ITA Airways is offering a generous status match, including expired elite status

18.07.2024 - 21:31 / thepointsguy.com / John F.Kennedy / Leonardo Da-Vinci

A new status match opportunity offers SkyPriority benefits on SkyTeam alliance flights like those operated by Delta Air Lines, and, in a unique twist, you can even match your expired status.

Italy-based carrier ITA Airways, which took over operations from former Italian national carrier Alitalia, is offering a status match to elite status members on two dozen airlines, including American Airlines.

You have until Aug. 19 to submit a request for ITA Airways to recognize the same elite status in its Volare frequent flyer program that you enjoy on another eligible airline. Processing times can take up to 60 days.

ITA Airways is owned by the Italian government and is based in Rome. It began service after replacing Alitalia, which had been in bankruptcy since 2017 and was later nationalized by the Italian government early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The airline is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, and it announced codeshare agreements with several major international airlines, including Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM.

ITA Airways operates direct flights between Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Dulles International Airport (IAD), Miami International Airport (MIA) and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). It also has an extensive short-haul network across Europe.

Related: A review of ITA Airways business class on the A330neo from Rome

ITA Airways has invited elite status members of 19 other airlines to apply for a status match in its frequent flyer program, Volare. The eligibility applies to elite-status members of SkyTeam and non-SkyTeam partners, including programs popular in the U.S. like American AAdvantage, British Airways Executive Club and Emirates Skywards. You can view the full list of eligible programs here.

This status match promotion requires elite members to first sign up for Volare membership and complete a status match request form, which involves uploading proof of their status on another airline. You will not be eligible for this status match if you have previously requested a Volare status match, as the program has offered status matches in the past.

What makes this status match even more generous is that while you would normally need to hold current elite status to be considered for a match to another program, ITA's Volare program will match expired statuses provided they expired no earlier than January 2023.

So even if your elite status expired 18 months ago, you could still match that status to ITA Volare.

If approved, the status will be valid through Dec. 31, 2025, and matched members will receive 10,000 Volare status