The status match from ITA Volare seems to be a never-ending story. In 2021 and 2022, the frequent flyer program of Alitalia’s successor gave away its (highest) frequent flyer status on multiple occasions. The only requirement was holding a status with a competitor. Later, an ITA flight booking was partially added as a condition.
Originally, this status was supposed to be valid for only one year, a year that wasn’t very beneficial at first. Many airlines had issues recognizing the status, as the program was so new that other SkyTeam partners weren’t even familiar with it.
Many readers might still hold the status that was initially supposed to expire in January 2023. Since then, it has been extended twice:
- In December 2022, it was extended until December 2023.
- In January 2024, the expired status was surprisingly extended again—this time until January 2025.
Meanwhile, ITA has announced that the Volare program will continue at least until December 2025. Due to the planned acquisition by the Lufthansa Group, there was some uncertainty around its future. Now, there’s another development:
Another Status Extension—With and Without Conditions
Today, both we and some readers received an email from the Volare program. It states:
Do you remember the last time you took a flight? We at ITA Airways would love to see you on board again enjoying a great experience and renewing your Volare membership in our Club Premium.
Book before January 10, 2025 to any destination and fly prior to January 31, 2025 and we will renew your membership in Volare Club Premium for another year.
Book by January 10, 2025 to enjoy all of the benefits of Club Premium on your next adventure.
Mail to ITA Volare members
The wording is usually the same, regardless of whether the status is Club Plus (SkyTeam Elite), Club Premium, or Club Executive (both Elite Plus). Anyone who books a flight with ITA by January 10 and completes it by the end of the month can retain their ITA status until January 2026.
Of course, this is a challenging task on such short notice. However, there are feasible options, such as a round trip from many European cities to Milan for roughly €150, or an Italian domestic flight starting at €43. According to the email, you must actually take the flight to benefit from the extension.
The email I personally received was different. As a “gift,” I was offered an unconditional extension for another year, i.e., until the end of 2025. This is likely because I flew with ITA twice this year:
We are delighted to inform you that we have decided to renew your Club Executive membership for 2025.
This gift to you, for your travel with ITA Airways in 2024, will enable you to keep enjoying the exclusive benefits available to Executive members.
We look forward to seeing you on board soon!
The extension hasn’t yet appeared in my online account, but it will likely be updated in the coming days or weeks.
Translated by Ditmar
Cover Picture: Photo by Aron Marinelli on Unsplash