🔀 Status matching, explained
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I’ve told you a few times now about why I value airline elite status so much. The business class flights, lounge access, and numerous other perks all make the travel experience incredibly comfortable.
What I didn’t tell you is that you can leverage elite status to get elite status with other airlines. This is called status matching.
Here’s a quick example:
Just a couple of days ago I used my Air Canada elite status to get Westjet Gold status using a status match offer. Since these are the two biggest airlines in Canada, Westjet is trying to entice Air Canada’s frequent flyers to change teams and join the dark side. And free status is pretty attractive...
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Basically, airlines want to acquire good customers. The best way to do that is to poach customers who are loyal to other airlines by giving them elite status without any of the normal requirements.
Before the pandemic, there were tons more status-matching opportunities. Nowadays, they’re pretty rare - but that doesn’t mean there aren’t worthwhile ones to pursue. They come in different forms, but most of the challenges will give you status for a limited time along with the options to extend it by completing certain requirements.
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As you can see, I now have Westjet Gold Elite status - that means I can fly on Westjet and get some of the same great benefits I get with Air Canada, despite the fact that I’ve only been on a single Westjet flight in the last two years.
Here’s an example of one that I have my eye on:
Delta offers a great status match that allows you to use your elite status from any of fifteen different airlines to unlock Delta Medallion status.
For me, I’ll again leverage my Air Canada status. But instead of doing it right now, I’m waiting.
That’s because right now I have Air Canada 50k status. This would match me to Delta Gold Medallion status. However, after I finish the flight that I’m currently on to Greece, I’ll unlock Air Canada 75k status, which I can match to Delta Platinum Medallion - their second-highest level of status.
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With Platinum status, I can get a welcome gift of 20,000 Delta Skymiles, which on its own can get me a solid few flights. Then when I take those flights I’ll get even more benefits like upgrades, lounge access, and more. And all it takes is 5 minutes of my time to fill out the status match form.
This is another example of just how valuable elite status is. Using the power of status matching, you can earn status with one airline and get similar status with a number of other airlines. It’s a great way to travel in style with more than one airline, and in some cases, even get some free flights out of it.
In the coming weeks I'll be sharing more specific examples of worthwhile status matches, so stay tuned.
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🛂 Renew your passport online (sometime soon)
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Last month the U.S. State Department launched a pilot program that allowed 25,000 people to renew their passports online.
Apparently, it went well, because in 2023 they will be rolling out this program to the general public. But this is the government we’re talking about, so as you might expect, there’s some red tape when it comes to using this new feature:
- You must be at least 25 years old
- You must have a passport that was valid for ten years and is now expired or set to expire within one year
- The expired or expiring passport must have been issued between 2007 and 2013
- You can’t change any details like name or gender
Additionally, this simplified process doesn’t mean you’ll get your passport more quickly. In fact, it has a similar processing time to the normal mail-in process.
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So if you have travel plans coming up soon, I’d make an appointment at your local passport office to get it expedited.
Although the program is rolling out fully in 2023, they will continue to allow small batches of online renewals with the pilot program, the next of which will be in October.
Overall, this is a great development. I mean, it’s 2022. I think online passport renewal is pretty overdue…
I'll give you a heads-up when they open up the portal for more renewals in October.
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✈️ Earn 10,000 Southwest points
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This one is for all of you business travelers out there. If you aren’t a business traveler, quit your job and go get one that requires you to travel. It will be worth it because Southwest is offering 10,000 free rapid rewards points to first-time business travelers.
The offer is pretty straightforward:
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Register by November 7th
- Take one round-trip or two one-way flights before November 7th
- Be a first-time business traveler with Southwest
- Book through one of the registered business channels
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Yes, you do need to book through a specific business channel. So no funny business for those of you who thought you might be able to game the system on this one 😉
If you fit into this business category, then I would definitely go after this offer. 10,000 rapid rewards is a pretty solid chunk of change.
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As you can see, you can book Southwest flights for as little as 2,000 points. So 10,000 points could easily get you a few different flights, depending on where you need/want to travel. |
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That’s all for today. I’m going to try and get some shut-eye before I totally destroy my sleep schedule again for the second time in two weeks. Many of you asked about how to get started with that points-stacking offer from yesterday's newsletter if you don't already have an eligible card. I'll give you a hint - number 3 on our Top Credit Cards page is a good place to start 😉
Have you ever traveled for business? Are you loyal to one airline, multiple airlines, or no airlines at all? Let me know by replying to this email or reaching out on social media.
Cheers,
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