After many months of speculating and patiently waiting, Brim & AF-KLM have finally decided to lift the wraps on their new co-branded Mastercard. Today we’re going to break it down and see if all that waiting has been worth it.
Earn Rate
You’ll earn FlyingBlue Miles as follows:
- 5/€ (Yes, Euro) — AF/KLM Bookings
- 2/$ — Food & Beverages
- 1/$ — Everything Else
This roughly translates to a 9%/4%/2% earn rate if you value FlyingBlue miles at $0.02. Initially, the standard earning rate doesn’t look too great; still, upon further inspection, it is in line with other co-branded cards offered by foreign airlines, such as the RBC British Airways Visa & the MBNA Alaska Airlines World-Elite Mastercard.
The real benefit of this card is that FlyingBlue Members can earn up to 13 Miles/€ on travel with AirFrance-KLM depending on their FlyingBlue status. The earn rates based on status are shown below:
Welcome Bonus
As of right now, the welcome bonus for the card is pretty weak, as there are no FlyingBlue miles available as a bonus. Instead, you earn 60XP to help level-up your status within the FlyingBlue program. If you currently have “Explorer” status and no XP, you’ll need 100XP to rank up to “Silver,” so you’ll still need to take a trip to Europe to level up.
An annual fee rebate for the first year is also part of the current offer, after which cardholders will be charged $132 per annum to keep the card.
This offer is valid until December 15th, 2022, though we would probably wait for a higher sign-up bonus before applying. Unfortunately, it is unclear if the annual fee rebate will remain after December 15th, but we wouldn’t be too surprised if it stays.
Benefits
In my opinion, the perks associated with this card are a bit of a letdown compared to what I expected when it was announced in July.
As with all World Elite Mastercards, the travel insurance suite is present, along with free Boingo WiFi, which is nice on WestJet & Swoop flights in Canada. Interestingly enough, no complimentary WiFi is provided on AF-KLM flights, which would have set this card apart from other premium Mastercards.
Another benefit that would have set this card apart from other World Elite cards would have been access to AF-KLM lounges in Toronto and Montreal, but unfortunately, that isn’t present either.
Complimentary DragonPass membership is included with the card, but there are no complimentary visits, so taking advantage of this benefit will cost you $32USD per entry.
Lastly, one of all other Brim cards’ best features, no foreign transaction fees, is missing on this one, meaning you’ll be charged 2.5% on transactions in all other currencies. This is the most disappointing omission from the perks list, as I felt it was nearly guaranteed as Brim was issuing this card. It makes this a much weaker travel card, as other travel-focused Mastercards, such as HSBC World Elite, have the benefit as part of their arsenal.
Conclusion
It’s no secret that AirFrance and KLM are trying to increase their foothold in the Canadian market, and working with Brim to release a card here is the latest example.
I’m a little disappointed with the initial launch of this card, as it would be hard to recommend in its current form. You could probably chalk that up to the expectations that had built up since Brim teased us with the announcement in July, but I don’t think it was too unfair to expect a juicy bonus when the card was released.
If you frequently fly AirFrance or KLM to Europe or maintain status with them, this card does make sense to add to your wallet (more your sock drawer), as the elevated earn rate on flights would likely justify the $132 annual fee after the first year comes to a close.
For everyone else, the lack of travel perks makes this a tough sell, while you could argue it’s the strongest co-branded Mastercard in Canada, it is hard to say that it’s much more.
I remain optimistic that Brim will bring upgrades to the card soon, making it a more competitive travel card. Adding a sign-up bonus & no foreign transaction fees would be two no-brainer steps to achieve this.
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