Tag Archives for status match.
After Delta Air Lines announced it was going all Keyser Söze on its elite frequent flyers, and acting like the master manipulator who leaves no loose ends, even if it means betraying those who trust him, there’s a clear opening for competing airlines.
Customers in competitive markets should be looking at what makes the most sense for their travel. Maybe they should still fly Delta, as a free agent, and just not earn on a Delta credit card. Maybe they should take a fresh look at other airlines. Status matches make that easier.
Is this a clue about the direction it’s changing? I’m told that the effort is internally called Project Orion, that nondisclosure agreements were signed (and so we’re hearing fewer leaks than normal), and that the way status is earned will be changing – but details are not yet fully clear.
American Airlines AAdvantage status members can register for 90 days of elite status with Hyatt, with an expedited path towards keeping or increasing that status next year.
Right now anyone with a travel credit card can get Frontier Airlines elite status. And that’s a real offer. I’ve seen plenty of people use photoshop over the years when asking for an airline to ‘match’ the status they already have in order to move their business.
American is sending out marketing emails to members offering to let them straight up buy elite status. This isn’t the usual ‘buy back status you lost last year’ or even ‘buy a level of status higher than what you earned’ (which historically has generated over $30 million per year in revenue).
Instead, American is sending out offers to members who do not have status at all – members who may not have flown them in years – and offing to let them buy Gold or Platinum status through March 2024 directly.
Spirit Airlines is offering a unique status match oppportunity with top tier elite status for $99 (or lower status for $49) and they will even provide this status match for someone who just has hotel status from a credit card. That’s something many of you will want to jump on, because it makes Spirit Airlines – which has great fares, and lots of fees – an incredible deal because it can get rid of most of the fees and can even give you a free drink and snack on board. That could even be Hilton Silver status from a credit card, it doesn’t matter. There’s a fee for the match, but if you’re going to travel on Spirit only once it could be worthwhile. But you’ll want to consider taking advantage of this right now:…
Spirit Airlines, the low cost and fee-based carrier, is offering the opportunity to fly them without paying most of their fees for a year.. They’re offering 12 months of status to almost anyone with status of any kind either with another airline or even a hotel chain. That could even be Hilton Silver status from a credit card. And the offer is about to be pulled.
Google search trends reveals an exodus for United Airlines MileagePlus.
Delta SkyMiles has been known to status match a ham sandwich. No matter what proof of your current status with another airline you’d send in, they’d approve temporary SkyMiles status and a challenge to keep that status. That’s part of how they work to poach the best customers of their competitors.
The easy matches may be tightening up a bit at Delta Boulevard. At least they may be working to make sure the status you’re offering with another airline to justify the match is at least real.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
