Jan 2, 2016, 8:40 am
Last edit by: CoweyB
Update January 2016: Recent reports indicate the unofficial status match programme is running reasonably smoothly.
TK will only match Star Alliance Gold , Skyteam Elite Plus, Oneworld Emerald members, Emirates and Etihad Gold/Platinum and El Al Platinum/Top Platinum. Other, more exotic, gold card holders are out of luck. Please report your experience in this thread.
It appears that status matches are only granted once per lifetime, so think carefully before requesting if you might not re-qualify.
Please note that the only way to contact TK is now via the website
2/6/2015 new info from TK
We have received your message that you sent to our unit on 20 January 2015. Please be informed that when you claim your first flight with Turkish Airlines or other Star Alliance members to your Miles&Smiles account, your card will be sent to your address automatically.
On the otherhand, we would like to remind you that you can also get your original Miles&Smiles Card from Card Press Desk at Ataturk Airport International Terminal between 07.30 A.M and 09.45 PM. The location of Card Press desk is between A and B Check-in counters.
4/7/2015
Adding this Step-by-Step guide with screenshots to TK Status Match
http://dcta.boardingarea.com/2015/02...-status-match/
26/7/2015 - Jerry
TK asks for Elite card scan AND Account activity within last 2 months, so it's best if you have some activities!!
Timeline can range from few hours to few days, be patient!
21/9/2015 - Neil791
For those reporting successful matches, can you please post your results as follows so others can estimate their wait times, success rates
02/11/2015 - flolee
It looks like TK might also ask you for a scan of your Passport now. So if you are in a hurry better submit it right away in the first place with all the other documents.
Date Requested
Current Airline and Status (i.e. AB TopBonus, AA Plat, etc)
Information submitted (i.e. physical card scan, activity statement, etc)
Any replies received other than confirmation
Date Confirmation Received
03/01/2016 - zap7
Multiple reports from December 16th 2015 onwards state that TK now only grants a match to 4 months "elite trial", requiring 1 international TK flight during the 4 months following the match to extend it to one year and 15000 k TK status miles during that year to extend elite status to 2 years:
04/01/2017 - CoweyB. There appear to be issues with TK automatically extending Elite membership for a second year even if the 15,000 status miles have been accumulated. Some FTers are reporting downgrades to Classic Plus instead
TK will only match
It appears that status matches are only granted once per lifetime, so think carefully before requesting if you might not re-qualify.
Please note that the only way to contact TK is now via the website
2/6/2015 new info from TK
We have received your message that you sent to our unit on 20 January 2015. Please be informed that when you claim your first flight with Turkish Airlines or other Star Alliance members to your Miles&Smiles account, your card will be sent to your address automatically.
On the otherhand, we would like to remind you that you can also get your original Miles&Smiles Card from Card Press Desk at Ataturk Airport International Terminal between 07.30 A.M and 09.45 PM. The location of Card Press desk is between A and B Check-in counters.
4/7/2015
Adding this Step-by-Step guide with screenshots to TK Status Match
http://dcta.boardingarea.com/2015/02...-status-match/
26/7/2015 - Jerry
TK asks for Elite card scan AND Account activity within last 2 months, so it's best if you have some activities!!
Timeline can range from few hours to few days, be patient!
21/9/2015 - Neil791
For those reporting successful matches, can you please post your results as follows so others can estimate their wait times, success rates
02/11/2015 - flolee
It looks like TK might also ask you for a scan of your Passport now. So if you are in a hurry better submit it right away in the first place with all the other documents.
Date Requested
Current Airline and Status (i.e. AB TopBonus, AA Plat, etc)
Information submitted (i.e. physical card scan, activity statement, etc)
Any replies received other than confirmation
Date Confirmation Received
03/01/2016 - zap7
Multiple reports from December 16th 2015 onwards state that TK now only grants a match to 4 months "elite trial", requiring 1 international TK flight during the 4 months following the match to extend it to one year and 15000 k TK status miles during that year to extend elite status to 2 years:
Welcome Miles&Smiles Turkish Airlines' advantageous Frequent Flyer Programme. Elite card trial period will be valid for 4 months. As of start date of elite membership within 4 months trial period one international Turkish Airlines flight should be realised for extending your card validity date to 1 year, if 15.000 status miles accumulate at the end of the first year elite membership will extend 1 year more and the total validity date will be 2 years.
TK status match (2016)
Dec 12, 2016, 8:53 am
#331
Join Date: May 2016
Location: IST, LHR
Programs: TK E+, AA PLAT
Posts: 481
Their website is not the greatest. I usually use use a mix of ITA, THY and Hipmunk to find my flights. A quick search on ITA throws up BOS-IST-BOS 01/25-01/30 for $750. $780 is you want to fly back on the Saturday.
Or
JFK-IST-JFK 01/25-01/29 for $800
But is you are only after *G for lounge access then are there not paid lounge options that might work out cheaper? I don't know what the lounge options are in the US
Or
JFK-IST-JFK 01/25-01/29 for $800
But is you are only after *G for lounge access then are there not paid lounge options that might work out cheaper? I don't know what the lounge options are in the US
Dec 12, 2016, 9:09 am
#332
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: UAL Silver
Posts: 35
Thanks...I'll try your suggestions on websites. While lounge access is nice, you're right that it's not worth $700 in itself. However a trip to IST might be fun if I can get a decent fare in late March. Seems like it's the same price from DC. The hard part will be getting 12,000 miles in 12 months since I don't think my U class flight from Oct will do much (it was only 50% credit because it was U...no mileage credit on United, Miles&More or COPA)....so I have to post to TK. It will be interesting to see if the posting of a flight prior to the match will trip the 12 month wire. I am going to go ahead and submit my return portion for mileage credit. If it works to extend my status I'll let everyone on here know. The thing is, how do you know if you're extended? Do you get a permanent card or is there some other indication on the account? I know I ask a lot of questions and I would direct them to TK if they could only answer them! I see why you can love and hate TK. Great food and lounge but a complete mess when it comes to booking or getting questions answered!
Dec 12, 2016, 9:30 am
#333
Join Date: May 2016
Location: IST, LHR
Programs: TK E+, AA PLAT
Posts: 481
Keep an eye out on this thread Cheapest TK long-haul business? there you will seen when deals are posted and with a J fare or two you should have no problem renewing. Depends of course on how much you want to throw at this thing.
Dec 13, 2016, 1:01 am
#334
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
I DID! I DID! But i'm still puzzled why, as an infrequent TK passenger, you have targeted TK. But no matter, that's your business!
I think it's pretty standard for challenge to run from the status match date rather than from the date the application was made. I could be wrong though!
I think the SE Asian tag flights ended, so you are left with South America: TK doesn't sell Bogota to Panama City, so effectively that leaves only Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires.
Sorry, no.
Well, you're wrong
Well, you're wrong
Dec 13, 2016, 11:36 am
#336
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SFO, BRU, ADB
Programs: UA Gold, BA Silver, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 707
Dec 13, 2016, 4:17 pm
#338
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: UAL Silver
Posts: 35
I DID! I DID! But i'm still puzzled why, as an infrequent TK passenger, you have targeted TK. But no matter, that's your business!
I think it's pretty standard for challenge to run from the status match date rather than from the date the application was made. I could be wrong though!
I
I think it's pretty standard for challenge to run from the status match date rather than from the date the application was made. I could be wrong though!
I
At this point, you're right...flying TK just to extend my SA gold is a rather expensive way to get SA gold (plus I'm elite plus on TK which doesn't provide much more than the lounge access on TK). Had they granted the SM by my return flight in Oct, I would have had status through Oct 2017 (and could have leisurely taken my 2017 summer trip to central Europe). Where I messed up is once I realized I didn't get the match by the time I returned from my TK flight, I should have held off emailing TK until 12/31/16 then my match would have been good through at least April 30 and I could have flew in April vs. chilly March. You see, I electively go to Central Europe once a year (ideally summer but early fall or late spring will work) and domestic US much more (mostly using United Miles since I have no status)....Thank you United for failure to recognize an almost 3/4 million miler! TK, while great food in coach, is really a 2 hour waste of time each way since the IST hub is not central Europe. I could deal with this time waste if I could use their lounge and have SA gold through most of 2017. Now I have to decide whether it's worth it to move my summer/spring/fall central Europe to late March. The other thing is I buy cheap fares so I don't even get full mileage credit on TK (I only got 25% on my Oct U fare.... United or M&M was zero accrual!). It's very unlikely I will re-achieve elite status with United (unless they do a status match...which I would try if I had status at the end of 2017 since United last status match was the last quarter of 2012...but I won't have status unless I extend TK...I). I'm basically out of options. After my match expires, I will be living hand to mouth on elite status and United club passes (700K lifetime on United and I have zero current status). It's like begging after being rich...it's harder to go down than up! Hope everyone enjoys this.
Last edited by jimaleg; Dec 13, 2016 at 4:32 pm
Dec 13, 2016, 4:21 pm
#339
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: UAL Silver
Posts: 35
Do the miles posted immediately before the status match count toward the 15K miles?
Dec 15, 2016, 5:08 am
#340
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Germany
Posts: 1,244
Is it important, that the TK flight credited before any other flight or will others still count for the 15.000 miles if there was no TK flight credited before them?
Dec 15, 2016, 11:08 am
#342
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Germany
Posts: 1,244
Well, we will take a flight which should bring about 28.000 miles with another star alliance airline. Not sure if we have time to get on a TK flight before this flight, can we also do it after we collect the necessary miles, as long as it's within 3 month of the match?
Dec 15, 2016, 3:32 pm
#343
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YUL
Programs: AC E75, WS Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, GHA Plat, UA Silver, SQ Silver
Posts: 215
Can i avail a status match from AB gold to TK Elite ?
I moved to Canada and almost every route is owned by *A.
I moved to Canada and almost every route is owned by *A.
Dec 15, 2016, 4:32 pm
#344
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SFO, BRU, ADB
Programs: UA Gold, BA Silver, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 707
Dec 15, 2016, 4:45 pm
#345
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YUL
Programs: AC E75, WS Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, GHA Plat, UA Silver, SQ Silver
Posts: 215
Thanks. I can't even get past their horrendous sign up page. Its throwing me validation error which I am unable to figure out for last 30+ mins.
District getting populated as DIGERS and mobile & Telephone number is never accepted. The webpage is not even highlighting where the mistake is. !