Hyatt
It all started with the announcement of Marriott buying Starwood. Shortly after Hyatt announced they will status match to their great Diamond Status. They received so many requests and limited status match only to Starwood (SPG) Platinum members. I was lucky enough and achieved 50 nights Platinum just a couple of days earlier. Since I was not super thrilled about the merger of Marriott and Starwood, I looked for new opportunities. For how to status match with Hyatt read this post.
Hilton
Shortly after Hilton also announced a status match to the respective level depending on your status with another hotel chain. Hilton simplified the status match and they have now a website online. You can match until January 11, 2016, and your status will be valid until March 31, 2017.
It’s very easy with Hilton now. Just go to their dedicated status match website and fill out the little form. After that select one of the Hotel Groups, they match from and your Hilton status will be matched to the respective status of the other hotel group. If the hotel group is not listed you can select other, but Hilton will decide if they match you and to what level. In either case, you have to submit a proof of your current membership level. Usually, a screenshot of your account page or the membership card is good enough.
This makes it a fairly easy process to match to Hilton HHonors status.
Hyatt to Mlife
If you got matched to Hyatt, it doesn’t matter what level, make sure you also match your status with MGM Mlife. You can do this at this website. Before you start I would suggest you create a Mlife Account first. Once done, go to the previously mentioned website and click on the “opt-in” to match your status. First, you will need to login to your Hyatt Gold Passport Account and then you get redirected to Mlife’s website where you also have to log in.
I didn’t create my Mlife account before trying to match and that’s why I probably had some issues. I was only matched to their entry-level tier. I contacted them via Twitter and Email and got a response shortly thereafter. After emailing a screenshot of my Hyatt account I got promptly matched to Mlife Platinum.
Once you status matched and linked your accounts. You can earn Hyatt Gold Passport points for staying at MGM properties in Las Vegas and also the nights and stays count towards your status requalification with Hyatt Gold Passport. Business Travelers will most likely end up in Las Vegas once a year for a trade show or conference. Vegas is a hotspot for such events.
Earn Southwest Rapid Rewards with Mlife
A little less known is that you also can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards with stays at MGM properties. You will earn 600 Rapid Rewards per stay (not night) plus an additional 150 points if you booked through southwest.com. For setting up your Mlife account for Southwest Rapid Rewards click here.
Important Notice:
You can only earn with one partner. Either you earn Rapid Rewards Points for a stay at MGM properties or you earn points and status nights/stays with Hyatt. Both at the same time is not possible. I consider Hyatt the more valuable option because you don’t only earn points (amount depends on your status level with Mlife and total points earned) with Mlife but also your nights count toward elite requalification. With Rapid Rewards, you only get fixed points, no matter how long you stay. But this is entirely up to the personal preference.
American Airlines to Alaska Airlines
Right now I am trying to match my American Airlines AAdvantage Status to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. I am already MVP, but I just successfully finished the American Airlines Status Challenge, which boosted me to Executive Platinum on AAdvantage. If the status match goes trough I will be MVP Gold 75K and this gives me a handful of great benefits for all my travels on Alaska Airlines. I fly Alaska Airlines a lot and they have one of the best airline partnerships in the world. They are not part of any airline alliance like Oneworld, Star Alliance or Skyteam, but you can redeem your miles for flights on Emirates, Iceland Air, Cathay Pacific and much more (click here for the full list). But one of the best thinks about being MVP Gold 75K is complimentary upgrades to first class up to 120 hours before departure on eligible fare classes and 125% bonus miles on all flights. The full list of benefits can be found here.
Other status match possibilities
That are the hottest status match promotions currently going on. It really depends if you should do a status match because most of the time they are once in a lifetime opportunities. Like if you won’t stay at any Hilton between now and March 31, 2017, it’s pointless to upgrade and you will lose future opportunities. I took my chances because I know I will be traveling a lot and since I have Diamond level now, I will give Hilton properties another shot.
Linking your accounts between Hyatt and MGM should be done, either way, that’s not a real status match, it is more of a cooperation between this two brands. Thanks to Founderscard (click here for a discounted Founderscard membership offer) I am also Total Rewards Diamond Level. Total Rewards is the membership program of the Caesars Entertainment Group. If you are Starwood Gold Member you can earn points and nights/stay credits with stays at any Caesar Entertainment Group property. Read this post for all the benefits you get from being a member. I love that they have lounges in a couple of their casinos in Las Vegas where you can recharge and get some food and drinks.
A great website to see which programs you can match with is StatusMatcher.com. It’s really helpful to see where you can get matched to.
Peter has a passion for Traveling, Photography, and Geocaching. These are the best ingredients for amazing adventures all over the globe. “Traveling is fun, no matter if you stay in a luxury hotel or travel like a backpacker.” Peter shares his experiences on his Blog www.gatetoadventures.com
Some of Peter’s photos are published on corporate websites, in-flight magazines, travel guides, and much more.