Etihad Airways previously had a status match campaign that just returned in a slightly different form, targeting residents of Australia to match their competing airline status to Etihad Guest.
This time the Etihad Guest match is valid for for six months, and you can extend it by another 12 by having a single mile earning eligible flight during the six months initiation period.
You can access the Statusmatch website here and read up on the Etihad elite benefits here.
Previously, this match offered three months’ status upfront, which has now been increased to six months, so this has improved quite a bit.
The application fee is US$59 for Silver but FREE for Gold.
Despite being able to select pretty much any country as residence, the campaign under these conditions is only available for members residing in Australia (residents of India can also apply but the free Gold Match only applies to Australia), and apparently, you must be able to provide an official photo ID issued by the government to prove residency.
The FAQ section mentions that all other interested members can register to be notified if other match opportunities open up at a later point.
Eligible Airline & Tier Matrix:
There is a rather limited range of airlines included in this list, which makes it interesting to apply for the match. The total number of eligible programs is a lot smaller than during the last match campaign. However, with the targeted markets being Australia and India (key markets for Etihad), the group of eligible customers is limited as well.
You are prompted to enter all your match details, pay if applicable, and then it gets sent off for verification:
Let’s see how long they need in my case.
I decided to apply for the Etihad match this time as I still have a valid KrisFlyer Gold (and BA) membership, plus an Australian NSW identification card in case it needs to be verified.
Following the approved match, you will be upgraded for three months:
How long is the status valid if my application for a Status Match is approved?
If your application is approved, you will receive the corresponding frequent flyer status in the Etihad Guest Program within 5 business days, valid for 6 months and can be extended for an additional 12 months with the condition of travelling on at least 1 (one) Etihad-operated flight that has an Etihad flight number and earns at least 1 Etihad Guest Mile into your Etihad Guest account within the validity of the upgraded tier.
Fair enough, one paid flight within a six-month period isn’t too difficult.
I previously had no interest in this match as it was only valid for six months and also cost money to match, but under these circumstances, I decided to give it a shot while the promotion was available with parameters that I could match.
Conclusion
If you’re a resident of Australia and have an Etihad Airways flight coming within six months that’s booked in Economy Class, it makes sense to match and have an upgrade to Gold (Silver benefits are largely insignificant) just to have airport benefits such as expedited check-in, lounge access, and extra luggage allowance. If you already fly Business, I’d only do it if you want to keep collecting with Etihad Guest.
Etihad Airways previously planned to compete with local rivals Emirates and Qatar Airways and invested in several failing airlines, such as Air Berlin and Alitalia, which didn’t end well. The Equity Alliance collapsed, wasting billions in funds. The Etihad product itself is quite solid, though.
If you are more serious about flying the airline and have a required Etihad itinerary coming up to extend the tier then pursuing this makes sense. Many airlines nowadays outsource the match process to a third party, in this case, statusmatch.com to verify matches and weed out fraud attempts rather than having all these go through their own departments, clogging up manpower.
The status match is also available for members in India but there is a fee involved.
These are the Status Match Terms & Conditions:
These specific Etihad Guest Status Match terms and conditions apply in addition to the general StatusMatch.com Terms of Service
Australia Status Match Challenge
Only 1 status match per person will be permitted under this campaign matching to either Gold or Silver tiers.
There is no application fee for Australian based applicants during the promotional period for Gold tier only.
Silver status match application fees apply.
If approved, the status match upgrade is valid for 6 months. Status can be extended by an additional 12 months by completing 1 return flight marketed and operated by Etihad. A valid flight is considered as an Etihad marked and operated flight that has earned at least 1 Etihad Guest Mile into your Etihad Guest account.
Eligible members receive all benefits.
All status match requests are handled by and are the responsibility of StatusMatch.com and not by Etihad Guest or any of its affiliates.
In addition to other eligibility requirements, a status match will only be granted to applicant’s whose name matches the records in the Etihad Guest program.
With the participation in the campaign, participants acknowledge that the data submitted to Statusmatch.com may be shared with Etihad Guest for verification purposes.
Only elite status holders of eligible airlines, who are approved, will receive the matched status.
The Status Match offer is limited in number of matches and timeframe at the sole discretion of StatusMatch.com and Etihad Guest. It may end at any time.
Members that are approved for a status match will not be eligible for any potential subsequent status match with Etihad Guest.
The awarded Etihad Guest status may be suspended, revoked or terminated by Etihad Guest in accordance with the Etihad Guest program terms and conditions.
Etihad Guest reserves the right to deny the status match approval for members who have violated the Etihad Guest program terms and conditions in the past.
Etihad Guest may take up to 5 business days after approval by StatusMatch.com before the upgraded tier is visible in the member’s account.
Approved members will not receive a physical status card.
India Status Match Challenge
Only 1 status match per person will be permitted under this campaign matching to either Gold or Silver tiers.
The application fees are US $99 for Gold tier and US $59 for the Silver tier unless otherwise stated.
If approved, the status match upgrade is valid for 4 months. Status can be extended by an additional 12 months by completing 1 return Etihad flight. A valid flight is considered as an Etihad marked and operated flight that has earned at least 1 Etihad Guest Mile into your Etihad Guest account.
Eligible members receive all benefits.
All status match requests are handled by and are the responsibility of StatusMatch.com and not by Etihad Guest or any of its affiliates.
In addition to other eligibility requirements, a status match will only be granted to applicant’s whose name matches the records in the Etihad Guest program.
With the participation in the campaign, participants acknowledge that the data submitted to Statusmatch.com may be shared with Etihad Guest for verification purposes.
Only elite status holders of eligible airlines, who are approved, will receive the matched status.
The Status Match offer is limited in number of matches and timeframe at the sole discretion of StatusMatch.com and Etihad Guest. It may end at any time.
Members that are approved for a status match will not be eligible for any potential subsequent status match with Etihad Guest.
The awarded Etihad Guest status may be suspended, revoked or terminated by Etihad Guest in accordance with the Etihad Guest program terms and conditions.
Etihad Guest reserves the right to deny the status match approval for members who have violated the Etihad Guest program terms and conditions in the past.
Etihad Guest may take up to 5 business days after approval by StatusMatch.com before the upgraded tier is visible in the member’s account.
Approved members will not receive a physical status card.
