{"id":180715,"date":"2024-09-21T12:00:38","date_gmt":"2024-09-21T12:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=180715\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:02:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:02:04","slug":"miles-overdraft-benefit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/flying-blue\/miles-overdraft-benefit\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Have Enough Miles? Flying Blue Expands Mileage Overdraft Benefit"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

Here are the details of the Flying Blue miles overdraft benefit that has recently been expanded.<\/p>\n

Flying Blue Miles Overdraft Benefit<\/span><\/h2>\n

It's never great when you want to use miles for a flight but don't have enough. Flying Blue<\/a> has a benefit to help with that. Though until recently, it was uniquely available to those with Flying Blue Ultimate status<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now, both Flying Blue Platinum status<\/strong> and Flying Blue Ultimate status members can leverage the miles overdraft benefit<\/a>. Platinum status members can get 50,000 miles on credit<\/strong> to help cover the price of a flight. Even better, Flying Blue Ultimate status members can get up to 100,000 miles overdraft<\/strong> to use on a flight.<\/p>\n

\"Flying
Credit: Flying Blue<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

This benefit is available for use on a single reward ticket \u2014 which you must book over the phone (1-800-375-8723<\/strong>). According to the Director of Flying Blue, Ben Lipsey (via FlyerTalk<\/a>), there are plans to bring this functionality online in the near future.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> perks Lufthansa offers Miles & More Senator and HON Circle members.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Air
Credit: Daniel Eledut\/Unsplash<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

What's not mentioned in the overdraft benefit terms<\/span><\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Moreover, there are several additional details that are not spelled out in the benefit terms and conditions, such as:<\/p>\n