Virgin Atlantic is Matching Elite Status

Get Silver or Gold Flying Club Status with Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic is now matching elite status with select airline frequent flyer programs worldwide.  If you hold the highest status on select airlines Virgin Atlantic will match your status with their Flying Club program.  This offer is effective immediately and if you’re approved, you get to keep your Flying Club status for an entire year.  Here are the full details.

What Airlines Will Virgin Atlantic Match Status With?

Virgin Atlantic is offering to match status on the following airlines: British Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Jet Airways, Cathay Pacific, South African Airways.  Below is the full chart showing what elite tiers Virgin Atlantic will recognize.

This status match offer is free and if approved, is valid for an entire year.  As is standard with most status match offers, you will only need to earn a fraction of the elite tier points it would normally take to retain status.  If you are matched to Flying Club Gold, you will need to earn 1,000 tier points within a calendar year.  If you are matched to Flying Club Silver, you will need to earn 400 tier points in a year.

As always, you’ll need to prove your status my submitting a program statement, past bookings, tier points, etc.  It appears that Virgin Atlantic also wants you to prove you’re traveling with them in the future per their website.

A Short List Of Benefits

While I always jump on the opportunity to match status, Virgin Atlantic is one airline that I wouldn’t put much effort into when it comes to this promotion.  Virgin Atlantic offers very few elite status benefits to Silver members.  Gold status, however, is much more valuable.

With Silver status, you get to pick your seat 14 days in advanced (whoopie!), have access to Premium Economy Check-in, get priority standby, and earn additional miles.  Gold status gets you access to Upper-Class check-in, priority boarding, free baggage, free seat assignments, free access to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses, and a free spa treatment at the Clubhouse.  Overall, a pretty sad selection of benefits with Silver status.

Overall

Certainly not the most valuable status match promo in the world, it’s still a worthwhile opportunity if you take Trans-Atlantic flight often.  Additionally, according to the promotion’s webpage, Virgin Atlantic appears to be sticking to their list of programs they’ll match status with.  Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin America, Aeromexico, LATAM, and Qatar elites likely won’t have a shot at matching status.  It’s also worth a try to match status even if your airline isn’t on the official list.

Here’s the email address to which you should send your credentials: Flying.Club.Support.UK@fly.virgin.com.  Visit Virgin Atlantic’s website for the full terms and conditions.