In search of an airline standing match? Our information to airline standing matches and challenges in 2024

Whereas most loyalty programs don’t provide a option to prolong elite status past the present 12 months, a workaround is obtainable: By matching your expiring elite standing to a competing loyalty program, you may probably preserve your advantages by deciding on totally different carriers.

Quite a few airline loyalty packages present the chance to match elite advantages from different packages. As an illustration, in case your Delta Air Lines Medallion elite status will expire Jan. 31, you would possibly have the ability to match it to a competitor’s program. This sometimes grants you momentary elite standing with the competing program, which could be prolonged by assembly particular flight or income necessities.

Subsequently, for those who qualify, you may achieve complimentary elite standing with one other airline. Maintain studying to be taught extra about present airline standing matches and challenges you may snag in 2024.

What to find out about getting an airline standing match

There are some essential methods and ideas to recollect when initiating a standing match or problem.

For a standing match, you should sometimes 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.

Then again, a standing problem might or might not require you to have present standing. The airline will specify the variety of elite qualifying miles or {dollars} you should earn inside a selected timeframe to realize a selected elite tier. It’s important to completely perceive the necessities and which actions depend towards the problem, as some cobranded credit cards or associate airline tickets could also be excluded. Keep in mind that standing matches and challenges are sometimes restricted to as soon as per lifetime per account, though some carriers have exceptions.

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It’s often suggested to finish a match or problem after June to take pleasure in standing for the remainder of the 12 months and probably retain it for the next 12 months. Nonetheless, latest airline standing match challenges, just like the one Delta began offering in 2024, will assist you to preserve standing by way of January 2026.

Moreover, it is value mentioning that airways might not at all times publicize their standing match and problem alternatives. It’s possible you’ll must name or electronic mail the airline’s customer support and verify web sites like StatusMatcher. Keep in mind that your request’s end result might differ relying on the agent processing it.

Associated: Is airline elite status still worth it?

Alaska Airways standing match

Alaska Airways used to supply easy standing matches; nevertheless, the present standing match course of now features a problem element.

Alaska will match elite standing from the next packages:

• Aeromexico Rewards
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• American Airways AAdvantage
• Delta Air Strains SkyMiles
• Frontier Airways Miles
• Hawaiian Airways HawaiianMiles
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Southwest Airways Fast Rewards
• United Airways MileagePlus

Whenever you request a standing match, you can be granted the corresponding standing degree within the Alaska Mileage Plan program for 90 days. To retain this standing past the preliminary interval, you should 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.

The required flight thresholds are as follows:

• MVP: 5,000 miles
• MVP Gold: 10,000 miles
• MVP Gold 75K: 20,000 miles

Sadly, Alaska’s MVP Gold 100K tier has no standing match alternative.

To submit a request, visit the dedicated status match page and supply a screenshot of your present mileage assertion displaying your identify, standing and miles earned this 12 months or flown within the prior 12 months to realize elite standing.

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

When you request a standing match by the tip of June and fulfill the necessities, your new standing can be legitimate till the tip of the calendar 12 months. Then again, for those who provoke your standing match on or after July 1 by way of December and fulfill the necessities, your standing can be legitimate till the tip of the next 12 months, so making use of for it in July or August of this 12 months would maximize the size.

Associated: What is Alaska Airlines elite status worth?

American Airways standing match

American Airways provides a standing problem program known as Instant Status Pass to Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Diamond Medallion members and United MileagePlus Premier Platinum and Premier 1K elite members. To take part, you can apply here and be matched to both AAdvantage Platinum Professional or Govt Platinum.

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 momentary standing for an additional 4 months, it’s good to earn a prorated variety of Loyalty Factors, which is round one-third of the total requirement for a 12 months.

The Loyalty Factors required for every tier are as follows:

• AAdvantage Gold: 13,000 Loyalty Factors
• AAdvantage Platinum: 25,000 Loyalty Factors
• AAdvantage Platinum Professional: 42,000 Loyalty Factors
• AAdvantage Govt Platinum: 67,000 Loyalty Factors

Throughout every section, you may earn Loyalty Factors by way of qualifying actions with American, its companions and cobranded bank card spending. All these actions depend towards your standing problem.

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

Associated: Quick Points: How Hyatt and American loyalists can earn more rewards by linking accounts

Delta Air Strains standing match

Delta SkyMiles is currently offering a status match, as much as Platinum Medallion, to elite members of varied airways, together with worldwide packages like British Airways Executive Club, Lufthansa Miles & More and Virgin Australia Velocity, and main U.S. packages.

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

With Medallion standing shifting to a Medallion Qualification Greenback-earning system in 2024, to increase the standing past the preliminary three months, you would wish to earn the next:

When you qualify and full the problem’s further necessities, your Medallion standing can be prolonged by way of Jan. 31, 2026.

Associated: What is Delta elite status worth?

Frontier Airways standing match

Whereas not but accessible, you may be part of the waitlist for Frontier Airlines’ 2024 status match. The touchdown web page does reveal some particulars of the brand new match program, together with that:

• You’ll be able to match from 45 totally different airways, accommodations and cruise strains.
• A brand new “Elite Silver” tier will present 12 factors per greenback spent and Zone 2 precedence boarding.

Though additional particulars haven’t but been launched for 2024, Frontier has beforehand charged members for the “administrative prices” of approving a standing match.

Associated: I was offered top-tier airline elite status for $499 — here’s why

Hawaiian Airways standing match

Whereas not publicly marketed, HawaiianMiles has beforehand supplied standing matches as much as top-tier Platinum standing on a case-by-case foundation through its online contact form. It would not damage to ask.

To ask for a standing match with Hawaiian Airways, the corporate sometimes requires two issues:

• Proof of present elite standing
• Documentation of flights accomplished that earned the elite standing, together with flight exercise to no less than considered one of Hawaiian’s locations

Matches are often good for one calendar 12 months from the time of improve.

Associated: How to upgrade your seat on Hawaiian Airlines

Whereas JetBlue previously offered a limited-time standing match for disgruntled Delta Medallion members following the extensively controversial adjustments introduced in 2023, that supply has now ended, and JetBlue at present has no publicly accessible standing match provide.

Southwest Airways standing match

Beforehand, it was difficult to find Southwest’s standing match and problem packages as they weren’t extensively marketed. Nonetheless, the airline has now made these packages extra accessible by offering all the terms and conditions on its website.

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

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

To increase your A-Checklist standing for an extra 12 months, you should 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. Present A-Checklist members with expiring standing are usually not eligible for a standing match.

It is essential to notice that in accordance with the phrases and situations, your flights have to be booked and accomplished throughout the 90 days. Whereas present bookings might not depend, Southwest permits simple cancellation and rebooking with out penalties. This implies you may convert present bookings into new ones if the fare has not elevated considerably.

To qualify for the Southwest standing match, you should not have obtained promotional A-Checklist standing from any program, together with standing matches and challenges, throughout the previous 12 months.

Associated: What is Southwest elite status worth?

Spirit Airways standing match

Much like Frontier’s providing, the Spirit standing match is at present unavailable. You’ll be able to register here to affix the waitlist or apply as soon as it turns into accessible once more.

Traditionally, this is how this system has labored.

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

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

Up to now, you might prolong 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 credit 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, reminiscent of 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 replace this story when (or if) the Spirit Airways standing match returns.

Associated: Everything you should know before flying Spirit Airlines

United Airways standing match

United has relaunched its MileagePlus Premier Status Match Challenge promotion in 2024; members can register and obtain complimentary standing for 120 days.

Here is a take a look at how a number of widespread airways’ respective statuses would translate to United MileagePlus standing:

In response to United’s web site, that is solely a partial record. A full record is obtainable on the Premier Status Match Challenge form.

After enrollment, members have 120 days to earn a set variety of Premier qualifying flights and Premier qualifying factors to increase their elite standing. When you earn Premier standing on or after July 1, 2024, your elite standing is legitimate by way of January 2026. When you earn standing earlier than July, your Premier standing is just legitimate by way of January 2025.

Observe that 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 is United Airlines elite status worth?

Virgin Atlantic standing match

Virgin Atlantic provides a publicly available status match to members of choose competing packages.

Relying in your present standing tier, you are eligible for an prompt match to Second Tier (Silver) or Prime Tier (Gold). Nonetheless, those that match to Gold should have a future paid flight booked in Higher Class or premium economic system to be eligible. In the meantime, these matching to Silver should have a flight booked in any cabin to be accepted for a match. As soon as accepted, your standing match can be legitimate for 12 months from the date the account was upgraded.

Here is a take a look at what packages 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 you need to earn within the 12 months to retain your standing:

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

These with Virgin Atlantic standing profit from 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 SkyTeam airways, together with Air France, KLM, Korean Air and China Japanese.

Sadly, since Virgin Atlantic is now a member of Sky Team, you may’t use your Delta standing for this match.

Associated: The ultimate guide to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club