Every year - about this time - my travel agent might mention one or two airlines that are offering to match elite status from other airlines. (In other words, they are sending communication to big travel agencies *inviting* people to do it.) I have never taken advantage of the offer because of "once in a lifetime" comping rules that most airlines have. I'm AA Plat and UA PremEx and I fly little else, so I don't need or want NW, CO, US, etc. status - yet.

This year, however, seems different: my travel agent sent me a formal letter 2 weeks ago with about TEN airlines listed on it that are aggressively seeking new passengers by matching status. About five airlines are even inviting non-elites to take a free comp to the low-elite level, without any matching status on another airline needed.

The letter said that the airlines still consider mid-tier comps to be "once in a lifetime" and do not allow top-tier comps. However, for anyone who wants a low-level status or is contemplating a wholesale carrier change: this seems like your chance.

Is anyone else getting these offers more aggressively than in the past? Are you taking advantage of any?

(Without giving too much detail, I will say that my travel agent is among the largest travel agent companies in the US and the airlines listed included most of the largest ten US carriers. The only action I took was to upgrade from no-status to low-status on one major carrier.)

FWIW, I really wish the airlines didn't do this, but I understand why they are doing it now.