Nothing gets a certain set of frequent flyers more excited than a status match. For those unfamiliar with the term, a status match is where your elite frequent flyer status level is matched to a comparable level in a competing airlines frequent flyer programme. It means you can gain a high status with another airline without actually doing any flying with them at all.
Gaming The System
Frequent flyers want a status match in order not to lose their lounge access and other priority benefits when travelling on a competitor. That is quite a natural desire when you think about it, but it is certainly not in the spirit of a frequent flyer programme.
The whole point of an airline loyalty programme is to reward people for flying frequently! It is not to reward the person who might fly with the airline once or twice a year but who actively chooses to regularly fly with another airline.
It really can be that simple. Airlines have started to cotton on to the abuse and are now making various stipulations about the matched status. For example, some airlines require the customer to fly a certain number of miles with them over a certain period of time in order to keep their elite tier.
You Don’t Deserve A Status Match!
Thing is, no-one deserves a status match. I once witnessed a Twitter exchange where someone was attempting to get American Airlines to provide complimentary elite level due to their upcoming business travel pattern. The people at American were politely and professionally turning the guy off.
Witnessing the customer throw his toys out of the pram at this was an eye opening experience. He just could not believe the airline refused and his sense of entitlement was galling.
I tend to look down upon airlines that offer status matches for promotional purposes. They must be desperate for customers if they are willing to give their elite level cards away so easily.
Overall Thoughts
Status matching devalues a frequent flyer programme in my eyes and that is probably why it is not loudly advertised by those airlines that do it. Nothing makes me more sad than the thought that I spent thousands of dollars and countless hours in the air to achieve my status while someone else had to just send in their competitors card to receive the same thing.
I think matching should be outlawed completely and I love airlines that just won’t do it at all. What are your thoughts on this matter? I’d love to hear them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
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Featured image and Miles & Smiles image via oneworld. Other images via the airline featured.
I don’t think a status match is as ridiculous as you think. I status matched away from AA in August 2016 due to a myriad of problems at my home airport. AS matched my AA status and have treated me like a client instead of an ATM, to which I’ve rewarded them with my business exclusively this year.
My pet peave is when a particular airline gives away a targeted status off for 90 days, with full value if you fly x miles in x amount of time. That, in my opinion, devalues a frequent flyer program more than a status match.
I’m curious as to why you didn’t just fly AS and earn your status with them the normal way – that was more my point. You’ve matched over to get Elite status to keep your benefits rather than earning them. I am delighted it all worked out for you of course! I have warm feelings towards AS after a good flight several years ago now. I do hear you on the rest of your post. It is not the best thing in the world. Thanks for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it!
I status matched mainly to avoid all the darn fees. I mean, I do pay for F wherever I go, mainly because I’m tall and have wide shoulders. I don’t fit very well I’m the back and discount F isn’t available to non-elites. Had I known what was going to transpire with AA last year, I would’ve booked my flying for the year with AS instead. I was based in Tulsa, OK and had to relocate to Seattle in Dec 2015.
Yes, it’s very true – one of the other comments mentioned avoiding fees by status matching which is an excellent reason to do it in my opinion! I’m a big fan of saving money which I do believe most people would be! 🙂
Nice take Trent. I know it stings to see someone else game the system to get what we work had to earn the old fashioned way. But let’s not forget it’s the airline that makes the status rules not a bunch of frequent flyers (thankfully sometimes). If they run the program and make the rules it’s also their decision to try to lure us away from our primary if we might bring them future profits.
I’ve status matched once and for the most part I had no plan on flying the matched airline, just needed lounge access. So I’m guilty as charged. Thing is I burned myself in the process. I could really use that match now as I have an upcoming award flight booked via AA on BA metal and can’t select my seats in advance unless I pay a fee. If I had that matched status now I could pick my seats just because of the status. Foiled again as I certainly don’t play the game smart.
While I appreciate your dogma of earning something don’t let it be a downfall. We give the airlines a lot of business and when we can leverage that spend to benefit ourselves during travel it’s worth considering a match. Or even a challenge.
From a marketing perspective, I can see why an airline would try to lure away customers by danging the carrot of elite status in front of something. That makes total sense for an airline that needs more high yielding business passengers.
I also have status matched once, which was when BA bought BMI and Aer Lingus offered a match to catch the old BMI people before they were swallowed up by BA. That was a boon for me as I was flying Aer Lingus with no status up to 24 times a year (by way of explanation, their old programme did not reward low fares at all at times). I certainly could match now with various airlines but I have no interest in flying them so it would be pointless.
You bring up a good point with regards to the seat selection fees. I hadn’t considered the angle that a status match could potentially save a person real money regarding seat fees. Very good point! Thanks very much for your thoughtful comment, really appreciate it – and glad you liked the post!