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Hey everyone, and welcome back to Smart with Points. I'm Jack, and if you've been feeling a bit neglected by British Airways lately, well, you're definitely not alone.

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But today, I've got some genuinely exciting news that might just make you feel a whole lot better about your status situation.

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Lufthansa's Miles & More program has relaunched its status match for British Airways Club members, and it's available right now.

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So grab a cup of tea, get comfortable, and let me walk you through everything you need to know about this opportunity.

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Now, what makes this particularly interesting is that if you combine it with the Air France Flying Blue status match that launched last month, you could potentially hold elite status across all three major alliances simultaneously.

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That's One World with BA, Star Alliance with Lufthansa, and SkyTeam with Air France. Imagine the lounge access possibilities. So let's start with what status you actually get.

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The match works differently depending on your current British Airways status. If you're a BA Gold member or above, you'll receive Senator Status in Miles & More. This is the headline benefit, and it's a big one.

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Senator gives you Star Alliance wide lounge access, fast-track security, and priority boarding across all Star Alliance carriers.

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If you've ever wanted to access those United Polaris lounges or Singapore Airlines SilverKris facilities, this is your ticket in. Now, if you're a BA Bronze or Silver member, you'll receive frequent traveler status.

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This is more limited, I have to say. You get lounge access, but only at lounges directly operated by Lufthansa Group Airlines. That includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings.

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This does include the recently refurbished Lufthansa lounge at Heathrow Terminal two, which is actually rather nice. But here's the catch.

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You won't get Star Alliance wide lounge access, fast-track security, or priority boarding with this tier. It's much more restricted. Let's talk about the cost and duration.

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There's a ninety-nine euro administration fee to complete the status match.

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Your new status will be valid until the twenty-eighth of February, two thousand and twenty-seven, giving you just over a year to enjoy the benefits.

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To re-qualify beyond that date, you'll need to meet Lufthansa's standard qualification requirements by the end of two thousand and twenty-six.

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And importantly, fifty percent of the qualifying points must be earned on Miles & More Airlines. You can't maintain status purely by flying United or Singapore Airlines.

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So the big question, is it worth ninety-nine euros? Well, let me break this down by status level. For BA Gold members, I'd say yes, almost certainly.

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Senator status opens up an entirely new world of lounge access across Star Alliance.

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If you have even one or two trips planned with Star Alliance carriers over the next year, the ninety-nine euro fee will likely pay for itself. Access to lounges like the Lufthansa First Class terminal in Frankfurt,

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even with business class bookings, United Clubs worldwide, and countless others makes this excellent value in my opinion. For BA Silver members, this is more marginal.

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You're essentially trading broader One World Sapphire benefits for more limited Lufthansa Group only lounge access. If you regularly fly through Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, or Vienna, it could be worthwhile.

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But if your Star Alliance flying is mainly with United or Singapore Airlines, the value drops significantly since you won't get lounge access with them.

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For BA Bronze members, this is actually quite compelling if it works for you. Bronze doesn't include any lounge access with BA, so gaining access to Lufthansa Group lounges for ninety-nine euros is a genuine upgrade.

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Even if you only use it a handful of times, you're likely to get value from it. Now how do you actually apply? Head to the Miles & More status match website and follow the application process.

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You'll need to submit proof of your BA status. Here's a critical tip. Submit a screenshot from your British Airways app showing your status.

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Physical cards and photographs of cards have been rejected in previous status match campaigns. The screenshot should clearly show your name, membership number, and current tier.

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You'll need a Miles & More account to complete the match. If you don't have one, you can create it during the application process, and it's free to join. There's also a bonus benefit that often gets overlooked.

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If you have an existing Miles & More balance that's at risk of expiring, and miles do expire after three years of inactivity, holding any elite status suspends the expiration clock.

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This alone could make the ninety-nine euros worthwhile if you have a substantial balance sitting dormant. Now, a question I've been asked, can you match to both Flying Blue and Miles & More? Yes.

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These are separate programs, and you can absolutely hold status in both.

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With BA Gold, you could potentially have One World Emerald via BA, Star Alliance Gold via Lufthansa Senator, and SkyTeam Elite Plus via Flying Blue Gold all at the same time.

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That's comprehensive lounge access across virtually every major airline in the world. My personal take on this? As a BA Gold holder myself, I've just applied and been accepted for this.

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The Star Alliance lounge network is genuinely excellent, and having options outside One World is increasingly valuable as BA continues to make changes to its loyalty program.

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For those of you chasing or maintaining BA status, don't forget to use our BA Tier Point calculator on the website to work out how your upcoming flights will contribute to your tier points under the new British Airways Club system.

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And if you're flying Star Alliance carriers with your new Senator status, check out our airport lounge list to find which lounges you can now access at your destination. That's all for today's episode.

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If you found this useful, please do subscribe to Smart with Points on all major podcast platforms, or head to our website at smartwithpoints.co.uk.

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I'd love to hear if you've applied for the match and how you get on, so feel free to reach out to me on Instagram. Thanks so much for listening, and I'll catch you in the next episode. Safe travels.

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Looking for the best award flights? Use awardtravelfinder.com to search availability across Qatar Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and more. Try it for free with our link in the show notes.