Air France-KLM to sell CityJet and VLM, likely to leave SkyTeam

Air France-KLM confirmed last Friday that it had agreed a deal to sell its subsidiary CityJet and VLM in the first quarter of 2014.

The buyer is a German group, Aviation GmbH, which is an investor-led turnaround group.  It is the same group that bought Deutsche BA for €1 from British Airways in 2003 and sold it to airberlin.

The price was not disclosed.

CityJet flies mainly from London City Airport (16 destinations) and Dublin, although it recently announced two new routes from Cardiff (Glasgow and Paris) which it is inheriting from Flybe.  It is not clear if Air France – KLM will retain slots and aircraft to continue running London City to Amsterdam and London City to Paris Orly, which presumably bring in connecting traffic.

Pruning of the London City base has already begun, with routes to Dundee, Edinburgh and Luxembourg either suspended or awaiting suspension.

There is no word on whether an independent CityJet will attempt to remain in Flying Blue or the wider Skyteam alliance.  However, given that cheap tickets on CityJet did not earn Flying Blue miles anyway, it is unlikely to make a huge difference.

CityJet has been a financial basket case for many years, and whilst I haven’t flown them for a long time, I have seen numerous reports of old and dirty planes and demoralised cabin crew.

It is difficult to see what sort of turnaround could be accomplished without substantial investment.  British Airways is now a major operator at London City and has a further three planes on order, presumably with a view to picking up routes where CityJet is weakest.

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How to earn Flying Blue miles from UK credit cards (April 2025)

Air France and KLM do not have a UK Flying Blue credit card.  However, you can earn Flying Blue miles by converting Membership Rewards points earned from selected UK American Express cards.

These cards earn Membership Rewards points:

• American Express Preferred Rewards Gold (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 20,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 20,000 Flying Blue miles. This card is FREE for your first year and also comes with four free airport lounge passes.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

• The Platinum Card from American Express (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 50,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 50,000 Flying Blue miles

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

• American Express Rewards credit card (review here, apply here) – sign-up bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points converts into 10,000 Flying Blue miles. This card is FREE for life.

Membership Rewards points convert at 1:1 into Flying Blue miles which is an attractive rate.  The cards above all earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent on your card, which converts to 1 Flying Blue mile.

The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card earns double points (2 per £1) on all flights you charge to it, not just with Air France and KLM but with any airline.