One week left for Frontier's status match — and a targeted offer for those who matched last year
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
If you missed the announcement earlier this month, Frontier Airlines is offering up its status match opportunity again — and it's now available to even more travelers. With this promotion, you can match status from 30 total programs — 15 airlines and 15 hotels — to earn up to top-tier status with Frontier for the small price of $49.
However, time is running out, as you'll need to request the match by Dec. 31, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
Unfortunately, the offer isn't nearly as lucrative as it was at launch either. For any requests submitted after midnight Pacific Time on Dec. 7, 2021, hotel status matches will only apply up to 50K status. This means that popular tiers like Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist and Hilton Diamond will no longer qualify for top-tier status.
You can apply for the match at this page, and if you are eligible, you'll be able to fly Frontier for all of 2022 with this newly minted elite status. If the odds are high that you will fly Frontier at all next year, it's really a heck of a deal — especially since the match applies to many popular hotel programs like Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt.
Note that if you took advantage of the status match promotion in 2020, you aren't technically eligible to apply again through this particular offer. However, Frontier has created a status "rematch" page, where you can submit your details and (potentially) be targeted for another boost, as first reported by View from the Wing.
While Frontier Airlines is an ultra-low-cost carrier where most things cost extra, having elite status takes away most of the sting of the airline's a la carte approach to air travel.
New to The Points Guy? Sign up for our free daily newsletter and check out our Beginner's Guide.
Ever since the airline revamped its loyalty program in 2018, Frontier elite status confers valuable benefits such as free seat assignments for your whole traveling party, free or discounted Discount Den membership, free extra legroom seats, free checked or carry-on bags and more.
Frontier says it will only take 72 hours to verify and match your airline status, so you should have the Frontier Miles status perks at your disposal very quickly if you are eligible. I personally took advantage of this offer last year, and in less than 24 hours my newly minted Frontier 100K status was active. With this status, I received complimentary Discount Den membership and many fees would have been waived. But, I actually didn't end up flying Frontier once this past year.
There's only one catch if you want to try it out for 2022 — the nonrefundable $49 fee to apply for a status match.
However, if you think you are indeed eligible for the match and plan to fly Frontier in the next year, it's probably money well spent. With Frontier, many mid- and upper-level status perks can be used for your whole family when you travel.
With this status match promotion, depending on your current elite status level with the 30 different loyalty programs, you can match to Elite 20K, Elite 50K or Elite 100K status.
Related: Best credit cards to jump-start elite status
The chart below will tell you which status levels are eligible for matching with Frontier, but the matching levels are pretty logical — and quite generous, especially for airlines.
For example, my Southwest Companion Pass matches to Frontier's top-tier Elite 100K status. Those with JetBlue Mosaic status will be able to match to mid-tier Elite 50K status.
On the hotel front, virtually all mid- and top-tier status levels will now earn you Frontier's Elite 50K status. This is particularly generous if you have status courtesy of one of the following credit cards:
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: This card provides automatic Hilton Diamond status — which will match to Elite 50K.
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: This card comes with automatic IHG Platinum status — which will match to Elite 50K.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: This card grants you complimentary Gold status with both Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors (enrollment required) — either of which will match to Elite 50K.
The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Note that we have seen reports of buy-up offers being available. Specifically, a TPG staffer was given the chance to pay an additional $499 (on top of the original $49) to bump her matched 50K status up to 100K. And then a week or two after she declined, she received a $199 offer for the same bump.
Nevertheless, these reports are likely not the norm — so you should be prepared to get the status indicated below (and no more).
Related: Guide to airline elite status matching
Again, note the added verbiage at the top that shows the new restrictions on hotel matches. If you submitted a request using your top-tier hotel status prior to Dec. 7, you should be eligible for 100K. Otherwise, you'll be left with 50K status.
Frontier states the charge will be labeled as "FRONTIER STATUS MATCH" or "STATUSMATCH.COM" (and data points from TPG staff confirm that the $49 fee will not code as a travel purchase) — so your best bet is likely a card that's good for everyday spending or one on which you're trying to reach a minimum spend threshold to earn a welcome bonus.
To request a status match that will last all through 2022, head to Frontier's status match site by Dec. 31.
Additional reporting by Summer Hull and Nick Ewen.