Oneworld member Royal Jordanian offers a status match to its Royal Club program for customers holding status with other airlines. It’s worth noting that this is not a challenge but a genuine status match. The benefits are guaranteed for 12 months after the match, and you don’t need to fly on a Royal Jordanian plane to maintain them.
However, there’s a significant catch: Similar to matches with Frontier Airlines and LATAM, the processing is handled by statusmatch.com. The provider charges the following fees:
- US$49 (~€46) for a status match to Silver Jay (Oneworld Ruby)
- US$149 (~€139) for a status match to Gold Sparrow (Oneworld Sapphire)
If interested, you can apply for the match at rj.statusmatch.com:
Since we first presented this deal, the list of eligible residencies has been expanded. For example, Switzerland is now in the mix.
To participate, you need an existing frequent flyer status with programs such as Miles&More, Flying Blue, or SAS Eurobonus. The complete list of eligible programs from the Middle East and Europe is available here. Additionally, residence in Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Netherlands, Oman, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey, or the UAE is required.
Table of Contents
Programs Eligible for matching
A comprehensive list of programs allegedly matched by Royal Jordanian can be found in the FAQ on the Status Match website. For Europeans, the most interesting ones include Air Europa Suma, Flying Blue, Miles&More, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, SAS Eurobonus, TAP Miles&Go, and Turkish Miles&Smiles.
The real benefits start with the Gold Sparrow status (= Oneworld Sapphire) with alliance-wide lounge access. To attain this, you need one of the following frequent flyer cards:
- Air Europa Suma: Gold / Platinum
- Flying Blue: Gold / Platinum
- Miles&More: Senator / HON Circle
- Egyptair Plus: Gold / Platinum / Elite
- Emirates Skywards: Gold / Platinum
- Etihad Guest: Gold / Platinum
- Gulf Air Falconflyer: Gold / Black
- Kuwait Oasis Club: Gold / Platinum
- MEA Cedar Miles: Gold / Platinum
- Oman Air Sindbad: Gold
- Saudia Alfursan: Gold
- SAS Eurobonus: Gold / Diamond
- TAP Miles&Go: Gold
- Turkish Miles&Smiles: Elite / Elite Plus
- Virgin Flying Club: Gold
This list is conclusive. Other programs such as United MileagePlus or ITA Volare are not matched.
Status Benefits
On RJ.com, you can find an overview of the status benefits in the Royal Club. Here are the key benefits:
Silver Jay (Oneworld Ruby)
The Silver Jay status with Royal Jordanian corresponds to the Oneworld Ruby status on flights with BA, JAL, Finnair, and others. There are hardly any notable benefits, even on Royal Jordanian flights:
- All Oneworld Ruby benefits on flights with Oneworld airlines:
- Business Class check-in
- Free preferred seats (with exceptions)
- Additional baggage and priority boarding with some airlines (e.g., AA)
- Priority on wait and standby lists
- No mileage expiration
Gold Sparrow (Oneworld Sapphire)
The Gold Sparrow status is equivalent to Oneworld Sapphire and is much more interesting. On every flight with Oneworld, you get access to the airport lounge (including one guest). Here’s an overview of the benefits:
- All Oneworld Sapphire benefits on flights with Oneworld airlines:
- All Ruby benefits (as mentioned above)
- Access to the business class lounge with one guest
- Priority boarding
- Partially free reservation of seats with more legroom (depending on the airline)
- Additional baggage (with exceptions)
- Priority baggage
- On Royal Jordanian flights:
1 upgrade voucher per year for business class
(not granted as part of the status match)- Fast track for entering Jordan
- No mileage expiration
Process
The process is relatively self-explanatory once you’ve created an account. Here’s a summary of the steps:
1. Create an account with Royal Jordanian
To participate, you need an account with Royal Jordanian’s frequent flyer program, Royal Club. You can create it for free at the following link:
After registration, your frequent flyer number will be displayed, which you’ll need for the next step.
2. Apply for a status match
After noting your frequent flyer number, proceed to the actual status match on rj.statusmatch.com.
In the next step, you’ll need to specify your current frequent flyer status. Then, proof will be required, which can be a physical frequent flyer card or a screenshot from the online account.
Only then will the confirmed status be granted. In the case of e.g. a Miles&More Senator, this would be the Gold Sparrow status = Oneworld Sapphire.
3. Pay
As described above, a fee of US$49 (~€46) is charged for an Oneworld Ruby status. If you want to receive the Gold Sparrow (= Oneworld Sapphire) status, the fee is US$149 (~€139) including 19% VAT.
Payment can only be made by credit card. A decision on the successful match takes up to 5 working days, and the status is valid for 12 months afterwards.
Conclusion
It’s frustrating that statusmatch.com is gaining prominence, leading to fees for status matches. However, they usually offer genuine status matches without challenges requiring a specific number of flights.
If you have a few flights planned with Oneworld, a Sapphire status for the roughly €140 fee can be worthwhile. And the Ruby status is not bad either, potentially allowing you to bypass the check-in queue.
Translated by Ditmar