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American Airlines has updated its AAdvantage® Instant Status Pass™ promotion to include elite members from Spirit Airlines for the first time ever. The refreshed promotion allows travelers with elite status from several competing airlines to match into the AAdvantage® program (including potential matches all the way up to the airline’s top-published-tier Executive Platinum status.
In addition to Spirit’s Free Spirit elite members, the offer is available to elite flyers from Delta Air Lines SkyMiles®, United Airlines MileagePlus®, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®, and JetBlue TrueBlue®.
AAdvantage Gold® Match
- Delta Air Lines SkyMiles® Silver Medallion
- JetBlue TrueBlue® Mosaic 1
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® A-List
- Spirit Airlines Free Spirit® Free Spirit Silver or Free Spirit Gold
- United Airlines MileagePlus® Premier Silver
AAdvantage Platinum® Match
- Delta Air Lines SkyMiles® Gold Medallion
- JetBlue TrueBlue® Mosaic 2
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® A-List Preferred
- United Airlines MileagePlus® Premier Gold
AAdvantage Platinum Pro® Match
- Delta Air Lines SkyMiles® Platinum Medallion
- JetBlue TrueBlue® Mosaic 3 or Mosaic 4
- United Airlines MileagePlus® Premier Platinum
AAdvantage Executive Platinum® Match
- Delta Air Lines SkyMiles® Diamond Medallion
- United Airlines MileagePlus® Premier 1K®
To apply, travelers must submit proof of their current airline status through the American Airlines Contact Us page by selecting “AAdvantage account service” and then “Status match (other airlines).”
American says processing requests can take up to two weeks. Once approved, matched elite status is granted for four months. During that promotional period, members must earn a required number of Loyalty Points (based on the status tier received) in order to extend their elite benefits through the remainder of the membership year.
The updated promotion comes at a notable moment for former Free Spirit elites, following the collapse of the airline. By including Spirit elites, American is positioning itself to attract travelers looking for a more stable long-term loyalty option. The match offer applies across all elite tiers, including Executive Platinum for some programs, giving high-value travelers an opportunity to test American’s premium benefits without immediately meeting the airline’s traditional qualification thresholds.
American’s Instant Status Pass™ has become one of the more flexible elite trial programs among major US carriers. It offers travelers a relatively quick pathway to perks such as complimentary upgrades, priority boarding, preferred seating, and bonus mileage earning.
Anthony’s Take: For frequent flyers considering a switch in loyalty programs (and especially displaced Free Spirit elites, the latest expansion makes the offer accessible to a broader range of travelers across the competitive US airline landscape.
(Image Credits: American Airlines and Spirit Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
