Airlines and hotels are always looking to attract new customers to their brands, and often offer to match the elite status you hold with another chain to entice you to switch.
Savvy frequent travellers use these opportunities to try out new airlines and hotels while enjoying the perks they have grown used to with their usual brand.
In this post:
What Exactly Is Status Matching?
Status matching is using the elite status you already hold with Airline A to obtain the equivalent status with Airline B.
For example, you could match Delta Gold Medallion to Alaska Mileage Plan MVP Gold. You would immediately get all the benefits of MVP Gold.
Difference Between A Status Match & Status Challenge
A status match is where your elite status is matched in full for the remainder of the membership year. On the other hand, a status challenge provides you the equivalent status for a short period of time (usually 90 days) with a flight or night requirement to retain the status for the full membership year.
Some brands offer a variant of the status challenge where no elite status is required to register, but equally no elite benefits are provided until the challenge is met in full. Marriott Bonvoy are the best example of this style of challenge with Platinum Elite status after 16 nights.
When Is It Worth Asking For A Status Match?
I find asking for a status match worthwhile in two situations.
Firstly, a status match is beneficial if you are planning on staying at a new brand of hotel or flying a new airline due to changes in your travel pattern. While this mainly applies to business travel, I’ve also found it worthwhile to match between hotel brands for the complimentary breakfast and 4PM checkout during leisure stays.
Secondly, a status match is a useful way of extending your elite status. If your elite status is due to expire at the end of the year but you match to the equivalent tier in a competitor program, you’ll remain a Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Titanium etc member. You can then shift your loyalty to make use of these benefits or potentially use the new status for a future status match.
Which Airline Or Hotel Will Match My Status?
My two resources for finding status match opportunities are a website literally named StatusMatcher.com and the iconic Airline Status Match Master Thread on FlyerTalk.
The former is an easy to use website designed to quickly show which airlines and hotels match status, and allows users to share their experience.
The latter is arguably the richest source of airline status matching data points in the world and started back in 2008 by user lucky9876coins. He is better known as Ben Schlappig of OneMileAtATime.com fame (with his own feature in Rolling Stone magazine).
Status Extensions Due To COVID
WIth the global impact of COVID-19, almost all airlines and hotels extended elite status for an extra year. For example my Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite and Alaska MVP Gold statuses were due to expire at the end of 2020, but have both been extended to the end of 2021.
Given COVID remains the major issue around the world and travel all but impossible, my prediction is elite status will be extended a further year to the end of 2022.
It doesn’t make sense to penalise previously loyal customers who are unable or unwilling to travel during a global pandemic. Airlines and hotels will need their most loyal customers back once travel returns, hopefully toward the end of 2021.
Bottom Line
Status matching is a useful tool to ensure you get the best travel experience with your selected airlines and hotels. With brands looking to recover rapidly once travel is again possible at scale, it will be worth keeping a lookout on what your current elite status can unlock.
