The complete guide to airline, hotel and rental car elite status matches in 2024

Airline, hotel and rental car elite status can make your travel experience more enjoyable. Between upgrades, waived fees and other perks, your loyalty to a travel company can pay off if you spend enough time on the road.

One benefit of elite status that’s not as well known, however, is the ability to match it to another travel company. This process is what’s known as a status match or status challenge. A match is when you’re simply gifted elite status, and a challenge is when you have to fulfill specific requirements.

These can come in handy if you’re considering moving your loyalty to a new airline, hotel group or rental car company. Further, it can also come in handy if your current elite status is expiring, since you can often request a match to a competitor and enjoy benefits past when your current elite status is due to expire.

Let’s take a closer look at what elite status matches and challenges are. Then we’ll show you some interesting status match opportunities with major airlines, hotel groups and rental car companies.

What is a status match?

As mentioned, a status match is when a travel company matches your existing elite status to a similar tier in its program.

Sometimes these matches will be outright, but other times you’ll have to meet certain requirements to keep status for more than a limited amount of time (typically 90 days). These are often called status challenges.

For example, Alaska Airlines will match select top-tier airline statuses to its MVP Gold 75K tier. Once the match begins, you’ll have the status for 90 days with the option to extend by flying 20,000 base miles on Alaska Airlines flights.

The airline, hotel or rental car company you’re matching status to will often request proof of your existing airline status. A screenshot of your member card and a loyalty account statement should suffice.

Generally, travel companies offer status matches and status challenges for free, though there are some exceptions. Make sure to read the full terms and conditions of your status match before you enroll.

Airline elite status match opportunities

Airline elite status matches and status challenges are often the most lucrative. They offer a way to get free checked bags, cabin upgrades and even airport lounge access on another airline.

These are a few of the most popular airline status matches and challenges available at the time of publishing. Note that these programs are subject to change at any time.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Alaska Airlines offers one of the most straightforward status challenges in the airline loyalty world. You can match select airline statuses — most American, Canadian and Mexican airlines qualify — to a corresponding Alaska Airlines status tier.

These are the statuses that qualify and what Alaska Airlines tier they match to:

View this interactive content on CNN.com

You’ll keep your status for 90 days once approved. Then you can extend your status by meeting the following requirements.

After meeting these requirements, you’ll be extended to the end of the current year if you match before the end of June. Matches accepted after July 1 will be extended through the end of the next year.

American Airlines AAdvantage

American Airlines offers select Delta and United elites a fast track to elite status. The match gives you four months of complimentary American elite status, and you can extend it through the end of the status year by earning a set number of Loyalty Points.

Here’s how Delta and United status match to American:

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You must earn the following number of Loyalty Points within the four-month promotional period to extend your status. You can upgrade or downgrade your American elite tier depending on how many Loyalty Points you earn.

Loyalty Points can be earned by flying, spending on an American Airlines credit card or by leveraging other American partners. Because of this, it could be worth matching to American if you can make a large purchase on your American Airlines credit card.

Delta SkyMiles

Delta Air Lines offers a generous status challenge to elite members in a slew of competitor programs. You can match your current status up to Platinum Medallion and — once you complete the challenge requirements — you’ll have status through Jan. 31, 2026.

The following elite statuses are eligible for a Delta status challenge:

View this interactive content on CNN.com

You can extend your Delta status match by earning the following number of Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQD) during the 90-day status period:

These can be earned by flying with Delta or its partner airlines, spending on an eligible Delta credit card or booking vacation packages with Delta Vacations.

Southwest Rapid Rewards

Southwest Airlines offers a status challenge to anyone who is an elite member of another US airline. You can only match to A-List — the lower of the two Southwest elite tiers — but this can be useful as it includes benefits like priority boarding and 25% bonus point earning on flights.

Fill out this form on Southwest’s website to enroll in the status match. Once accepted, you’ll enjoy A-List status for 90 days. You can extend your status for another 12 months by flying three round-trip flights or six one-way flights with Southwest.

United MileagePlus

United Airlines offers a status challenge up to the Premier Platinum level for travelers with elite status in many of the major American, Australian and British airlines. That said, the published list below isn’t exhaustive and United might match other airlines too.

View this interactive content on CNN.com

Once your status challenge is accepted, United will give you elite status for 120 days. Then you can extend your status by meeting the following requirements by flying Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) and earning Premier Qualifying Points (PQP):

If you match your status before July 1, 2024, your status is valid through Jan. 31, 2025. Waiting until July will give you United elite status through Jan. 31, 2026, so consider waiting if you don’t have immediate plans to fly United.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic is a British airline that focuses on long-haul flights to the US, Asia and the Middle East. It’s also a SkyTeam alliance member, so having status with the airline provides benefits on Delta and other member airlines.

The requirements for its status match are simple: prove your current elite status tier and have a Virgin Atlantic flight booked. The ticket can be booked with cash or miles. Further, you cannot have previously held Virgin Atlantic elite status.

The status tier you’re matched to depends on what class of service your Virgin Atlantic ticket is booked in. Those with Premium or Upper Class tickets will match top-tier Gold status while those with economy tickets are upgraded to Silver.

The following elite status tiers are eligible for this status match:

View this interactive content on CNN.com

This status match is worthwhile if you have an upcoming Virgin Atlantic flight you plan to fly anyway. You’ll enjoy extra benefits when flying Virgin Atlantic, plus other benefits on Delta and other SkyTeam airlines.

Hotel elite status match opportunities

Hotels offer status matches and status challenges too. Here are a few of our favorite hotel status matches that you might be eligible to take advantage of.

Best Western Rewards

Best Western offers a straightforward status match. If you hold elite status with another program, just send the following information to Best Western using the email address found on the hotel group’s website:

Once submitted, you’ll be matched to the equivalent tier of Best Western status through — at the time of writing — March 31, 2026. So, if you have an upcoming Best Western stay, consider this status match for added benefits.

Choice Privileges

Choice Privileges offers an easy elite status match too. Just submit the following information on this website to be matched to an equivalent tier in the Choice Hotels loyalty program.

Choice states that it processes status matches within 3 to 5 business days of receiving your information, so make sure you request your match before your next Choice Hotels stay.

Hilton Honors

Hilton Honors offers a status challenge to Gold and Diamond, which are its two highest tiers of elite status. Just note it’s also easy to get these status tiers as benefits of select Hilton credit cards.

You can request a Hilton status challenge on the hotel group’s website. Then you’ll have Gold status for 90 days. Within this period, stay the following number of nights to extend Gold status or upgrade to Diamond:

Your status will be extended through March 31, 2025, at the time of writing. You’re eligible for this status match if you don’t have existing Hilton Honors elite status or are a Silver-tier member. You are eligible for one status challenge over the lifetime of your Hilton Honors account.

Note that Hilton Honors elite status is included as a benefit of the following credit cards:

All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.

Wyndham Rewards

Wyndham Rewards offers a status challenge that provides you with a match up to its top-tier Diamond status. You can view all eligible competitor statuses on the status match page.

You’ll receive complimentary status for 90 days, with the option to extend through Dec. 31 of the following year by meeting the following requirements:

Rental car elite status match opportunities

Rental car elite status includes vehicle upgrades and other perks. Here are a few ways you can match your rental car elite status to a competitor — and in some cases, you might be able to match your hotel or airline elite status to a rental car company too.

However, this list does not include airline partnerships with rental car companies. For example, Delta elites get complimentary Hertz elite status and United elites get reciprocal Avis elite status.

Instead, this section focuses on publicly available elite status matches and challenges with major rental car companies.

Enterprise Plus

Enterprise will match status from Avis and Hertz to its Silver, Gold or Platinum elite levels. Matched status is valid through Feb. 28 of the second calendar year following the status match, giving you plenty of time to enjoy benefits.

Hertz Gold Rewards

Hertz offers status matches to those with existing Avis, Enterprise, National, Europcar and Sixt elite status. You can apply for this status match as long as you haven’t requested a Hertz status match in the past five years. Matched status is valid through Dec. 31 of the second calendar year following the match’s approval.

You can also get top-tier Hertz President’s Circle status as a benefit of the Amex Platinum and the Amex Business Platinum. Enrollment required.

National Emerald Club

National offers one of the broadest status matches in the loyalty world. It will match status from 40 different loyalty programs from major airlines, hotel groups and rental car companies. See the company’s status match page for more information.

Further, you can get National Emerald Club Executive elite status as a benefit of the Amex Platinum, Amex Business Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the United Club℠ Infinite Card. Enrollment required.

Sixt

Sixt offers a status match from Avis, National, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty. To enroll, head to this page on Sixt’s website and click the status match button at the center of the page. Your matched status may appear instantly, but match your status before you need it, just to be safe.

Bottom line

Here, we showed you matches offered by many of the largest airlines, hotel groups and rental car companies. These promotions allow you to try new travel companies without starting from the bottom of the elite ranks.

Consider a status match or status challenge the next time you try a new travel company. The added benefits could make your experience a lot more enjoyable with upgrades, discounts and other perks.

Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored Money chose as the best travel credit cards.