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You've found the perfect Delta flight you'd love to book but don't quite have enough miles to cover the award… yet. If you're an eligible American Express Delta SkyMiles Card Member, though, you're in luck!
American Express and Delta let select Card Members get an advance on the miles they need through a benefit called Miles Headstart. It can be a convenient way to lock in an award when you find it and earn the miles later.
Here's what you need to know about Delta Miles Headstart.
What Is Delta Miles Headstart?
Through Delta Miles Headstart, American Express and Delta let you book travel now with miles you haven't earned yet. Essentially, you can borrow up to 60,000 miles and have up to six months to earn them back through spending on your eligible Delta credit card.
If you earn the miles back within six months, there's no fee for using Miles Headstart. However, if you don't repay the balance within that window, you'll be charged a fee of 2.5 cents per mile.
There are a few eligibility requirements:
- You must be an eligible American Express Delta SkyMiles cardholder in good standing.
- You can't have another outstanding Miles Headstart balance.
- Your eligible Headstart amount is determined by your card membership and spending history.
How Do You Get a Delta Miles Advance to Book an Award?
If you're short on miles and want to request an advance, head to the Miles Headstart program page and click the “Request Miles Headstart” button. After logging in, you'll see how many miles you're eligible to borrow. You can also click here.
Depending on your card history and spending, that amount may be as little as a few thousand miles or as much as 60,000 miles.
You don't have to borrow your full eligible amount. If you're approved to borrow 20,000 miles but only need 16,000 to book an award, you can request just 16,000 miles. Once approved, the miles may take up to 72 hours to appear in your SkyMiles account.
Delta Amex Cards That Are Eligible for Miles Headstart
Only American Express co-branded Delta cards offer this benefit. Current Delta Amex SkyMiles cards include:
- Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
The cards have different benefits and earning rates for Delta SkyMiles. This will affect how much you will need to spend to “pay off” the borrowed miles.
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 2X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 2X miles per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1X miles on all other eligible purchases
$350Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 3X miles per dollar at hotels
- 2X miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X Miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
$650Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1X miles on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
How Do You Pay Your Miles Back?
You have six months to earn enough miles to repay your Miles Headstart balance. To do so, you'll need to make eligible purchases with your Delta SkyMiles American Express card. However, miles earned by flying with Delta won't count toward repayment, and only spending on the specific card used to request Miles Headstart will apply.
American Express provides a chart with a few spending examples that show how you can repay your advanced miles. Of course, your actual spending requirement may be lower depending on your spending categories and your card's earning rates.
The examples in the chart assume you're earning just 1 mile per $1 spent.
Remember, any miles that aren't repaid by the end of the six-month period will incur a fee of 2.5 cents per mile. That's a steep price to pay, so it's best to request only the number of miles you're confident you can earn back through your normal spending.
Related: When Does It Make Sense to Buy Delta SkyMiles?
Our Take
Miles Headstart can be a useful tool for Delta Amex cardholders. However, focusing on repaying the borrowed miles may mean putting spending on your Delta card instead of using a card that offers higher earning rates in your preferred spending categories over the next six months.
Additionally, if you're not confident you can earn the miles back within six months, you definitely shouldn't request a Miles Headstart, as the fee will likely outweigh any benefit.
Remember that you can transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards to Delta at a rate of 1:1, which could be a better option if you are short on miles for your next redemption.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees)
