As someone based in the United States, it may seem weird that I'm planning on getting Turkish Airlines status through their ongoing status match promotion.
In summary, you can get 4 months – 24 months of Star Alliance Gold with this status match/challenge. Furthermore, it's considered non-United Airlines Star Alliance Gold, which gives you access to Star Alliance lounges around the US, even when traveling domestically.
How To Do The Turkish Airlines Status Match
Turkish Airline's status match is pretty accessible and easy to do. Unsurprisingly, there is no formal page to initiate the status match; rather, you need to start with their online feedback form. Follow these steps to get the match going:
- Navigate to the Turkish Airlines feedback form and click "Write Feedback"
- Select "Continue with Miles&Smiles" to login to your Turkish Airlines frequent flyer account
- Select "New Feedback"
- Select "Membership Processes" and you'll be automatically directed to a new page
- On this page, fill out the required information and make sure to provide Turkish with (i) your current status/loyalty program membership card, (ii) recent activity on the loyalty program, and (iii) the photo ID page of your passport
Since I have American Airlines Platinum Pro status, I attached a screenshot of my membership ID showing my status + a screenshot of my last 4 months of AA activity + a picture of my passport. In the comment box, I send them this message:
Hi Turkish Airlines!
I'm writing to get a status match with the Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles program. I have oneworld Emerald status via American Airlines (Platinum Pro), which I believe matches to Turkish Airlines Elite Status. I have attached a screenshot of my AAdvantage membership, my passport photo page, and my recent AA activity.
I am planning on flying Turkish Airlines in the near future and have a roundtrip booked in business class right now (PNR: ABC123). Would love to trial Turkish Airlines Elite status in the meantime. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
John
I actually heard back in less than 24 hours:
In my response, I sent them a copy of my AA card from the mobile app and another screenshot of my membership ID from the American Airlines website. I then heard back shortly after as well:
Nice! The trial period is 4 months long and according to my account, I'll have the status until August 13, 2024. Time to discuss the qualification criteria to extend this status.
What Statuses Qualify For The Turkish Airlines Match?
While there is no formal listing of what statuses Turkish is accepting, there is a website that tracks successful and rejected status match requests to Turkish. Generally speaking, it seems like these are the statuses that are approved:
- Oneworld Emerald status (e.g. American Airlines Platinum Pro)
- SkyTeam Elite Plus status (e.g. Delta Gold Medallion, Delta Platinum Medallion, Flying Blue Gold, ITA Airways Premium)
You may have luck with some other statuses; always worth shooting your shot and seeing what could happen.
What Are The Benefits Of Turkish Airlines Elite Status?
I would say there are two faces to Turkish Airlines Elite status. The first side of the coin is the benefits when flying on Turkish Airlines; the other side of the coin is the benefits when flying on any Star Alliance carrier.
Benefits When Flying Turkish Airlines
Based on the website, Turkish Airlines Elite status comes with several awesome benefits:
- WiFi: 400 MB and Unlimited Messaging for Economy Class / Unlimited for Business Class
- Lounge access on domestic + international flights (and can bring 1 guest)
- 20 kg additional baggage
- Business class check-in desk
- 24 hour price hold for flight departing in 5-10 days for free; for 10+ days, can opt for price hold of 48 hours for free
- Can use special terminal entrance + passport counter at Istanbul Airport
- Complimentary standard seat selection
- Special reservation line
- 50% discount on second ticket with paid business class ticket
To me, I think the most powerful benefits are the free WiFi benefits and lounge access.
Benefits When Flying Star Alliance (Non Turkish Airlines)
As someone not based in Turkey, I am still incredibly excited by this offer simply due to the reciprocal benefits I'd receive on Star Alliance flights.
- Priority airport check-in (e.g. business class counters / where ever has a Star Alliance Gold sign)
- Priority baggage handling
- Star Alliance airport lounge access
- Priority boarding
- Extra baggage allowance of 20 kg
- Gold track priority lanes
- Priority waitlist
- Priority standby
The biggest benefit for me is Star Alliance airport lounge access. What's interesting here is that I'll be able to access any US Star Alliance lounge on my travels. For example, while I normally cannot access the United Polaris lounges with United Airlines Gold status, I can access them with Turkish Airlines Elite status. This is possible because airlines don't typically allow their own members to access international lounges on domestic tickets, but will allow partner lounges to (because the majority of members here are traveling "internationally").
In my particular use case, being based out of San Francisco, I plan on using the Turkish Airlines Elite status to access the Polaris lounge on my domestic transcons. This is typically not possible with standard United Status (even 1Ks can't do this), but I'm unlocking significant value using this reciprocal "international status" match.
How To Extend This Trial Status
As mentioned previously, this match includes 4 months of trial Elite/Star Alliance Gold status. There is a two-stage process to extend this and get it for a total of 12 months – 24 months:
- To extend the status by 8 more months, you'll need to take at least 1 paid/revenue international flight flying on Turkish Airlines metal within your initial 4 month trial period
- Then, to extend the status by 12 more months (after finishing Step 1), you need to reach 15,000 status miles on Turkish Airlines operated flights within your first year of Elite membership
In my case, since my trial Elite status started on April 14, 2024, I have until August 13, 2024 to take at least one international Turkish Airlines flight to get the status for another 8 months (expiring April 14, 2025). Then, I would have until April 14, 2025 to hit 15,000 Status Miles on Turkish flights to unlock status until April 14, 2026.
Accumulating Turkish Airlines Status Miles
Turkish Airlines uses a distance-based system to calculate mileage earnings with fare class bonus multipliers:
Some earning examples:
- If you have any type of Turkish frequent flyer status (Classic Plus, Elite, Elite Plus) and fly from Istanbul to Los Angeles (one-way), then you will fly 6,865 miles. Flying that in business class fare class C/D will earn you 6,865 * 1.75 = 12,013 Status Miles.
- If you don't have Turkish Airlines status and fly from Istanbul to Los Angeles (one-way), then you will fly 6,865 miles. Flying that in business fare class C/D will earn you 6,865 * 1.50 = 10,297 Status Miles
If I decide to do this status match, it would be ideal to find a business class sale to Istanbul where I could fly ~9,400 miles one way or roundtrip (assuming K/J/Z fare class, 160% multiplier).
How Am I Thinking Through The Economics Of This Status Match?
I have a significant number of Star Alliance flights planned for the next 4 months, so it made perfect sense for me to activate this status match this week. However, the next question for me is whether or not this is worth extending for an additional 8 months and then for the next year.
So, I currently do not have plans to travel to Turkey. However, I am planning on traveling to Europe. Consequently, I am thinking of doing a round-trip mileage run to Turkey in the middle of my Europe trip solely to extend my status by 8 months.
A roundtrip cash fare on Turkish Airlines economy from Paris/Zurich/Milan costs about $350. This trip is about 2,500 miles roundtrip, but since I'm only flying in economy, I'd expect to earn ~650 status miles roundtrip. So, my "cost of status" is initially $350 since I'm flying purely to extend my status.
Is this worthwhile? At first glance, it seems beneficial for me since I'm based in a United Airlines hub and consistently fly transcontinental to go back home in Massachusetts. However, I have some other reasons that make my decision slightly more complicated, that include:
- Miles cost of United flights (domestic UA economy redemptions are more expensive than American Airlines)
- I don't always fly into Boston airport
- United Airlines basic economy doesn't include a carry on; only a free checked bag for elite status members
TLDR: Whether this status makes sense for you will really depend on your individual profile and travel plans. While it might make sense for some folks, it may not make as much sense for others. I'm personally still on the edge of how to proceed here.
How Do You Get Your Digital Status Card?
The digital version of your status card can be seen/downloaded on your mobile device. You'll need to download the Turkish Airlines app, login, and then navigate to "Digital Card" in the menu. There, you'll see a digital copy of your card that you can use at the airport where needed.
Conclusion
This Turkish Airlines status match could prove incredibly lucrative for some frequent flyers. If you have a lot of Star Alliance flights coming up and you don't have any Star Alliance status, this match could be useful to improve your flying experience tremendously. Notably, it is worth making sure you think about the lifetime value of this match, as there are some goals you have to meet to extend the status past the first 4 months.
