Turkish Airlines targets Qantas with free status match
Your Qantas Platinum frequent flyer card can unlock free Turkish Airlines Elite and Star Alliance Gold status.
Turkish Airlines is now flying to Melbourne, with Sydney to follow by year’s end – and the door is now open for top-tier Qantas frequent flyers to get enjoy free airport lounge access, free inflight WiFi and seat selection, extra baggage and more, all courtesy of a generous Turkish Airlines status match promotion.
Qantas Platinum and Platinum One members will be matched to Elite status in the Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles loyalty program.
And because Turkish Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance group, your Elite card levels up as Star Alliance Gold for similar frequent flyer benefits across partner airlines including Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, Thai Airways and United Airlines.
If your Turkish Airlines status match application is successful you’ll get four months of free Turkish Airlines Elite (and Star Alliance Gold) membership right off the bat.
And by taking just one Turkish Airlines international flight within that period, either in economy or business class, your Miles&Smiles Elite and Star Alliance Gold membership is locked down for a full year.
Qantas is just one of the competing airlines eligible for the Turkish Airlines status match: it’s a broad sweep which includes all members of the Oneworld and SkyTeam alliances, along with Emirates and Etihad Airways, but not Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyers.
So with the start of Turkish Airlines’ flights between Istanbul and Australia just months away, there’s arguably never been a better time to put the Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles status match on your to-do list.
Who is eligible for the Turkish Airlines status match?
Turkish Airlines limits its status match to the upper echelon of frequent flyers on a long list of competitor airlines and alliances:
- Oneworld Emerald – this includes Qantas Platinum and Platinum One, British Airways Gold, Cathay Diamond, and other Platinum tiers at the likes of Finnair, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways; however, Turkish Airlines’ eligibility list specifically excludes Oneworld Sapphire members (such as Qantas Gold card-holders)
- SkyTeam Elite Plus – this includes Air France/KLM Flying Blue Gold or Platinum, Delta Air Lines Gold Medallion or above, Vietnam Airlines LotusMiles Gold or above, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold
- Emirates Skywards Gold or Platinum
- Etihad Airways Guest Gold or Platinum
All of the above frequent flyers can request a status match to Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles Elite tier.
While this sits below the top-rung Miles&Smiles Elite Plus tier – which delivers extra benefits such as free upgrades and Elite memberships to gift to family, friends or colleagues – most people will find Miles&Smiles Elite status remains a comfortable fit for their needs.
How to apply for the Turkish Airlines status match
First of all, sign up to the Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles loyalty program – you can do this online, and the process is both fast and free.
Then log into your Miles&Smiles account and visit the feedback page on Turkish Airlines’ website to get the ball rolling.
Under the general Feedback option, click the Write Feedback button, select the New Feedback option, then scroll down to the Miles&Smiles program category.
Clicking the Membership processes button will call up a page asking for your personal details plus a text box where you can detail the nature of your feedback.
In this case, your ‘feedback’ should be a short but respectful request for a status match to the Miles&Smiles Elite tier based on your current high-level status with a competing airline.
It’s useful to give some context as to why you’re seeking this status match – for example, you could have many flights to and within Europe planned for the coming year.
Finally, you’ll need to provide supporting documentation such as
- a scan or photo of the front and back your frequent flyer membership card clearly showing your name and your current status’ expiry date
- a PDF of your most recent activity statement with the competing airline showing you taking status-earning flights
- a scan of your passport.
Note that Turkish Airlines may reply asking for more information, so don’t expect to be given this status match straight away; in the past, Executive Traveller readers have reported turnaround times under two weeks from application to approval.
If successful, your Miles&Smiles account will be upgraded to the Elite tier for four months; again, this also includes Star Alliance Gold-grade perks across all the Star Alliance member airlines.
As with all status match promotions, this offer of free Miles&Smiles Elite status is made entirely at the discretion of Turkish Airlines and it success can vary from one applicant to the next (for example, a request from one Qantas Platinum frequent flyer might be granted, while another declined).
Extending your Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles status match
To keep Turkish Airlines Elite and Star Alliance Gold status for a full year, all it takes is one paid Turkish Airlines international flight in either business or economy class within that initial four-month period.
That’s an easy box to tick if you’re almost anywhere within Europe.
You can add a second full year of Turkish Airlines Elite and Star Alliance Gold status by earning at least 15,000 miles on Turkish Airlines flights within that first 12 months – and with Turkish Airlines flying to Australia, that’ll be easily accomplished with a single business class return trip to Istanbul.
22 Sep 2020
Total posts 16
I tried this 4 weeks ago with QR Platinum and got TK Gold in 4 days. Just did one flight on TK, and am now Gold for one year. Great airline, food was good, wines mediocre, service was not warm.
22 Sep 2020
Total posts 16
And on the return leg - IST NBO, tried to buy an upgrade, but was quoted US$1997.50. Not worth it! However got the magic beep when boarding and free upgrade.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
05 Oct 2021
Total posts 1
Thanks to Executive Traveller's article, I applied for Turkish Airlines status match on 26/06/23. Was given the Gold Star Alliance match less than 24 hours later. Just need to get that Turkish Airlines flight now!
13 Jul 2023
Total posts 1
This was a fantastic tip. Recieved my acceptance on the same day. Emerald with One World and now Gold with Star Alliance. Thank you so much ET
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
10 Nov 2011
Total posts 129
Interesting that VA FF are being excluded. A potential VA/TK tie up on the cards?
05 Mar 2015
Total posts 408
That's a bit of a stretch, it's more that TK is aiming the status match at its competitors so it's covering Emirates, Etihad plus OneWorld and SkyTeam airlines, but Virgin is pretty much a domestic carrier so no 'threat' to TK, not even relevant to them.
11 Sep 2015
Total posts 215
Brilliant, got my TK Elite status match thanks to this article, now waiting the the AU flights to be announced and go on sale!
08 Aug 2023
Total posts 2
Quick Question for those who got the status match.
Did TK give you 4 months from the dates approved or was it defaulted to calendar month?
Cheers!
08 Aug 2023
Total posts 2
For those that got the status match already - did TK give 4 months from date of approval or default to calendar months?
Thanks.
16 Oct 2023
Total posts 1
Thank you so much ET for this wonderful news. I applied for status match in the morning with my Flying Blue Platinum and in the evening received the email with the confirmation of Star Alliance Gold with TK for four months. Perfect ! 🤩
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
20 Dec 2011
Total posts 22
I have Star Alliance gold already - how can i match to One World?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Aug 2018
Total posts 2
I've got the TK Gold status match and I'll have the "TK extension run" Y Singapore - Frankfurt next week. Has anybody already checked whether the TK Gold allows entrance to the Silver Kris Lounge at Changi Airport? TK has contracted the Marhaba Lounge at T1 for their J customers.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 430
Yes, TK Gold gets you into SQ's SilverKris Lounge at Changi T3. Don't worry about TK's "preferred lounge" at Changi for business class and M&S Elites, this is just like Finnair does, the airline directs everyone to the crappy Changi T1 SATS Lounge when of course they can use any of the T1 Oneworld lounges depending on travel class or status.
03 Jun 2019
Total posts 27
No. *A G only have access to SQ's KrisFlyer Gold Lounge instead of SilverKris Lounge @ SIN.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 430
Apologies, I thought Donne was asking about the KrisFlyer Gold lounge. As Evian says in his reply here , you need to be in business class with SQ, TK or another Star Alliance airline to get into the SilverKris lounge, which is a business class lounge. Those lounge names can be a bit confusing something! The KrisFlyer Gold lounge is a lounge for Gold frequent flyers in KrisFlyer and Star Alliance plus the equivalent tier in partners like Virgin Australia. But the KrisFlyer Gold lounge is still way better than the Marhaba Lounge. Just leave enough time to get from the SQ lounges at Changi T3 to your boarding gate at Changi T1.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Aug 2018
Total posts 2
Thanks ABT and Evian,
the Kris Lounge names are indeed a bit confusing. Marhaba Lounge T1 is default for TA pax. Distance between T1 and T3 a factor to be calculated. Not sure about TK performance/service. Just back from TK SIN-IST-FRA to get 8 months extension on Elite Gold, however, 2.5hrs delayed SIN departure without any explanation from (non TA) groundstaff, combined with delayed arrival at IST and long distances between arrival and FRA gates, forfeited my ability to enjoy a shower and decent BF @ TA Lounge. Hope that it was just my unlucky day with TA.
Turkish Airlines - Miles & Smiles
08 Jun 2014
Total posts 266
Thank you ET. Status Match done and done, approved in less than 24 hours and then 24 hours later I’ve got my flight booked! *A Gold in my digital wallet.
22 May 2011
Total posts 88
Tried this in Feb 2020 and it worked! Only problem was I didnt get to use it at all given all of the border closures. I tried again recently saying that the borders are now reopened and that Turkish is starting to fly to Australia soon - perfect time to try out Turkish! They said no - you only get it once. It's actually turned me off Turkish.
27 Jul 2017
Total posts 19
Any idea if there is an expiry date on this? I probably won't be flying Star Alliance for another six months so would prefer to delay my status match
09 Dec 2019
Total posts 2
Does anyone know how long this status match will go on for? Only have a flight to europe in six months, but also don't want to wait till this sweet deal expires.
08 Mar 2021
Total posts 8
It looks like the process is different now as the website has been updated. Any tips on how to complete the process now in 2024.
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