If you fly regularly, having elite status across Oneworld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance can be a major advantage. Thinking of switching alliances? You don’t necessarily have to start from scratch. Once you have status with one airline, you can often use it to ‘match’ your status to equivalent status with another airline. Many airlines have status match promotions.
By now, you’ll likely know whether you’ll retain your British Airways status in April. If not, or if you’d like to have status with more than one alliance, there are some incredible status match opportunities available at the moment.
But which matches are open, and which should you choose? If you’re unsure what a status match is, make sure you also read our status matches and challenges guide.
In this post:
2026 Status Match Opportunities
Last year, after BA announced an overhaul of its loyalty programme, a wave of status matches was announced, followed by a few throughout the year.
In the past few weeks, we’ve seen another wave of status matches as airlines seize the moment to tempt people to switch alliances or try their loyalty programme.
SkyTeam Status Matches
SkyTeam currently has the most status match promotions available, with options to match from Oneworld or Star Alliance.
The top options are recent offers from Flying Blue and the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, both aimed at BA status holders. Even if you use your SkyTeam status as a secondary option, I have to say, they are pretty compelling offers!
Flying Blue – Air France/KLM
After the popularity of the Flying Blue status match in 2025, which saw over 4,000 BA status holders match their status, it has been re-launched for British Airways status holders.
Here’s how your status matches up:
| British Airways Status | Matched Flying Blue Status | SkyTeam Equivalent | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Silver | SkyTeam Elite | £79 |
| Silver | Gold | SkyTeam Elite Plus | £149 |
| Gold and Gold Guest List | Platinum* | SkyTeam Elite Plus | £249 |
*Some people with Gold Guest List were awarded Ultimate status with the match last year. We’ll have to watch and see what happens this year!
We wrote a full guide to whether the match is worth it, which you can read here. In short, it’s an ideal option with hubs at Paris CDG and Amsterdam Schiphol. The programme has some fantastic seat rewards and competitive award pricing. Being a Platinum member (BA Gold match) is the only way to book La Premiere (First) redemptions on Air France. There’s also the new Air France Lounge due to open at Heathrow T4 this spring.
Alliances: Oneworld > SkyTeam
Type of Status Match: Paid Status match
Eligible Airlines: British Airways
Status Validity: 12 Months
Exclusions: You must hold earned BA status
How to Apply: Apply here
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Enhanced Status Match: Ends 23rd February
This is by far one of the best status match offers we’ve ever seen. There’s a limited-time enhanced offer for British Airways Club status holders.
Until 23rd Feb 2026, you can match:
| Current British Airways Status | New Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Status | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| British Airways Bronze | Flying Club Silver | A future cash or redemption booking in any cabin |
| British Airways Silver and Gold | Flying Club Gold | A future cash or redemption booking in Premium or Upper Class |
Though the match is free, you do need to have a flight booked to be approved, but if you have one booked already, or book one, the cost can really outweigh the benefits of this enhanced match.
Alliances: Oneworld > SkyTeam
Type of Status Match: Status match with booking requirement
Eligible Airlines: British Airways
Status Validity: 12 months. Your status will be upgraded 72 hours before your flight.
Exclusions: Virgin’s discretion. They have removed the requirement of not matching in the last 5 years.
How to Apply: Apply here
Virgin Atlantic Ongoing Status Match
If you don’t have BA status, Virgin Atlantic has an ongoing status match offer.
Eligible Airlines: Air Canada, Air India, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Iberia, Lufthansa, South African Airways, and United.
Status Validity: 12 months
Exclusions: You can’t have matched with Virgin Atlantic in the past 5 years, or already have elite status with another SkyTeam airline.
How to Apply: Fill out the status match form with your Flying Club number, booking reference, loyalty programme you’re matching from, and current tier. Go to the Virgin status match page here.
Kenya Airways
This is an interesting status match with less strict criteria than many other SkyTeam matches. The best thing is that you can opt to match airline, hotel, or credit card status.
Your British Airways status will match the following:
| British Airways Status Equivalent | Matched Asante Rewards Status | SkyTeam Equivalent | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Silver Elite | SkyTeam Elite | £59 (£72.50 Credit Card) |
| Silver | Gold Elite Plus | SkyTeam Elite Plus | £128 (£72.50 Hotel) |
| Gold | Platinum Elite Plus | SkyTeam Elite Plus | £128 (£219 Hotel) |
Alliances: Oneworld > SkyTeam & Star Alliance > SkyTeam
Type of Status Match: Paid status match
Eligible Airlines: 52 airlines, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Finnair Plus. Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines
Eligible Hotel Loyalty Programmes: 18, including Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, Radisson and Leading Hotels of the World
Credit Cards: A selection including AMEX Platinum
Status Validity: 12 months
How to Apply: Fill out the status match form with proof of your status. Make sure you’ve signed up for Asante Rewards. Apply here.
Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines offers one of the most wide-reaching status match schemes in SkyTeam.
It’s a paid match with 12 months of elite status available, and flexibility to match into their Titanium, Gold, or Platinum tiers, depending on your current level. It’s worth noting that you can’t match hotel status to Platinum.
This match is a great choice if you’re looking for SkyTeam Elite Plus perks without the need to fly. It’s also useful if you want to match your hotel status!
| Vietnam Airlines Status | SkyTeam Tier | British Airways Equivalent | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanium | SkyTeam Elite | Bronze | $129 (£96) or $149 (£111) from hotel status |
| Gold | SkyTeam Elite | Silver | $219 (£162) or $239 (£177) from hotel status |
| Platinum | SkyTeam Elite Plus | Gold | $359 (£265) |
Alliances: Oneworld > SkyTeam & Star Alliance > SkyTeam
Type of Status Match: Paid status match
Eligible Airlines: 47! View the complete list here. It includes airlines like BA, Finnair, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Qatar, Emirates, Etihad, and Lufthansa.
Eligible Hotel loyalty programmes: 19 hotel loyalty programmes, including Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Melia, and Leading Hotels of the World – only to Titanium and Gold.
Status Validity: 12 months
Exclusions: Members approved for a Status Match will not be eligible for any subsequent Status Match with Vietnam Airlines.
How to Apply: Apply via the official page here.
Star Alliance Status Match Opportunities
With many people looking to switch from Oneworld, many Star Alliance airlines have opened status matches. There are also matches available if you’re looking to move from SkyTeam to Star Alliance.
The Lufthansa match is an excellent option for earning Star Alliance status with minimal qualification requirements.
Lufthansa
Lufthansa is currently offering a straightforward paid match into its Miles & More programme for BA and Iberia status holders. This is currently the easiest route to Star Alliance status.
Alliances: Oneworld > Star Alliance
Type of Status Match: Status Match (paid)
It’s worth noting that matches Senator status does not come with eVouchers.
Status Validity: Until 28th Feb 2027
How to Apply: Visit statusmatch.com to submit your application and pay the €99 fee.
United
The United MileagePlus status match is one of the more structured options available – and importantly, it’s free.
United runs this as a proper status challenge. That means you’ll receive temporary Premier status, but you’ll need to fly and earn your way to keep it. You must take a United-operated flight within 90 days. This becomes your Activating Flight and starts your 120-day challenge period.
During the challenge, you must fly a set number of Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) and earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) to keep your matched status:
-
Premier Silver: 5 PQF + 1,700 PQP
-
Premier Gold: 10 PQF + 3,400 PQP
-
Premier Platinum: 15 PQF + 5,000 PQP (plus 20 PlusPoints)
-
Premier 1K: 20 PQF + 7,500 PQP (plus 100 PlusPoints)
Alliances: SkyTeam > Star Alliance & Oneworld > Star Alliance
Type of Status Match: Status challenge
Deadline: 30th June 2026
Eligible Airlines:
Status Validity: If earned by 30th June 2026, your status will be valid until 31st January 2027. Complete the requirements on or after 1st July 2026, and it will be valid until 31st January 2028.
Exclusions: Offer is not valid for members who have participated in the MileagePlus Status Match program or received a Premier Status exception within the last 5 years.
How to Apply: Submit your details and documentation (including proof of valid elite status through 2025) via United’s official page. Status will be updated within 5-7 days. Apply here.
Oneworld Status Match Opportunities
If you have SkyTeam or Star Alliance elite status, Royal Jordanian and American are currently offering a quicker route to Oneworld status. Once you have status, you’ll have benefits across the 15 airlines in the Oneworld alliance, including Qatar and British Airways, including lounge use once you have Oneworld Sapphire.
The Royal Jordanian match is the most flexible, although it comes with a fee, whereas the AA match is good if you have travel plans and already have status with a major American airline. Both of these were also running last year, but they could end at any time.
Royal Jordanian
This is an ongoing status match offer, though it may end at any time.
The great thing about this match is that you can match hotel or airline status, even if you earned it through AMEX Platinum or a similar card. You can match mid-tier airline status to Silver Jay and elite status to Gold Sparrow. This is available for many SkyTeam and Star Alliance airlines, giving you Oneworld status!
| Royal Jordanian Status | oneworld tier | British Airways Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Jay | oneworld Ruby | British Airways Bronze |
| Gold Sparrow | oneworld Sapphire | British Airways Silver |
Alliances: SkyTeam > Oneworld & Star Alliance > Oneworld
Type of Status Match: Status Match
Eligible Airlines: 21, including Emirates, KLM, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic and Turkish Airlines
Status Validity: 12 months
How to Apply: First, sign up for Royal Jordanian. Then, apply for your status match here. The match costs £40 ($49) to £121 ($149), depending on your status level and whether you are matching hotel or airline status.
American Airlines Instant Status Pass
This structured status match programme offers a route from SkyTeam or Star Alliance into Oneworld.
American Airlines is running a match again this year, but this one is different. Status pass is a structured status challenge. This provides an immediate 4-month trial of AAdvantage elite status, followed by the opportunity to extend it by earning Loyalty Points.
This challenge is ideal if you have a busy 3-6 month period of American Airlines or oneworld flying planned and have status with one of the eligible airlines.
| AA Status | Oneworld Tier |
|---|---|
| Gold | Oneworld Ruby |
| Platinum / Platinum Pro | Oneworld Sapphire |
| Executive Platinum | Oneworld Emerald |
Alliances: SkyTeam > Oneworld & Star Alliance > Oneworld
Type of Status Match: Status Match (4 months) and Status Challenge to extend validity
Eligible Airlines: Delta, United, JetBlue and Southwest
Status Validity: You receive an initial 4-month trial period. To keep or upgrade your status, you must earn the required number of Loyalty Points during each 4-month phase. Successfully complete all three phases, and you’ll retain status through the end of the AAdvantage membership year, which runs until 31st March. Current per-phase targets are:
- 13,000 Loyalty Points – Gold
- 25,000 Loyalty Points – Platinum
- 42,000 Loyalty Points – Platinum Pro
- 67,000 Loyalty Points – Executive Platinum
Exclusions: You are not eligible if you have participated in the AAdvantage Instant Status Pass within the last two years. You must hold a valid, earned elite status with an eligible competing airline.
How to Apply: Apply for your status match here. Proof varies by airline. Read what you’ll need here.
Other Status Match Opportunities
Although these airlines are not part of an alliance, these status matches are still worth considering.
KM Malta Airlines
KM Malta Airlines has been running a status match offer since August 2025. Although the airline is not part of an alliance and can only be used with them, you’ll still receive benefits such as lounge access, depending on your tier.
Type of Status Match: Paid status match
Eligible Airlines: 89 airlines, including EasyJet Plus – Explorer and Pioneer
Eligible Hotel loyalty programmes: 16 – Matches to Traveller and Explorer
Cost:
- Traveller – €59 (£51)
- Explorer – €99 (£86)
- Pioneer – €199 (£173)
Status Validity: Until 31st March 2027
Exclusions: Only one match per person is allowed. If you apply via a travel rewards credit card, you must pay the fee with an eligible card.
How to Apply: Create a free KM Rewards account, then upload proof of your existing status. Apply here.
Air Astana
Offering a match from a variety of airlines. Since last year, the list has got much larger, but there are options from all alliances.
Eligible Airlines: 59 airlines including British Airways, Air France, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.
Eligible Hotel Loyalty Programmes: 25, including Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, Melia and Radisson.
Status Validity: 31st December 2026
Cost: £36-£148.
How to Apply: Apply here
Final Words
At the start of this year, we anticipated numerous status match opportunities, given the many airline loyalty programmes we’ve encountered in the past few years, especially the overhaul of The British Airways Club. Many 2025 status matches are ongoing, and there are some incredible new and enhanced options, especially the matches from BA to Virgin Atlantic and Air France. If you’re losing BA status this April, this is realistically the best window you’ll get to pivot without starting from zero.
Whether you’re thinking of switching to a loyalty programme in another alliance and you want a head start, or you’re hoping to hold status in more than one airline alliance, there’s a match to suit everyone.
There’s also nothing stopping you from taking advantage of two matches and having status across all three airline alliances. Make sure you note the deadlines; some have very short windows.
Quick Links
Get SkyTeam Status
- Flying Blue status match
- Virgin Atlantic enhanced status match
- Kenya Airways status match
- Vietnam Airlines status match
Get Star Alliance Status
Get Oneworld Status
Are you thinking of going for one of these status matches? Or have you already successfully applied? Let us know in the comments below:
