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Air Canada has a public status match for US residents that could land you lounge access on US flights.

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This is a great example of a status match. If you’re unfamiliar with status matching, it’s the process by which you leverage the status you currently hold with an airline or hotel to gain status in a competitor’s program simply by requesting they match it. Aeroplan just dropped a public status match yesterday. What does that mean? Let’s check it out and how it could land you lounge access when flying here in the US. H/T VFTW

First Off, what is the Aeroplan Status Match?

As you know, Canada and the US have had their borders to each other closed for quite some, and recently, they opened. Let the promotions begin. While I’m not sure how much of Air Canada’s business was from US residents, they are clearly looking to entice them onto their airlines and lure them away from US Carriers.

If you carry status with the following carriers, you can match it to a commensurate elite status within Air Canada

  • American
  • Delta
  • Alaska
  • Jet Blue
  • Southwest
  • Hawaiian

All you need to do is go here and fill out the following information

a gondola with a mountain range in the background

What status will I be matched to and for how long?

Here’s a chart provided by Air Canada that answers that exact question and they say it should only take 5 days. How long will you have the status for…

  • Status will last until 12/31/21

However…if you fly 2 segments on Air Canada between now and January 15, 2022, you’ll keep it for another year, until 12/31/22.

a screenshot of a graphYou said I could get lounge access in the US?

So here’s the thing…Aeroplan Elite 50k members carry Star Alliance Gold status. They way it works with Star Alliance Gold status is that whenever you’re flying on a Star Alliance airline, outside your loyalty home country ( in this case it would be Canada ) you have access to the member lounges in the network. So, if you were American Airlines Platinum Pro, SkyMiles Platinum, or MVPG75k, and matched to Air Canada, you would have Star Alliance lounge access when you fly domestically in the US on United.

 

a group of people sitting at tables in a room with large windows

I’m on the fence about matching…here’s why

First off, they only have a limited supply of these, so if you’re thinking about it…get going.

However, you can only match to Aeroplan every two years and I don’t really hold status that is that attractive in their program. But…I’m currently on a status challenge with American Airlines that could land me Platinum Pro. I’ve blown the EQM out of the water and may end up hitting the EQD requirement. If that happens, I’d be able to match to Air Canada 50k and get lounge access whenever I flew United here in the US potentially through 12/31/22 ( assuming I do one roundtrip…I have a trip to Vancouver coming up so it wouldn’t be too hard I don’t think ). I’m really debating this match, cause quite honestly, I don’t know that its worth it to me without this perk.

a screenshot of a website

You can go here to see all the terms and conditions

 

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3 Comments

  • […] Air Canada Status Match:  If you have elite status with select US airlines, then you could match your status with Aeroplan, Air Canada’s loyalty program.  Doing so could get you lounge access in the US! […]

  • Jim Brandon September 28, 2021

    One thing that isn’t clear, is if the Aeroplan Elite 50k membership grants you to the other Star Alliance Lounges worldwide, including one of my faves, Istanbul Ataturk.

    If so, my limited math skills tell me this would more than double your access to airline lounges worldwide, as Star Alliance is the largest airline alliance,

    I think this would be a super good deal!

    • Miles September 28, 2021

      Hey Jim – I’ve never had 50k so can’t speak from direct experience, but the terms indicate that it comes with Star Alliance Gold, so I’m not sure why it wouldn’t grant access assuming you’re on a star alliance flight when accessing it. Have you heard or experienced otherwise?

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