and fees make the redemption unattractive
- you’re more likely to need your MR points for another program in the near future
The last point is worth emphasising. While Flying Blue offers strong redemption value, flexible points generally retain more utility than airline-specific miles when there is no near-term booking plan in place.
American Express Cobalt Card
Annual fee: $191.88
Up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points
- Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points upon spending $750 in per monthly billing period for 12 months
- Up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points welcome offer
- Strong earn rate of 5 Membership Rewards points per $1 on eats & drinks and 3 Membership Rewards points per $1 on streaming subscriptions
- Membership Rewards points never expire
Best use cases during this promo
Europe in economy
If you find transatlantic flights at Flying Blue’s lowest pricing, this bonus can bring the effective American Express points cost down meaningfully.
A one-way award priced at 25,000 Flying Blue miles would require only 20,000 MR points during this promo.
Europe in business class
Business class is where the bonus delivers the most noticeable savings.
A one-way business-class award priced at 60,000 Flying Blue miles would require only 48,000 MR points during the bonus period. That is a strong MR-to-Europe business-class target for Canadians, especially compared with many other programs at current pricing.
If a Promo Reward drops that award to 45,000 Flying Blue miles, you’d only need 36,000 MR points.
For more on finding those awards, see our guide on booking Air France business class with points.
Topping up an existing Flying Blue balance
This is another practical application of the promotion.
If you already hold, say, 34,000 Flying Blue miles and need to reach 45,000 or 60,000, the bonus allows you to bridge the gap with fewer MR points than a standard 1:1 transfer would require.
Which American Express Canada cards are eligible?
This promotion applies to Canadians earning Membership Rewards, including holders of:
- Amex Cobalt Card
- Amex Gold Rewards Card
- The Platinum Card
- Amex Green Card
For a detailed comparison of MR-earning options, see our American Express Membership Rewards Canada guide.
Looking for flexible points that benefit from transfer bonuses like this?
Compare Canadian travel cards that earn Membership Rewards and other transferable currencies to be prepared for the next transfer promotion.
Summary
The current Amex Canada → Flying Blue transfer bonus is one of the stronger Canadian points promotions available right now, stacking a 25% bonus on top of Flying Blue's new 1:1 transfer ratio.
With the right booking, that translates to:
- 20,000 MR for a one-way economy award to Europe,
- 48,000 MR for a one-way business-class award,
- or 36,000 MR for a discounted business-class Promo Reward when availability aligns.
The most important steps remain the same:
- identify the award and confirm availability first,
- verify the total cost including taxes and fees,
- and only then initiate the transfer.
Following that approach, this promotion offers a meaningful opportunity to convert Amex points into high-value Flying Blue redemptions before the bonus window closes on April 17, 2026.
