Want to Switch Your Airline Loyalty? Here's What You Need to Know About Frequent Flier Status Matches

If you have earned elite status with an airline but are considering switching your loyalty, it's time to look for airline status match opportunities. These are often branded as a “challenge” which allows travelers to get an equivalent or lower status tier with a new airline. Status matching can make a lot of sense for many frequent fliers, but it might not be for everyone — here's what you need to know before making the switch.

What is status matching? 

In short, status matching allows you to try out a rival airline’s elite status program for a brief period in the hopes that you are pleased with the offering and switch your loyalty. Airlines are incentivized to offer status matching programs because they can capture new loyal frequent fliers and take them away from their competitors.

“A match usually takes one of two formats,” says Green. “1. They give you matching status for a year, sometimes without upgrade certificates, in hopes you’ll like the status and stick with the airline. Or 2. They’ll give you the status for 3-6 months and ask you to meet a challenge — such as a certain amount of flights to take within that time period or an amount of spend.”

There are some airlines, like Frontier, JetBlue, Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, and Spirit, that have had status matching programs in the past but do not currently have a program available, so it is worth checking in from time to time if you are interested to see if the program has re-opened. 

Other airlines, like Hawaiian and Turkish Airlines, have been known to offer status matches on a case-by-case basis, but you would have to contact them to understand what the requirements are and if you qualify. Points and miles enthusiasts have said they were successful with these airlines, but information is not publicly available to verify the program. “Most airlines have some sort of status match program even if they don't explicitly talk about it publicly — and if you don’t ask about it, you usually won’t know about it,” explains Green.

Benefits of Airline Status Matching

There are several major benefits to status matching. First, you can test out a new loyalty program before fully committing. Suppose you have Platinum Medallion status with Delta but are interested in switching to a different airline. In that case, you can match with American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum Pro and experience the program for a couple of months before you decide to fly exclusively with American from now on. 

More general benefits of having elite status with an airline can include complimentary upgrades, priority services when checking in, boarding, or getting baggage, waived fees, bonus miles per dollar spent, access to airport lounges, and more. The exact benefits will depend on the program and your level of status. 

How to Qualify

For airlines publicly offering status matching, the application process is quite simple. In general, you need to visit the website of the airline you wish to match to and review eligibility requirements. (The exact requirements will depend on the airline, as outlined below.) Generally, to qualify, you should hold elite status with an airline and be able to provide any required documentation to prove your status. Some status match programs will require you to have status with specific airlines or have a particular status level, while others are more lax and will allow you to match even a basic elite status with any airline.

Matched status typically only lasts for a couple of months, with the opportunity to extend based on the amount you fly. You should be strategic when applying for status matching, as you’ll want to ensure you can complete the requirements to extend your status within the allotted time frame. For example, if you have to take a certain number of flights during the promotional period to extend your status from 90 days to 12 months, apply during a time when you know you'll be flying a lot. 

Airlines Offering Status Match Programs 

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines offers a status match for 90 days with the possibility of extending by flying with Alaska and earning miles. To start, you must upload a screenshot of your elite status with another airline. Ensure the screenshot includes your first and last name, current status, and the amount of miles flown to earn status. To keep your matched status, continue flying on Alaska during your 90-day promotional period. You need the following miles to keep your status: 

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

If you start your status match by the end of June and fly the required number of miles, you will keep your status through the end of the year. If you start the status match between July and December, you can keep it through the end of the following calendar year. Note that you can only apply for a status match once, so be sure to strategize when you submit. 

Below is a table outlining which status programs Alaska Airlines will match and their corresponding status levels.

Alaska Airlines Status Match
	MVP	MVP Gold	MVP Gold 75K
Aeromexico	Gold	Platinum	Titanio
Air Canada	Altitude 25K (Prestige) and 35K	Altitude 50K	Altitude 75K and 100K
American Airlines	AAdvantage Gold	AAdvantage Platinum	AAdvantage Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum, and ConciergeKey
Delta	Silver Medallion	Gold Medallion	Platinum Medallion and Diamond Medallion
Frontier	20K	50K	100K
Hawaiian	Pualani Gold	Pualani Platinum	—
JetBlue	TrueBlue Mosaic	—	—
Southwest	A-List	A-List Preferred	A-List Preferred and Companion Pass (must hold both)
United	Premier Silver	Premier Gold	Platinum, 1K, and Global Services

American Airlines

American Airlines is slightly more strict than Alaska. The status match program with AAdvantage only applies to status earned with Delta Air Lines or United Airlines. Green explains, “A rival alliance is more likely to match your status.” You must submit proof of earned status with either Delta SkyMiles or United MileagePlus. 

If your loyalty was to Delta Air Lines, you can match your Platinum Medallion or Diamond Medallion status to AAdvantage Platinum Pro or AAdvantage Executive Platinum, respectively. Similarly, you can match United Airlines Premier Platinum and Premier 1K to AAdvantage Platinum Pro and AAdvantage Executive Platinum. 

To switch from Delta, you will need to submit screenshots from your SkyMiles account with the following information:

• Your first and last name
• SkyMiles overview, including current status and status tracker wheels
• 2023 account activity with MQMs, MQSs, and MQDs earned
• Your current membership card with an expiration date of January 31, 2025 or January 31, 2026

For United MileagePlus accounts, the screenshots should include:

• Your first and last name
• 2023 year-end snapshot
• 2024 Premier progress
• Your current membership card with an expiration date of January 31, 2025, or January 31, 2026

Once you receive your approval and enrollment information for an Instant Status Pass, you can use your matched status for four months. To keep your status longer, you have to meet the Loyalty Point goals every four months. You can qualify for status for the rest of the year if you meet all three goals. The requirements needed to keep your status for each four-month period are as follows:

• AAdvantage Gold: 13,000 Loyalty Points
• AAdvantage Platinum: 25,000 Loyalty Points
• AAdvantage Platinum Pro: 42,000 Loyalty Points
• AAdvantage Executive Platinum: 67,000 Loyalty Points

Delta Air Lines

Last year, Delta received some blowback over major changes to the SkyMiles frequent flier program. Even so, they offer a three-month status match challenge. To apply for the challenge, you need to submit a membership card with your name on it, a statement showing your earned elite status, and proof of account activity. You must be enrolled in the SkyMiles program for at least 30 days before applying for the status match offer. You will not be eligible to enroll if you have received a status match or promotional Medallion status in the past three years. 

The three-month complimentary status period will begin within 24 hours after you are enrolled in the program. You will be matched to Silver, Gold, or Platinum Medallion status based on your current status with another airline. You cannot match to Diamond Medallion status. To extend your status past three months, you must earn the following Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) during the promotional period:

• Silver Medallion: $1,250
• Gold Medallion: $2,500
• Platinum Medallion: $3,750

Note that some benefits of your Medallion status are not granted during the promotional period and will only be unlocked if you extend your status past the three-month window. The following are the airline status tiers that are eligible for Delta's status match program:

Delta Air Lines Status Match
	Silver Medallion	Gold Medallion	Platinum Medallion
Air Canada	25K and 35K	50K	75K and Super Elite
Air New Zealand	Airpoints Silver	Airpoints Gold	Airpoints Elite
Alaska Airlines	MVP	MVP Gold	MVP Gold 75K and 100K
All Nippon Airways	Bronze	Platinum	Diamond
American Airlines	Gold	Platinum	Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Concierge Key
Asiana Airlines	Gold	Diamond	Diamond Plus and Platinum
British Airways	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Copa Airlines	Silver	Gold	Platinum and Presidential Platinum
Japan Airlines	Crystal	Sapphire	Premier and Diamond
JetBlue	N/A	Mosaic 1	Mosaic 2, 3, and 4
Lufthansa	Frequent Traveler	N/A	Senator and HON Circle Members
Qantas	Silver	Gold	Platinum and Platinum One
South African Airways	Silver	Gold	Platinum and Lifetime Platinum
Southwest Airlines	A-List	A-List Preferred	N/A
United Airlines	Premier Silver	Premier Gold	Premier Platinum, Premier 1K, and Global Services
Virgin Australia	Silver	Gold	Platinum

Southwest Airlines

Southwest is very lenient regarding elite status matching — you can match for A-List status from any U.S. airline. All you need to do is register for the promotion and email proof of your current airline elite status, name, and Rapid Rewards account number. Once approved, you will receive A-List status for 90 days. If you want to extend your status, you can fly three round-trip flights or six one-way flights within 90 days of enrollment, and your status is extended for an additional 12 months. Note that you need to book and complete the flight requirements after qualifying for the status match promotion. Reservations made before enrollment but completed during the promotional period will not count. 

United Airlines 

United Airlines offers a solid airline status match opportunity. If you are approved to participate in the status match promotion, your account will be upgraded to Premier Silver, Gold, or Platinum —based on the level you hold in your current program — for 120 days. You can not apply for the MileagePlus Status Match program if you have participated within the last five years. The following frequent flier programs and status levels are eligible for status matching with United MileagePlus:

United Airlines Status Match
	Premier Silver	Premier Gold	Premier Platinum
Delta	Silver	Gold	Platinum
American Airlines	Gold	Platinum	Platinum Pro
Southwest Airlines	A-List	A-List Preferred	N/A
JetBlue	Mosaic	N/A	N/A
Alaska Airlines	MVP	MVP Gold	MVP Gold 75K
British Airways	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Qantas	Silver	Gold	Platinum and Platinum One

If you wish to keep your matched status for the rest of the year, you will need to earn both Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs) and Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) on flights operated by United or United Express within the 120-day offer period. The requirement is based on the level of status you match to in MileagePlus, as follows: 

• Premier Silver: Fly 4 PQFs and earn 1,300 PQPs 
• Premier Gold: Fly 8 PQFs and earn 2,600 PQPs 
• Premier Platinum: Fly 12 PQFs and earn 4,000 PQPs 

To submit your request, you just need to fill out a form with the following information:

• MileagePlus account number
• Valid email address connected to your MileagePlus account
• A digital copy of your 2024 membership card for the frequent flier program you are matching from, which should identify your first and last name, current elite status details, and expiration date or validity period (must be valid through the duration of the current year)

Tips for Making the Most of Airline Status Matches

To illustrate the type of traveler this would be best for, let’s use an example. Traveler A has Platinum Medallion status with Delta, but they want to explore other options. They're also relocating from Atlanta, a Delta hub, to Dallas, an American hub. In that case, they could qualify for the following programs and status levels:

• Alaska Airlines MVP Gold 75K
• American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum Pro
• Southwest Airlines A-List
• United Airlines Premier Platinum

They might choose to apply for a status match with American Airlines, as they will have access to more flights through their new home airport. It wouldn’t make much sense to apply for the Southwest Airlines program, as the perks of being A-List are not comparable to Platinum Medallion. Alaska Airlines has flights throughout the U.S. but has relatively limited international offerings compared to American and United. To decide between American and United, they would need to determine which airline they prefer and which elite benefits will be most useful. They'll also want to make sure that they can meet the flight requirements to obtain long-term elite status after the initial match.

“Just before COVID, I did a status match with United and they gave me a challenge of taking a certain number of flights in 6 months,” says Green. “Because of the pandemic, I was unable to accomplish the terms, but due to the circumstances, they were fine with resetting the timer.” Airlines can be flexible when unforeseen circumstances arise, but don’t count on it. 

If you want to apply for status matching, you should read the terms and conditions to determine the best time of year to apply. Some programs have a cutoff date of July 1 to determine how long you can extend your status. For example, if you apply for status matching prior to July 1 and meet the requirements to extend status, you will receive status for the rest of the year. If you apply after July 1 and meet the requirements, you can get status for the entire next year. 

Radchenko advises, “If you don’t have any trips on the books, wait until you do. Some programs only allow you to do this once every few years or once in a lifetime.” He continues, “So, be a strategist and only accept a challenge when you know you’ll be able to meet the requirements.”