An Alaska Airlines Status Match Ensures You Experience More Comfort and Style - Sooner!
January 2017
Looking for a great loyalty plan that rewards you for the miles you fly instead of the money you pay?
If you currently hold Elite status with another airline and are either unsatisfied with that airline or your flight patterns have changed (e.g. you moved to a city better serviced by Alaska Airlines or Virgin America or the routes to the cities you most frequently travel to are more economical or convenient on Alaska or Virgin America or one of Alaska’s airline partners including American Airlines or Delta (the Delta partnership will end May 1, 2017), a status match makes a lot of sense.
And if you already enjoy Alaska Airlines Elite status, share this with your friends!
While most airlines grant a status match challenge by requiring a certain number of flight miles within 90 days, Alaska is one of the only airlines to grant a simple status match without flight requirements.
Alaska will typically accept Elite flyers from AeroMexico, Air Canada, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, United and Virgin America into their Mileage Plan program by offering a comparable Mileage Plan Elite status.
How to Request a Status Match:
To request a status match, send a copy of both sides of your current Elite status card, a statement showing your current Elite status and your driver’s license to elite.flyer@alaskaair.com. Allow two to four weeks for processing once Alaska receives all of your documents in good order.
When your status match is complete, you'll receive a welcome email and can check your status at alaskaair.com.
If you apply in November and December your status will continue through the end of the following year. If you apply any other time your status will continue through the end of that same year. And Alaska will only extend a status match once during the life of your account so choose your timing carefully.
Because I am based in Seattle, the Alaska Airlines hub offering many convenient and economical flights, I could go on and on about why I love Alaska Airlines and why they deserve your loyalty. Here are five great reasons:
Alaska still rewards travelers with Elite status based on a simple calculation of actual miles flown and redeemable reward miles are earned based on actual miles flown plus a bonus for Elite status and fare class.
Flight cancellations and changes never incur a fee if made 60 days or more before travel! That’s right. Many veteran Alaska flyers don’t even know this one. And MVP Gold and Gold 75 always have their fees waived...loyalty pays!
The most you will pay for a same-day flight change is $25! Just remember, it’s the same day as your flight - not the same day you made the reservation (those incur no fee if you cancel or change your reservation within 24 hours of making it).
After booking an Alaska Airlines flight, if you find a lower fare on alaskaair.com at ANY TIME, they'll give you the difference as a credit. I use this all the time, and it really adds up!
Stopovers and open-jaws are offered by Alaska and are an excellent way to stretch your reward miles! Savvy use of stopovers can make one itinerary seem like two or three!
The Wrap-Up:
If you are ready for a loyalty change and Alaska Airlines or Virgin America and their airline partners have plenty of economical and convenient flight choices to the places you fly to most, give Alaska a try.
If you succeed and are able to travel with Alaska Airlines in great comfort and style sooner, we’d love a nice note on Facebook and Twitter.
And please share this Perk with anyone you know who is considering a loyalty switch to Alaska Airlines!
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