Virgin Atlantic launches new status match offer, here's how to get it if you were Winged Arrow with Alitalia
Earlier this year, Sir Richard Branson-founded carrier Virgin Atlantic had launched a Status Match campaign dedicated [...]
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At the beginning of the year, the carrier founded by Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Atlantic, had launched a Status Match campaign. dedicated only to elite level holders in British Airways' Executive Club program. Now, a few months later, the opportunity is being repeated, but this time it is intended for customers of many other airlines.
The new challenge to achieve status in the Flying Club
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In recent months we have seen many campaigns of this kind, a way for airlines to steal the best customers or get travelers' data at little expense, ITA Airways did as well..
The first challenge concerns Virgin Atlantic's two partner airlines-Delta Airlines and Air France.
If you have elite status in the respective loyalty programs, you will automatically get the status with Virgin as well. In this case, it is not a matter of "stealing" the customer, but taking advantage of the alliance that unites Delta-which is also the minority shareholder of VA-and the Air France / KLM group.
As for the customers of the other carriers involved, the challenge is very simple: to obtain the status, you need to be scheduled to fly with the British airline based at London Heathrow Terminal 3.
It is possible become a Gold member demonstrating that you are in the highest tier of one of the above loyalty programs. In addition to this you must have a ticket booked with Virgin Atlantic in Premium Economy or Upper Class, as award tickets in VA also earn points and status miles (for the challenge these also apply).
Alternatively you will become a Silver member proving that you are in the second tier of one of the above loyalty programs. Again, you must have a flight booked with Virgin Atlantic in any cabin class.
Elite status will be valid from 12 months from the date of account upgrade. Gold members will need to earn 1,000 level points during the membership period to maintain the status, while Silver members will need to earn 400 level points.
To submit the request you need to fill out this form. For now there is no expiration date, this means that it could disappear at any time.
How to take advantage of this status match if you had a level in the Millemiglia club
Alitalia is not included in this list of companies, but there is Emirates, which has launched its own status match campaign. For all Italian citizens.
It is then possible to upgrade from Millemiglia to Flying Club with a triangulation. Holders of a Winged Arrow tier can, by taking advantage of their match status with EK, become Gold in Emirates' Skywards program, while Winged Arrow Plus holders can become Platinum, which is the highest tier in the Dubai-based airline's loyalty program.
Obtained status with Emirates you will then be able to request the level from Virgin Atlantic and thus profit twice the now useless layer in Alitalia's old program.
What the status in VA is for.
Virgin Atlantic does not participate in any sky alliance, but has a very close partnership with Air France, KLM and Delta. So having status does not bring much benefit when you fly other airlines, if you then travel Upper Class having or not having status brings very little difference, just the bonus of FC miles that you accumulate.
At the same time, however, having the status and accumulating points can help you get some special award tickets, such as flying first class in the best cabin in the world i.e. the first cabin of All Nippon Airlines: a 15,000-plus ticket that is bookable with Virgin Atlantic miles and that I booked just a few months ago for next June.
In conclusion
It's good to see how they continue these "skirmishes" between airlines., which only favor travelers who can gain small or large benefits from these campaigns. Although in reality the status match is an opportunity that in the end keeps everyone happy: the companies who get customer data and the customers who can take advantage of benefits they are not entitled to.
