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.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.