Virgin America today extended its status match program for elite frequent fliers with American and United – and added Southwest Airlines. It’s a match/challenge combo, actually, where you’ll be matched outright until June 30, 2013 and offered the ability to extend your status through the end of 2013.

This extension is for new applicants as of April 2, and will not include anyone who participated in their original offering last November.

First, here’s the chart of how the American, United and Southwest elite tiers match to Elevate Silver or Gold:

Here are the benefits of Elevate Silver and Gold:

There are a couple of exceptions to the perks above in the T&Cs for those members matched. During the challenge period (now through June 30, 2013), you will not receive the 25% off discount codes, nor will you have reciprocal benefits (lounge access, primarily) on Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia that require a physical membership card. Cards will not be issued for matched members. Also, matched members will only receive one complimentary pass to the Virgin America lounge at LAX.

To have your matched status extended through the 2013 program year, you must:

It’s a nice break they’re giving for Virgin America Visa Signature cardholders, according to the chart above.

Application link: Virgin America Visa Signature Credit Card

The current bonus mile offer for being approved for the credit card is 10,000 bonus points after the first purchase. You can also earn up to 5,000 additional bonus points if you transfer a balance within the first 30 days.

While they don’t have a complimentary first class upgrade program for elites, Virgin America does open up purchased upgrades earlier for Silver (12 hours) and Gold (24 hours) members. Upgrades to Main Cabin Select seats are, however, complimentary and follow the same timeframe/window. While waiting for that upgrade, elites can book Main Cabin Express seats (those near the front) at the time of booking.

Sorry Delta fliers… there’s still no match for you. American, United and Southwest elites, click here for the status match page with instructions on how to apply.

Related posts:

Virgin America Launches Status Match for American, United Elites

Flight Review: Virgin America First Class LAX to Seattle

Flight Review: Virgin Australia Business Class Sydney to Perth

Flight Review: Virgin Australia Business Class Perth to Sydney

I receive a referral credit if you use the credit card application link on this page and get approved for a Virgin America credit card. I remain grateful to any who apply using my links and thank you for your support of my blog.

• Following up on the big reveal of their new image yesterday, American Airlines launched a redesigned website today. Appropriately sporting the new logo, it’s much cleaner and very attractive, in my opinion. And more importantly, everything seems to work.
• American is reportedly matching Delta’s Diamond Medallion SkyMiles members to Executive Platinum, according to reports on Flyertalk. This may not be new, as American has been matching United 1Ks as well, but it certainly eases the pain for Delta fliers looking to switch elsewhere after they introduced a Medallion Qualifying Dollars requirement for 2014.
• MLT Vacations, the tour operator owned by Delta Air Lines, will be dumping United Vacations as it focuses on Delta Vacations and other partnerships with SkyTeam member airlines. No replacement has been named yet, but I’m certain competition for the business will be stiff. Personal note: I’m always intrigued by wholesaler/vacation-packager news since I worked for two such organizations in the 1990s.
• The TSA says they’ll be dumping the Rapiscan scanners by June, which are the X-ray backscatter machines that produce the “Nude-O-Scope” images. Full body scanning machines will still be in airports, but of the less invasive Gumby-image variety as seen at many airports today.
• A Marine recruit reportedly had second thoughts about boot camp by jumping a fence at San Diego Airport, losing his pants and hiding in a janitor’s van near the Southwest Airlines terminal. File this under weird airport news.

Related posts:

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: January 17, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: January 16, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: January 15, 2013

Reader Elizabeth emailed me the following question yesterday:

I am a 1k flier on United. I’m thinking of leaving them for Virgin Atlantic, as I moved from California to the UK in 2011 and have grown increasingly unhappy with their service. I fly back to the US from LHR 6-8 times a year. I have Elevate Gold status with Virgin America, good through April 2013.

My question is this: how will the benefits from my Virgin America status apply when I fly Virgin Atlantic? I plan to mostly fly VAtlantic, not VAmerica, so I’m sure sure that status with VAmerica really does anything for me, and I know they have separate FF programs. I’m not sure how the two relate/compare. If I’m better off sticking with United, I’ll just do so, but I want to explore all my options.

It sounds like Elizabeth, like many of us with top-tier status on United (or American), went for the status match Virgin America recently announced. It provides an outright match to Gold (or Silver for lower elites) through April 2013. The benefits when flying Virgin America’s partners aren’t spectacular.

When flying Virgin Atlantic, Elevate Gold status provides:

• Priority Check-In
• Priority Security
• Priority Boarding

On Virgin Australia, Gold elites get:

• Priority Check-In
• Priority Security
• Priority Boarding
• Priority Baggage Handling
• Complimentary access to eight Virgin Australia lounges in Australia

It’s too bad lounge access is excluded when flying Virgin Atlantic. And when you’re used to earning bonus miles as a 1K on United when flying partners on higher fare classes (though earning Premier Qualifying Miles recently changed), that’s not the case when flying Virgin America’s partners.

Also, the earn rates (in points) on both Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia are a percentage of miles flown (all less than 100%, even in Business and Upper Class) since Virgin America is a revenue-based frequent flyer program. I believe it would take much longer to earn an award trip flying Virgin Atlantic and crediting to Virgin America than sticking with United with its generous mileage-based program and bonuses as a 1K.

While I agree with Elizabeth that United is far inferior in service to either Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Australia, I emailed back that I’d stick with United for the better treatment as an elite and faster ability to redeem miles for worthwhile awards. Also, United doesn’t add surcharges to international award trips as Virgin America does. A roundtrip economy class reward ticket from Los Angeles to London on Virgin Atlantic using Virgin America points carries $650 in taxes and fees, according to their website.

Would you have recommended the same to Elizabeth?

In case you haven’t read about this yet, or noticed it on United.com, membership rates for the United Club are scheduled to increase $25 across the board effective January 1, 2013 (spouse rates increase by $100).

Here’s the current pricing valid through December 31:

Also, when the conversion to SHARES took place in March, United “temporarily” suspended the ability to redeem miles for club memberships or renewals. And the latest contact a Flyertalk member made with United on this subject was met with a response of, “We are still in a transitional period and hope to have it available for 1K members in the near future.”

If this means it’ll only be available to certain elites when (if) it returns remains to be seen. Previously in 2011, United sent out a survey to Red Carpet Club members hinting that the mileage redemption option might go away entirely.

I ended up renewing my membership in 2010 for 40,000 miles, but I definitely don’t recommend using miles this way – you can get far more value for your miles redeemed elsewhere. I was cash poor and mileage rich at the time, so it ended up being the best option for me.

The three-year membership rate is being discontinued December 31, too. It represents a savings of $250 over the course of three years.

Also, it appears that memberships are now valid through the end of the month in which they expire. My actual expiration date is December 19, 2012 as printed on my card, but logging in to renew it shows December 31:

As many people do, another way to gain access to United’s domestic lounges is to hold Star Alliance Gold status in a foreign carrier’s frequent flier program. I believe Turkish Airlines is still matching elites from other programs (even United), according to Gary’s post.

Related posts:

United Airlines Red Carpet Club Survey

United Red Carpet Club Rate Increase (2010)

Virgin America today launched a status match program for elite frequent fliers with American and United. It’s a match/challenge combo, actually, where you’ll be matched outright until April 30, 2013 and offered the ability to extend your status through the end of 2013. First, here’s the chart of how the American and United elite tiers match to Elevate Silver or Gold:

They’ve lined the levels up fairly, in my opinion, where a 50,000-mile flier on either American or United gets Elevate Silver status. For Gold, you either need Executive Platinum status on American, or Premier Platinum (75k) or 1K status on United.

Here are the benefits of Elevate Silver and Gold:

There are a couple of exceptions to the perks above in the T&Cs for those members matched. During the challenge period (now through April 30, 2013), you will not receive the 25% off discount codes, nor will you have reciprocal benefits (lounge access, primarily) on Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia that require a physical membership card. Cards will not be issued for matched members. Also, matched members will only receive one complimentary pass to the Virgin America lounge at LAX.

To have your matched status extended through the 2013 program year, you must:

It’s a nice break they’re giving for Virgin America Visa Signature cardholders. The language isn’t overtly clear whether existing cardholders get the break, so I’ve reached out to their media relations folks for clarification and will update this post when I have an answer.

Application link: Virgin America Visa Signature Credit Card

The current bonus mile offer for applying and getting approved for the credit card is 20,000 bonus points after the first purchase (for a limited time only). You can earn up to 5,000 additional bonus points if you transfer a balance within the first 30 days (also for a limited time only). See the full terms and conditions for complete details.

While they don’t have a complimentary first class upgrade program for elites, Virgin America does open up purchased upgrades earlier for Silver (12 hours) and Gold (24 hours) members. Upgrades to Main Cabin Select seats are, however, complimentary and follow the same timeframe/window. While waiting for that upgrade, elites can book Main Cabin Express seats (those near the front) at the time of booking.

Sorry Delta fliers… no match for you. American and United elites, click here for the status match page.

Related posts:

Flight Review: Virgin America First Class LAX to Seattle

Flight Review: Virgin Australia Business Class Perth to Sydney

Flight Review: Virgin Australia Business Class Sydney to Perth

I receive a referral credit if you use the link on this page and get approved for a credit card. I remain grateful to any who apply using those links as blogging is my full-time job. The decision to apply for credit is yours and includes the responsibility to read and understand all terms and conditions.

American Airlines continues to impress the heck out of me lately. I flew with them quite a bit last year during my quest to achieve Platinum status and earlier this year I took advantage of their Executive Platinum status match for United 1Ks.

My first trip with American this year is coming up next weekend and the only piece of my normal “United” routine of travel that I was going to miss was lounge access. I have yet to purchase an Admirals Club membership (nor am I a non-U.S. airline oneworld elite that would get access) and have been holding off buying it until I really start flying them in earnest in September.

Lo and behold what arrives in the mail today:

Were they reading my mind? Naw, they’re just smart marketers and realize an opportunity when they see one. I’d like to think it was someone being proactive and noticing my first flight on AA was approaching since being newly minted as a status-matched EP from United. However I got them, THANK YOU American!

The letter enclosed with the certs was from Suzanne Rubin, the President of AAdvantage, and simply said they value my business and want to ensure I am as comfortable and productive as possible. Yeah, it was also a plug for the club, but a welcome one at that!

Besides the 10,000 miles I plan to fly on United this year to renew 1K through 2014, American is getting the rest of my business. They’ve just got it going on right now, especially making renewal of Executive Platinum relatively easy.

Oh, American Airlines. Why must you continue to offer promotions that make switching from United almost effortless? I received the following email today from AAdvantage providing the opportunity to extend my matched United 1K- to-Executive Platinum status through February 28, 2014:

It is targeted and explicitly states it’s for members who receive the email directly, which I guess is obvious given the pre-enrollment comment and no registration page exists otherwise.

So… 55,000 elite qualifying miles before December 31, 2012. I’m pretty sure I can knock that out in the fall when fares come down a bit. I was really excited about it and thought about taking some mileage runs this month while the LAX-ORD/DFW DEQM is still valid, but came across this restriction in the footer: “Bonus elite qualifying miles earned through special promotions are excluded.” Grr. Oh well, top-tier status for basically half the miles is a pretty darn good deal.

Anyone else get this?

Last week I mentioned I was going for Gold status with American Airlines in their AAdvantage frequent flyer program. Having basically locked-in renewing my 1K status with United Airlines, my addictive behavior for flying even more is getting the better of me and I’m starting this week to fly American for the first time since 1988.

Gold status will be nice to have through February 2013 once I cross the 25,000 elite qualifying mile (EQM) threshold, but I got to thinking about doing a status challenge. I missed out on the Executive Platinum one from earlier this year, for which Ben over at One Mile at a Time is well on his way. So, I called American last night & decided to go for the Platinum challenge, which requires 10,000 elite qualifying points (EQPs) to be completed by August 15, 2011. Here’s part of the email I received summarizing what it takes to get there:

So, for $180 and a bit more flying than I already have booked, I have the opportunity to lock in Platinum on American through February 2012. At this stage in the game, I’m not sure I’ll keep flying American later in the year to hit Platinum outright, but if my experiences getting there are positive, I just might consider it.

The only downside to doing a challenge this time of year is that the fares during summer are typically higher than other times of year. Luckily, Virgin America’s entry into the Chicago and Dallas markets has prompted a bit of a fare war, so tickets can be had for around $225 to those cities. Granted, they only earn 0.5 points per mile on the deep discounted tickets, but I also have a work trip coming up to New York for which fares are a bit higher, and would get me 1.0 point per mile on that ticket.

As a data point, the Gold challenge is currently available for $100 with a 5,000 EQP requirement. The challenge fees historically change depending on the time of year, and a helpful wiki guide was created if you’d like to find out more.

I’m optimistic at this point about flying American, even though I’ll be chasing status the hard way by flying coach and not being able to book premium exit row seats due to my lack of status. Look for a post early next week detailing my first experience with American this coming weekend.