Summary

  • Achieve SkyTeam elite status by focusing on flight activity, understanding earning opportunities, and utilizing status match promotions.
  • SkyTeam offers two elite levels: Elite and Elite Plus, with benefits like improved airport experience, additional luggage, lounge access, and fast-track SkyPriority access.
  • Earning elite status can be supplemented by other methods like credit cards, hotel stays, and retail, depending on the airline’s rules and offerings.

Having elite status with any of the SkyTeam airlines brings good benefits when traveling. It is not always easy to achieve status – especially at the more useful and rewarding higher levels. Although status is always primarily based on the amount of flying with the airline and within the alliance, there are some ways to expedite this – including focusing earning, remembering and understanding all earning opportunities, and possibly making use of a status match promotion.

Elite status with SkyTeam

SkyTeam is the second-largest airline alliance in terms of passengers flown, and has 19 member airlines. SkyTeam offers two levels of elite status. It offers valuable benefits at both levels. The first level of Elite will get you an improved airport experience, additional luggage, and more. Elite Plus offers much more, with guaranteed lounge access and full fast-track SkyPriority access.

Related

A Complete Guide To Elite Status In The SkyTeam Alliance

The program offers two tiers of Elite and Elite Plus, with good benefits at both levels.

As with any of the alliances, you need to reach status with one of the member airlines to access perks across the alliance. There are different qualifying requirements for each airline, ranging from total flights to dollars spent.

SkyTeam Airlines

Photo: SkyTeam

The status held with any of these member airlines then maps across to an equivalent SkyTeam status. Some examples of how airline tiers correspond with elite status include:

Focus on earning with one airline to get status quickly

Traditionally, the best way to earn status has been to fly as much as possible. While there are some potential shortcuts, flight activity remains vital for most people’s earning. It is, of course, also worth bearing in mind that if you are flying significantly with the alliance, what is the point of having status?

Skypriority SkyTeam shutterstock_2218184555 (1)

Photo: RYO Alexandre I Shutterstock

As status is primarily awarded at the airline level, it makes sense to commit and credit as much activity as possible to that airline. There are several aspects to this:

  • Credit flights within the SkyTeam alliance to one program. In many cases, travelers regularly choose to credit different flights to different programs. This could be for convenience when flying different airlines, to take advantage of status benefits, or to earn better miles or points. This is not a good idea, though, if you are chasing top status.
  • Choose partner airlines. Members with any airline loyalty program will, of course, think of crediting home airline flights, but not always partners. Status credit can be just as good (often better if using distance-based methods) with other airlines. Always check what partners are available when traveling in other regions.
  • Consider higher fares, a better cabin, or ‘mileage runs.’ Elite status has value for frequent travelers, and in some cases, it may be worth paying more to earn it. While the concept of a mileage run where you fly purely to earn the miles or status credits is quite extreme, there are often times when it might be worth upgrading the cabin or paying more for a ticket if it helps more towards status. This could particularly be the case if you are just short of an earnings target for the next status level.
KLM Embraer aircraft in SkyTeam Livery

Photo: StudioPortoSabbia | Shutterstock

Take advantage of other earning sources – especially credit cards

Flying is normally the main way to earn elite status. If you are not flying significantly, then the value of elite status is questionable. But it is worth remembering that there are other ways to earn credit towards elite status. These can supplement earnings from flying and get you to high elite levels quickly.

Earnings methods vary between airlines. It is important to realize that with most airlines, the earning sources (and sometimes rates) vary between standard redeemable miles or points and elite qualifying miles or points credits. Although you might earn standard miles from flying, hotel stays, credit cards, retail, and more, these might not all qualify as elite miles. Always check and know the rules for your chosen program.

KLM (Skyteam) Cityhopper Embraer ERJ-190 tail livery at Manchester Airport

Photo: Craig Russell | Shutterstock

As just one example, look at Delta Air Lines. Status in its loyalty program SkyMiles is based on Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs). These are earned from the following sources:

  • Flights with Delta Air Lines. MQDs are earned at the rate of one MQD per dollar spent on the ticket. This includes the base fare and airline-imposed charges but not any government taxes and fees. There are no earnings for basic economy tickets.
  • Flights with partner airlines. MQDs are based on the distance flown and the booking/inventory code of the ticket. You can earn with all SkyTeam partners plus other partners such as LATAM and WestJet.
  • Booking with Delta Vacations. Package bookings earn 1 MQD per $1 spent (excludes taxes, fees, and basic economy fares).
  • From credit card spending. There are significant earnings possibilities with co-branded credit cards. Two of the range of co-branded American Express cards earn MQDs as well as standard miles (all cards earned standard miles). The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card earns one MQD per $20 spent on the card. The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card earns one MQD per $10 spent on the card.
Delta cards

Photo: Delta Air Lines

Read more about the elite tiers and benefits with Delta SkyMiles in our guide.

Look at status match opportunities

If you have already put in the hard work to earn status with another airline, then there may be a way to shortcut status earning with SkyTeam. Many airline loyalty programs offer status matches to elite status holders in other programs. They rightly recognize that flyers have worked hard to earn status, and the benefits offered will keep them loyal and flying with that airline and alliance. Flying outside the alliance becomes somewhat unattractive when no benefits are offered.

Related

Elite Airline Status For Free? A Beginners Guide To Status Matching

A complete guide to the whats, hows, and whys of status matching.

Matches on offer vary. Each SkyTeam airline offers a particular match, each with its own terms (it could be a direct match or a challenge to receive status when completing a specified amount of flying). Airlines also choose carefully which other programs they will match from—this is normally from another alliance and with airlines that have strong competing offers or routes.

Matches are offered in mid-2024 from several airlines. Full details are in the guide below. These include:

Related

Which SkyTeam Alliance Airlines Offer Status Matches For Frequent Flyers?

SkyTeam airlines like Delta and Virgin Atlantic offer status matches for several other loyalty programs.


  • Air France (SkyTeam Livery) Boeing 777-328(ER) F-GZNE

    SkyTeam

    Airlines:
    Aeroflot, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, ITA Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, XiamenAir

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