FlyerTalk Forums - Airline Status Match Master Thread

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hi everyone - I'm BA Gold and have a flight with Delta in a month or so. What's the best way / best option to status match across to Skyteam? TIA

DL will match you to PM for a few months.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delt...ve-thread.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by oliver2002 (Post 37527216)

DL will match you to PM for a few months.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delt...ve-thread.html

Thank you. Annoyingly the criteria seems to include that you have to have been on a Delta-marketed flight in the last 3 years, which I haven't! Are there any other SkyTeam members that would be worth a look instead? I'm flying out business, back economy so would like to use the lounge on the way back.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marble35 (Post 37527243)

I'm flying out business, back economy so would like to use the lounge on the way back.

Another way to approach this would be to open an American Express Platinum card, which allows access to Delta Skyclubs when flying Delta.

I don't think there is such requirement. They want to get you on board and will match and then give you 90 days to do a challenge and keep the status.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oliver2002 (Post 37527278)

I don't think there is such requirement. They want to get you on board and will match and then give you 90 days to do a challenge and keep the status.

It says on their website unfortunately.

I've submitted the status challenge anyway, together with my flight confirmation. Let's see what happens!

Quote:

Originally Posted by marble35 (Post 37527287)

It says on their website unfortunately.

I've submitted the status challenge anyway, together with my flight confirmation. Let's see what happens!

Did DL got you on the challenge without that 1 segment requirement?

Quote:

Originally Posted by marble35 (Post 37551198)

No reply as yet...

...and just declined as I haven't had a Delta flight in the past 3 years. Crazy. Here goes the Flying Blue match then!

Is there any ongoing match from Skyteam (Elite Plus with VN) to Oneworld?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Jabadski (Post 37349805)

(10/1/25) Several bloggers now reporting Royal Jordanian (OneWorld) status match. Inexpensive ($149) AA domestic lounge access (if eligible). ….

(Match ended very quickly, within a day or 2 or 5.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Jabadski (Post 37453273)

(11/28/25)… Maybe correct, but mainly sad. Having taken advantage of BA match 1-2 years ago and the RJ match a month or 2 ago, I fully appreciated and made excellent use of the matches which saved me many $$$ in lounge access and/or membership fees.

Another lesson from the FF (nutjob, myself most definitely proudly included) Lecture “Strike While the Iron is Hot”*. …

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Jabadski (Post 37359289)

(10/7/26) …BREAK … Any thoughts as to the limiting factor for this sort of thing, basically selling AA Club access for 1 year at 20% of typical membership rate? RJ limits, AA limits, OneWorld limits, website overwhelmed, other?...)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mia (Post 37380744)

(10/19/26) I suspect the limiting factor is that the designer of the original match did not realize that status would provide lounge access to any significant number of people. The current offer does not apply to USA residents, and does not match any USA based airline status.

You are very astute, correct as always. I just got back from FTU Dallas where the founder of StatusMatch did a presentation and I asked him (too many) questions afterwards.

IIRC he said: - some status matches are not made public, contact StatusMatch.
- from an airline’s point of view a match is to increase business, not provide more benefits to customers of other airlines.
- there are various ways lounge access for an affiliated elite are financed, some times the host (lounge) airline pays, sometimes the affiliated elite program pays.
- some matches and renewals can be purchased, even if not promoted publicly.
- (specifically for the RJ match last fall which ended in just a few short days) apparently AA got annoyed because it increased Admirals Club visits which AA paid for. (RJ basically made some money and only had to print some new digital cards.)