I recently took the opportunity of a free Southwest A-List status match. The airline is currently offering people the chance of getting A-List status for 90 days if you send them your current airline status of a competitor. What was really great about this opportunity, was that all I had to do was send a screen shot from another airlines with my current status above being a general member, and about 10 days later I got this simple response with my new Southwest A-List status.

For those of you not familiar with a status match. It’s a change to get a higher level of status with an airline or hotel chain without having to do the hard work to achieve it normally. So, in this case having American Airlines Executive Platinum status allowed me a 90-day trail of A-List. To normally qualify for A-List, you must fly 25 one-way flights or collect 35,000 points (points are accrued based on the cost of your ticket purchased). Although I usually fly over 100 segments per year, I don’t fly more than 25 flights on Southwest. In a busy year it’s somewhere between 8-10 with them. So, getting to have the status for not doing much is great. Plus, in the next 90 days I have three trips on Southwest, and this will give me the benefits of A-List, which I do really love.

A-List status offers a few cool perks for me. First off, you get priority boarding meaning the coveted A group. Which if you don’t buy business select A1-15, you’re paying about $15 per direction to have. Or you must check in at exactly 24 hours and you might get A45-60 if you’re lucky. In the case of A-List you’re basically automatically assigned an A group, and in the very rare cases where you’re not you get to board between Group A and B. The other coveted perk for me is the free and I really mean free standby option. So, if you get to the airport early and can get on an earlier flight and they have room you’re moved for free. Whereas if you buy anything other the Business Select, and who does that, you have to buy up to it to fly standby. This alone is worth the price of admission.  Last year I also was A-List and on half of my Southwest trips I was able to do this successfully. One of the cool hacks here, is to buy the cheapest flight after the one you really want then go to the airport for the flight you want. If it has space you’re pretty much good to go. Will this work every time? No. but when it does you can save tons of dough.

Here’s a list of all the benefits of A-List:

Lastly, in the case of this status match, I have 90 days to earn it for the rest of 2019. To do that I only need to buy and fly six one-way flights. Will I be able to do that? I’m not sure, but I do that three one ways already booked during the 90 days, so I’m halfway there. If you’d like to request the same status match click here and follow the instructions. Have you ever done a status match? If so what was your experience like? Good Luck to all and happy flying.