Case studies / Italy
Florence duomo, terracotta rooftops
Summer 2025 · Flying Blue economy, two travelers · 8 days
Italy IT
No stacking, no transfer bonus, no status games. Just 20,000 Flying Blue miles a leg and a very short list of decisions.
- Points used
- 80,000 (two people)
- Cash paid
- ~$400
- Retail value
- ~$2,000
- Value per point
- 2.0¢
How it came together
Not every case study needs to be clever. This one is here precisely because it isn't: two people, Dallas to Florence via Paris, 20,000 Flying Blue miles per person each way and about $200 in fees. Done in one sitting.
Air France–KLM's Flying Blue runs monthly promo awards and prices transatlantic economy sensibly the rest of the time, which makes it the least stressful way to get two people across the ocean on points. There was no fifth-leg optimization, no certificate to burn, no schedule change to leverage. The itinerary was booked, and then we stopped thinking about it.
On the ground the trip stayed just as simple: a shared Airbnb rather than a hotel award, cash where cash was cheap, and eight days spent on food and walking instead of logistics.
The per-point value here, around two cents, is the lowest of the four case studies, and that's the honest lesson. A simple redemption you actually book beats an elegant one you're still watching. Flying Blue's transatlantic pricing is the reliable default; the aspirational stuff is what you do when the calendar cooperates.
The key move
Using Flying Blue for a straightforward transatlantic redemption at a strong flat rate, accepting a good number today rather than holding points for a great one that may never open.
What we'd repeat
- Watch Flying Blue's monthly promo awards. Even off-promo, transatlantic economy prices well.
- Don't force a points hotel. An Airbnb was the better product and the better price here.
- A two-cent redemption you book this month is worth more than a six-cent one you're still hunting.
The trip, in order
Day 1
DFW → CDG → FLR
One award, one connection
20,000 Flying Blue miles per person each way, about $100 in fees per leg, booked in a single sitting with no promo window to wait for.
Days 2–7
Tuscany
Airbnb over award night
A shared apartment beat every points hotel on both price and product. The savings stayed in the flights, where retail is punitive.
Day 8
Return
Same rate home
The return priced identically, which is the whole appeal of a flat-rate program when you just want the trip booked.