What is the right hotel and airline status and how do you get one?

Picture this: You travel frequently for business and your travel policy allows you to choose a preferred airline/League or hotel chains. You finally earned elite status in the program of your choice, which makes all those business trips a little easier with things like upgrades, priority check-ins, bonus points, and welcome gifts.

Then your employer suddenly changed their travel policy and all travel is now with an airline or hotel program for which you are not eligible.

Or maybe you’ve been loyal to a program for years but are disillusioned with how they treat you like an elite member, so you’re looking for a whole new company to make money doing business with.

Or perhaps you have moved from a city whose airport is dominated by Delta Airlines to a place unified airline or American Airlines is the main carrier.

The elite status you worked so hard to build now seems useless.

All is not lost. Enter the world of status matches.

What is a suitable status?

State matches are where a program will match your state from another program to the same or lower level in its own program. For example, a oneworld airline may be suitable Star Alliance Gold Status from a competing airline.

Why do they do that? In short, it’s because they want your loyalty and your business. But it also benefits you as a traveler, as it can let you enjoy the perks of a new program right away, without having to start all over again.

It can be a “try before you buy” situation.

Now, it’s worth noting that not all programs will even consider the appropriate state. Many airlines and hotel programs have done so in the past — sometimes by accident. They may publicly advertise the offer or agree to a matching status if you contact them. They can roll out a status-appropriate offer for all sorts of reasons.

Suitable status types

There are two types of state matching. There is a direct match where the second program will match your state from the first program within a specified period (usually several months). You can use the benefits of elite status for a time period that works for you. If you make enough money in the second program in your suitable time period, you will keep that money — just like a member earns status the traditional way.

challenge status

There are also status challenge, is becoming more common and much more limited. One challenge is that the program will match your status in a much shorter period (like 90 or 120 days). They may not require you to have a status and challenge you to complete certain requirements in that shorter time, such as a minimum number of flights or a minimum number of nights in the case of a program. hotel.

If you meet the requirements of the challenge, you’ll keep your status for a longer period of time (such as a year). There may also be a spending requirement the program sets to demonstrate that you’re serious about shifting your travel spending their way.

Important reminder

There are a few key factors to remember in the world of matches and status challenges:

• Most programs will only give you a status match once in your life, so you should only try it when it is most beneficial to use it. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines are notable exceptions — they offer service every 5 years and 3 years, respectively.
• The best time to match status is when you have enough flights or hotels coming up so you can benefit from the status perks, but perhaps not enough to win the status outright. For status challenges, it is advantageous to have multiple flights or short hotel stays so that you can meet the appropriate requirements to renew your status.
• Some programs may not consider appropriate status without a detailed history from the first program of how you achieved that status (such as your plan’s claims for the past six months). They want to make sure you get to first status legally and not just in a match game. Don’t be tempted to photoshop fake logins if you don’t have legally earned status – new program can check with your current program.
• You may be required to obtain and provide proof of an upcoming booking with that airline or hotel before they approve a match.
• Most programs will not match statuses from the same alliance — that is, one Oneworld airline may refuse to match another Oneworld status.
• Some programs will not match the same level of a competitive program. They may insist on offering only a lower level. For example, in accordance with Very coveted Oneworld Emerald status very rare, regardless of your status in another program.
• You should always double check mileage, dollars, and qualifying segments count toward the challenge. For example, co-branded credit cards that help you achieve status are sometimes excluded from status challenges.
• In addition, partner airline tickets are not always eligible for status challenges. Given the complex formulas often required to decipher these returns, you should double- and triple-check your research when planning your challenge strategy.
• Programs have the right to refuse state matching without giving a reason (and they usually do). They are not guaranteed even if you plan to move a lot of business their way.

How do you get a status match?

So how do you apply for a suitable status?

Some airlines have a dedicated page, like United. But these are usually only for airlines that offer status challenges, not as lucrative as full matches.

If there’s a program you’ve been keeping an eye on for a match, you can search to see if they have a similar page. If so, it will have all the instructions on what you need to provide and how it works.

Related: Lost elite status this month? Stay profitable with these airline status matches and challenges

If not, State Matcher is a great resource that regularly lists the best options for matching based on members’ success or failure. This site will show you which programs are currently offering (or accepting) matching status and how to apply, with helpful tips to increase your approval rate. Each program may require slightly different submissions. But in general, you will need to provide the following:

• Your membership number in the program (make sure you are registered).
• Photo of the elite status you want to match, listing the program, status level, your name, and expiration date. Some programs may require you to have status for a minimum period of time before applying (ie six months) and may not be appropriate if your status is about to expire.

You may also need to present a copy of your recent transactions in the program and future bookings in the new program.

Matches and status challenges can take hours to months to be processed. If approved, you will usually be mailed a welcome packet with your membership card and details of the benefits you may be entitled to. However, you don’t need to wait for messages to start using status — check your account regularly after making a request and see if the status level has changed. Once done, you can start using the benefits right away.

Even if the program you want to match doesn’t seem to offer the right status, but a significant change in your travel plans warrants the claim, you can still defend your case. For example, let’s say you stay 80 nights a year at Marriott properties and a sudden employer or travel policy change means you have to switch to 80 nights at Hyatt properties. Explain Hyatt’s World that you plan to bring in a significant amount of your business to them but don’t want to start from scratch. They can make an exception for you.

You can try this by explaining your situation and defending your case via email or online feedback form. Calling a status match is not recommended, as the person you speak to may not be familiar with this program feature.