Virgin America Will Match Your Elite Status until 2017

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Note: Some of the offers mentioned below may have changed or are no longer be available. You can view current offers here.

For a 90 trial period, Virgin America will match the status you have with either JetBlue, United, Delta, Southwest, or American Airlines to either Elevate Gold or Silver. The offer is valid until 11.59 PM PT September 30, 2016. The 90 day trial period begins after you register.

You also have the opportunity to maintain that status through the end of 2017 by earning a set amount of Elevate points.

How to Get Your Status Matched

You just have to complete the following steps:

1. If you’re not already a member of Virgin America’s frequent flyer program Elevate, join here.
2. Email statusmatch@virginamerica.com your Elevate member account details as well as proof of your elite status with the other airline. A screenshot of your most recent mileage summary or a copy of your membership card showing your name and current elite level will suffice. Luggage tags, boarding passes, travel itineraries, and co-brand credit cards are not considered proof of elite status.

After sending in proof of your status, you should get a confirmation from Virgin America seven to 14 days later letting you know your status is matched and you can start enjoying the extra benefits.

Click here to read more about the benefits offered with Elevate Silver and Elevate Gold status.

How Your Current Status Will be Matched with Virgin America

Retaining Elevate Status Past 90 Day Trial Period

Below are the amounts of Elevate points you’ll need to earn within the 90 day trial period– what Virgin America calls the Challenge Period–in order to keep that matched status.

Those amounts are heavily reduced if you have one of the Virgin America Visa Cards.

If you are an avid Virgin America flyer and were already thinking about signing up for the Virgin America Visa Signature® Card or the Virgin America Premium Visa Signature® Card, right now would be the time to do it. You have to be approved before the end of the 90 day Challenge Period to qualify for the reduced amount of status points necessary to retain your matched status.

Bottom Line

If you have status with one of three US legacy carriers, Southwest or JetBlue, it’s very easy to get Virgin American to match that status in their Elevate program. It takes just a few minutes to register and you can enjoy the perks of either Elevate Silver or Gold status for no extra effort on your part.

If you want to retain that status, you have the opportunity to do so by earning 12,000 Elevate points for Gold or 5,000 for Silver–or even less if you have one of Virgin America’s credit cards.

Virgin America ran this same promotion in 2015. If you applied and had your status matched in that promotion last year, you are not eligible to do it again this year.

Status Match Terms & Conditions

¹ Click here for the full terms and conditions of the Elevate Status Match offer. Please allow between 7 to 14 days from application to update your Elevate status, and please note that incomplete applications may not be considered. The following restrictions will apply to Elevate Status benefits available during the 90-day Challenge period: a) Matched members will not receive 25% off personal discount codes. b) Matched members will receive one complimentary day pass to the Virgin America airport lounge at LAX. c) Matched members may not have access to all reciprocal benefits on Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia that require the member to present their physical membership card. Matched members will receive unrestricted access to published Elevate Status Benefits through the end of the 2017 membership benefit year provided they meet or exceed the published challenge requirements during the 90-day Challenge period.

* Points required to redeem an Elevate travel reward on Virgin America will be publicly available on a seat and flight-specific basis and are subject to change. Domestic reward bookings are subject to a security fee of $5.60 per one-way trip payable by credit card or Virgin America credit file, where each one-way trip may include a connection or stopover between two domestic flights not exceeding 4 hours. There may be multiple one-way trips on the same reward booking. The Passenger Facility Charge and Segment Fees are waived for domestic reward bookings. For international reward bookings, Virgin America guests are responsible for any taxes and fees incurred from international travel. These taxes and fees are subject to change at the discretion of each country’s government and also vary from country to country depending on the origin and destination.

** Reduced Status points required if matched member applies for, and is approved for the Virgin America Visa Signature Card with $49 annual fee, or the Virgin America Premium Visa Signature Card with $149 annual fee prior to the end of matched member’s 90-day Challenge period. Terms and conditions apply. Subject to credit approval. The Virgin America Visa Signature Credit Cards are issued by Comenity Capital Bank, pursuant to a license from Visa USA.