MATCH POINT: WINNING THE ELITE STATUS GAME IN TRAVEL
Business travelers are usually savvy frequent flyers clocking up thousands of miles per month that add up to huge perks once various status tiers are reached. These levels of status tiers, such as Silver, Gold or Platinum, often enjoy perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, lounge access, and free upgrades when available. These elite status-holding travelers represent the most valuable & most important flyers to the airlines.
So it should come as no surprise that flyers earning these standings should want to hold onto them—often at the cost of paying more to fly their airline of choice or making unnecessary route choices. During the last few years, many of the airlines offered a dose of comfort to the millions of frequent flyers who were grounded as a result of the pandemic.
Elite status privileges were extended, at no cost to the traveler, in 2020 and 2021. However, as 2022 closes, those extended kindnesses are also coming to a close and a great “status cliff” is now on the horizon for many travelers. This will result in millions of travelers globally facing the bleak possibility of having to travel… with downgraded or no elite status perks.
Enter StatusMatch.com. Co-founder Mark Ross-Smith took a cumbersome concept that has been around for more than 35 years in the airline loyalty world—“status matching”—and did with it something that every tech start-up does: streamlined, simplified, digitized and revolutionized the process.
Ross-Smith partnered up with other former airline executives, who combined have run major airline loyalty programs on three continents; used the down time of the pandemic to develop and launch the ultimate tool for business travelers who are facing the reality of elite status downgrades.
HOW DOES STATUSMATCH WORK?
A traveler that is staring down the barrel of an elite status downgrade, or looking to test-drive a new airline and doesn’t want to start from the base-level in the new airline loyalty program, creates a free profile on StatusMatch.com, enters in the details of their existing airline loyalty status, and, like a tinder-for-airlines type approach, the traveler is presented with opportunities to get instant elite status with new airlines, who are keen to attract the travelers business.
The traveler can use their already proven status with one airline, and a new airline will ‘match’ that elite status. This process is seamlessly delivered by StatusMatch.com, who work with some of the worlds largest airline brands.
In the past, status matching has been a clunky process whereby you fill out a contact form, or email an airline (or hotel, car rental etc..) and hope that the airline replies to your request.
“These travelers account for some 30- to 40-percent of an airline’s revenues; they spend more frequently than other customers, they tend to book directly, they purchase premium fares and they usually have the airline’s co-brand credit card. They are your most profitable and best passengers. What business doesn’t want more high-value customers?” said Ross-Smith, who previously headed the oneworld loyalty program at Malaysia Airlines.
As millions of business travelers are due to be downgraded in elite status over the coming months; airlines and hotels will be looking at ways to acquire high-value travelers from their competitors who are being downgraded.
For travelers, trying StatusMatch to get elite status with a new airline may mean the difference between sitting in the business class lounge sipping champagne, or sitting at the airline gate with screaming kids everywhere prior to their next flight.