Earlier this week Loyalty Lobby reported about a new elite status match offer from Japan's ANA All Nippon Airways Mileage Club. This status match is open to Canadian residents excluding those in Quebec who hold status with American Airlines, Delta, or JAL Japan Airlines. They will potentially match other non Star Alliance airlines as well based on an 'other airline' option on the application form. The status match will see eligible elite members from other airlines receive Mileage Club Bronze or Platinum status and if you happen to get Mileage Club Platinum that means you'll have Star Alliance Gold status. For a lot of Canadians it will beg the question if ANA will match WestJet Gold or Platinum status because then you'd have ANA status that you can utilize if and when you fly on Air Canada.
I haven't heard of any matches to WestJet anywhere online just yet but seeing that this offer is only really hitting the airwaves this week (although it has been around since March 1) and it takes up to 14 days for your status to be matched I'm not surprised there are no details yet. Many of the U.S. based bloggers are applying for matches with 'other airline' status and also have yet to report any successful matches just yet. Matches to other airlines are at ANA's sole discretion so YMMV.
That means right now, for us Canadians, if you do have status with American, Delta or JAL you should be guaranteed a match to ANA Mileage Club as follows (click to make larger):
Then over the next few weeks we should have data points as to what other airlines people have been successfully matched from via the plethora of miles and points blogs and hopefully from our own readers! I'll most likely give it a shot with my WestJet status just to see if it works out.
How to apply for the status match
Here are the basic instructions from ANA
If your status match is successful you'll retain ANA Mileage Club status until March 31, 2023. I won't re-post all the terms and conditions of the offer here but I did find this one interesting:
To qualify for the ANA Campaign, the applicant must establish elite status in an Eligible Program based on (1) meeting such airline's published criteria for its elite level frequent flyer program, (2) receiving lifetime status in such airline's elite level frequent flyer program or (3) completing a promotional offer for such airline's elite level frequent flyer program. Not eligible for the ANA Campaign are applicants who base their Status Match application on elite status in a frequent flyer program (1) received only on a trial or temporary basis or (2) offered by another Star Alliance airline. AMC members who currently hold an equivalent or higher AMC Premium Status as they would receive through the ANA Campaign are not eligible.
Unlike some other status match offers that reject application because the applicants had no actual flights (they received status by some other means) this one explicitly states they will accept those who earn elite status the hard way (meeting the airline's criteria ie Butt In Seat miles), those who have lifetime status (also pretty much BIS miles) but also those who complete a promotional offer to earn status! So I found that interesting as many times promotional elite status is a reason not to be matched. Granted they state trial or temporary status does not count so if you are in the middle of a status challenge with another airline you can't use that status to apply for this match.
Wrapping it up
As others in the points and miles world have noted this appears to be first status match from ANA that isn't targeted within Japan and it appears to be a very generous match - at least for those who have status with American, Delta or JAL. Let us know in the comment section below if you plan on applying for this status match - tell us which airline you plan on matching from and what elite level. Even if you have status from one of the 'guaranteed' airlines please let us know how the match goes for you.
Click here for more details and to apply for a status match
Images via ANA
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