Turkish Airlines status matching up to Star Alliance Gold

Turkish Airlines, as a member of the Star Alliance, has started to status match members of the BMI Diamond Club program on the announcement of BMI getting sold to IAG (British Airways) and hence breaking away from the Star Alliance.

However, as it is now turning out, Turkish is also status matching into other alliances. As of today the following status matching is being done:

  • Silver on another carrier (BD/Another alliance) –> TK Miles and Smiles Classic Plus (*A Silver)
  • Gold on another carrier (BD/Another alliance) –> TK Miles and Smiles Elite (*A Gold)
  • No status match to the Miles and Smiles Elite Plus (TK’s top tier)

Status is good for 2 years from the date of status match.

Requalification: Members outside Turkey need the following for requalification:

  • 25000 Status Miles in 1st year or 37500 Status Miles in 1st and 2nd year for Keeping the *A Gold, else soft landing to *A Silver (for 2 years)
  • 17000 Status Miles in 1st Year or 37000 Status miles in 1st and 2nd year for keeping the *A Silver.

You can also buy upto 10,000 Status Miles in the second year if you don’t think you will fulfil the criteria.

*A Gold Benefits: Come on, all of you know this, but I will still tell you again:

    • Airport Lounge Access – available worldwide for you and a friend when you travel with any Star Alliance member airline, regardless of your class of travel.
    • Priority Airport Check-in – allows you to check-in at the Business and/or First Class counter.
    • Priority Boarding – enjoy the freedom of boarding at your convenience along with First and Business Class passengers.
    • Extra Baggage Allowance – an additional 20 kg (44 pounds) where the weight concept applies, or one additional piece of luggage where the piece concept applies.
    • Priority Baggage Handling – like you, your bags get priority treatment and are among the first to be unloaded.
    • Priority Reservations Waitlisting – when there aren’t any seats left on your preferred flight, gives you priority should a seat become available.
    • Priority Airport Standby – gives you top priority when standing-by a flight at the airport.

Overall, it is an upcoming program with much success at the Freddies 2012 (Program of the Year – Europe) and so looks like a lot of potential ahead. Also, one of the easiest programs to retain *A Gold. The program is also decently generous in terms of earning miles by flying on *A carriers. You can have a look at the charts here.

Take note that Turkish Airlines did not use to status match as a policy at a point of time, but seems that is set to change.

Here is how to request for the status match:

  • Sign up for a Turkish Airlines M&S Account here.
  • Send an email to customermiles@thy.com with a scan of your other airline FFP membership card and account statement (this is a requirement to receive both). You will need to make a case for them to look at you as a good case to status match into their program (a business case for them?)
  • You should hear from them in a week to ten days about their ‘decision’ on your status match query.

All the best, and ping back for questions if any!

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About Ajay

Ajay Awtaney is the Founder and Editor of Live From A Lounge (LFAL), a pioneering digital platform renowned for publishing news and views about aviation, hotels, passenger experience, loyalty programs, travel trends and frequent travel tips for the Global Indian. He is considered the Indian authority on business travel, luxury travel, frequent flyer miles, loyalty credit cards and travel for Indians around the globe. Ajay is a frequent contributor and commentator on the media as well, including ET Now, BBC, CNBC TV18, NDTV, Conde Nast Traveller and many other outlets.

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Comments

        • I find the way Turkish Airlines treats its passengers quite extraordinary. They obviously aspire to be a quality airline, but they seem to ignore every opportunity to make their customers happy. Read any review, and the comments are pretty much the same — nice plane, good food, but unfriendly, rude, inconsiderate, staff. It is amazing how they seem unwilling to do anything about it! It seems like willful destruction of their investments in their products.

  1. Hello, I have the card Etihad Guest Gold and I requested a status match to Turkish airways January 28th but I received no response. Someone of you already Matches of Ethiad to Turkish? I’m French and I’m not very good at writing English, so maybe they do not understand me. Someone would be kind enough to write me an email to request a motivation status match that could apply to all airlines?
    Thank you in advance for your help

  2. Miles and Smiles is an interesting name for their FF program. All reports suggest that TK offers nice planes, good seats, and fine food. But a smile is akin to blood and the proverbial stone. Anyone else have that experience?

  3. Hello,

    So i am a frequent flyer card holder with Lufthansa ! So is it possible to match my miles and silver card to the Turkish Airline miles & smiles systems ? I already registered with Turkish Airlines ! what do i need to do next ? Is it really so much better than Lufthansa frequent Traveller Card status ?

    Thanks for all your assist

    • @Mike the status match is only for the top gold status to gold status in Turkish so you won’t be able to match a silver card

  4. Turkish aviation customer teller

    We are members of Turkish airline.
    TK422533855 KYOICHIRO YASUDA
    TK444613781 YOKO YASUDA
    We sent the email of the request of the status match to 11/24, 12/1 there.
    A gold medallion card of DL, the mile account results of DL, the mile account results of UAwhich is for two people,with this mail.
    There is not communication from Turkey Airlines having not yet come .
    When do you understand a result? Communication of a mileage card and the status match consent
    Please inform a future plan.We wait for communication.

  5. i have sent them my platinum card on jet and my points statement. didnt get an aknowledgement though. thanks sanjiv

  6. Sanjiv – i meant anyone who has sent them an email and have got a successful reply – just cut and paste the email they sent on here so we can use that as the basis for us writing to them.

  7. hi, i am platinum with jet airways and gold with kingfisher. i have been flying turkish regularly. its a great service. it would be a delight to get their gold card. what do i have to do.please help. thanks ssanjiv

  8. Too bad their website is a mess…tried 3 times to register and then I was told I already have an account…thanks for nothing, THY.

  9. Thanks! Turkish matched my Delta Gold with their Elite level. Now, if I could only find a oneworld carrier who would match! Any suggestions?

  10. Got matched to TK Miles and Smiles Elite (*A Gold) on the basis of my QF platinum (OWE) status. Does any one know if Turkish will send you the Elite Card automatically?

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