CO just gave me a status match! It took LESS than one day (I sent the email last night)!

Will this last me through 2011?

Here's the response I received from SAA requesting a status match. They clearly didn't understand what a status match is.....



Dear Bennytma

We acknowledge receipt of your query dated 20/12/2010 and are pleased to be of assistance.

The Voyager programme is an individual programme and miles cannot be transferred or linked to another account.

You can only earn miles on one Frequent Flyer programme. For further assistance contact our Voyager call centre on 011 978 1234.




For ease of reference in future correspondence regarding this enquiry, please quote your case reference number as provided above.

Regards


Voyager Support Services

I just got a response from CO and they addressed me as a completely different person. In fact, my sex changed too. Needless to say, I was denied. Or should I say the other person was denied. Who knows where the real airshadow stands. Yikes...

For the curious, here's the reason given. Notice the odd wording (bolded)

"We are unable to offer an Other Airline Match since you have been matched to another airline within the last five years."

Not sure how to interpret that one exactly...


edit: actually, that makes a bit more sense now that I've re-read it. I suppose CO refers to status matches as "other airline matches" and the person they meant to inform must have already done a status match within the last 5 years. It sounded odd to me at first, especially since I wasn't expecting it...

How long did it take to get a response. I submitted for a match last night, and need it by Jan 6 or I will be paying some baggage fees (2 bags!) I might end up cancelling the UA flight and rebooking on DL. Feel like a huge J.A. for waiting last minute.

The response was quick (within 24 hours) but considering they addressed me as a completely different person, it wasn't really a response. Hopefully you'll have better luck. My OnePass account still shows my old status. We'll see if they respond to my follow-up "whaaat?" email...

Got a response back, I never sent a copy of my actual skymiles card.
I think its in my vehicle but I wont know until tomorrow morning.

Yes. I got matched from AA EXP to CO PLT, received an email stating I would receive a card expiring 3/11, but to expect a replacement card shortly following valid till 3/12.

And can you do a "challenge" without using your (presumably) once-in-a-lifetime "match" (like you can with a GLD or PLT challenge on AA)?

Looks like I can match DL Silver over to CO Silver, and when CO combines into UA in 2012 it seems like UA won't know about the match with CO and you could do another match with UA down the road.. though no one really knows.

Now, if I match today looks like I'll be CO Silver through Feb 2012. Though if I wait a few days and match in Jan 2011 would it go through Feb 2013? Me thinks that I may have to wait until after June or July of 2011 as those seem to be the months people report getting the additional year and then it may be good through Feb 2013. Thoughts? I do have a CO flight in March so may not wait that long to find out.

I believe that you have to wait until June to do the match to get status through all of 2012. At least that's what was determined this year - there was some confusion in the thread, but in the end I think that was the conclusion.

I asked in a CO thread when people think would be the latest you could match and still have it be invisible to UA, but I don't have a reply yet, and of course it would all be guesswork anyway. I'm hopeful that it will still work in June 2011.

I managed to get a few status matches (bmi, saa, co), but I'm confused about one thing: If I'm status matched on, for example, BMI, I want to utilize their elite benefits. However, I don't want to accumulate miles with them (I'd rather earn with UA or CO). Is that possible?

I know United has two ff fields - an elite ff# and a earning ff#, allowing one to do both But what do you do with other airlines? For example, looks like I'm getting a status match on South African Airways to use on an ORD-JNB trip -- the elite status would be great for possible upgrades, but I'd rather earn UA miles for the long flight.

Do you just ask to change the ff# back at the gate after checking in? (But then it seems you risk losing the possible last-minute upgrade)

I never quite understood how people do this. Thanks for any suggestions.

Good news from CX, got Marco Polo Silver without a pending flight, matched from AA EXP. I am planning on moving to Asia, so will definitely use it, especially since the lower CX fares don't earn AA miles.

Would advice against doing so many matches esp if just for 1 flight. It is once every 5 years type of matching so you want to be judicious in using that. Don't want to need it later and not be able to get it due to using it now.

Typically you will not just get upgraded purely due to status for international flights anyway

I'd appreciate if anyone has any other info on this. A status match of June 2011-Feb 2013 on CO would be great.

Also anyone know if they look at your flying history when they match? I.e. if you got a significant chunk of your miles through bonuses or transfers will it matter?