Philippine Airlines' new status match offers Mabuhay Miles elite tiers for $199-349, but the real payoff may hinge on its 2027 oneworld entry.
The 'paid' part of this 'match' is... 'not great, not terrible.'
Reminds me of what Kenya Airways does... Asante.
https://onemileatatime.com/deals/kenya-airways-status-match/
I was elite for a bit and it was pretty nice to have access to lounges on dirt cheap Y fares, especially in TPE because the CI lounge is so nice, but if one has priority pass it may not seem worth
Wait for OW membership but i doubt they will be ontime.
Looks like no OW airlines are eligible for the match, which makes sense I suppose.
According to their VP Christoph Gaertner, it will take about 12 to 15 months to join OneWorld, and the work apparently started in June of this year, which means that the OW benefits will be available from somewhere between July or October next year, which means you basically have up to half a year of OW benefits, if all goes as planned.
However, as someone who has visited Philippines a few times for work and has flown PAL quite a bit in the past, I think it's very, very likely that there will be delays. Philippine work culture is not based on efficiency and being result oriented, simply because of the state the country is in. And as Premier Elite matches OneWorld Sapphire, I think it's too big of a gamble to put in $349 for perks that may never come. Had they already joined, then it would have been a great opportunity to get OW perks for a low price. It would have taken just a few flights to earn back the investment.
According to their VP Christoph Gaertner, it will take about 12 to 15 months to join OneWorld, and the work apparently started in June of this year, which means that the OW benefits will be available from somewhere between July or October next year, which means you basically have up to half a year of OW benefits, if all goes as planned.
However, as someone who has visited Philippines a few times for work and has flown PAL quite a bit in the past, I think it's very, very likely that there will be delays. Philippine work culture is not based on efficiency and being result oriented, simply because of the state the country is in. And as Premier Elite matches OneWorld Sapphire, I think it's too big of a gamble to put in $349 for perks that may never come. Had they already joined, then it would have been a great opportunity to get OW perks for a low price. It would have taken just a few flights to earn back the investment.
Just sharing my first hand experience with PAL status match (sm). I status matched my AA Platinum Pro. Sent them an email and documentation they needed. After maybe about a week, I got an email that my sm was approved and mapped to Elite Plus. Initially, it was for 2 years but a few weeks later, I got another email saying that they made the mistake and that my PAL status would be good only for 1 year unless I maintain it with flight miles accrual. I did not make it an issue as I only used it when I visit the Philippines. Elite Plus is very useful if you visit the Philippines often since it gives you an automatic 30 kgs of extra baggage allowance (think of Balikbayan box, for those who know) and access to Mabuhay Lounge. But after spending several times at Mabuhay Lounges, you get tired of the same food (arroz caldo). Early this year they sent me another email saying that my status has expired but I went and checked my status and it's still Elite Plus so I booked another ticket for our trip to Camiguin island and I was still able to get 30 kgs of extra baggage allowance and access to the Lounge in CGY airport.
So when they announced PAL is joining OW in 2027, I got excited. But the likelihood of this being delayed is real. I'm waiting but not holding my breath this will even come through in 2027.
Not available in United States - says it in terms and conditions. Was it ever available in US and got cut off ?