Get SkyTeam status now – and Star Alliance status later – via ITA’s new BA status match

ITA Airways, the ‘replacement’ carrier for Alitalia, has brought back its elite status match offer.

This allows you, for free, to get elite status across most of the SkyTeam alliance – including Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Air France and KLM – by matching your British Airways status.

In December, ITA will be acquired by Lufthansa. Your status is very likely to be matched to Miles & More status (Star Alliance) at that point.

If Lufthansa refused to match your newly minted SAS status recently, this is another route to get Miles & More status for 2025.

The offer runs to 19th August and you can apply by following the instructions here. Your new status will last until the end of December 2025, although I suspect that this will change following the merger with Lufthansa.

Which 19 airlines are being matched?

It isn’t just British Airways status that is being matched. ITA is accepting applications from 19 airlines:

• Aegean
• Aer Lingus
• Air China
• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Emirates
• Etihad
• Finnair
• Iberia
• LATAM
• Malaysia Airlines
• Oman Air
• QANTAS
• Qatar Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• TAP
• Thai Airways
• Turkish Airways
• WestJet

All of the Lufthansa Group and SkyTeam carriers are missing for obvious reasons.

Interestingly ITA will match EXPIRED status too, as long as you have proof you held a particular status later than January 2023.

You cannot apply if you have previously taken part in an ITA status match.

Which airlines are in SkyTeam?

Now, here’s the thing.

Whilst ITA likes to claim it is in SkyTeam, it doesn’t actually have contractual deals with all of the SkyTeam partners.

The press release we were sent listed these carriers as ‘ITA partners’:

• Aerolineas Argentinas
• AeroMexico
• Air Europa
• Air France
• Delta
• KLM
• Korean Air
• Middle East Airlines (MEA)
• Virgin Atlantic
• Saudia

You may struggle to get benefits with the other SkyTeam members:

• Aeroflot (if it returns)
• China Airlines
• China Eastern
• Czech Airlines
• Garuda Indonesia
• Kenya Airways
• TAROM
• Vietnam Airlines
• Xiamen Air

How I do apply for the ITA status match?

You can apply for your match by following the instructions here.

Basically you need to register for ITA’s Volare programme and, once logged in, follow the instructions inside your account area.

There is no requirement to pay any fee or book any flights with ITA Airways.

Will you get lounge access if you match from BA Silver?

Yes.

British Airways Silver is being matched to ‘Premium’ in Volare. British Airways Gold is being matched to ‘Executive’ which is the top tier.

Both ‘Premium’ and ‘Executive’ are ‘Elite Plus’ when it comes to SkyTeam alliance-wide status, which gets you lounge access with a guest at SkyTeam operated lounges.

The rules on whether you can bring a guest into a lounge with you are complex. It varies depending on whether you are flying with ITA or another SkyTeam airline, and whether the lounge is owned by ITA, by another SkyTeam airline or by a third party.

Conclusion

You have nothing to lose by requesting a status match from your British Airways Executive Club account to ITA Airways and its Volare programme.

You will get SkyTeam status now and, from some point in late 2024 / 2025 it should morph into Lufthansa Miles & More status in Star Alliance.

Full details of the status match, and how to apply, are on the ITA website here.