Delta partner Kenya Airways will status match anyone with a heartbeat (well, anyone with a credit card) and they have a separate promotion that lets you claim triple status miles to keep what you’ve matched.
Kenya Airways is currently offering to match up to their top tier elite status. Both Gold and Platinum status are ‘SkyTeam Elite Plus’ which gets you priorty check-in and boarding on Delta; free checked bags; and preferred seats including exit row.
And they’ll match just about anyone or anything. Even a Hilton Gold, IHG Gold, or Marriott Gold gets Kenya Airways Gold and thus status that’s helpful with Delta.
What’s more they have a very interesting (separate) path to keeping this status. They will sell you your choice of double and triple status qualifying credits which you can earn even on partner flights (like Delta).
In other words, you can easily get status with Kenya Airways quickly, and you can pay to keep the status with as little as one-third the usualy flying.
Both the status match offer and the ‘status boost’ offer are paid promotions through StatusMatch.com. The status match costs are:
- Silver: US$99 (meh)
- Gold & Platinum: US$299
For residents of many countries, though, it’s $80 and $175 if matching from an airline. Status is valid for 12 months.
Then once you match, you can buy ‘tier booster’ to retain status more easily. They let you subscribe for 90 days or a full year (these autorenew so you’ll want to cancel to avoid continuing).
2x Status Booster – Double Tier Points for USD $200 for 90 days or USD $600 for the full year.
3x Status Booster – Triple Tier Points for USD $250 for 90 days or USD $800 for the full year.
All SkyTeam partner airline flights are eligible, this is not just for Kenya Airways flights. And it doesn’t just apply to new bookings. Double or triple credit is based on whether you’re subscribed when you take the flight. You do need to register in advance, though, because this takes up to 48 hours to reflect on your account.
This is a pretty good offer to paying for status and keeping it, but not one I’ll pursue because (1) I’m not a regular with SkyTeam, just a few Delta flights a year and a few Air France KLM awards, and (2) because I’m an Air France KLM Fly Blue Gold member already (SkyTeam Elite Plus) via Bilt Platinum.
Okay, so here’s a hypothetical for which I’d love to get some feedback:
– A person has EP with AA;
– Same person flies with DL enough to have Silver status with that airline annually;
Would it benefit such a person to use this status match offer (with their AA EP) to Platinum and then earn and burn with Kenya Airways on all their revenue DL flights?
If so, what are the relative advantages and disadvantages?
TIA
@Mike
If they’re only silver, which is Elite benefits, it’s good to have Elite Plus, which includes Sky Priority, Two Bags etc.
@IsaacM – That sounds a lot like what you get for having a Delta credit card. If there’s Delta lounge access this sounds okay, although not spectacular, but otherwise it doesn’t sound compelling for 300 bucks.
Yeah not really. I didn’t originally catch the $300 part. I thought it was one of those free matches with some minimum challenge.
A few sites really hyped this recent promo, but it’s not that great, namely because it’s a paid match.
If I were a different SkyTeam member airline, like Delta, I’d be upset with Kenya for devaluing the program, selling benefits which will cost other airlines who have to then provide them.
@IsaacM — If it were a ‘free’ status match, then, yes, a fine idea for consumers, but, since it’s paid, your revised ‘take’ on this is correct. Hard pass. I felt SkyTeam Elite Plus benefits are only useful when flying in Economy overseas (and want lounge access). Elite already gets extra baggage and boarding benefits. These days, I’m just trying to find ‘affordable’ business class for long-haul anyway, so I’m less concerned about relying on Elite Plus benefits (because that class of service often includes the lounges, etc.); however, to each their own.
@Christian — Speaking of cards, the Delta Reserve Amex has been a keeper for me. Between the 15 SkyClub passes (book First if you don’t want as much of a wait to get in during peak hours), enhanced Companion Certificate to First within North America, the MQD Headstart, and the silly monthly credits ($10 rideshare, $20 Resy), I feel that I get my monies worth on the annual fee for now. Of course, they’ll probably change it all again soon… *sigh*