sensei

I think the only limiting factor is that most (if not all) airlines will only status match you once. Of course, elite challenges are pretty common too these days and that forces you to prove to them how much you fly--on their metal.

skywalkerLAX

Unless you open a new account and get a new status match

GUWonder

NW has a habit of doing things like this -- even when matching late in the year -- which means there are plenty of status matched beneficiaries who found that NW policy quite frustrating from March 1st and beyond.

kkjay77

I can understand if I matched status in, say, August to have enough time to fly at least 50K miles, but NW expected me to fly full mileage in a month and a half.
That's not reasonable IMHO.

skywalkerLAX

Well... thats why one should always ask in advance how such a sttus match will work.

Flying 50K in 1,5 months is too hard and will obviously lead to the fact that one will not re-qualify. So the point of a status match is basically lost. Then NW should introduce a challenge like UA/AA. fly X amount of miles in 3 months.

DENROC

Does US Airways/Dividend Miles program offer "match" status? If so, what requirements/procedures. Thanx.

wendyg

I'm longstanding *G on US out of London and am considering my options for next year. I originally started flying US because they flew to PHL, had laptop power outlets at every seat incl economy, and have generous enough carry-on baggage rules that I never have to check anything. #1 and #3 still apply. But the airline has gone way downhill, as everyone knows, and although they haven't taken the power outlets off the intl Airbuses (unlike the domestic Airbuses), they fly Boeings some of the time that have no such facilities. I have 138,000 FF miles I can't use for upgrades because I never buy tickets above the $ limit required; the only benefit to being gold is using the club (now gone from LGW), automatic domestic upgrades (but I fly US domestic very little), preferred seating (fast airport exit), and getting through checkin and boarding faster. I'm tired of the crap food, beancounting policies such as inadequate fuel that 2x this year had us diverted to gas up so we could hold at PHL and delayed 4 hrs each time.

I fly just about exactly 50k/yr, mostly London-PHL or London-SFO or LAX. So far planned but not booked for 2009, RT to ORD, SFO, IAD (or PHL).

Which FF program would you switch to, and why? If I'm going to do it, now is the time.

wg

kkjay77

Let's see...
LHR to ORD, SFO, IAD; all of which are UA hubs.
I guess in your case it's simple.
UA might be the best option for you as E+ is nice enough TATL.

kiez

Hi guys

I am an LH SEN with some upcoming activity on Delta.

So do you think they will match me? Are there any preconditions? Anything special I have to say - write, or do I just send in the copy of the card via Fax to Delta?

(but i will not loose my status at lh by matching will I?)

Regards

Kiez

kkjay77

DL should match your LH SEN status, but I'd get a match from NW.
DL will only match your SEN status to Gold Medallion while NW will probably match to Plat.
As today's Dec. 27th, I'd guess the status match on NW should safely valid through Feb. 2010.

lucky9876coins

To add to kkjay77's excellent suggestions, you won't lose your status with LH by matching.

wendyg

I forgot to note that I assume also several PHL flights, where UA doesn't go. I've been burned by them in the past where they've refused to credit miles for flights with the wrong fare class (not always easy to tell at time of booking). Have they improved in this respect?

Do they do status matching w/ US?

wg

ssnz

Hi,

I have a fair bit of US domestic travel next year, largely on CO/US, starting from late Jan.

I hold a BA Gold and BD Gold and a thinking a status match may be in order.......

Can anyone advise as to the best programme to match to and how long it takes to get a card and so on? If i'm going to do it i'd like to get the card as proof of status before i'm away to avoid having issues when I travel.

Thanks in advance!

skywalkerLAX

NW will only match North American Top Tiers / immediate competitors to Platinum.

In general you can say that the average *G member will recieve SkyTeam Elite with either programm.

duchy

Thanks to those both here and on the DL board whose tips enabled me to match for Gold Medallion. The status was invaluable as I hit a delay LGW CVG on my first trip and misconnected. Everyone else going to Vegas on the flight was rebooked for the next day but Delta rebooked me proactively the same day via MSP. Compensation miles were also added without me having to ask.
The status also got me lounge access at LGW in Terraces (still trying to figure that one out-but it was appreciated).