Status match via Singapore Airways

[rams]

I managed to get Singapore Gold via recent points transfer offer. Is there a way to use this to get Virgin Gold? To be clear I’d like to do this before booking a flight to take full advantage of their upgrade voucher.

• This topic was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

Getting such a status match to Virgin from KrisFlyer and quite a few other airlines is possible – visit https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/flying-club/members/status-match.html
NB You also need proof of a cash booking with VA.

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

I should add that in the scenario above where you want to use status with an upgrade voucher to make it a proper 2-4-1 rather than a “2-4-1 and a half”, the only way seems first to book another revenue flight to meet the status match qualification requirement.

The cheapest I found recently was a one way to Tel Aviv from London in September for £218. My status match to Silver from KrisFlyer was processed on this basis. As a result, I save 62,500 Virgin points on my Barbados UC redemption flights in May with Mrs T.

I understand I could cancel this Tel Aviv ticket subsequently and get a refund of the taxes (less a £30 admin fee) for a net cost of c.£100 as the taxes are the lion’s share of this ticket! For me it is worth it as it will save approx. £625 of points value but that is an individual decision.

You also have to weigh up the risk of them reversing the status match which their terms say they can do if you cancel the revenue flight you originally used in the match. I can’t see this being an issue as long as you make sure said flight is AFTER the one you redeem the 2-4-1 on but in the real world who knows?

Good luck!

[rams]

Thanks for that – very helpful and not an approach I had thought of.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[gundam]

Guernsey Globetrotter wrote:

I should add that in the scenario above where you want to use status with an upgrade voucher to make it a proper 2-4-1 rather than a “2-4-1 and a half”, the only way seems first to book another revenue flight to meet the status match qualification requirement.

The cheapest I found recently was a one way to Tel Aviv from London in September for £218. My status match to Silver from KrisFlyer was processed on this basis. As a result, I save 62,500 Virgin points on my Barbados UC redemption flights in May with Mrs T.

I understand I could cancel this Tel Aviv ticket subsequently and get a refund of the taxes (less a £30 admin fee) for a net cost of c.£100 as the taxes are the lion’s share of this ticket! For me it is worth it as it will save approx. £625 of points value but that is an individual decision.

You also have to weigh up the risk of them reversing the status match which their terms say they can do if you cancel the revenue flight you originally used in the match. I can’t see this being an issue as long as you make sure said flight is AFTER the one you redeem the 2-4-1 on but in the real world who knows?

Good luck!

This is what I have planned but Virgin have denied my status match claim on the basis that I had Silver status 10 years ago and that this offer is designed for ‘new’ customers only. Fine but this is not mentioned in the Small Print at all. So just be mindful if others follow this path.