SkyTeam status match now extended to 25 airlines including British Airways

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Last week we covered how you can get status in the SkyTeam airline alliance by matching your British Airways Executive Club status.

This is due to the launch of ITA Airways, the replacement airline for the bankrupt Alitalia, and its new frequent flyer programme Volare.

If you are successfully matched, your new SkyTeam status will begin on 1st January and run for the whole of 2022.

The match has now been extended. There are now 25 airlines who are accepted for the status match, up from the previous 11.

Match your British Airways to SkyTeam with ITA

Which 25 airlines are now being matched?

ITA is obviously very happy with how the match is going, because it has now been extended to 25 airlines.

Even if you don’t have BA status you may still qualify. You can also apply if you have status with:

Aeroflot
Aerolíneas Argentinas
Air Europa
Alitalia
Air France/KLM
American Airlines
ANA
Czech Airlines
Delta Airlines
EL Al
Emirates
Iberia
Korean Air
Lufthansa
Middle East Airlines
Qatar Airlines
Royal Jordanian
Saudia
Singapore Airlines
SWISS
TAP
Tarom
Turkish Airways
United Airlines

Which airlines are in SkyTeam?

If you match your British Airways or other status to ITA Airways, your status will get you benefits with the following members of the SkyTeam airline alliance:

Aeroflot
Aerolineas Argentinas
AeroMexico
Air Europa
Air France
China Airlines
China Eastern
Czech Airlines
Delta
Garuda Indonesia
ITA Airways
Kenya Airways
KLM
Korean Air
MEA
Saudia
TAROM
Vietnam Airlines
Xiamen Air

How does the ITA status match work?

Full details are here. The match process itself is easy, but you won’t get your status immediately.

ITA’s frequent flyer programme will be called Volare. The details are here. However:

the programme does not launch until 1st January 2022

you cannot redeem points until 1st March 2022

You can earn points immediately if you fly with Volare – in fact, there is a 10,000 points bonus available if you register by 15th November and complete two one-way flights or one return flight on Volare by 31st December. These points will not be credited until the programme launches on 1st January.

What does this mean for the timing of the status match?

The status match application process runs until 30th November 2021.

You will contacted by 31st December 2021 with information on whether your match has been successful.

If it has, your status will run from 1st January 2022 until 31st December 2022.

How I do apply for the ITA status match?

You can apply for your match here.

It will literally take you 1 minute to do. Once you’ve registered for Volare, all it wants you to email is a copy of your British Airways Executive Club status card (an online version is accepted) and a copy of your passport.

There is no requirement to send information on your flight history or to book any flights with ITA Airways.

Will I get SkyTeam benefits from 1st January 2022?

It seems so, yes.

The SkyTeam announcement implied that ITA Airways had joined immediately. It normally takes at least a year for a new airline to join an alliance after applying for membership, but as ITA Airways is basically still Alitalia, I assume the necessary IT was already in place.

That said, it’s worth noting that the SkyTeam website still features Alitalia’s logo and has no word about ITA.

The only other question is whether your status is active on 1st January or if you will have to wait until 1st March 2022 when the Volare programme will start allowing redemptions. I am guessing 1st January is the key date.

Will you get lounge access if you match from BA Silver?

Yes, but there are quirks.

British Airways Silver is being matched to ‘Premium’ in Volare. This does include lounge access but ONLY for the cardholder when flying with ITA.

British Airways Gold is being matched to ‘Executive’ which is the top tier. This gives you lounge access WITH a guest.

However, in terms of SkyTeam access, I don’t think they can discriminate. Normal lounge rules would apply when flying with any other airline in the alliance which means that you would get a guest.

Conclusion

You have nothing to lose by requesting a status match from your British Airways Executive Club account to ITA Airways and its new Volare programme.

Elite members of 24 other schemes can also now jump in.

At the very worst, you might be able to use it to match back to another oneworld or Star Alliance programme later in 2022 if your British Airways status slips.

Full details of the status match, and how to apply, are on the ITA website here.

Category

Air France KLM and Flying Blue, American Airlines and AAdvantage, British Airways and Avios, Emirates and Emirates Skywards, Iberia and Iberia Plus, Lufthansa and Miles & More, Qatar Airways and Privilege Club, SkyTeam alliance partners, United Airlines and MileagePlus

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

Sandgrounder says:

9 Nov9 November 08:21

Well, I just had a reply with a case number, match to be processed. And an email saying my message was undeliverable as the mailbox was full. #confused
Duck Ling says:

9 Nov9 November 09:01

I was ‘matched’ to BA Gold a couple of weeks ago but still have no membership number.

I’m flying KLM on Friday so no idea how i’m meant to register my ITA details in my booking.
- southlondonphil says:
  
  9 Nov9 November 11:00
  
  You’re matched in a programme that won’t be live until 1/1, chances of you being able to extract any reciprocal benefit with Skyteam partners before then seem slim to non-existent IMO.
  - Duck Ling says:
    
    9 Nov9 November 11:41
    
    Thanks for the info. Although I haven’t seen anywhere where it’s been mentioned when the program will become ‘live’. Do you have a source for this so I can have a read? I’ve done some googling and read the FlyerTalk forums but cannot find this information. Thanks.
    - Britbronco says:
      
      9 Nov9 November 13:55
      
      Try reading the article
His Holyness says:

9 Nov9 November 09:06

Bizarre they give Executive to BA Gold, one of the easiest statuses out there and yet M&M Senator is matched to Premium. Spend is significantly higher for *G in M&M. Germany is a key market for ITA that the UK simply is not.

Since when is BA Silver the equivalent of LH SEN and BA Gold=LH HON.
- DZOO says:
  
  9 Nov9 November 11:03
  
  +1
  - DZOO says:
    
    9 Nov9 November 11:04
    
    (response to “elt”)
elt says:

9 Nov9 November 09:19

Despite sending clear jpgs of BAEC card and passport they say they can’t read them.
Anyone else having same problem?
Thanks
- Rob says:
  
  9 Nov9 November 09:25
  
  The expiry date on the one I sent is blurry. Need to see what they say. Stupid BA app …
AJA says:

9 Nov9 November 10:13

I wish I still had Gold status with TAP but I will still apply as that might help with a further status match to Star Alliance in the future.
YC says:

9 Nov9 November 11:19

Just got a bounce from the email address (mailbox is full!). Anyone have a link to uploading via website?
- riku says:
  
  9 Nov9 November 11:21
  
  I got the same error saying their mailbox was full but also a second email saying the contract centre will process my status match. So they are covering both bases with a confirmation reply and an error reply.
- Dawn says:
  
  9 Nov9 November 11:36
  
  I had the same message, mailbox full. I tried doing it via their uploading documents and it wouldn’t let me upload my BA card for some reason that I had downloaded on my phone. So I gave up for a while.
- Rob says:
  
  9 Nov9 November 13:10
  
  If you create a new Volare account, you are immediately taken to an online form where you can upload your documents. No email needed.
  - riku says:
    
    9 Nov9 November 13:39
    
    my mistake was following the instructions they have on their status match page:
    “Request the status match .. in two simple steps:
    If you haven’t already subscribed, sign up to our new program Volare
    Send an email to statusmatch@itaspa.com with the following details…”
  - Dawn says:
    
    9 Nov9 November 13:49
    
    I did this. I uploaded my passport no problem but the copy of the Silver card from the App it wouldn’t let me upload. Maybe I’d put it in the wrong format or something although it was jpeg.
    - vlcnc says:
      
      9 Nov9 November 15:25
      
      It’s a really terrible website, weirdly for me it did the opposite – could upload a jpeg but not a png which is what my phone automatically saves screenshots as.
  - Guy says:
    
    9 Nov9 November 14:24
    
    I tried this, but I fill in the required details, click ‘send’ and nothing happens. I don’t get a ‘thanks for your details, we’ll be in contact’ etc. All that happens is the ‘send’ box then is greyed out and you can’t try again.
  - YC says:
    
    9 Nov9 November 16:08
    
    Yes but I accidentally closed the window as had all my docs on my phone so sent it via email. I can’t find this page now…
OZ flyer says:

9 Nov9 November 13:13

They are matching other SkyTeam partners and essentially luring flyers from their alliance partners – a conflict of interest.

Yet they are overlooking OZ flyers who may well be looking to move elsewhere where there is no conflict!

I guess I won’t be considering ITA as my next program.
Anuj says:

9 Nov9 November 14:05

Any idea if Qatar gold or Singapore gold should result in executive? I’ve been matched to premium using Singapore gold but if BA gold is executive, shouldn’t Singapore gold be too?
- Andrew M says:
  
  9 Nov9 November 20:24
  
  My Krisflyer Gold was matched to Premium as well which seems a bit unfair. It’s not clear whether Premium even includes lounge access. The email I received informing me of the match and listing the benefits of Premium didn’t include lounge access. I’ve seen reports online that both Premium and Executive get recognized at the top Sky Team tier and therefore do include lounge access but who knows…