Air France-KLM is offering Flying Blue Status Match with other partner airlines. Last year, we also saw promotions for countries such as the UK and the USA. This promotion is available to residents of Canada, India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Flying Blue Status Match
Flying Blue’s status match is available with 23 airlines worldwide. However, to status match, you will need to pay a status match fee. The good thing, however, is that you can even status match to the platinum tier.
Here is how much you will pay if you are eligible for the status match:
| Flying Blue Elite Status | Fees [Canada] | Fees [China, HK & Taiwan] | Fees [India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa & Others] | Usual Requirement |
| Silver | CAD 149 | $99 | $99 | 100XP |
| Gold | CAD 299 | $299 | $299 | 180XP |
| Platinum | CAD 499 | Not Available | $399 | 300XP |
Once you achieve elite status, it will remain valid for 12 months. Thereafter, you need to meet the usual requirement; however, you will be soft-landed to one lower elite status. For example, if you’re a Platinum member, you’ll downgrade successively to Gold and then Silver before becoming Explorer. That means you can hold an elite status, specifically SkyTeam Elite Plus, for two years at a cost of $399.
You can apply for the status match here; as of now, there is no end date to the offer. However, you may want to apply as early as possible.
Countries Eligible
The residents of the following countries are eligible for a flying blue status match:
- India
- United Arab Emirates
- Saudi Arabia
- Lebanon
- Egypt
- Kenya
- South Africa
- China (Platinum Status Match not available)
- Hong Kong (Platinum Status Match not available)
- Taiwan (Platinum Status Match not available)
- Itlay (Only for Miles & More Members)
Eligible Airlines
Here are the eligible airlines and their equivalent status for members from Canada, India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa.
| Airline | Loyalty Program | Flying Blue Silver | Flying Blue Gold | Flying Blue Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada | Aeroplan | Elite 25K Elite 35K | Elite 50K | Elite 75K Super Elite 100K |
| Air China | PhoenixMiles | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
| Air India | Flying Returns | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
| American Airlines | AAdvantage | Gold | Platinum | Executive Platinum Platinum Pro Concierge Key |
| Asiana Airlines | Asiana Club | Gold | Diamond | Diamond Plus Platinum |
| British Airways | Executive Club | Bronze | Silver | Gold Gold Guest List Premier |
| Cathay Pacific | Cathay | Silver | Gold | Diamond Diamond Plus Diamond Invitation |
| China Southern | Sky Pearl Club | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
| EVA Air | Infinity MileageLands | Silver | Gold | Diamond |
| EgyptAir | EgyptAir Plus | Silver | Gold | Elite Platinum |
| Emirates | Skywards | Silver | Gold | IO Platinum |
| Ethiopian Airlines | ShebaMiles | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
| Etihad | Etihad Guest | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
| Finnair | Finnair Plus | Silver | Gold | Platinum Platinum Lumo |
| Gulf Air | Falconflyer | Silver | Gold | Black |
| Hainan Airlines | Fortune Wings Club | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
| Lufthansa | Miles & More | Frequent Traveller | Senator | HON Circle |
| Oman Air | Sindbad | Silver | Gold | — |
| Qatar Airways | Privilege Club | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
| Singapore Airlines | KrisFlyer | Silver | Gold | PPS PPS Solitaire |
| South African Airways | Voyager | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
| Turkish Airlines | Miles&Smiles | Classic Plus | Elite | Elite Plus |
| United Airlines | MileagePlus | Premier Silver | Premier Gold | Global Services Premier 1K Premier Premier |
- Members from Italy can apply only if they are elite members of Miles & More status holders.
- Platinum Elite status is not available for members of China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan, so even with a higher status, you can get only Gold Elite status.
Is it worth it?
The gold status could be worth it if you happen to be travelling on SkyTeam airlines next year, as you get Sky Priority benefits of business class check-in & access to the lounge. Additionally, platinum status offers more benefits, including access to Air France’s first-class seats, bookable with miles. However, the miles requirement can be significant.
At the same time, there is a cost associated with this status match; for example, flying Blue Gold costs $299, which is not cheap by any means, but could be worth it if you happen to travel frequently with SkyTeam.
SkyTeam Elite Status Alternative
Apart from Air France, you also have an alternative to get a SkyTeam elite status:
- Delta Airlines Status Challenge
- Virgin Atlantic Status Challenge
- Vietnam Airlines Status Match [Apply]
- Kenya Airways Status Match Promotion
Bottomline
Air France-KLM Flying Blue Elite Status with Status match is a great way to earn an airline elite status. However, be sure not to sign up unnecessarily. It is better to use a status match if you have plans on Air France-KLM or SkyTeam flights, considering it is a paid promotion.
