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Short on miles for a KLM or Air France flight? Elite Flying Blue members can cover missing miles for a flight with a miles overdraft. Elite status members can use up to 100,000 miles in advance of earning them. However, this benefit is only for those in the upper echelons of the Flying Blue elite ranks.
Here are the details of the Flying Blue miles overdraft benefit that has recently been expanded.
Flying Blue Miles Overdraft Benefit
It's never great when you want to use miles for a flight but don't have enough. Flying Blue has a benefit to help with that. Though until recently, it was uniquely available to those with Flying Blue Ultimate status.
Now, both Flying Blue Platinum status and Flying Blue Ultimate status members can leverage the miles overdraft benefit. Platinum status members can get 50,000 miles on credit to help cover the price of a flight. Even better, Flying Blue Ultimate status members can get up to 100,000 miles overdraft to use on a flight.
This benefit is available for use on a single reward ticket — which you must book over the phone (1-800-375-8723). According to the Director of Flying Blue, Ben Lipsey (via FlyerTalk), there are plans to bring this functionality online in the near future.
After use, you simply earn more miles to repay the overdraft. You can use the benefit again once the overdraft is paid off and you have a positive miles balance. Platinum members must have earned 300 XP — enough for Platinum Elite status — in the previous or current qualification period to use the benefit. This restriction is in place to help prevent fraud.
The mathematics of this are simple. If a Flying Blue Platinum status member wants to book a flight for 380,000 miles but only has 350,000 miles in the account, they can “borrow” 30,000 miles to cover the difference. This benefit is very much like mileage advance perks Lufthansa offers Miles & More Senator and HON Circle members.
Both opportunities present a great way to snag award space before it dries up if you're just short the miles necessary to book it.
What's not mentioned in the overdraft benefit terms
When the benefit was limited to Ultimate status holders, the miles overdraft benefit allowed members to borrow up to 20% more miles than the value of the ticket, with a 100,000-mile limit. However, the benefit no longer mentions the 20% limitation.
Moreover, there are several additional details that are not spelled out in the benefit terms and conditions, such as:
- How long do you have to repay the miles you overdraft?
- What's the penalty if you never repay?
- Will you pay interest on an overdrawn mileage balance?
The bottom line is this: If you're going to use the benefit, we wouldn't recommend leaving your account balance negative for long. While it's unlikely that Flying Blue would shut down the account of a high-tier Flying Blue elite, there's little reason to jeopardize your relationship with the program.
If you need help replenishing your account, keep in mind that many points transfer to Flying Blue. The current list of transfer partners includes:
Our Take
A miles overdraft benefit is an excellent opportunity for Flying Blue elite Platinum and Ultimate members who don't have enough miles to cover a flight.
This benefit also covers lifetime Platinum status members — members who attained Platinum status 10 years in a row. Just keep in mind that you still must have gained 300 XP within the previous or current qualifying period.
However, there's a lot we don't know about the benefit because much isn't spelled out in the terms. All to say, use it responsibly if you choose to take advantage of it.
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