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)
Feb 27, 2017, 1:24 am
#106
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 12
I got this challenge too. Now I'm just wondering what does Turkish considered as "international flight". If I fly Sweden - Greece for example with turkish (via istanbul ofc), is that considered international flight? Or does it need to be some long disctance flight?
It's ok as long as the flight happens during the 4 month period. So you can buy ticket even before the match.
Hi, apologies if this has already been answered in the various threads on this status match.
I've applied for a match and am about to book a flight with TK. If I book it before the match comes through, but fly after it does, will it still count?
I read somewhere that the qualifying flight to extend to 12 months must be booked after status is granted, but I wasn't sure if that was rather imprecise language.
Does anyone know for sure?
Interestingly as a data point for anyone trying in the future, I have twice submitted the requested screenshots/evidence via the website file upload as directed and neither time was it received with my request. Not sure what's going on there, but the Twitter team were able to accept my file and attach it to the request.
I've applied for a match and am about to book a flight with TK. If I book it before the match comes through, but fly after it does, will it still count?
I read somewhere that the qualifying flight to extend to 12 months must be booked after status is granted, but I wasn't sure if that was rather imprecise language.
Does anyone know for sure?
Interestingly as a data point for anyone trying in the future, I have twice submitted the requested screenshots/evidence via the website file upload as directed and neither time was it received with my request. Not sure what's going on there, but the Twitter team were able to accept my file and attach it to the request.
Feb 27, 2017, 6:35 am
#107
Join Date: Nov 2005
Programs: BA Gold, TP Silver
Posts: 888
International means non-domestic. So any flight that's not within the same country. In your case Sweden-Greece via Istanbul would be two international flights.
Feb 27, 2017, 9:27 pm
#108
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: Krisflyer, Asia Miles, Miles and Bonus
Posts: 251
Up till today I wrote 5 mails to TK customer service containing screen shots, e-mails and the original status match, which they can easily look into if you provide the file number, however, even when emphasising in the mail to actually please answer my stated questions and not give a standard reply, all I received, 5 times, was the same standard reply from TK.
There is also no chance to talk to anyone on the phone through the call center that is authorized to make adjustments. Only by mail.
My assumption is that the whole status match program seems to be a scam on the highest level, as it brings additional revenue to TK from various customers for at least 1 year without handing out any profit to the customer.
As not even customers who actually managed to fly 15,000 miles on TK seem to get the extra year extension.
However, I am not really surprised that this turkish company only seems to have the aim to rip off their customers. And they call themselves the best european airline......I think they couldn't be further from european standards and ethics.
There is also no chance to talk to anyone on the phone through the call center that is authorized to make adjustments. Only by mail.
My assumption is that the whole status match program seems to be a scam on the highest level, as it brings additional revenue to TK from various customers for at least 1 year without handing out any profit to the customer.
As not even customers who actually managed to fly 15,000 miles on TK seem to get the extra year extension.
However, I am not really surprised that this turkish company only seems to have the aim to rip off their customers. And they call themselves the best european airline......I think they couldn't be further from european standards and ethics.
Feb 28, 2017, 7:38 am
#111
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: Star Alliance Gold, AS MVP
Posts: 990
Don't even try, TK just doesn't care...
Mar 4, 2017, 9:42 am
#113
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+Plat
Posts: 862
Mar 6, 2017, 3:53 am
#114
Join Date: May 2015
Location: ATL/MCO
Programs: Costco Executive, RaceTrac Sultan of Soda, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 5,662
Mar 6, 2017, 4:14 am
#115
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+Plat
Posts: 862
Mar 6, 2017, 4:25 am
#116
Join Date: May 2015
Location: ATL/MCO
Programs: Costco Executive, RaceTrac Sultan of Soda, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 5,662
Mar 8, 2017, 11:55 pm
#119
Join Date: May 2015
Location: ATL/MCO
Programs: Costco Executive, RaceTrac Sultan of Soda, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 5,662
Mar 10, 2017, 1:25 pm
#120
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 24
update: after not hearing back I had given up on this topic. Today, 2 months after my downgrade, I was back on Gold! Expiry jan 2018. No message or email from TK yet. My assumption is they realised the messup and are fixing it. Has anyone else experienced this?