"Borrowing" miles from airlines?
 

Has anyone ever been allowed to "borrow" miles from an airline to top off an award requirement?

I'm 372 miles short of 80,000 miles on Delta. I need 372 more miles to POST by 11/16 so I can get an 80,000 Virgin UC award before the price goes up to 100,000 miles. I can't buy anymore miles this year (already bought 15,000 for myself and my friend bought me 30,000, max allowed per account -- those posted almost instantly.

Though I have a variety of unposted outstanding miles on Delta, as this month's statement is already out, they're not likely to post until after 11/16.

On the Delta forum I inquired how to best get 372 to POST quick. Someone suggested a quick flight (I checked, on days I can go the cheapest would cost me as much as another 15,000 miles after 1/1/04, plus hotel). Someone else suggested I get Delta to "lend" me the miles. I called, got an automaton type CSA, said she'd never heard of this, I need 372 more miles.

It's an interesting idea, though, to "borrow" miles you'll be due from the airline. Has anyone every had success doing such a thing on other airlines, or even on Delta (i.e., maybe I just got the wrong CSA?). It would be good to know, for future reference (I ran a couple searches, found nothing)

As for my Virgin UC award by 11/16, looks like I may just lose out. Next time I'll plan ahead better.

Can't you just stay at some cheap Hilton property for $49 and double-dip the 500 FF miles to Delta? I'm not sure how long those take to post, though...

It's the posting time I'm worried about, typically hotels post at the end of the month's statement (and I got my 11/1 Delta statement already)

Can't tell you about Delta, but I know for a fact that AA does it. I've read about it on AA forum some time ago, so I decided to test it. I was about 400 miles short for a 50K award, so I signed in to my account and went through the motions of claiming the award just to see if it would go through. It did http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif. I did not finilize the award as this was just an experiment, but I assume it would finish if I chose to do it, because I also tried a 60K award, and it stopped me cold as soon as I asked for it.

Doesn't Delta participate in IDINE?

Hi,
Please try another agent or ask for a supervisor. I think American has "lent" us miles in the past. You are so close to the award requirement and it seems ridiculous that they would refuse you.
If Delta is connected to IDINE, those miles post very fast (less than a week). (My IDINE account is connected to AA).
Good luck. Please let forum know what happens.

Do you have an AmEx account with Membership Rewards or a Diner's Club Rewards points? Or perhaps an Starwood, Hyatt, Marriott, 6 Continents Priority Club, Radisson, Le Meridien, or Choice account? Or perhaps a Points.com account? With any of these, you could transfer points into Delta's program.

see: http://www.delta.com/skymiles/getmil...sfer/index.jsp

I also "borrowed" miles on UA 2 years ago, to get an upgrade before the seats disappeared. No problem.
Kate

MrsExecPlat - Delta does indeed participate with iDine.
see: http://www.delta.com/skymiles/getmil...ning/index.jsp

My vote is with iDINE. Although I have not hooked my iDINE to DL, the miles post to AA, US, UA with a week or so.

Just a thought --
Does DL give miles for booking on delta.com? And if they do, do the miles post at the time of booking or when the flight is taken? If at booking, book a refundable flight in the future, get the miles posted, then cance the ticket.

I think that would work, but I am not sure.

Good luck.




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Da DOK

I believe Delta iDine still posts MONTHLY. October charges would've worked OK, but too late now for mid-November posting.

Edited to add:

Delta's online booking bonus posts 10 days or so AFTER the flight credit posts. However, the flights themselves post just about as soon as the flight is officially closed; I have never, ever had a DL flight not post within 24 hours of takeoff. This is one area where Delta is way ahead of the rest.

[This message has been edited by Points Scrounger (edited 11-03-2003).]

Thanks Steve100 for the information about Idine and Delta.
There's one thing to watch out for with Idine. The participating restaurants that give you FF miles are not always the same restaurants that give you $$ back. I learned this the hard way! Ermdjdsj, if you choose to top off your Delta account with IDine, choose a restaurant from the Delta/Idine web site.
Good luck!!

If I read this correct you have miles you have earned but that have not posted to your account. If this is correct you should be able to have DL agent give you the updated balance (if they are flight credits) and then use them. You do not have to wait until the statement is mailed or posted.

Every M&M member who gained top tier status (Senator) has an 'Overdraft Credit' of 160.000 M&M miles.

While this doesn't exactly help you with delta, I will confirm that:

* As a gold member, AA has let me borrow miles in the past w/o any fuss.

* Even though as an elite (albeit a lowly silver), CO absolutely refused to let me go negative for <1000mi. I ended up having to buy those last miles for a stupid $32 bucks even though I already had (3) IAH-LAX flights "on the books and paid up" for the next month...

Yet another reason why Houston sucks.
-g

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.

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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! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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 :rolleyes: 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!

Don't forget about LH
 

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! :)

Yes, DA has lent me miles.
 

Yes, just ask, the agent should help you with this -- If not, ask for a manager.

Also for archive completeness ... iDine miles post the first week of every month. So whether you dined Aug. 3 or Aug. 30, both meals will post the first week in September. This is why some people see iDIne posts in a week and others see iDine posts in a month.

So in reference to the original question ... if it's Aug. 29 and you need miles to post by Sept. 15, you could use iDine. But if it's already Sept. 14, you'll need to wait another month.