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Hey everyone, and welcome back to Smart With Points! I'm Jack, and today we're diving into a topic that's got the points and miles community buzzing: paid status matches. Now, I know what you're thinking – paying for status? Isn't the whole point to earn it through flying? Well, yes, but hear me out. Royal Air Maroc has just launched a status match opportunity that could get you all the way up to Oneworld Emerald status. But before you rush to pull out your credit card, there's a hefty price tag attached, and some serious limitations we need to talk about. Let's get into it.
So, what exactly is this Royal Air Maroc status match? The Moroccan national carrier has partnered with a website called StatusMatch.com to offer elite members from various airline frequent flyer programmes the chance to match their status to Royal Air Maroc's Safar Flyer programme. The matched status is valid until the thirty-first of December, twenty twenty-six, which gives you just over a year depending on when you apply.
Now, let's talk money. Silver status, which maps to Oneworld Ruby, costs one hundred and forty-nine dollars – that's approximately one hundred and twenty pounds. Gold status, which gives you Oneworld Sapphire, costs three hundred and forty-nine dollars or approximately two hundred and eighty pounds. And Platinum status, the big one that gets you Oneworld Emerald, will set you back seven hundred and forty-nine dollars, or approximately six hundred pounds. Yes, you heard that right – six hundred pounds for status.
Before we go any further, there's an important update. As of the twenty-fifth of November, twenty twenty-five, US airline status holders and hotel elite members are no longer eligible to apply. This significantly narrows down who can actually take advantage of this offer, which is a shame because those hotel matches were often an easier route in.
So who can still match? If you're based in the UK, you've got some decent options. For Safar Flyer Gold, which gives you Oneworld Sapphire, you can match from Air France or KLM Flying Blue if you have Gold, Platinum, or Ultimate status. You can also match from Emirates Skywards Gold or IO Platinum, Etihad Guest Gold or Platinum, Lufthansa Miles and More Senator or HON Circle, Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles Elite or Elite Plus, and Air Canada Aeroplan from Elite thirty-five K all the way through Super Elite one hundred K.
For the top tier – Safar Flyer Platinum, which unlocks Oneworld Emerald – you'll need the highest status levels. That means Air Canada Aeroplan Elite seventy-five K or Super Elite, Air France Flying Blue Platinum or Ultimate, Lufthansa Miles and More HON Circle, or Turkish Miles and Smiles Elite Plus.
Now, what do you actually get for your money? Let's start with Silver. Honestly, skip this tier entirely. For one hundred and twenty pounds, you get Oneworld Ruby, which gives you priority check-in and waitlist priority, but no lounge access. It's simply not worth it.
Safar Flyer Gold is where things get interesting. This gives you Oneworld Sapphire status, which includes access to over six hundred and fifty business class lounges worldwide, and you can bring a guest with you. You also get priority check-in, priority boarding, extra baggage allowance, fast track security at select airports, and priority baggage handling. For UK travellers, this means you can access British Airways lounges when flying BA, even if you're in economy. You also get access to Cathay Pacific lounges, Qantas lounges, and the entire Oneworld network.
Safar Flyer Platinum takes things up a notch with Oneworld Emerald. In addition to all the Sapphire benefits, you get access to first class lounges. We're talking the Cathay Pacific first class lounge in Hong Kong, Qantas first class lounges in Sydney and Los Angeles, and BA Galleries First at Heathrow Terminal Five. If you're a lounge enthusiast, this is the dream.
But here's the big catch, and this is where the offer really falls apart for most people: requalification. Your matched status expires on the thirty-first of December, twenty twenty-six. To keep it beyond that date, you need to requalify through Royal Air Maroc's standard requirements. For Platinum, that means earning seventy-five thousand Status Miles or completing seventy-five Status Flights, with at least thirty-seven thousand five hundred miles or twenty flights on Royal Air Maroc-marketed flights. For Gold, it's half of those requirements.
Unless you're planning significant travel on Royal Air Maroc or other Oneworld carriers, and crediting everything to Safar Flyer, this is essentially a one-year deal. The status match does come with a complimentary thirty-day three-times Status Miles Booster for Royal Air Maroc flights in January twenty twenty-six, which helps a bit, but you'd still need substantial flying to maintain status after December twenty twenty-six.
Now, how does this compare to another paid status match we've talked about before – Royal Jordanian? Royal Jordanian offers Gold Sparrow status, which is Oneworld Sapphire, for just one hundred and forty-nine dollars – approximately one hundred and twenty pounds. That's less than half the price of the Royal Air Maroc Gold status. However, Royal Jordanian doesn't offer an Emerald tier – Sapphire is the maximum. The validity is twelve months, and UK residents are eligible.
So for Oneworld Sapphire, Royal Jordanian is clearly the better value. The Royal Air Maroc option only really makes sense if you specifically want Emerald status, which Royal Jordanian doesn't offer.
Let me be honest with you – this is a niche offer. Here's when it might actually be worth considering. If you desperately want first class lounge access and you already have top-tier status with Air France, Lufthansa, or Turkish Airlines, paying six hundred pounds for thirteen-plus months of Emerald status could make sense. If you're a frequent economy flyer on Oneworld carriers and would otherwise be buying lounge access, the maths might work out. Multiple lounge visits at twenty-five to fifty pounds each add up quickly. And if you're actually planning significant Royal Air Maroc travel – maybe you fly to Morocco frequently or use Casablaba as a connecting hub to Africa – you might be able to requalify.
But for most UK points collectors, I'd suggest looking elsewhere. If you just want Sapphire, Royal Jordanian is better value at one hundred and forty-nine dollars. If you primarily fly British Airways, earning status through tier points or The British Airways Club gives you more benefits long-term. And if you have no realistic path to requalification, you're essentially paying for temporary status with no future.
If you've decided this is right for you, here's how to apply. First, create a free Safar Flyer account at royalairmaroc.com – and I'll warn you, the website can be a bit glitchy. Then visit the status match application page at safarflyerstatusmatch.com. Enter your details, select the airline you're matching from, and upload an unedited photo of your status card or a photo of your screen showing your status – not a screenshot, an actual photo. Pay the applicable fee, and then wait up to three business days for approval. Once approved, it may take up to three additional business days for your status to appear in your Safar Flyer account. You won't receive a physical card – only a digital card in the Safar Flyer app.
So what about Royal Air Maroc's UK network? They fly from London Heathrow Terminal Four and London Gatwick to Casablanca, with connections available to their extensive African and global network. In twenty twenty-five, they're expanding to serve three London airports including Stansted during summer. Popular connecting destinations via Casablanca include Lagos, Accra, Freetown, and other West African cities. Royal Air Maroc joined Oneworld in April twenty twenty, making it the alliance's first full member on the African continent.
My personal take? As someone with BA Gold status, which already gives me Oneworld Emerald benefits, this offer isn't for me. But I can see the appeal for a specific group of travellers. The Emerald option at six hundred pounds is particularly interesting if you've lost or are about to lose top-tier status with BA due to recent programme changes, you have equivalent status with a SkyTeam or Star Alliance carrier, and you want to maintain first class lounge access while you figure out your next move.
For Sapphire seekers, I'd strongly recommend the Royal Jordanian status match instead – it's less than half the price for the same alliance-wide lounge access. And remember, no paid status match replaces the value of actually earning status through flying. If you're a regular Oneworld traveller, earning BA tier points for Silver or Gold remains the best long-term strategy.
Let me give you a quick summary. Gold status, which is Oneworld Sapphire, costs three hundred and forty-nine dollars – probably not worth it when Royal Jordanian offers the same for one hundred and forty-nine dollars. Platinum status, which is Oneworld Emerald, costs seven hundred and forty-nine dollars – could be worth it for first class lounge access if you qualify and value that benefit. Status is valid until December twenty twenty-six, and requalification requires significant Royal Air Maroc or Oneworld flying. UK residents are eligible, but hotel status holders are no longer eligible as of late November. You can apply at safarflyerstatusmatch.com.
So that's the Royal Air Maroc status match. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you're in that sweet spot where you have high-tier status with a non-Oneworld airline and you're craving first class lounge access, this might just be worth considering. For most of us though, I'd say save your money and focus on earning status the traditional way, or take advantage of better-value status matches like Royal Jordanian.
Thanks so much for listening to today's episode of Smart With Points. If you found this helpful, please subscribe to the podcast on all major platforms, or head over to our website at smartwithpoints.co.uk. We've got loads of tools there to help you maximize your points and miles, including our BA Tier Point Calculator and Airport Lounge List.
Before you go, I've got one quick message. Looking for the best award flights? Use AwardTravelFinder.com to search availability across Qatar Airways, British Airways, Cathay