Ability To Status Match From American to Alaska Ends March 31

Alaska Airlines offers a pretty robust status match that allows elite members of nearly every U.S. airline to get their status matched to an equivalent level in the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program for 90 days, with the ability to extend based on meeting certain qualification thresholds.

However, for American Airlines elite members, the ability to match your AAdvantage elite status to Alaska is being removed after March 31, 2025.

Here are the details on how an elite status match with Alaska works, the benefits you’ll receive, and how you can take advantage of it before it goes away at the end of the month.

Alaska Airlines Status Match Details

The chart below outlines every airline eligible for an elite status match with Alaska and what your status within that program will match to in the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program.

For American Airlines flyers, you can match your status to MVP, MVP Gold, and MVP Gold 75K status. Here is a look at the benefits you’ll receive at each tier:

Alaska Milege Plan MVP Status Benefits:

• Earn 25% bonus miles on all flights, including airline partners
• Complimentary seat upgrades, when available (including one companion on the same reservation and cabin)
• Oneworld Ruby status benefits
• 2 free checked bags
• Complimentary preferred seating
• Priority call routing for customer care
• Express security at select airports
• Priority check-in and boarding
• Elite Leave for new parents

Alaska Milege Plan MVP Gold Status Benefits:

• All MVP-level benefits
• Earn 50% bonus miles on all flights, including partners
• Complimentary flight upgrades, when available at a higher priority
• Free premium drink or chocolate in Main Cabin
• Oneworld Sapphire status benefits
• Standby and waitlist for full flights
• Complimentary same-day flight changes
• Avis Preferred Plus status
• Clear+ discounts

Alaska Milege Plan MVP Gold 75K Status Benefits:

• All MVP Gold-level benefits
• Earn 100% bonus miles on all flights, including airline partners
• Complimentary flight upgrades, when available at a higher priority
• Oneworld Emerald status benefits
• Complimentary Extra Comfort seats when booking Main Cabin fare on Hawaiian Airlines
• 3 free checked bags
• Avis President’s Club status

How To Request an Elite Status Match

If you anticipate flying with Alaska Airlines more in the future, and those perks sound worthwhile to you, here are the steps you’ll need to take to perform a status match.

First, you’ll want to head to the Alaska Airlines status match landing page.

From there, you’ll fill out a few details, including the airline you are matching from, your Alaska Mileage Plan number, and your email.

You’ll also need to provide a screenshot that shows your name, your elite status level, and the number of miles you have flown year-to-date or miles flown the prior year to earn elite status.

One thing to keep in mind is that you can only request an elite status match with Alaska once per lifetime. However, this shouldn’t be an issue for American Airlines elite members as your ability to request an elite match with Alaska is ending after March 31, 2025.

How to Extend Your Elite Status

Once you’ve completed your status match, you’ll receive a trial period with your new Alaska Mileage Plan status for 90 days. To extend it beyond that initial 90 days, you’ll need to fly a specific number of miles with Alaska:

• MVP: 5,000 base miles on Alaska Airlines flights
• MVP Gold: 10,000 base miles on Alaska Airlines flights
• MVP Gold 75K: 20,000 base miles on Alaska Airlines flights

If you meet the above requirements within 90 days of your status match, your status will be extended through the current status year.

For those who are considering a status match from a program other than American Airlines, a better strategy would be to wait until July 1 to request your status match, as meeting the status match challenge in the second half of the year gives your elite status through the end of the following calendar year — giving you up to 18 months of elite status.

Final Thoughts

Alaska Airlines offers a great status match program that can fast-track you to some valuable Alaska and Oneworld elite status perks.

That said, for those with American Airlines AAdvantage status, the ability to match that status to Alaska will end on March 31, 2025. If you’re interested in pursuing a status match with Alaska, make sure you do so soon!