Last March I wrote about how airberlin was offering status matches to the Silver and Gold tiers in their topbonus program. While they initially didn’t list any residency requirements for the status match promotion, they eventually updated it to indicate that only members in certain European countries were eligible for status matches. That was a bummer for US based members.
Well, airberlin is now officially offering status matches to those based in the US — the terms of airberlin’s status match promotion even specifically say so. Airberlin is status matching members with accounts registered in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the US.
They seem to be matching all elite status, except status from other oneworld partner airlines. There’s no expiration date for this promotion as of now.
Presumably if you’re matching from the lowest tier status of another airline you’d be matched to topbonus Silver, while if you’re matching from the middle or top tier status of another airline you’d be matched to topbonus Gold. They’re not matching to topbonus Platinum, which is their top tier status.
Here’s what you have to do in order to take advantage of the status match:
- Email [email protected] with the following information:
- Your topbonus number
- A legible scan/photo/copy of your other valid frequent flyer card
- Your application will be reviewed and processed by airberlin’s service team
Status will be valid for 12 months, after which you’ll have to accrue 25,000 or 50,000 status miles to requalify for Silver and Gold status, respectively.
Frankly the benefits or airberlin topbonus Gold aren’t that rich. Most of the benefits are the alliance-wide benefits which come with oneworld Ruby and oneworld Sapphire, like priority check-in, security, boarding, seating, etc. You don’t receive any upgrade instruments for airberlin Silver or Gold status.
The single biggest perk of airberlin Gold is that you get oneworld Sapphire status, which gets you lounge access whenever traveling on a oneworld flight. This includes domestic flights within the US.
Access Admirals Clubs even on domestic itineraries with airberlin Gold status
That means a status match to airberlin Gold status will give you complimentary access to American Airlines Admirals Clubs, even when you’re traveling wholly within the United States. Keep in mind that if you have oneworld Sapphire status through American AAdvantage, you only receive lounge access when traveling internationally, due to the following exclusion:
American Airlines AAdvantage® members, regardless of their tier status or class of travel, are not eligible for lounge access when traveling solely on North American flights within or between the U.S., Canada, Mexico (except Mexico City), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean. For more information, visit,
Bottom line
If you have status with a non-oneworld airline and are based in one of the eligible countries, this is probably the best status match opportunity for oneworld Sapphire status. While airberlin status as such isn’t that valuable, the oneworld perks are useful, given that you’ll get lounge access on all oneworld itineraries, along with free checked bags, and all kinds of other priority services.
Who’s planning on status matching to airberlin topbonus Silver or Gold?
(Tip of the hat to View from the Wing)
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