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Status Passes - what are they and how to use them?

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Old Sep 15, 2021, 4:27 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Bohemian1
A status pass does not confer your status to the recipient.
So, for example, if you are Super Elite, your beneficiary does not get or have Super Elite privileges. They do not get any kind of Star Alliance Gold privileges.


What is a status pass?
A status pass (sometimes abbreviated as "STPA") grants passengers many of the benefits of elite status (detailed below). One status pass is applied to a booking and extends benefits to all passengers (up to 9), on all flights, on that booking.

The benefits of the STPA don't exactly correspond to any elite tier.

The status pass must be applied before travel commences. It cannot be applied after any flights have been taken. It is unclear whether there is a deadline to apply the pass. A pass can be removed from a booking up to 6 hours before travel commences.

What does a status pass get you?
  • Priority check-in
  • Free checked bags (3 per passenger), with priority baggage handling
  • Priority security
  • Access to Maple Leaf Lounges ("MLL", including international lounges) and Cafés, prior to your departing flight
  • Priority boarding (Zone 2)
  • Priority standby
  • Unpublished benefit: the STPA seems to confer eUp priority similar to 50K status
  • More details in the FAQ here

What DOESN'T a status pass get you?
  • Access to Signature Suites
  • Access to lounges not operated by AC
  • Free seat selection
  • MLL guesting privileges
  • E50K status (some of the status pass benefits are similar, but are certainly not comprehensively equivalent to E50K)
  • *G status

How does a status pass get added to a reservation?
The pass must be applied by the person with elite status (E50K, E75K, Super Elite). It can be done through the AC app or via the AC website.

In order to apply the pass, you will need the PNR (booking reference) and last name of any of the passengers on the PNR.

How do I know if the Status Pass actually was added? How can the PAX prove to airport staff that they have one?
The person granting the pass should see the pass applied in their Benefits section under Status Pass. Look at sent passes.

cowtool PNR lookup will indicate "A status pass has been applied" for reservations where it has been successfully applied.

The PAX should have "STPA" on their boarding pass.

Are status passes different depending on the status of the person giving the pass?
No. All status passes are the same. Whether the pass was given by an 50K or a Super Elite is irrelevant.

My status pass expires December 31 2023. What does that mean?
The status pass must be applied before the expiry date. The actual travel can take place any time in the future.

Do they work for award and cash bookings?
They can be applied to both.



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Status Passes - what are they and how to use them?

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Old Jul 24, 2021, 3:46 pm
  #46  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: YYZ
Programs: Ex-Bonvoyed, Hyatt, Hilton, BR, AC, AA
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Originally Posted by canadiancow
Have you written in about it? The priority security BP indication is really new, and I bet they just overlooked this.
No, should I be writing to Air Canada or the airport? I’ll send the relevant department an email.
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Old Jul 24, 2021, 4:01 pm
  #47  
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Definitely AC. They advertise priority security for the status pass, and your BP didn't show priority security,and therefore, you were not granted it.
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Old Jul 24, 2021, 5:33 pm
  #48  
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Originally Posted by vernonc
Apparently you can only use these status passes before a trip commences. Have a friend who needs it for the return leg, they already flew the outbound and the website says that the pass has to be transferred before commencement of journey.
That's very unfortunate.
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Old Jul 26, 2021, 7:36 am
  #49  
 
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Yup. Even called in to see if they could do it since the website would not allow it but no-go

Was able to redeem the status pass for another friend. Student going to Univ on the East Coast so primarily for the free bags. Will report on her experience at the end of the month.

Last edited by Adam Smith; Jul 26, 2021 at 11:32 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by same user
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Old Jul 28, 2021, 4:06 am
  #50  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
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Originally Posted by TheCanuckian
Friends are flying YYZ - FRA - JNB. It's a Lufthansa booking, but the first flight, YYZ - FRA, is on an Air Canada aircraft.

It's my understanding that I can give them a status pass so they can get benefits at YYZ, including the MLL. My question is, would the status pass also entitle them to the MLL lounge in Frankfurt during their layover?
To answer my own question, Air Canada (via the SuperElite email address) confirms they will have access to the MLL in both Toronto and Frankfurt. That makes the Status Pass a really significant benefit to hand out to others who are in a circumstance like this.
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Old Aug 5, 2021, 8:11 pm
  #51  
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So, just wondering: Has anyone been successful in applying a status pass to an Airmiles redemption booking?

I know it's possible to apply status passes to AE award bookings, but Airmiles bookings have traditionally been a PITA.
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Old Aug 11, 2021, 9:48 am
  #52  
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Originally Posted by vernonc
Apparently you can only use these status passes before a trip commences. Have a friend who needs it for the return leg, they already flew the outbound and the website says that the pass has to be transferred before commencement of journey.
To be clear, this was a roundtrip booked on the same PNR?
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Old Aug 12, 2021, 11:31 am
  #53  
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Anyone with recent failure stories?
I'm thinking of giving them to my parents for an int'l flight... and from above it looks like they can be used at an Int'l MLL?
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Old Aug 12, 2021, 1:36 pm
  #54  
 
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Originally Posted by yyznomad
To be clear, this was a roundtrip booked on the same PNR?
Yes,
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Old Aug 12, 2021, 7:04 pm
  #55  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
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Originally Posted by yyznomad
Anyone with recent failure stories?
I'm thinking of giving them to my parents for an int'l flight... and from above it looks like they can be used at an Int'l MLL?
That’s what concierge told me.
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Old Aug 13, 2021, 9:46 am
  #56  
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Originally Posted by vernonc
Yes,
Thanks, good to know.
For the friend that was able to use a status pass of yours, did they take advantage of every or most perks available to them?
I feel like it would be a waste if they used the status pass just for, say, a domestic MLL and that's it. Also, I'm sure a FOTSG might not even know where to go or what to do in certain situations with the status pass.
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Old Aug 13, 2021, 10:09 am
  #57  
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Originally Posted by yyznomad
I feel like it would be a waste if they used the status pass just for, say, a domestic MLL and that's it. Also, I'm sure a FOTSG might not even know where to go or what to do in certain situations with the status pass.
I feel like FOTSGs should get a briefing before travelling with a status pass. I think I will require that anyone I give it to spend 5-10 minutes on the phone with me for me to explain their entitlements.
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Old Aug 13, 2021, 10:15 am
  #58  
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Originally Posted by Adam Smith
I feel like FOTSGs should get a briefing before travelling with a status pass. I think I will require that anyone I give it to spend 5-10 minutes on the phone with me for me to explain their entitlements.
Would you also want them to maximize (like, a pinky swear) the use the requirements though?
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Old Aug 13, 2021, 10:33 am
  #59  
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Originally Posted by yyznomad
Would you also want them to maximize (like, a pinky swear) the use the requirements though?
Something like that. I'm sure there are many people to whom I could give a status pass, so I'd like to make sure that whoever gets it makes good use of it. I would hate to find out that one friend paid a bunch of baggage fees and sat in the terminal on a long layover while someone else to whom I gave a status pass only used it to get into the lounge for 5 minutes.
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Old Aug 13, 2021, 10:45 am
  #60  
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Originally Posted by Adam Smith
Something like that. I'm sure there are many people to whom I could give a status pass, so I'd like to make sure that whoever gets it makes good use of it. I would hate to find out that one friend paid a bunch of baggage fees and sat in the terminal on a long layover while someone else to whom I gave a status pass only used it to get into the lounge for 5 minutes.
Sounds like what my FOTSG friends and family would do, even after all information has been conveyed to them.
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