Kenya Airways Introduces Paid Status Match to Unlock SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus

Kenya Airways has launched a new paid status match program in partnership with StatusMatch.com, giving travellers a shortcut to SkyTeam Elite or SkyTeam Elite Plus benefits for 12 months.

Whether you hold status with Air Canada, WestJet, another of 40+ airlines, 15+ hotel programs, or even certain premium credit cards, you could qualify for this match and enjoy benefits like lounge access, SkyPriority, and extra baggage on SkyTeam flights around the world.

Matching Status with Kenya Airways Asante Rewards

The match is processed entirely online, with the fee depending on where you live and what type of status you’re matching from.

For residents of Canada, the US, the Americas, and select Asian countries:

From airline status:

• Silver Elite: $99 USD
• Gold Elite Plus or Platinum Elite Plus: $299 USD

From hotel status:

• Silver Elite: $99 USD
• Gold Elite Plus: $299 USD

From credit card status:

• Silver Elite only: $99 USD

For residents of all other countries:

From airline status:

• Silver Elite: $80 USD
• Gold Elite Plus or Platinum Elite Plus: $175 USD

From hotel status:

• Silver Elite: $80 USD
• Gold Elite Plus: $299 USD

From credit card status:

• Silver Elite only: $80 USD

Note that pricing is the lowest when you match from an airline status outside the Americas and Asia. If your address happens to be in the UK, France, or another “rest of world” country, you could pay as little as $80 USD for Silver or $175 USD for Gold/Platinum. We all have relatives in Europe, right?

Which Programs Can You Match From?

Kenya Airways accepts matches from airline programs, hotel programs, and premium credit cards.

Your matched Asante Rewards tier depends on your current program and status level — higher tiers from airlines can get you to Platinum, while hotels can take you up to Gold, and credit cards up to Silver.

Eligible Airline Programs

If you hold elite status with one of these 46 airlines, you can match to Silver, Gold, or Platinum depending on your tier. This is the only path to reach Asante Rewards Platinum Elite Plus, such as holding a top-tier status like Aeroplan 75K or Super Elite.

<strong>Airline Program</strong>	<strong>Matched to Silver Elite</strong>	<strong>Matched to Gold Elite Plus</strong>	<strong>Matched to Platinum Elite Plus</strong>
ANA Mileage Club	Bronze	Platinum	Diamond, Super Flyers
Aegean Airlines Miles+Bonus	Silver	Gold	Not Available
Air Canada Aeroplan	25K	Elite 35K	Elite 50K, Elite 75K, Super Elite 100K
Air China PhoenixMiles	Silver	Gold	Platinum
Air India Flying Returns	Silver	Gold	Platinum
Air New Zealand AirPoints	Silver	Gold	Elite
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan	MVP	MVP Gold	MVP 75K, MVP 100K
American Airlines AAdvantage	Gold	Platinum	Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum, Concierge Key
Asiana Airlines Asiana Club	Gold	Diamond	Diamond Plus, Platinum
Austrian Airlines Miles & More	Frequent Traveller	Senator	HON Circle
Avianca LifeMiles	Silver	Gold	Diamond
British Airways Executive Club	Bronze	Silver	Gold, Gold Guest List, Premier
Brussels Airlines Miles & More	Frequent Traveller	Senator	HON Circle
Cathay Pacific Cathay	Silver	Gold	Diamond, Diamond Plus, Invitation
Copa Airlines ConnectMiles	Silver	Gold	Platinum, Presidential Platinum
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands	Silver	Gold	Diamond
Egyptair Plus	Silver	Gold	Elite, Platinum
Emirates Skywards	Silver	Gold	IO, Platinum
Ethiopian Airlines ShebaMiles	Silver	Gold	Platinum
Etihad Guest	Silver	Gold	Platinum
Finnair Plus	Silver	Gold	Platinum, Platinum Lumo
Gulf Air Falconflyer	Silver	Gold	Black
Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles	Gold	Platinum	Not Available
Hong Kong Airlines Fortune Wings Club	Silver	Gold	Platinum
Iberia Plus	Plata	Oro	Infinita, Infinita Prime, Platino
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank	Crystal	Global Club, Global Club Sapphire	Global Club Diamond, Global Club Premier
JetBlue TrueBlue Rewards	Mosaic 1	Mosaic 2	Mosaic 3, Mosaic 4
LOT Polish Airlines Miles & More	Frequent Traveller	Senator	HON Circle
Lufthansa Miles & More	Frequent Traveller	Senator	HON Circle
Malaysia Airlines Enrich	Silver	Gold	Platinum
Oman Air Sindbad	Silver	Gold	Not Available
Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Miles	Elite	Premier Elite	Million Miler
Qantas Frequent Flyer	Silver	Gold	Chairmans Lounge, Platinum, Platinum One
Qatar Airways Privilege Club	Silver	Gold	Platinum
Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer	Silver	Gold	Ambassador, Platinum
Royal Brunei Royal Skies	Silver	Gold	Not Available
Royal Jordanian Royal Club	Silver JAY	Gold SPARROW	Platinum HAWK
S7 Airlines Priority	Silver	Gold	Platinum
SWISS Miles & More	Frequent Traveller	Senator	HON Circle
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer	Silver	Gold	PPS, PPS Solitare
South African Airways SAA Voyager	Silver	Gold	Platinum
Southwest Rapid Rewards	A-List	A-List Preferred	Companion Pass
Sri Lankan Airlines FlySmiLes	Classic	Gold	Platinum
TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go	Silver	Gold	Navigator
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus	Silver	Gold	Platinum
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles	Classic Plus	Elite	Elite Plus
United Airlines MileagePlus	Premier Silver	Premier Gold	Global Services, Premier 1K, Premier Platinum
Virgin Australia Velocity	Silver	Gold	Beyond, Platinum
WestJet Rewards	Silver	Gold	Platinum

Eligible Hotel Programs

If you hold select hotel elite status, you can match up to Asante Rewards Gold Elite — the entry point for SkyTeam Elite Plus benefits.

This is arguably the easiest and sweetest path to SkyTeam Elite Plus, since you can get Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite or Hilton Honors Gold status simply by holding an American Express Platinum Card.

<strong>Hotel Program</strong>	<strong>Matched to Silver Elite</strong>	<strong>Matched to Gold Elite Plus</strong>	<strong>Matched to Platinum Elite Plus</strong>
Accor ALL	Silver	Diamond, Gold, Platinum	Not Available
Best Western Rewards	Gold	Diamond, Diamond Select, Platinum	Not Available
Choice Hotels Choice Privileges	Gold	Diamond, Platinum	Not Available
GHA Discovery	Gold	Platinum, Titanium	Not Available
Hilton Honors	Silver	Diamond, Gold	Not Available
Hyatt World of Hyatt	Discoverist	Explorist, Globalist	Not Available
IHG One Rewards	Silver Elite	Diamond Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Royal Ambassador	Not Available
Langham Brilliant	Topaz	Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire	Not Available
Marriott Bonvoy	Silver Elite	Ambassador Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite	Not Available
Melia Melia Rewards	Silver	Gold, Platinum	Not Available
Omni Select Guest	Platinum	Black	Not Available
Preferred Hotel Group Preferred Rewards	Silver	Gold, Titanium	Not Available
Radisson Radisson Rewards	Premium	VIP	Not Available
Shangri-La Golden Circle	Gold	Diamond, Jade	Not Available
Leading Hotels Leaders Club	Club	Sterling	Not Available
World Hotels Rewards	Gold	Diamond, Diamond Select, Platinum	Not Available
Wyndham Wyndham Rewards	Gold	Diamond, Platinum	Not Available
citizenM mycitizenM+	MycitizenM+	Not Available	Not Available

Eligible Credit Cards

Select premium credit cards can get you Asante Rewards Silver Elite, unlocking basic SkyTeam Elite benefits.

<strong>Card Type</strong>	<strong>Matched to Silver Elite</strong>	<strong>Matched to Gold Elite Plus</strong>	<strong>Matched to Platinum Elite Plus</strong>
Visa	Infinite, Signature, Rewards, Platinum	Not Available	Not Available
Mastercard	World, World Elite	Not Available	Not Available
American Express	Platinum / Charge	Not Available	Not Available

Kenya Airways Asante Rewards & SkyTeam Benefits

Kenya Airways’ Asante Rewards program has three elite tiers available through the status match. Each tier comes with its own benefits, plus the corresponding SkyTeam Elite or SkyTeam Elite Plus perks across the alliance.

Asante Rewards Silver → SkyTeam Elite

• 50% bonus points on Kenya Airways flights
• One extra checked bag on Kenya Airways and partner airlines
• Free seat selection within 24 hours of departure (excluding economy comfort seats)
• 25% discount at Kenya Airways lounges
• SkyTeam Elite benefits:
  • Priority check-in and baggage drop-off
  • Preferred seating (where available)
  • Priority boarding
  • Extra baggage allowance on most SkyTeam airlines

Asante Rewards Gold → SkyTeam Elite Plus

• 75% bonus points on Kenya Airways flights
• Complimentary Kenya Airways lounge access for you and one guest
• Free seat selection within 72 hours of departure
• SkyPriority services at all airport touchpoints
• One extra checked bag on Kenya Airways and partner airlines
• SkyTeam Elite Plus benefits:
  • All SkyTeam Elite perks
  • Lounge access for you and one guest when travelling internationally on any SkyTeam airline, regardless of class of service
  • Priority security, immigration, and boarding lanes
  • Priority baggage handling

Asante Rewards Platinum → SkyTeam Elite Plus

• 100% bonus points on Kenya Airways flights
• Complimentary lounge access for you and one guest
• Free seat selection at booking
• SkyPriority services at all airport touchpoints
• 24/7 Platinum customer service line
• One extra checked bag on Kenya Airways and partner airlines
• Same SkyTeam Elite Plus perks as Asante Rewards Gold

Should You Consider This Match?

If you’re a frequent Kenya Airways flyer, this match might make sense on its own.

For everyone else, the real value likely comes from the SkyTeam Elite perks — lounge access, SkyPriority, and extra baggage — which can easily offset the one-time match fee after just a few trips.

With relatively easy-to-get statuses like Marriott Bonvoy Gold or Hilton Honors Gold, you can unlock SkyTeam Elite Plus without ever stepping on a qualifying flight.

Plus, you never know when this status could open the door to other match opportunities in the future.

For example, I matched my Marriott Bonvoy status to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold earlier this year, and now I can use that status to match into Asante Rewards Gold — unlocking SkyTeam Elite Plus benefits for only $175 USD, without taking a single Kenya Airways flight.

Conclusion

Kenya Airways’ paid status match is a straightforward way to enjoy SkyTeam Elite or Elite Plus benefits for 12 months, whether you’re a frequent Kenya Airways flyer or simply looking to upgrade your experience with partner airlines like Air France, KLM, and Delta.

With perks such as lounge access, SkyPriority, and extra baggage, the value can easily outweigh the one-time fee after just a few trips.

And with easily attainable statuses like Marriott Bonvoy Gold or Hilton Honors Gold, unlocking SkyTeam Elite Plus has never been simpler — especially if you can take advantage of rest-of-world pricing to bring the cost down to $175 USD.