Howdy,

I'm EXP with AA, and have borrowed just over 5k miles in the past.

Keep the faith,

Pakse

Sorry, but in my experience, DL will not let you borrow a single mile. And I've been top-tier on DL for nearly 5 years.

------------------
Vasant

If these are Delta flight status miles, this surprises me. I typically can arrive at an airport somewhere and while waiting for a flight check my miles and see that the just completed segment will have posted to my account (check the on-line account system, it is more accurate than the paper version). This has been true ever since I remember checking my miles on-line.

Sometimes, with SkyTeam partners, it can take up to three weeks. If it goes past three weeks, simply FAX a note to Delta SkyMiles Service center with a copy of the boarding passes and the miles are usually credited within 24 hours. At least this has been my experience this year with SkyTeam partners.

A second call to Delta today, with supervisor check, confirmed they will not lend even a single mile! They stated this is because you can buy miles on their website (but which I'm maxed out on).

Then after multiple holds and callbacks I was told I could excede the Delta website's mile purchase limits by going to miles4sale.com and buying more miles (didn't say how high I could go, I bought 500 because that's all I need and they're expensive, $20 for 500). I'll see if Delta actually lets them post so I can go for the Virgin award, supposedly should post within 24-48 hours.

I also iDined today, but not clear when that will post. Otherwise, I'll find a flight, which posts quickly but costs $ and is inconvenient right now. (My as yet unposted miles are not flight miles, but various promotional and purchases miles, several thousand of them).

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions, I'll fill you in how it ends.

Go to www.miles4sale.com. Can be done

Success! Miles4sale.com miles came through and they posted today and I got my Virgin UC award on my dates of choice next August/September.

Lessons learned:

1. Delta will not loan a single mile
2. Miles4sale.com lets you buy miles above the miles purchase limit on the Delta website (don't know how many you can buy, but they're so expensive I'd use only in a pinch)
3. There are some very helpful Delta reps
4. There are even more very helpful FTers without whom I would not have been aware of the upcoming reward changes on Virgin or my other options!

Thanks again to all.

I had delta advance me 251 miles in August 2001 , for a 15,000 mile reward ( they were having a promotion for a reduced mileage award to dallas ) , I am on the lowest rung of skymiles , but I was waiting for some miles to post for buying an e-ticket online , and it was taking a long time to post , so they did this advance for me .

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only to be denied a loan of miles. I needed less than 50 miles for an award and Delta refused to grant it. They are the cheapest airlines I have ever been with. They treat their FF members like crap. I think that as soon as I redeem my last two flight awards I going to bid goodbye to this turkey since I can't transfer miles into the HHonors program anymore.

Forgive a newbie, but - just in case I ever get into this kind of situation - how does one "borrow" airmiles?

Not sure if this will help anyone, but - if you're a little short on qualifying miles at the end of the year - I've read in other FT posts that AA (my preferred airline) and some other airlines will still allow you to claim the relevant GLD/PLT or EXP status for the following year even if you've ended the current year with a shortfall of 500 miles or less. (Some posts quoted 1000 miles, but that figure seems a bit unlikely to me.)

Anyway, if someone could enlighten me regarding this borrowing business I'd be very grateful. If you can confirm the current facts regarding AA's elite status mileage shortfall thing too..?

Thanks in advance,

WW

[This message has been edited by WebbyWunda (edited 11-07-2003).]

For the sake of completeness of the archives, I just wanted to add that I found out recently that Frontier Airlines (F9) will let you gift you miles if you come up slightly short. I found this out when I was 92 miles short of a 15K award.

The stated reason was because F9 has no mechanism for customers to "buy" mileage.

-g

United will not loan a single mile anymore. They used to. However, people abused the perk so even for a PremEx, they wouldnt do it. I even had future travel paid for that would accrue the necessary miles. No dice. I suppose bankruptcy will do that to you Congrats on the award. Enjoy VS.

Anyway, if someone could enlighten me regarding this borrowing business I'd be very grateful. If you can confirm the current facts regarding AA's elite status mileage shortfall thing too..?


When I borrowed miles from AA, they were volunteered to me. I called to ask if there was a $ + miles award, and the CS person told me they could loan me the miles. I don't remember exactly how much it was, but know that it was over 1000. At the time I was regularly charging about $5000 a month with my Citi Business account, and wondered if that had any influence. It sure made my day!

I forgot to mention, I'm not elite!

My SEN account balance on LH: -144,000 (yes, negative.) LH allows you to overdraw by 160,000 with SEN status.

(Sorry, that may not help you in your situation.)

I once booked an award travel with AA and was short of about 800 miles. I asked the CSR about buying 1000 miles to make up, but she said, "for just 800 miles, we will let your account run into negative." I got the award travel and my account was negative for several months until I made another flight.

There was no interest for the borrowed miles!