Turkish Airlines Status Match

[Mranderson]

Wife applied for status match from NZ card on Tuesday and approved 3 days later, will look see if card turns up ,if not will pick it up when we are in IST later this year,on a roll this week with both QF gold and TK elite matches

 

[Colrad]

Had an interesting, but ultimately successful experience with this one. And before I start my story...big thanks to AFF for pointing out this status match opportunity, which I would never had known about if not for this forum.

Anyway, I joined Turkish Airways Miles and Smiles and then went to the customer service page to request a status match to my QF WP. I uploaded a pic of my QF WP card and my latest activity statement (which for the period shown only showed domestic flights around Australia, nothing international, let alone Europe).

About a week later, I got an email saying that my request had been denied due to my QF WP card having an expiry date within 3 months of my application (28 Feb in my case). While this was indeed correct, I had already qualified for WP for another year - thanks to a couple of back to back MEL-PER return flights in J - I just hadn't received my new card yet, so couldn't send them a pic of it.

However, I remembered that the updated QFF main page shows your current status and progress towards the next tier. By ticking the 'points required to retain platinum' box, I got a message saying that I had already retained platinum for 12 months and needed an extra 2100 points to attain P1.

I took a screen shot of this page and sent it with a very respectful follow up request to TK asking them to reconsider their earlier denial.

About 10 days later I got an email congratulating me on achieving Elite status and today I receive a pack in the mail with my freshly minted TK Elite Gold card - valid until January 2017 - with full Star Alliance Gold status. No cost whatsoever, other than a bit of my spare time. (Wife thinks I'm nuts by the way).

I thought I had to at least earn a few hundred TK miles before I got the actual card, but no - good as gold.

Now looking forward to a trip to PEK mid year on SQ and everything the new *A status provides.

Moral of the story - a little persistence and courtesy pays off.

 

[FRONT ROWER]

About a week later, I got an email saying that my request had been denied due to my QF WP card having an expiry date within 3 moths of my application (28 Feb in my case).

Interesting. We matched a card that had less than 3 months to run with TK. No questions asked.

 

[Colrad]

Interesting. We matched a card that had less than 3 months to run with TK. No questions asked.

Interesting indeed. This is the original message I received:

"We have received your e-mail message dated 9th of January 2015. Your Gold Card's expiration date is seen as February/2015. However in order to match your status with Turkish Airlines Elite Card, it needs to be 3 months left to expire date of your card.
Therefore we are sorry that we are unable to meet your demand positively.
Thank you for choosing Turkish Airlines on your flights."

Never mind, my Elite status was approved two weeks later, so I guess all's well that ends well.

 

[Danger]

Does anyone have any thoughts on attempting to match a second time?

Thanks to the first offer I've flown TK four times and credited some other SQ flights to them. I've got about 50k points but I can't see myself qualifying again. Perhaps I could try matching again but as a new member and submit a different high tier card.

If it was to be approved the problem would be the points in the other account. I don't know if TK allows transfers but maybe I could credit flights to the original account (which would drop to a lower tier) and fly under the new membership's Gold status.

Just thinking out loud. And probably being greedy.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Does anyone have any thoughts on attempting to match a second time?

Thanks to the first offer I've flown TK four times and credited some other SQ flights to them. I've got about 50k points but I can't see myself qualifying again. Perhaps I could try matching again but as a new member and submit a different high tier card.

If it was to be approved the problem would be the points in the other account. I don't know if TK allows transfers but maybe I could credit flights to the original account (which would drop to a lower tier) and fly under the new membership's Gold status.

Just thinking out loud. And probably being greedy.

No I don't think you're being greedy at all. I had the same thoughts and might give it a go.

 

[Rugby]

I got my status match email confirmation today and I'm all Smiles. I had a similar experience to Colrad. I applied in Sept and they came back to me at the start of Feb saying declined as I had less than 3 months of Platinum left. By that time I had retained for my new year, so advised them that was no problem and sent them a copy of my new card. Two weeks ago they advised me that they also need a new up to date copy of my statement. At this point I think I might be dealing with a Nigerian scammer, but I duly sent it through and happy days I get the email today.

Mrs Rugby and I will use this for a TK flight in Y we have in May, IST - ZAG. So now we can use the TK lounge at IST which looks very funky, and priority check in and some extra baggage.

Patience is the key to unlocking this one.

 

[Danger]

I got my status match email confirmation today and I'm all Smiles. I had a similar experience to Colrad. I applied in Sept and they came back to me at the start of Feb saying declined as I had less than 3 months of Platinum left. By that time I had retained for my new year, so advised them that was no problem and sent them a copy of my new card. Two weeks ago they advised me that they also need a new up to date copy of my statement. At this point I think I might be dealing with a Nigerian scammer, but I duly sent it through and happy days I get the email today.

Mrs Rugby and I will use this for a TK flight in Y we have in May, IST - ZAG. So now we can use the TK lounge at IST which looks very funky, and priority check in and some extra baggage.

Patience is the key to unlocking this one.

Plan to spend some decent time in the lounge. It is superb.

 

[Mranderson]

Card and baggage tag turned up approx 2.5 weeks after status match was granted

 

[robd]

Any evidence that TK will match Air Berlin Topbonus?

 

[777]

Any evidence that TK will match Air Berlin Topbonus?

From memory TK will only match "top tier" in a rival program. So If you have gold through Air Berlin SM they most likely won't but if you have earned a higher status they probably should.

 

[Fifa]

Unfortunately a second status match attempt did not work for me ...


Dear Fifa,

We have received your message that you sent to our unit on 4 March 2015.

Since you have already taken advantage of status match benefit once on 1 October
2012, we are sorry that we are unable to meet your demand positively.

Thank you for choosing us on your travels.

Sincerely Yours,

Turkish Airlines INC.
Customer Relations Center

 

[vitagen]

Why not create a new account and reapply?

 

[Baysider]

Any evidence that TK will match Air Berlin Topbonus?

See Status Match Report | StatusMatcher

 

[Fifa]

Why not create a new account and reapply?

Now that's an interesting idea .
Wouldn't they pick it up though?

 

[Baysider]

Now that's an interesting idea .
Wouldn't they pick it up though?

I have two accounts, one Elite Plus and one newbie. I created the second when I had name issues, they wouldn't credit miles if my ticket was booked as Firstname Surname as the account was under Firstname Middle1 Middle2 Surname and they wanted all tickets to match. The argument about deleting the middle names became so fruitless I created a second account. Shortly afterwards they finally deleted the middle names on the first account. Two years on I still receive monthly statements on both accounts ! So yes, they won't pick it up. Also, DO NOT USE ANY MIDDLE NAMES !

 

[amaroo]

I have two accounts, one Elite Plus and one newbie. I created the second when I had name issues, they wouldn't credit miles if my ticket was booked as Firstname Surname as the account was under Firstname Middle1 Middle2 Surname and they wanted all tickets to match. The argument about deleting the middle names became so fruitless I created a second account. Shortly afterwards they finally deleted the middle names on the first account. Two years on I still receive monthly statements on both accounts ! So yes, they won't pick it up. Also, DO NOT USE ANY MIDDLE NAMES !

Perfect timing!

I have a status match and "VISA" with a middle name. Recently booked a few flights with no middle name .... any problems "boarding" coming my way? Don't care about miles .... just want to board the bloody thing.

 

[Baysider]

Perfect timing!

I have a status match and "VISA" with a middle name. Recently booked a few flights with no middle name .... any problems "boarding" coming my way? Don't care about miles .... just want to board the bloody thing.

Its only a Miles & Smiles issue I hope.

 

[cfellows]

This one took a long time, I applied in October and emailed/updated the ticket about three times since then matching from A3 Gold. Finally about a month ago I received an email saying they were sorry for the delay and they have upgraded me to Silver. 24 hours later I get another email saying I have been upgraded to Gold. A few weeks later the nice package arrives with Gold until 28/02/2017!!

 

[pagingjoan]

This one took a long time, I applied in October and emailed/updated the ticket about three times since then matching from A3 Gold. Finally about a month ago I received an email saying they were sorry for the delay and they have upgraded me to Silver. 24 hours later I get another email saying I have been upgraded to Gold. A few weeks later the nice package arrives with Gold until 28/02/2017!!

Well done. You should enjoy TK.

I am terribly slow in posting this but we had a lovely surprise on a January flight on TK, when we boarded and were greeted by this delightful sight.
His twin brother (so it seemed) looked after us on a subsequent flight back from IST.