For over a year, many of us have been reconsidering our loyalty to British Airways. Whether that’s meant watching and waiting, switching to another Oneworld airline or looking more seriously at SkyTeam or Star Alliance, there are plenty of options out there.
But switching your loyalty comes with a major problem. You’ll have to earn your status again from scratch, unless, of course, you take advantage of a status match. We’ve covered many status matches and challenges over the past year, and by far the most popular and successful was the Flying Blue Status Match.
Flying Blue has just launched another status match for eligible UK residents who hold status with The British Airways Club. If you didn’t take advantage last year, this might be your chance to see what Flying Blue has to offer.
Will you be able to retain status with BA this year, or is it time to switch to an equivalent status tier before you drop down and lose the ability to match at a higher level in the future?
If you’re considering switching airline loyalty programmes but don’t want to start from scratch, or even if you’re looking to maintain status with more than one alliance, this is one of the best status-match offers we’ve seen. Here’s everything you need to know!
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Flying Blue
Flying Blue is the joint loyalty programme of Air France and KLM. Between them, Air France and KLM serve the UK from a range of regional airports, via hubs at Paris CDG and Amsterdam Schiphol, both well-suited for short positioning flights. The loyalty programme is popular for its availability of good seat rewards, monthly Promo Rewards, and competitive award pricing.
What You’ll Get from Matching Your Status
The match is available via statusmatch.com and allows you to match your current tier of The British Airways Club with the equivalent Flying Blue Tier.
| British Airways Status | Matched Flying Blue Status | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Silver | £79 |
| Silver | Gold | £149 |
| Gold and Gold Guest List | Platinum* | £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!
You’ll have your Flying Blue status for 12 months, and during that period, you’ll need to meet the usual qualification criteria to keep it. This is a paid status match, with fees ranging from £79 to £249 depending on the tier you choose. Yes, the cost is higher than last year’s (apart from FB Silver), but if now is the right time to match your status and last year wasn’t, there’s still significant value in the match as long as you use the benefits.
Flying Blue Silver offers modest but useful benefits, including priority check-in and free standard seat selection. Flying Blue Gold comes with SkyTeam Elite Plus, bringing lounge access worldwide with a guest. You’ll also benefit from free seat selection from 72 hours before departure, an additional checked bag and SkyPriority services throughout the airport.
With Flying Blue Platinum status, you can bring your children (plus your guest) into Air France and KLM lounges, book La Première redemptions, select preferred seats free of charge at the time of booking, benefit from an additional baggage allowance and access the dedicated Platinum service line. You can read our Flying Blue guide for more details about status.
Status matches often come with confusion as to whether you’ll keep the status of the airline you’re matching from, and the answer is yes, you’ll keep your BA status, but also have Flying Blue status.
You’ll Also Have SkyTeam Benefits
Even if you plan to do just a few flights with Air France and KLM, your status match will get you equivalent SkyTeam status, which will give you benefits across the alliance.
| Matched BA Status | Flying Blue Status | Matching SkyTeam Status |
| BA Bronze | Flying Blue Silver | SkyTeam Elite |
| BA Silver and Gold. | Flying Blue Gold and Platinum | SkyTeam Elite Plus |
The SkyTeam alliance has 18 member airlines, including popular options such as Delta and Virgin Atlantic. This works similarly to Oneworld, where you can fly with one SkyTeam airline, credit your flights to another, and receive benefits across all of them, plus Flying Blue partners outside the alliance.
SkyTeam Elite status is nice to have, but it has minimal benefits. Elite Plus, on the other hand, comes with lounge access. We will be publishing a full SkyTeam guide soon.
The Virgin Lounge LHR T3: It’s important to note that Flying Blue Platinum only grants access to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow Terminal 3 if you’re flying Premium or Upper Class. If you’re in Economy, you’ll be directed to the No1 Lounge instead.
A Successful 2025 Status Match
Within three months of last year’s status match launching, more than 4,000 British Airways status holders had matched their tier, with 95% matching to Flying Blue Gold or above. 60% of matchers booked at least one flight on Air France or KLM, averaging 7 flights per person. 60% of this revenue comes from premium cabins.
Many TLFL readers took part in the match, and the feedback has been very positive. Michelle took up on matching from Gold Guest List to Ultimate and enjoyed the benefits and personal treatment, plus plenty of upgrades.
Benjamin Lipsey, SVP Customer Loyalty – President Flying Blue at Air France KLM Group, said:
“The strong uptake of our status match offer in the UK highlights Flying Blue’s ability to quickly adapt and deliver meaningful benefits to frequent travellers. We are delighted to welcome so many new members who are embracing the Flying Blue experience and choosing to fly with us – especially in our premium cabins – as they explore the world with Air France, KLM and our partners.”
Worth It?
You Won’t Retain Your BA Status This Year
Perhaps the most pressing concern if you’re reconsidering your loyalty is status retention. By now, you’ll likely know whether you’ve done enough to retain your British Airways status in April. If you haven’t, and another match comes along, you won’t be able to match to the tier you can now match to, and matching gives you 12 months of benefits with Flying Blue. You can read our full guide to 1 year on from the BA changes here.
La Première Redemptions are Important to You
Flying Blue Platinum status allows you to book La Première redemptions (Air France’s exceptional First Class product). You can’t do this if you have equivalent status with another SkyTeam airline, so if you’re eyeing a redemption, the cost of the status match could be worth this benefit alone. If you’re planning to use AMEX Membership Rewards to book Flying Blue redemptions anyway, having status can materially improve the experience, especially if you book La Première!
You Would Like to Switch to SkyTeam, or You’re Unsure
This status match is an excellent opportunity to try out the benefits of the SkyTeam alliance without having to earn status from scratch with a SkyTeam airline. You can experience the benefits of the alliance and gain new experiences around the world. Even if you’re not planning on SkyTeam being the main alliance you fly, it’s always good to have status with more than one alliance!
A Fresh Start Without Starting from Scratch
If you’ve been reconsidering loyalty, this match is likely one of your best opportunities to enjoy the benefits of status with another airline immediately. If it doesn’t work for you, you can always reconsider next year.
New Facilities and Opportunities
Air France is opening a brand new 750 square metre lounge at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 this spring, complete with a spa. Flying Blue Gold and Platinum members will be able to use it when departing on Air France, KLM or any SkyTeam airline from Terminal 4. This will be a great addition when flying from the UK, especially with the overcrowding at many Heathrow lounges these days.
How To Apply
The application process is extremely quick!
- Go to statusmatch.com here
- Have your email, BA and Flying Blue membership numbers ready (you need to be signed up)
- Pay the application fee
- Upload proof of your current BA Club status (screenshot showing your name, number, and tier works fine)
- You’ll be informed within 3 business days whether your match was approved, and your status will appear within 5 business days once approved.
Final Words
If you’re reconsidering your loyalty status or want a secondary option, the Flying Blue status match is worth serious consideration. It gives you options, flexibility and leverage at a time when airline loyalty is less predictable than it used to be.
Given that other status match offers have been pulled due to high application volume in the past, you never know when this one might end or whether it will be offered again. If you plan to take advantage of the match, I recommend applying sooner rather than later, before it’s too late. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to rethink your loyalty strategy, this is it.
Will you be taking advantage of this status match? Or did you have a positive experience matching last year? Let us know in the comments below:
