Get a Vietnam Airlines (SkyTeam) status match from your British Airways or other airline status

This article is sponsored by Loyalty Status Co

Vietnam Airlines, a SkyTeam member, is currently running a status match offer.

You can use your British Airways Executive Club status to get a direct match into the Lotusmiles programme. This includes giving Lotusmiles Platinum status to British Airways Executive Club Gold members.

Your elite status would be valid across all 19 airlines in the SkyTeam alliance, including Virgin Atlantic.

You can apply here.

Whilst there is a fee to apply, this can be less than you initially think if you are a BA Silver member. I explain why below.

Which airlines are being matched?

The key one, for our readers, is obviously British Airways.

• Executive Club Bronze will get you Lotusmiles Titanium (SkyTeam Elite)

• Executive Club Silver will get you Lotusmiles Gold (SkyTeam Elite)

• Executive Club Gold will get you Lotusmiles Platinum (SkyTeam Elite Plus)

Virgin Atlantic status is NOT being matched, unsurprisingly, since they are a fellow member of the SkyTeam airline alliance with Vietnam Airlines.

You can also match from the following airlines: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, ANA, Asiana, Avianca, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Southern, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EVA Air, Egyptair, EL AL, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad, Finnair, Iberia, Icelandair, Japan Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Brunei, Royal Jordanian, Shenzen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Southwest, Sri Lankan Airlines, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Australia and WestJet.

Click here to see exactly what level is matching to what, as some are more generous than others.

What status benefits do I get with Lotusmiles?

You can see the status benefits you get with each tier here when flying with Vietnam Airlines.

The benefits of Titanium and Gold, which match from BA Bronze and BA Silver respectively, are mainly around priority check-in, additional baggage and seat selection.

Titanium and Gold are equivalent to SkyTeam Elite. This gets you, on every SkyTeam airline:

• Priority check-in counters
• Priority boarding
• Extra baggage allowance

Platinum is where it starts to get interesting, which is what a BA Gold member gets. At this level you get a card which is equivalent to SkyTeam Elite Plus.

Elite Plus gets you lounge access, with a guest, whenever you fly with a SkyTeam carrier.

The SkyTeam website here looks at the benefits of SkyTeam Elite (Lotusmiles Titanium and Gold) and SkyTeam Elite Plus (Lotusmiles Platinum).

Which airlines can I get benefits on with my Vietnam Airlines status?

Your status is valid across the entire SkyTeam alliance, which now comprises 19 airlines:

• Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Aeromexico
• Air Europa
• Air France
• China Airlines
• China Eastern
• Delta Air Lines
• Garuda Indonesia
• ITA Airways
• Kenya Airways
• KLM
• Korean Air
• Middle East Airlines
• SAUDIA
• SAS
• TAROM
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• XiamenAir

I need to flag one thing about Virgin Atlantic. There is a carve out from SkyTeam rules for the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in Heathrow Terminal 3.

If you have Platinum status with Vietnam Airlines, you cannot use the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in Terminal 3 (unless, of course, you are flying in Upper Class with Virgin). You will be sent to another lounge in the terminal. You also cannot use the Upper Class Wing to check-in – you need to use the Upper Class desks in the main terminal.

This rule does NOT apply to other Clubhouse lounges – only Heathrow T3.

It is important to note that both Lotusmiles Titanium and Lotusmiles Gold match to SkyTeam’s Elite level. You get an identical level of alliance benefits irrespective of whether you do the Titanium or Gold match.

How long does your matched status last?

12 months.

Your match should be approved within three business days (subject to requests for further ID) and your account will be upgraded within the next five business days.

You will need to earn the standard number of qualifying miles within that time to retain your status.

How do you apply for your status match?

Vietnam Airlines and its processing partner, Loyalty Status Co, have set up an application website here.

There are application fees, unfortunately:

• Titanium: $99 (requires BA Bronze, BA Silver or BA Gold)
• Gold: $159 (requires BA Silver or BA Gold)
• Platinum: $299 (requires BA Gold)

Are you BA Silver? You can save $60 by applying for Titanium instead of Gold

The application website automatically defaults to the highest level of status you can get. You may not want this.

For example, a British Airways Silver member may be happy with Lotusmiles Titanium instead of Lotusmiles Gold. You save $60 on the fee and the benefits are the same when you are flying with SkyTeam partner airlines, as both give you SkyTeam Elite equivalent status.

You should be asked during the match process if you want a lower level of status than you could get. If this option does not appear, say on the application form that you have a lower level of BA status than you actually do. It doesn’t matter that you will be uploading a scan of a higher status BA card – your match will still validate.

Conclusion

If you currently have British Airways elite status and are thinking of giving the world of SkyTeam a try, this is a good opportunity.

It should be especially interesting if you live outside the Heathrow catchment area, since SkyTeam members KLM and Air France have excellent connections – KLM and its codeshare partners fly from 17 regional airports including some you wouldn’t expect, such as Norwich and Humberside – to the world via Amsterdam and Paris.

You can find out more, and apply, on the status match website here.