Searching for an airline standing match? Preserve advantages with these airline standing matches and challenges

Whereas most loyalty applications don’t supply a method to lengthen elite standing past the present yr, a workaround is accessible: By matching your expiring elite standing to a competing loyalty program, you’ll be able to doubtlessly keep your advantages by choosing totally different carriers.

Quite a few airline loyalty applications present the chance to match elite advantages from different applications. For example, in case your Delta Air Strains Medallion elite standing will expire on Jan. 31, 2024, you would possibly be capable to match it to United Airways MileagePlus. This usually grants you short-term elite standing with the competing program, which might be prolonged by assembly particular flight or income necessities.

With Delta considerably rising elite standing necessities for subsequent yr, most of the airline’s loyalists are up in arms. It is price exploring the varied main elite standing matches and problem alternatives out there in the event you’re trying to break up with Delta — although there are some caveats to contemplate.

Here is what you should find out about present airline standing matches and challenges.

Preparation and precautions

For starters, there are some vital methods and rules to recollect when initiating a standing match or problem.

Let’s begin with a broad overview. A standing match usually entails getting an equal or decrease standing tier with a brand new airline primarily based in your present standing with a competitor’s program. It’s essential to usually present a photograph of your membership card and a mileage assertion to show your standing. It’s essential to keep away from altering or falsifying your credentials, as this can lead to extreme penalties, together with account suspension.

However, a standing problem could or could not require you to have present standing. The airline will specify the variety of elite qualifying miles or {dollars} you need to earn inside a selected time-frame to attain a specific elite tier. It’s important to totally perceive the necessities and which actions rely towards the problem, as some cobranded bank cards or associate airline tickets could also be excluded.

It is price mentioning that airways could not all the time publicize their standing match and problem alternatives. This may occasionally require making cellphone calls or sending emails to the airline’s customer support and checking web sites like StatusMatcher. Keep in mind that your request’s consequence could differ relying on the agent processing it.

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Now, with some fundamentals out of the best way, let’s discover the present standing match and problem applications throughout main airways.

Associated: Is airline elite standing nonetheless price it?

Alaska Airways

Alaska Airways used to supply easy standing matches with none situations. Nonetheless, the present standing match course of now features a problem part.

You may be granted the corresponding standing degree within the Alaska Mileage Plan program for 90 days once you request a standing match. To retain this standing past the preliminary interval, you need to fly a selected variety of miles on flights marketed and operated by Alaska Airways, Horizon Air or SkyWest Airways, relying on the tier you match.

To submit a request, go to the devoted standing match web page and supply a screenshot of your present competing mileage assertion displaying your title, standing and miles earned this yr or flown within the prior yr to attain elite standing.

If you’re matched to MVP Gold 75K, you will not be eligible for the 50,000 bonus miles related to qualifying for that standing, even in the event you efficiently attain the 20,000-mile threshold. Nonetheless, in the event you match to Gold and fly sufficient to maintain that standing, you’ll obtain 4 Gold visitor upgrades. In the meantime, those that efficiently full the MVP Gold 75K problem will obtain these upgrades plus 4 Alaska Lounge daypasses and the power to appoint somebody to MVP standing.

In case you request a standing match by the tip of June and fulfill the necessities, your new standing shall be legitimate till the tip of the calendar yr. However, in the event you provoke your standing match on or after July 1 and fulfill the necessities, your standing shall be legitimate till the tip of the next yr — making now a good time to begin.

Associated: What’s Alaska Airways elite standing price?

American Airways

American Airways affords a standing problem program known as Prompt Standing Move to its AAdvantage members. To take part, you’ll be able to register via American’s customer support. As soon as registered, you’ll obtain a personalised supply, together with a copay primarily based in your present standing and flying historical past with American. If in case you have standing with one other airline, American could waive the copay.

This system consists of three phases, every lasting 4 months. Upon registration, you’ll instantly take pleasure in the advantages of the chosen standing tier. To keep up the short-term standing for one more 4 months, you should earn a prorated variety of Loyalty Factors, which is round one-third of the complete requirement for a yr.

The Loyalty Factors required for every tier are as follows:

• AAdvantage Gold: 10,000 Loyalty Factors
• AAdvantage Platinum: 25,000 Loyalty Factors
• AAdvantage Platinum Professional: 42,000 Loyalty Factors
• AAdvantage Govt Platinum: 67,000 Loyalty Factors

Throughout every part, you’ll be able to earn Loyalty Factors via qualifying actions with American, its companions and cobranded bank card spending. All these actions rely towards your standing problem.

The standing you obtain within the first part determines your place to begin within the subsequent part. Which means whatever the preliminary tier you registered for, you’ll start the second part with the advantages you unlocked within the earlier part.

Moreover, via Oct. 12, focused mid- and upper-tier World of Hyatt elite members are eligible for AAdvantage elite standing.

Associated: Fast factors: How Hyatt and American loyalists can earn extra rewards by linking accounts

Delta Air Strains

For now, Delta’s public SkyMiles Medallion standing problem is unavailable, per the next message on the provider’s touchdown web page:

Discover: The SkyMiles Medallion Standing Match Problem is quickly unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience and are working to deliver it again quickly.

Nonetheless, the web page nonetheless has full particulars, so you’ll be able to see the way it usually labored.

After submitting your data and proof of your present standing, you would be matched to the corresponding Medallion tier for 3 months.

Then, every standing tier would require you to earn a set variety of Medallion Qualification Miles or Medallion Qualification Segments and Medallion Qualification {Dollars}. For instance, these matching to Platinum Medallion standing would wish to earn 18,750 MQMs or 25 MQSs and three,000 MQDs throughout the 90-day standing match interval.

In case you met the necessities, your standing validity relied on the date you registered for the standing problem. In case you began a problem from July 1, 2023, via June 30, 2024, and accomplished (or will full) the necessities, your Medallion Standing shall be prolonged via Jan. 31, 2025.

Once more, this program is not at the moment out there, and it is unclear when (or if) it is going to return.

Associated: What’s Delta elite standing price?

Frontier Airways

Frontier Airways matches standing from over 45 applications, together with airline, lodge and cruise line applications.

Particular prices are concerned to confirm your match to a selected tier in Frontier’s elite program. The costs are as follows:

To request a standing match, fill out this registration kind.

Associated: I used to be provided top-tier airline elite standing for $499 — here is why

Hawaiian Airways

Whereas not publicly marketed, HawaiianMiles has traditionally provided standing matches as much as top-tier Platinum standing on a case-by-case foundation by way of its on-line contact kind.

Hawaiian Airways requires two issues:

• Proof of present elite standing
• Documentation of flights accomplished that earned the elite standing, together with flight exercise to not less than considered one of Hawaiian’s locations

Matches are good for one calendar yr from the time of improve.

Associated: How one can improve your seat on Hawaiian Airways

Southwest Airways

Beforehand, it was difficult to find Southwest’s standing match and problem applications as they weren’t broadly marketed. Nonetheless, the airline has now made these applications extra accessible by offering all of the phrases and situations on its web site.

It’s essential to have standing with one other home airline to be eligible for a Southwest A-Record standing match. Any standing degree appears to be accepted. To provoke the method, electronic mail southwest.statusmatch@wnco.com along with your full title, Speedy Rewards account quantity and proof of elite standing.

As soon as your request is processed, you’ll obtain promotional A-Record standing for 90 days. Sometimes, Southwest grants this standing inside 12 enterprise days of submission.

To increase your A-Record standing for an extra 12 months, you need to ebook and full three qualifying round-trip flights (or six one-ways) inside 90 days. These flights have to be paid fares, not award tickets. Current A-Record members with expiring standing are usually not eligible for a standing match.

It is vital to notice that based on the phrases and situations, your flights have to be booked and accomplished throughout the 90-day interval. Whereas present bookings could not rely, Southwest permits straightforward cancellation and rebooking with out penalties. This implies you’ll be able to convert present bookings into new ones if the fare has not elevated considerably.

To qualify for the Southwest standing match, you need to not have acquired promotional A-Record standing from any program, together with standing matches and challenges, inside the previous 12 months.

Associated: What’s Southwest elite standing price?

Spirit Airways

Much like Delta’s providing, the Spirit standing match is at the moment unavailable. You possibly can register right here to hitch the waitlist or apply as soon as it turns into out there once more.

Traditionally, here is how this system has labored.

These with elite standing on many North American carriers had been eligible for a 90-day standing match to Spirit’s Silver or Gold tiers, relying on their present elite standing.

Here is a have a look at elite statuses which were eligible for Spirit’s standing match:

Previously, you might lengthen your standing by fulfilling the next necessities within the 90-day window:

• Free Spirit Silver: Earn 500 standing qualifying factors by flying Spirit or spending on a cobranded bank card.
• Free Spirit Gold: Earn 1,250 SQPs by flying Spirit or spending on a cobranded bank card.

Silver and Gold elite members obtain waived charges, similar to free seat choice, precedence boarding and same-day standby. You are even eligible for a free checked and carry-on bag on the Gold degree.

We’ll make sure to replace this story when (or if) the Spirit Airways standing match returns.

Associated: Every little thing it’s best to know earlier than flying Spirit Airways

United Airways

United launched its MileagePlus Premier Standing Match Problem promotion in early 2023. Members can register and obtain short-term standing throughout the problem interval. Here is a have a look at how a number of well-liked airways’ respective statuses would translate to United MileagePlus standing:

In accordance with United’s web site, that is solely a partial listing. A full listing is accessible on the Premier Standing Match Problem kind.

After enrollment, members have 120 days to earn a set variety of Premier qualifying flights and Premier qualifying factors to increase their elite standing. As soon as these thresholds are met, the member’s elite standing is legitimate via January 2025.

Nonetheless, the flights have to be operated by United or United Specific — associate flights (together with these on Star Alliance carriers) aren’t eligible.

Challenges are restricted to as soon as each 5 years per MileagePlus account.

Associated: What’s United Airways elite standing price?

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic affords a publicly out there standing match to members of choose competing applications.

You are eligible for an immediate match to both Silver or Gold standing, relying in your present standing tier. Nonetheless, those that match to Gold will need to have a future paid flight booked in Higher Class or premium economic system to be eligible. In the meantime, these matching to Silver will need to have a flight booked in any cabin to be accredited for a match. As soon as accredited, your standing match shall be legitimate for 12 months.

Here is a have a look at what applications and standing tiers are eligible:

As soon as your standing is upgraded, you will take pleasure in your standing for 12 months. Here is what it’s important to earn within the 12 months to retain your standing:

• Silver: 400 tier factors
• Gold: 1,000 tier factors

These with Virgin Atlantic standing obtain varied advantages when flying with the airline and its companions. On Delta flights, Gold members obtain precedence seating, lounge entry on choose flights, precedence baggage and different advantages. Plus, they obtain advantages on Air France, KLM, Singapore Airways, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia.

Sadly, since Virgin Atlantic is now a member of Sky Crew, you’ll be able to’t use your Delta standing for this match.

Associated: The final word information to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership

Backside line

Airways usually supply standing matches and challenges to draw elite prospects from their rivals. Nonetheless, as prospects, we will additionally profit from these alternatives. Standing matches and challenges present a shortcut to having fun with perks, cost-saving measures and waived charges, particularly in case you are transferring to a hub the place your most popular airline would not function (or has a smaller presence). They will also be advantageous for particular journeys, notably worldwide ones. Or, you need to use them in the event you’re prepared to interrupt up along with your present airline over unwelcome adjustments to its program.

Associated: Delta’s SkyMiles adjustments have satisfied me to cease chasing airline standing, and that is liberating