LATAM Status Match 2017
Jul 8, 2017, 7:47 pm
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SFO/SJC/OAK
Programs: OZ Diamond (*G), KQ Asante Gold (ST+), Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,511
I get that, which is exactly why I think a challenge is the fairest way. Give out temporary 3 month status, and see whether the customer will actually fly the airline. For example, why would someone in South America with Avianca *G be booking flights with LATAM without status with them? It's absurd. The challenge gives incentive without making the airline give away full on status to just anyone. It's worked well for the Big 3 in the US.
Jul 9, 2017, 11:05 am
#17
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: São Paulo
Programs: Latampass Black
Posts: 177
I think it works in the US because those airlines are often going head to head on the same routes, giving the customer a choice between which to use.
In South America, there is very little competition on most routes. Latam dominates obviously, but hardly even tries to compete on some other quite major routes. eg. Sao Paulo - Buenoes Aires (2 flights per day), Rio de Janeiro - Buenos Aires (1 flight per day). Latam has basically just given these routes to Aerolineas Argentinas & Gol. So if that is your most regular flight, then Latam is not the airline you want status with.
But Latam dominates the continent for most destinations & you don't really have the "choice" of using another alliance. Whilst you can find a different airline on many routes, you can't find a different airline that is the same alliance for most. eg. The two biggest competitors to Latam are Gol & Azul, both of whom are Brazilian based & focused & not a part of any alliance. Avianca is OK if you're Colombia based but if you want to fly anywhere other than the major city in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil (SAO + Rio)etc, you'll need to fly or connect with someone else.
So my point is, Latam don't need to offer someone a "challenge". Either the person is flying in South America (in which case they will have one Latam flight) & they will status match them, or they're not flying in South America & they won't. The number who ARE flying in South America that don't have a single Latam flight would be very small I guess.
In South America, there is very little competition on most routes. Latam dominates obviously, but hardly even tries to compete on some other quite major routes. eg. Sao Paulo - Buenoes Aires (2 flights per day), Rio de Janeiro - Buenos Aires (1 flight per day). Latam has basically just given these routes to Aerolineas Argentinas & Gol. So if that is your most regular flight, then Latam is not the airline you want status with.
But Latam dominates the continent for most destinations & you don't really have the "choice" of using another alliance. Whilst you can find a different airline on many routes, you can't find a different airline that is the same alliance for most. eg. The two biggest competitors to Latam are Gol & Azul, both of whom are Brazilian based & focused & not a part of any alliance. Avianca is OK if you're Colombia based but if you want to fly anywhere other than the major city in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil (SAO + Rio)etc, you'll need to fly or connect with someone else.
So my point is, Latam don't need to offer someone a "challenge". Either the person is flying in South America (in which case they will have one Latam flight) & they will status match them, or they're not flying in South America & they won't. The number who ARE flying in South America that don't have a single Latam flight would be very small I guess.
Jul 10, 2017, 11:36 pm
#18
Join Date: May 2013
Location: west coast best coast
Programs: TINDER GOLD, STARBUCKS GOLD, COSTCO EXECUTIVE!!
Posts: 3,989
Well then I guess I won't be seeing what the "pleasures" of OneWorld are beyond this one trip. I do find it frustrating how difficult it is to status match nowadays. It seems like every single program needs proof of a flight taken before. The whole point of a status match though is to give you incentive to fly with the given airline/alliance. Why would you be flying with them before if you had status with someone else. I don't really understand the reasoning.
Challenges make more sense either way, you get temporary status and then prove that you're actually going to be flying the airline regularly. Too bad only airlines in the US seem to do it this way.
Challenges make more sense either way, you get temporary status and then prove that you're actually going to be flying the airline regularly. Too bad only airlines in the US seem to do it this way.
I know of several people who have booked a LATAM flight just to status match to LATAM Black emerald, never fly them again, and then just use their status to fly AA CX BA etc on their normal routes and never step on a LA flight again
If you think flying one segment on LATAM is onerous, I've got news for you
Jul 11, 2017, 6:53 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SFO/SJC/OAK
Programs: OZ Diamond (*G), KQ Asante Gold (ST+), Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,511
You're joking, right?
I know of several people who have booked a LATAM flight just to status match to LATAM Black emerald, never fly them again, and then just use their status to fly AA CX BA etc on their normal routes and never step on a LA flight again
If you think flying one segment on LATAM is onerous, I've got news for you
I know of several people who have booked a LATAM flight just to status match to LATAM Black emerald, never fly them again, and then just use their status to fly AA CX BA etc on their normal routes and never step on a LA flight again
If you think flying one segment on LATAM is onerous, I've got news for you
Jul 13, 2017, 12:24 pm
#20
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: LHR
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 381
Sounds like LATAM is still matching to March 2018. I am holding off until they start status matching until March 2019. Any idea when that would happen? Any more recent reports than May?
Oct 7, 2017, 8:57 pm
#25
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: UA*S, AA Plat, HH Diamond, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 256
Oct 10, 2017, 4:44 pm
#26
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Currently living in MAD
Programs: *G and whatever else I can match to....
Posts: 914
I'm in the process or requesting a match right now. I reached out via email, FB and Twitter.
FWIW, so far I've found the twitter team to be the most responsive.
FWIW, so far I've found the twitter team to be the most responsive.
Oct 11, 2017, 3:57 pm
#27
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Programs: DL Platinum (ST+), JL JGC (ows), NH SFC (*AG)
Posts: 104
I just got my AB status matched (AB platinum to LA Black), and I originally reached out to twitter about a week and a half ago. The status is valid til March 2019!
Oct 12, 2017, 10:30 am
#28
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DXB
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, A3 Gold, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 2,811
Just wondering:
Do you get the upgrade vouchers as well?
The reason I am asking is that my girl-friend and I will be going to South America over NYE.
I would want to fly IGR-EZE-SCL-LIM.
I am BA Gold (OW Emerald) and A3 Gold, my girl-friend is only BA Silver (OW Sapphire).
So we already have all the Oneworld benefits, but it would be great if we could book economy tickets and fly EZE-SCL and SCL-LIM (stopover in SCL) on the 787 in business class.
I flew LA FRA-MAD-FRA earlier this year (without my girl-friend), so I would be eligible.
The only question is if it would make sense...
If we don't get upgrade vouchers for my girl-friend, then there wouldn't be much point.
I've heard that OW Emerald gets matched to LATAM Black.
Also, I read that the vouchers are only valid until March 31 every year.
Assuming my Black status would be valid until March 31, 2019, would I get a new set of vouchers on April 1, 2018?
Thanks!
Do you get the upgrade vouchers as well?
The reason I am asking is that my girl-friend and I will be going to South America over NYE.
I would want to fly IGR-EZE-SCL-LIM.
I am BA Gold (OW Emerald) and A3 Gold, my girl-friend is only BA Silver (OW Sapphire).
So we already have all the Oneworld benefits, but it would be great if we could book economy tickets and fly EZE-SCL and SCL-LIM (stopover in SCL) on the 787 in business class.
I flew LA FRA-MAD-FRA earlier this year (without my girl-friend), so I would be eligible.
The only question is if it would make sense...
If we don't get upgrade vouchers for my girl-friend, then there wouldn't be much point.
I've heard that OW Emerald gets matched to LATAM Black.
Also, I read that the vouchers are only valid until March 31 every year.
Assuming my Black status would be valid until March 31, 2019, would I get a new set of vouchers on April 1, 2018?
Thanks!