Royal Air Maroc is currently running a last-minute status match offer in time for Christmas, which is targeting elite members of a slew of airline and hotel loyalty programs.
You might not have any intention of flying Royal Air Maroc, but as the airline has been a member of the Oneworld alliance since 2020, this status match offer will confer benefits across the Oneworld alliance, which includes the likes of Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, and British Airways.
The offer allows elite members to achieve both the Ruby and Emerald Oneworld equivalent status, and members of a select number of rival loyalty programs have also been targeted with the opportunity to status match up to the top Emerald Oneworld tier.
What benefits does Oneworld status give you?
Royal Air Maroc has three tiers of frequent flyer status in its Safar Flyer program which confer benefits across the Oneworld alliance:
- Silver = Oneworld Ruby
- Gold = Oneworld Sapphire
- Platinum = Oneworld Emerald
| Oneworld tier | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Ruby | Business Class priority check-in Access to preferred seating Priority on waitlists when on standby |
| Sapphire | All of the benefits in Ruby, as well as: Access to Business Class lounges Priority boarding Extra baggage allowance Priority baggage handling |
| Emerald | All of the benefits in Ruby and Sapphire, as well as: Access to First Class lounges Access to First Class check-in Fast track security access |
What loyalty programs are covered by this status match offer?
This status match offer is available to elite members of 16 different airlines, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, WestJet and Emirates.
However, the top tier Platinum status is only available to status match with members of the following airlines with an equivalent status: Air Canada, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, and Turkish Airlines.
| Airline | SILVER | GOLD | PLATINUM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada | PRESTIGE 25K | ELITE 35K ELITE 50K | ELITE 75K SUPER ELITE 100K |
| Air Europa | SILVER | GOLD PLATINUM | Not available |
| Air France | SILVER | GOLD | PLATINUM PLATINUM ULTIMATE |
| Delta Air Lines | SILVER MEDALLION | DELTA 360 DIAMOND MEDALLION GOLD MEDALLION PLATINUM MEDALLION | Not available |
| Egyptair | SILVER | ELITE GOLD PLATINUM | Not available |
| Emirates | SILVER | GOLD IO PLATINUM | Not available |
| Etihad | SILVER | GOLD PLATINUM | Not available |
| Gulf Air | SILVER | BLACK GOLD | Not available |
| KLM | SILVER | GOLD | PLATINUM PLATINUM ULTIMATE |
| Lufthansa | FREQUENT TRAVELLER | SENATOR | HON CIRCLE |
| Saudia | SILVER | GOLD | Not available |
| TAP Air Portugal | SILVER | GOLD | Not available |
| Turkish Airlines | CLASSIC PLUS | ELITE | ELITE PLUS |
| United Airlines | PREMIER SILVER | GLOBAL SERVICES PREMIER 1K PREMIER GOLD PREMIER PLATINUM | Not available |
| Virgin Atlantic | SILVER | GOLD | Not available |
| WestJet | SILVER | GOLD PLATINUM | Not available |
What hotel brands are covered by this status match offer?
In terms of hotel loyalty programs, members with elite status with the following brands can status match up to the Oneworld Ruby equivalent only:
| Hotel brand | SILVER |
|---|---|
| Accor | DIAMOND GOLD PLATINUM SILVER |
| GHA | GOLD PLATINUM TITANIUM |
| Hilton | DIAMOND GOLD SILVER |
| Hyat | DISCOVERIST EXPLORIST GLOBALIST |
| IHG | DIAMOND ELITE GOLD ELITE PLATINUM ELITE ROYAL AMBASSADOR SILVER ELITE |
| Marriott | AMBASSADOR ELITE GOLD ELITE PLATINUM ELITE SILVER ELITE TITANIUM ELITE |
| Radisson Hotel Group | PREMIUM VIP |
| Wyndham Hotels and Resorts | DIAMOND GOLD PLATINUM |
Personally, I don’t see much benefit in using hotel elite member status to achieve Oneworld Ruby status as it doesn’t really confer a huge number of benefits, although perhaps you can enjoy skipping a long wait in the regular Economy check-in queue. That being said, for a fee to achieve this status, is that really a worthwhile spend?
How much does this status match offer cost?
Like most things in life, this status match offer doesn’t come for free. You’ll need to pay the following rates to achieve this status match (all of the prices are in US dollars):
- SILVER / RUBY = $150
- GOLD / SAPPHIRE = $450
- PLATINUM LITE / EMERALD = $1,000
- PLATINUM STANDARD / EMERALD = $1,500
The difference between Platinum Lite and Platinum Standard is that the latter comes with three complimentary business class upgrades when flying on Royal Air Maroc.
For many people, the sweet spot here is going to be achieving Sapphire status, which will give you access to priority check-in, entry to Business Class lounges, priority boarding (to avoid having your hand luggage gate checked) and additional baggage allowance.
How long will the status match last?
The standard status match will last through June 30, 2024, but you can extend your status through to the end of 2024 by either flying one sector on a Royal Air Maroc by June 30, 2024 or, at the very least, having a flight booked on Royal Air Maroc by this date.
How to apply for this offer
If you haven’t already done so, you’ll need to join the Royal Air Maroc Safar frequent flyer program. Once you have your membership program you can fill in the application here.
You should hear whether your application has been approved within three days, and once approved, it could take three business days to upgrade your Safar frequent flyer status.
The last time Royal Air Maroc ran a status match offer, the airline closed applications just two days later because demand was so strong. If you want to take advantage of this offer, it might be worth acting sooner rather than later.
