A Delta One Award Sale to Europe — Reader Success Story
Today I want to share a story from TPG reader Jack, who used a credit card benefit to get the miles he needed for a premium award:
Flying Delta One has been on my travel bucket list for some time, but never seemed achievable. I couldn't justify the $3,000 - $4,000 price tag or the 300,000+ SkyMiles required ... that is, until Delta's flash sale a couple of months back gave me a chance to utilize a little known Delta American Express perk!
I was about to go to bed when I received notice of a 48-hour flash sale from Delta, with Delta One awards starting at 98,000 miles round-trip to Europe. The flash sales are usually a little restrictive and don't line up with my plans, but this one was just right. My wife and I celebrate six years of marriage and her master's degree at the end of May, and she's always wanted to go to Amsterdam. We found the perfect itinerary for $3,500 or 98,000 SkyMiles per person. I looked at my Delta account and unfortunately only had 165,000 miles — 31,000 miles shy of an amazing deal.
However, I remembered the Fly Now, Earn Later feature that American Express introduced and decided to try it. I was able to borrow the 31,000 miles we needed, and I have six months to earn them back, so all the miles I earn on my card will pay down this balance instead of going into my SkyMiles account. If I'm short at the end of six months, they'll charge me 2.5 cents per mile. So even if I earned zero miles, I'd owe $775 for two round-trip tickets valued at $7,000 — I'd take it!
I plan on paying down this balance fairly quickly, and just received a 15,000-mile bonus for referring a friend to the Delta Amex family. By taking advantage of flash sales, credit card perks and bonuses, I'm able to knock off a $7,000 bucket list item for a total of $100 in taxes and fees.
A handful of loyalty programs allow you to borrow rewards, which means you can take advantage of award availability when you don't already have enough points or miles on hand. Marriott's Points Advance is the most prominent and useful example, since it's available to all Marriott Bonvoy members and lets you pay back the borrowed points as you see fit up until 14 days before your stay — apart from spending on Marriott credit cards, you can transfer points into your account or earn them through stays and partner activity. Fly Now, Earn Later similarly gives you access to awards that might otherwise be out of reach, but the lack of options for paying off your "loan" is a major drawback.
After accounting for his referral bonus, Jack still has to put $16,000 of spending on his Delta Amex card to pay down his negative SkyMiles balance. The problem is that the card earns just 1 mile per dollar, and SkyMiles aren't especially valuable to begin with. In short, it's not a good card for everyday spending, so he's leaving a lot of value on the table by using it. That doesn't mean his approach is faulty; ultimately, he got the flights he wanted at a great price, but it's important to account for opportunity costs when you're evaluating whether an award is worthwhile.
I love this story and I want to hear more like it! In appreciation for sharing this experience (and for allowing me to post it online), I'm sending Jack a $200 airline gift card to enjoy on future travels, and I'd like to do the same for you. Please email your own award travel success stories to info@thepointsguy.com; be sure to include details about how you earned and redeemed your rewards, and put "Reader Success Story" in the subject line. Feel free to also submit your most woeful travel mistakes, or to contribute to our new award redemption series. If your story is published, we'll send you a gift to jump-start your next adventure. Due to the volume of submissions, we can't respond to each story individually, but we'll be in touch if yours is selected.
Safe and happy travels to all, and I look forward to hearing from you!
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees