Estimated read time: 5 minutes and 28 seconds

Good morning, folks. Welcome back to Daily Drop, the newsletter that’s about to teach you how to get two years of Delta status benefits – instantly.

Here we go:

• ✈️ Incredibly lucrative SkyTeam status match

• 🏨 Earn 15,000 MR points by booking this hotel

• 😌 The app that simplifies points and miles

✈️ Incredibly lucrative SkyTeam status match

Status matches are my favorite thing ever. Basically, you can take the status you have from one program and turn it into status with another.

And right now, there’s a unique one available from Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) that can get you elite perks on Delta and tons of other airlines.

Here’s how it works:

If you have status with an eligible airline program, you can match it to SAS status for a fixed cash fee.

Here is a quick snapshot of the more popular programs and what they match to:

It’s worth noting that dozens of other international airlines also match, so check out all the details.

As for the cost, here is the breakdown:

• Silver status: 89 Euro

• Gold status: 199 Euro

• Diamond status: 349 Euro

One nice thing is that these fees only get charged once you’re approved. It’s also pretty cool to see Southwest on there – especially for Companion Pass holders who can now get top-tier Diamond status.

Why would you want SAS status?

Well, SAS is part of the SkyTeam alliance, which also includes airlines like Delta, Virgin Atlantic, Korean Air, Aeromexico, KLM, Air France, and many more.

And if you have status with any one of them, you get perks on the rest.

Most enticing is SAS Gold or Diamond status, which gives you SkyTeam Elite Plus status.

This includes things like free checked bags, free seat selection, priority check-in, priority security, priority boarding, bonus points on paid flights, and… most importantly…. Business class lounge access. 😎

So basically, you could book an economy flight on any of those airlines but still get all of those perks as long as you have SAS Gold or Diamond Status and attach your SAS loyalty number to your booking.

There’s a catch with Delta

When it comes to Delta, SkyTeam Elite Plus won’t get you access to SkyClub lounges when flying domestically in the U.S.

However, you can enter those lounges when flying on an international Delta flight, and domestically when connecting to an international flight on the same day.

None of the other SkyTeam airlines in the world have that same restriction, though.

It gets even better

According to the terms and conditions, the new status will be valid for the rest of your membership year plus a full 12 months.

But SAS’ “membership year” is based on when you joined the program, not a fixed calendar year.

For example, my most recent membership year just started 3 weeks ago on September 30. 👇

So taking advantage of this match will give me status through September 29 of next year, PLUS another 12 months.

In other words, I’ll get more than 23 months of status and be a Diamond until September 29, 2028.

Obviously, I did it. But here’s why.

I have Atmos Titanium status right now, which matches to top-tier Diamond status.

The price tag isn’t cheap, but for two years of SkyTeam status, it’s a great deal.

I had SkyTeam Elite Plus through Garuda Indonesia until August, and I got a lot of value from it.

Even when flying business class on airlines like KLM, Kenya Airways, and Saudia, I was able to use my SkyTeam status to select seats for free ahead of time, take advantage of priority airport services, and more.

Plus, I always enjoy getting access to premium lounges when flying economy on short hops around Europe or Asia.

I also have almost 700,000 SAS miles. And one of the perks of Diamond status is a 30% award discount.

This likely won’t apply to most of you, but if you’re redeeming SAS miles (which you can transfer to from Rove Miles), this could also be valuable.

Anyway, I filled out the form last night, and my status match was approved within a few hours – so it was super easy.

Match this to other statuses in the future

If you lock this in now while you have United, American, Atmos, Air Canada, or Southwest status, you could potentially turn your new SAS status into other airline status in the future through similar status matches. (I say potentially because not all status matches let you match from programs you’ve matched into, so you’ll have to check the terms.)

Also, even if you fly Delta in the U.S. a handful of times a year and just want those free checked bags and seat selection, it could be worth the few hundred bucks. 🤷🏼‍♂️

It’s unique to see a match like this offer up to 24 months of status and only require a one-time cash fee…

… but I personally don’t think this will stick around for long.

We usually see these “too good to be true” matches pop up, get a lot of attention, then shut down once too many people sign up.

Be sure to run the numbers – don’t jump on this just because I did or because it looks cool. Make sure it’s something you’ll actually get value from.

This is the first installment of Mike’s Master Plan™️to earn top-tier status with every alliance… which one do you want to hear next? 😏

🏨 Earn 15,000 MR points by booking this hotel

One of my favorite things about holding credit cards from this bank is its merchant offers.

It’s one of the easiest ways to save on annual fees – especially when there are travel-related ones that are quite easy to use.

I just saw a new one pop up last night that could be appealing to many of you.

This offer allows you to earn 15,000 MR points when spending $700 or more at Leading Hotels of the World (LHW).

This offer is targeted, and you’ll need to register for it before using it.

I got the offer on this card, which also comes with LHW Sterling status as a perk.

Why LHW is a great program

LHW is a collection of super luxurious hotels around the world. You can expect a high level of luxury and service, sometimes with surprisingly affordable rates.

Also, by booking these hotels through LHW, you’ll get perks that most other programs only offer for elite members:

Plus, you can transfer MR points to LHW at a 4:1 ratio (which is actually a good deal).

So you’re earning LHW points and getting 15,000 more MR points, which you could then transfer to LHW to get 3,750 LHW points.

Quick example

I actually have an LHW stay coming up that I booked with points in Vancouver at the AZUR Legacy Collection Hotel.

It costs $245 per night or around 2,700 LHW points. 👇

As I said, I booked it with points already… but if I cancel it and rebook with cash, my stay will cost $735, triggering this new merchant offer.

Those 15,000 MR points transferred to LHW are already enough for a free night at the same hotel (plus some extra).

The bottom line

This is a pretty enticing offer.

I probably won’t cancel my stay and spend $700… but given the perks of LHW, points you’ll earn from the stay, 15k MR points, and relatively affordable rates, I could see myself maybe using this at another hotel later.

Make sure you register for the offer and check out the list of eligible properties before pulling any triggers, though.

That’s all for today, folks. If you end up jumping on the SAS status match, reach out and tell me why you were drawn to it.

Otherwise, I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.

Auf Wiedersehen,

43.6532° N, 79.3832° W

With contributions by Sam Anthony and Katie Begnoche.