Jan 4, 2017, 11:12 pm
Last edit by: Jaenks
Update January 2020:
According to statusmatcher.com TK will only issue the the status match challenge to those holders of the following status:
Oneworld Emerald
Finnair Plus Gold (Oneworld Sapphire)
Skyteam Elite Plus
Emirates Gold/Platinum
Etihad Gold
Oman Air Gold
Other Gold Card holders including *G are out of luck.
Please report your experience in this thread and note the useful information in the Wiki below.
It appears that status matches are only granted once per lifetime, so think carefully before requesting if you might not re-qualify.
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!
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 (note list of matchable status above)
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:
04/11/2017 - CoweyB. TK has clarified that once a status match is given any miles collected during the first year of the match do not count for renewal - despite the email suggesting that 25,000 miles collected in the first year will secure renewal. TK has said that it is necessary to collect 37,500 in the second year to maintain Elite status for a further two years once the period of the status match ends.
According to statusmatcher.com TK will only issue the the status match challenge to those holders of the following status:
Oneworld Emerald
Finnair Plus Gold (Oneworld Sapphire)
Skyteam Elite Plus
Emirates Gold/Platinum
Etihad Gold
Oman Air Gold
Other Gold Card holders including *G are out of luck.
Please report your experience in this thread and note the useful information in the Wiki below.
It appears that status matches are only granted once per lifetime, so think carefully before requesting if you might not re-qualify.
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!
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 (note list of matchable status above)
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 (2017 onwards)
Nov 29, 2017, 1:02 am
#301
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 747
Gotten through the challenge...
I am about to leave shortly to go to SGN on my way home to LGW via IST and as a result of the flights I will have secured enough status points to pass 37,500. I will have gotten through the challenge and secured a further two years at Elite level.
Hopefully...
It has been a mad journey of having to remind TK of what they promised when each of the milestones were reached - and nothing happened (i.e. extending status for one year after the initial flight and for a further year when I reached 15K) and then there was the bizarre downgrade to Classic Plus that affected many of us, not to mention being reinstated to Elite with a card with no expiry date!
So I'm probably tempting fate to assume that it will all go smoothly... but I will report back after my points get posted to let you know if my status has been renewed automatically - or not!
Hopefully...
It has been a mad journey of having to remind TK of what they promised when each of the milestones were reached - and nothing happened (i.e. extending status for one year after the initial flight and for a further year when I reached 15K) and then there was the bizarre downgrade to Classic Plus that affected many of us, not to mention being reinstated to Elite with a card with no expiry date!
So I'm probably tempting fate to assume that it will all go smoothly... but I will report back after my points get posted to let you know if my status has been renewed automatically - or not!
Nov 29, 2017, 1:40 am
#302
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SFO, BRU, ADB
Programs: UA Gold, BA Silver, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 705
I am about to leave shortly to go to SGN on my way home to LGW via IST and as a result of the flights I will have secured enough status points to pass 37,500. I will have gotten through the challenge and secured a further two years at Elite level.
Hopefully...
It has been a mad journey of having to remind TK of what they promised when each of the milestones were reached - and nothing happened (i.e. extending status for one year after the initial flight and for a further year when I reached 15K) and then there was the bizarre downgrade to Classic Plus that affected many of us, not to mention being reinstated to Elite with a card with no expiry date!
So I'm probably tempting fate to assume that it will all go smoothly... but I will report back after my points get posted to let you know if my status has been renewed automatically - or not!
Hopefully...
It has been a mad journey of having to remind TK of what they promised when each of the milestones were reached - and nothing happened (i.e. extending status for one year after the initial flight and for a further year when I reached 15K) and then there was the bizarre downgrade to Classic Plus that affected many of us, not to mention being reinstated to Elite with a card with no expiry date!
So I'm probably tempting fate to assume that it will all go smoothly... but I will report back after my points get posted to let you know if my status has been renewed automatically - or not!
Because I just passed 37.5k in 2 years and nothing happened...
Nov 29, 2017, 5:57 am
#303
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 747
In fact the total after tonight/tomorrow’s flight will be just over 40K so there should be no question at all.
Of course absolutely none of this was spelt out when they offered me the challenge in the first place...
Nov 30, 2017, 11:03 am
#304
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: TK Elite (*A Gold), Le Club Accorhotels Gold
Posts: 51
In my account the situation looks very different from your accounts.
In June 2017, after a year, I got a downgrade to Classic Plus (I had over 25,000 status miles, but only 7,000 TK status miles). I had the old conditions (15,000 status miles in the first year).
After many messages to Turkish, I got re-upgraded to the * A Gold card. But I do not need to get 37,500 miles miles in the second year. They counted me all the miles.
Finally, by June I still have less than 10,000 status miles.
I am writing about my case, because everyone seems to treat each other individually.
In June 2017, after a year, I got a downgrade to Classic Plus (I had over 25,000 status miles, but only 7,000 TK status miles). I had the old conditions (15,000 status miles in the first year).
After many messages to Turkish, I got re-upgraded to the * A Gold card. But I do not need to get 37,500 miles miles in the second year. They counted me all the miles.
Finally, by June I still have less than 10,000 status miles.
I am writing about my case, because everyone seems to treat each other individually.
Dec 1, 2017, 3:39 am
#305
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,043
If you have less than 10,000 status miles your Elite status won't last long.
Dec 2, 2017, 12:00 am
#306
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 747
I am through the challenge.!
Mission accomplished. I also checked on old site which showed the comforting “zero” in card renewal box and it also said I didn’t need to buy status miles when I clicked there as well.
Dec 4, 2017, 1:20 am
#307
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,838
Same here, but I earned my 15k on TK metal within the trial! Was just downgraded to classic, wife (same status match, same flights) got upgraded until the end of 2018 lol.
Dec 4, 2017, 1:59 am
#308
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,043
Now the question is whether you want to push for another 40K to get Elite Plus. With the soft landing to Elite that's another two years of *A Gold, plus four free J upgrades.
Alternatively you are simply waiting for your next cycle and doing 25K to renew Elite. Depends on how much organic travel you have and how much you need to "travel hack" these requirements with quasi mileage runs.
Dec 4, 2017, 3:23 pm
#309
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 747
Congratulations!
Now the question is whether you want to push for another 40K to get Elite Plus. With the soft landing to Elite that's another two years of *A Gold, plus four free J upgrades.
Alternatively you are simply waiting for your next cycle and doing 25K to renew Elite. Depends on how much organic travel you have and how much you need to "travel hack" these requirements with quasi mileage runs.
Now the question is whether you want to push for another 40K to get Elite Plus. With the soft landing to Elite that's another two years of *A Gold, plus four free J upgrades.
Alternatively you are simply waiting for your next cycle and doing 25K to renew Elite. Depends on how much organic travel you have and how much you need to "travel hack" these requirements with quasi mileage runs.
Dec 7, 2017, 12:47 pm
#310
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Jerusalem
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,281
So at the end they understood that at the time of my status match 15K was required on any *A carrier and respected that.
Dec 11, 2017, 5:09 am
#311
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Jerusalem
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,281
And a follow up question, which is indeed very basic:
I can't find anywhere any mention that in order to qualify for Elite / Elite + status (or re-qualify) there is a minimum segments / status miles to be taken on TK metal. Is that right?
I can't find anywhere any mention that in order to qualify for Elite / Elite + status (or re-qualify) there is a minimum segments / status miles to be taken on TK metal. Is that right?
Dec 11, 2017, 6:18 am
#312
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 747
My understanding is that they can be on any Star Alliance flight - it's just the challenge that has the fly on TK metal requirement.
Dec 11, 2017, 8:26 am
#313
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Jerusalem
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,281
Dec 12, 2017, 3:31 am
#314
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,838
Via the feedback system? How long did you take it back and fourth?