Etihad Offers Status Match to Aussie Frequent Flyers
Etihad is offering a status match to Etihad Guest Gold for Australians with Velocity status.
Update: the free status match appears to have ended! While you can still match your status, there's now a US$79 fee to do so.
Etihad and Virgin Australia might be parting ways, but that doesn’t mean the end of the road for Australian frequent flyers!
Etihad has just launched a targeted status match for the Australian market. Here’s the deal:
Members of seven airline loyalty programs—Emirates Skywards (EK), Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (SQ), Qatar Airways Privilege Club (QR), Virgin Australia Velocity (VA), Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (TK), British Airways Executive Club (BA), and Air India Flying Returns (AI)—can now enjoy a Gold status match into Etihad Guest Gold for free, based on their current tier status.
The status match is being facilitated through statusmatch.com. While these promotions often come with a fee, Etihad is offering this one at no cost—a rare opportunity!
Unfortunately, Etihad Guest Platinum isn’t on the table, so Gold is as good as it gets. Successful applicants will receive Etihad Guest Gold status for six months. To extend this status for a further 12 months, members need to complete just one return flight with Etihad, a fair and straightforward challenge! Our understanding is that this would mean a total for 18 months of Gold Etihad Guest status can be achieved if you meet the challenge requirements in the first 6 months.
Key Details at a Glance:
- Eligibility: Members of Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Virgin Australia, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, and Air India loyalty programs.
- Matched Tier: Gold status with Etihad Guest.
- Cost: Free (no charges for the status match).
- Validity: Six months of Gold status, extendable to 12 months with one return flight.
- Application Link: https://etihad.statusmatch.com/.
To apply, head to the link above. The entire process takes less than a minute.
Benefits of Etihad Guest Gold Status
Holding Eithad Guest Gold comes with a range of benefits, here's what you get:
This promotion comes hot on the heels of the Virgin Australia breakup announcement and aligns perfectly with Etihad's increasing flight frequencies to and from Australia. It’s also worth mentioning Etihad’s revamped Abu Dhabi Stopover program, relaunched in May this year. Travellers transiting through Abu Dhabi can enjoy one or two complimentary nights in a selection of premium hotels across the city, turning a layover into a mini holiday.
The program has already seen impressive growth, welcoming 24,000 international visitors in the first half of 2024, compared to just 7,000 in the latter half of 2023.
