One of the greatest travel deals out there? Status matches. They’re the ultimate cheat code for turning one elite status into a whole collection of perks across multiple airlines.
Right now, Vietnam Airlines is offering a status match that could be incredibly useful for U.S. travelers—especially those who fly Delta, Virgin Atlantic, and other SkyTeam airlines.
And the best part? Even status with Southwest, United, or American Airlines can get you there.
How Does This Status Match Work?
Airlines love loyal customers, but they really love stealing them from other airlines. That’s why many programs will give you free elite status if you already have status somewhere else.
Vietnam Airlines is doing exactly that. If you hold status with major U.S. airlines (or plenty of others worldwide), you can match it to Vietnam Airlines’ equivalent status—including their highest-tier Platinum level.
Once you’ve got that, you’re officially SkyTeam Elite Plus, which means you can enjoy elite perks on Delta, Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and more—even when flying economy.
What Perks Can You Get?
A successful status match gets you all kinds of elite treatment across SkyTeam airlines, including:
Lounge access (yes, even when flying economy)
Priority boarding & check-in
Extra baggage allowance
Faster security & immigration at select airports
For Delta flyers, that means access to Delta Sky Clubs when traveling internationally and even some domestic flights. That alone makes this match extremely valuable—especially compared to earning status the traditional way.
Who Can Match?
If you’ve got status with United, American, Southwest, or even Air Canada, you might be in luck. Here’s a breakdown of how different airline statuses translate to Vietnam Airlines status:
Airline Program | Vietnam Titanium (low tier) | Vietnam Gold (medium tier) | Vietnam Platinum (top tier) |
|---|---|---|---|
United | Premier Silver | Premier Gold | Premier Platinum, Premier 1K |
American Airlines | Gold | Platinum | Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum |
Southwest | A-List | A-List Preferred | Companion Pass |
Air Canada | Elite 25K | Elite 35K, Elite 50K | Elite 75K, Super Elite |
The biggest win? Even something like the Southwest Companion Pass can get you top-tier status with Vietnam Airlines—meaning you can leverage a Southwest credit card’s Companion Pass directly into SkyTeam Elite Plus perks.
What’s the Catch?
Like all good things in the travel world, this isn’t completely free. Vietnam Airlines charges a fee for processing the status match:
Titanium (lowest tier) – $99
Gold (middle tier, comes with SkyTeam Elite status) – $159
Platinum (top-tier, gets you SkyTeam Elite Plus status) – $299
If you’re aiming for lounge access and priority perks on Delta, you’ll need to shell out $299 for Platinum status. Not exactly pocket change, but compared to the time and money required to earn Delta status the hard way? It’s a steal.
Why This Is a Killer Deal
For frequent Delta flyers, this is one of the best ways to test out top-tier benefits without committing to long-haul status earning.
Flying economy? You’ll still get lounge access and priority perks.
Not a loyal Delta flyer? No problem—this works across all SkyTeam airlines.
Already earning Delta status? This could help bridge the gap until you qualify for Medallion status.
Plus, since status matching is a cycle, this could be the first step to matching into other programs in the future.
The Bottom Line
If you have any airline status at all, this Vietnam Airlines match is an easy way to turn it into SkyTeam perks—without flying a single mile.
It’s a rare opportunity to shortcut your way into elite benefits for a fraction of the cost of earning them the old-fashioned way.
For Delta and SkyTeam travelers, this is a game-changer!
