Got this email from EK today:

Background:

I requested a status match based on OZ*G (Diamond), AF/KL Gold and CX Silver. I mentioned that I was willing to try out the awardwinning EK product, bla bla, but it was essential to me to have lounge access etc. I used the form on ek.com.

They asked me to scan and email the cards, and told me that my local EK sales office will make the decision.

Less than two weeks later I got the email above.

I tried to get EK to match my Qantas Platinum / Oneworld Emerald status a couple of weeks ago. Used the form on skywards.com as well as contacting local sales office.

Lots of upcoming EK flights in J but still no luck... :(

I was refused status match from TK e+ to EK gold... here's the response.

"Thank you for your patience while Emirates Sales Department in Ghana reviewed your request.

We do appreciate your choice to fly more frequently with Emirates. However, we regret that the Emirates Sales Department in Ghana are unable to offer Skywards Gold membership at this time.

Thank you for this opportunity to review your account and we wish you every success in qualifying for our Skywards memberships.

Yours sincerely,

Rachit Sharma
Skywards Customer Relations"

My small company spends over 300K on travel per year, for me, mostly J (ACC-PEK, CAN, NRT, HOU), and I wanted to try EK after a long absence...when I emailed them with my status match request, EK (head office) sent an email to the Accra EK sales manager...who was clueless on why it would be advantageous for EK to match...in Ghana customer service is a really big problem...and she could not understand the concept of status matching...if I would have sent in my reply from our Tokyo or Houston office, I am sure EK would have granted the match- after all, our company is on an acquisition spree with major projects in the news daily...EK dropped the ball. Star alliance has, the better network and TK is treating me good...O well.

EK Ghana suffers from the problem that they have a disproportionately high number of Skywards Golds here (often 50% of passengers on a flight is Gold), so the status has become virtually meaningless. There are hundreds of traders who do the ACC-CAN vv trip every few weeks and that is where the real money lies for them due to the excess baggage revenues that they also generate.

I've been a loyal Emirates Gold in Ghana for the last many years, but this year I am moving a lot of my travel to TK, ET and SA instead and focussing on *A status. Emirates' fares are simply no longer competitive in the markets I usually travel to (India + China).

I have contacted EK via there webpage for a status match few days ago. I explained that I have a LH SEN status and would like to match it with Skywards Gold in order to be encouraged to use EK more often for my flights to the Middle East. A day later they contacted me that they will forward my message to the local sales office. Yesterday somebody from the sales office contacted me and asked me a few questions, like for what company I work and how many times per year I travel to the ME and India. After I answered him all questions he told me that he will apply for my SW Gold status match.
This is a good move by EK, as this really doesn´t cost them a lot but will encourage me to fly them from time to time. So this is for them extra business that they usually wouldn´t have if they wouldn´t have matched me.

So if you want a match, just contact EK on the SW webpage. They will then forward it to there local sales office who will then decide.
What I have noticed from other FF is that they prefer to match the *A, OW and ST status and not so much QR.

Emirates did NOT match gold status after they promised to do so
 

I am a LH Senator (gold) and I flew frequently from Europe to Angola. I moved to Bangkok and asked Emirates in October 2013 to match my status. I received an email 3 days later telling me they would match if I send a copy of my LH card and if I book the first flight (Silver match if I book economy or Gold match if I book business). I went ahead booked a business class flight and sent a copy of my card. My first flight with them was on December and since I did not hear anything from them I started sending them emails. I always got a reply but it was always the same sort of message that the "special department" will decide this. Nothing happened and during my stop in Dubai and I spoke to a skywards representative with the same outcome that it will be decided soon.
Then finally on December 25th 2013 I received the following message:
"Thank you for your patience while we reviewed your request.

We do appreciate your choice to fly more frequently with Emirates. However, we regret that we are unable to offer Skywards Gold membership at this time.

Thank you for this opportunity to review your account and we wish you every success in qualifying for our Skywards memberships.

Yours sincerely,

Employee
Skywards Member Services"

Needless to say that I further inquired but the emails I received all carried the same message.
I wouldn't care if they would have turned my request down right away but first sending me an email that they will match my status and then denying it is unacceptable.

I consider switching all my flights back to Star Alliance and I can only warn everyone not to believe anything skywards will write you.