15 million frequent flyers are about to lose tier: boom in status match requests
I wrote this last December: with the end of parachutes designed to safeguard frequent flyers unable to [...]
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I had written this last December: with the end of parachutes designed to safeguard frequent flyers unable to travel during the covid period it was obvious that we would be in this situation. Now the confirmation comes directly from the Statusmatch.com platform, a company specializing in providing services to loyalty programs.
55 million elite passengers worldwide
In this article:
StatusMatch estimates that there are, worldwide, 55 million elite users. Not of loyalty program members, but of users who hold at least an elite level in one of the many loyalty programs around the world. Again according to SM data of these 55mln 15 would be users of the three American airlines-Delta, American, and United.
Many of these users were able to take advantage of help, discounts, status match, rollovers, and every other imaginative initiative that companies have come up with in order not to lose customers during the lockdown. Suffice it to say that of the world's major companies, only ITA Airways renewed status ex officio through 2023. While all the others have told passengers fly or nothing, only to come up with even pay-as-you-go offers when faced with the worst-case scenario: that is, losing loyal users who at this point might as well look elsewhere and switch to competitors.
Boom in Status Match requests
Now that all the aid is gone, SM has recorded in January alone a 70% increase in status match requests. As I had also written it was natural for those who were about to lose their level to jump into the active campaigns to gain new status and not be left out the door for louge, upgrades, and priority services.
However, if in recent years these proposals gave away the card for a year or so, now companies are putting up a few months as a prize and then, if you don't complete the challenge, you're back to square one.
Worldwide, nearly 1 in 4 elite users will lose their level
Returning to the numbers in the StatusMatch analysis, it is predicted that worldwide about 15 million frequent flyers will lose status by the first half of 2023, If I think about my situation in these months I will lose two levels obtained precisely because of status match offers: the gold with Emirates and the gold with Virgin Atlantic.
For us Italians-as mentioned-came the parachute with Volare and then there will probably be the marriage with Miles&More to change the game again. Hopefully for the last time.
