Old Jan 4, 2017, 11:12 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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:
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.
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.
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TK status match (2017 onwards)

Old Mar 15, 2017, 1:42 am
  #136  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: TK Elite (*A Gold), Le Club Accorhotels Gold
Posts: 51
This is very good news, because by August I had about 30,000 status miles. If in June, I'll get gold for the second year, it is little need to elite status for the next two years.

Very well, that Turkish solved the problem.
tomwro is offline  
Old Mar 15, 2017, 8:10 am
  #137  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 13
Hi guys

Writing because I have some questions regarding crediting of flights with Aegean to TK - essentially:
a) can this be done? It would appear so
b) does a "TK Elite" bonus apply to mileage earned and if so what percentage?
c) I plan on flying BCN-ATH / ATH-LHR with Aegean in Economy (~2.7k miles) - would the entirety of these count as status miles (i.e. pushing me to 15k), or do I need to watch out for ticket classes in Economy? Is there any way to check the impact of a ticket class on a partner airline on earnings for TK? TK listed website below shows impact
d) Given all the bad stories from other posters, do you think TK would honor this?

Bit of background: I originally completed the status match trial period with TK successfully, and have TK Elite(*G) for this year only. I've got around 9k status miles, and I had thought of flying this year enough to reach the 15k in order to extend Elite another year.

After reading all the negative reports here I decided to abandon this given TK was seemingly scamming customers, though now it seems they've straightened things out...As I'm ~6k shy of the 15k required in the first year to extend for another year, I thought I'd give it a go, though am still somewhat uncertain of whether this would be honored or not.

Any help / tips / suggestion would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

K

EDIT: Just found the partner earning table for Aegean (as of 2010), http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-in...egean-airlines

It doesn't mention anything about a Gold bonus, and also says: "Booking Classes not eligible for accrual: I, R, X, N" - Aegean specifies booking class on their website.

Last edited by krakalao; Mar 15, 2017 at 8:40 am Reason: Additional info.
krakalao is offline  
Old Mar 15, 2017, 2:23 pm
  #138  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 24
Originally Posted by tomwro
This is very good news, because by August I had about 30,000 status miles. If in June, I'll get gold for the second year, it is little need to elite status for the next two years.

Very well, that Turkish solved the problem.
not sure if this works. My status miles from the first status match year are not counting towards the 37500 required for renewal. From what I can see now, full 37500 status miles need to be collected within this second status match year.
gizmoo is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2017, 3:33 pm
  #139  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: AY Plat, AA ExP, NH Gold, AMEX PLAT
Posts: 312
I received the following:
"Welcome to Miles&Smiles Turkish Airlines' advantageous Frequent Flyer Program. 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 realized for extending your card validity date to 1 year, if 15.000 status miles accumulated from Turkish Airlines flights at the end of the first year elite membership will extend 1 year more and the total validity date will be 2 years. There is an oppotunity to earn extra %50 status miles from your first business class flight in the trial period."

So, I did a CAI to EU flight via IST and received my Gold card in the mail. I matched through AA EXP Emerald. So, I see my miles but still shows expiration in June 2017. I read so many people here saying its not honored? I will wait beyond the June period and see what happens to go for the remaining 13,000 I need to reach 15,000 for the second year. Why send a lovely Gold card package if only for 4 months? Am I missing something ?
Expiry still shows June 2017 despite doing that "one international Turkish Airlines flight should be realized for extending your card validity date to 1 year"

Last edited by altitude75k; Mar 19, 2017 at 3:40 pm Reason: numbers
altitude75k is offline  
Old Mar 20, 2017, 5:28 am
  #140  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: TK Elite (*A Gold), Le Club Accorhotels Gold
Posts: 51
Everything is fine. After 4 months (in June), if you will take an international flight with Turkish Airlines (you have it on your account), your status will be extended to a year.

Then there will be another step to change the status for a second year (you have to earn 15 000 miles on flights with Turkish Airlines).

I had the status match in June 2016, flight TK in September, and the validity of the card has changed in October to June 2017.
tomwro is offline  
Old Mar 20, 2017, 2:46 pm
  #141  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: UAL Silver
Posts: 35
my status match expires March 31. I take my next flight March 24 IAD to IST. They are offering double status miles for economy. I am on a cheapy U class fare which normally gets 25% miles on TK. With this double promo does this mean I'll get 50% versus 25% or will it be 200%. I'm sure I can guess the answer. Also, I've seen people have problems with the 15K one year match but has anyone had issues extending the 4 month match with an international flight? It should post by March 31.
jimaleg is offline  
Old Mar 20, 2017, 4:26 pm
  #142  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: AY Plat, AA ExP, NH Gold, AMEX PLAT
Posts: 312
Originally Posted by jimaleg
my status match expires March 31. I take my next flight March 24 IAD to IST. They are offering double status miles for economy. I am on a cheapy U class fare which normally gets 25% miles on TK. With this double promo does this mean I'll get 50% versus 25% or will it be 200%. I'm sure I can guess the answer. Also, I've seen people have problems with the 15K one year match but has anyone had issues extending the 4 month match with an international flight? It should post by March 31.
Are you sure its double status miles? I forgot about the cheapy fares that only pay 25% - it sounds like IF this really is status miles that you may only get 50% of your flight status miles. Hmmm - some LH flights to get close to 15k in a higher fare type are around $2,000-USD for economy.
I am questioning if its worth the status chase or not. Thanks for the heads-up regarding the fare type - I totally did not take that into account.
altitude75k is offline  
Old Mar 21, 2017, 10:03 pm
  #143  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: Krisflyer, Asia Miles, Miles and Bonus
Posts: 251
Hi, can anyone help with the following? My spouse got the status match in May 2016 with the following conditions:

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 must be realized 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.

She traveled on some TK flights within the 4 months trial period and the elite membership was extended to 1 year. Since the start of the status match, she has earned around 23500 status miles on TK and non-TK Star Alliance flights. Given this, will her elite membership be extended by one more year from May 2017?

Thanks.
bensim is offline  
Old Mar 22, 2017, 1:22 am
  #144  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: TK Elite (*A Gold), Le Club Accorhotels Gold
Posts: 51
It just depends on Turkish Airlines.

You've probably read that it was a problem, but recently this problem has been resolved and people get elite if they have 15,000 Star Alliance status miles, but not only TK flights.

I have this same problem. My status ends in June (first year). I will have about 27,000 status miles at that time (7000 TK flights)

I am waiting impatiently.
tomwro is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2017, 10:42 am
  #145  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 745
Anyone else "reinstated" got a new Elite card yet?

Mine came today this time with an expiry date - though I still have the one with no date on it...
CoweyB is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2017, 2:57 pm
  #146  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 24
Originally Posted by CoweyB
Anyone else "reinstated" got a new Elite card yet?

Mine came today this time with an expiry date - though I still have the one with no date on it...
yes, also with expiry date
gizmoo is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2017, 10:23 pm
  #147  
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 41
could someone enlighten me on how does the card without expiry date work? i mean, the expiry date isnt written on the card, doesnt mean that the status became lifetime, no? in the system however there will be 'expiry date' and also to get access to each lounge, someone has to show the boarding pass and it will tell whats your current status as well. or can someone just flash the card without showing the bp?
kerjaansei is offline  
Old Mar 30, 2017, 5:23 am
  #148  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Vienna, Austria
Posts: 2
Originally Posted by Steve_19
Hi All,

Was able to obtain the status match period of four months and then flew on one international TK flight, now over a month ago, to meet the requirements for the one year status match.

However after numerous (6-7) calls to TK seems they always keep telling me to wait "2-3 days" till the system updates my info - they do not dispute I have met the match, but keep saying to wait.

Anyone else have this issue and gotten to a resolution?
I did my status match two years ago without a problem. But a colleague of mine just recently gave up because they are being ridiculous about the conditions for status match. My colleague had a 1 year trial elite card and was asked to do a TK flight to re-qualify. But now they told him he needs 15.000 miles from TK flights and not Star Alliance flights... which is weird because he managed to get enough Star Alliance milage to re-qualify. Countless emails and calls to the helpdesk have not helped, so he has given up on the TK... now both his M&M and M&S Gold statuses have expired...
okabae is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2017, 12:08 am
  #149  
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 1
Originally Posted by okabae
I did my status match two years ago without a problem. But a colleague of mine just recently gave up because they are being ridiculous about the conditions for status match. My colleague had a 1 year trial elite card and was asked to do a TK flight to re-qualify. But now they told him he needs 15.000 miles from TK flights and not Star Alliance flights... which is weird because he managed to get enough Star Alliance milage to re-qualify. Countless emails and calls to the helpdesk have not helped, so he has given up on the TK... now both his M&M and M&S Gold statuses have expired...

TK Miles and Smile "Customer" service is a mess. I waited several month, had the same issue. First they told me 37500 miles with Star Alliance for re-qualification and I made it. I also have this in written format. Then they told me only TK flights and downgraded me to silver. Afterwards I got the ELITE card without expiry date and a new Gold Card with expiry date until Jan 2018. This card works but I have no clue how many miles I have to fly now with SA or TK or what ever.

I think about a status match to Asiana or an airline which has clear and visible rules. I am also member of a professional frequent flyer portal and they confirmed to me as well that TK is a kind of gambling game ....
maveNY is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2017, 12:46 am
  #150  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,835
Originally Posted by maveNY
I am also member of a professional frequent flyer portal and they confirmed to me as well that TK is a kind of gambling game ....
mlqsko is offline  

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