Bamboo Airways Status Match Offer 2023

The status match promotion was offered by Bamboo Airways. The offer is not as lucrative as it used to be. I wanted to know more about the offer.

What is Bamboo Airways?

Context may be useful here. There is a new airline in Vietnam that was founded in the last year. The airline has dozens of planes, including brand new A321neos and Boeing 787-9s, which come with solid onboard products.

The airline wants to fly to the United States in the future and has a lot of growth ambitions. Bamboo Airways doesn't belong to a major alliance and has its own frequent flyer program called Bamboo Club. Air Canada Aeroplan has a partnership with Bamboo Airways, which means that you can earn and redeem points there.

Can we agree that the second best frequent flyer program name is Bamboo Airways?

Bamboo Airways’ Bamboo Club status match

All oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam frequent flyers will get a status match from Bamboo Airways. All the way up to top tier is what Bamboo Airways is doing.

• oneworld Ruby, Star Alliance Silver, and SkyTeam Elite, will match to Bamboo Club Gold
• oneworld Sapphire will match to Bamboo Club Diamond
• oneworld Emerald, Star Alliance Gold, and SkyTeam Elite Plus, will match to Bamboo Club First

Bamboo Airways isn't doing a status match without actually flying with the airline.

• To match to First or Diamond status, you need to take at least one business class flight on Bamboo Airways between June 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023; if customers only travel in economy on Bamboo Airways, they can only match to Gold status
• To match to Gold status, you need to take at least one economy class flight on Bamboo Airways between June 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023
• To match to Emerald status, there’s no need to book a flight on Bamboo Airways

If you want to apply for a status match, you have to do it.

• Register for Bamboo Club, which is free and instant
• Complete the status match request form, which requires including a copy of your frequent flyer card and ID; you must apply by December 31, 2023
• If eligible, your application will be approved within 5-7 business days
• Note that the application asks for an address in Vietnam, though the terms explicitly state that this offer is valid for people globally; I’ve heard of people getting approved when entering foreign addresses, so this might just be because Bamboo Airways will only ship membership cards domestically

What are Bamboo Airways elite perks like?

As a Bamboo Airways Bamboo Club member, what are the perks? Bamboo Club Gold members are given something.

• Business class check-in
• Priority seat selection
• An additional 5kg of checked luggage
• Priority boarding
• Priority bag delivery
• 50 bonus points on your birthday

The Bamboo Club Diamond members are given perks.

• Business class lounge access
• An additional 10kg of checked luggage
• Complimentary upgrade to Bamboo Plus or Bamboo Business if your original class is full and seats in the higher cabin are available at the time of check-in or boarding
• 100 bonus points on your birthday

The bamboo club first members receive perks.

• An additional 20kg of checked luggage
• 150 bonus points on your birthday

If you fly Bamboo Airways frequently, these benefits would be useful.

• The elite perks are fairly weak, even when traveling with Bamboo Airways
• There are no perks on other airlines, as you may find with an alliance airline

You only get operational upgrades if economy is oversold and there is space in the higher cabin, which is a noteworthy fact. It is a policy that almost all airlines have, though it is not usually promoted.

Is a Bamboo Airways status match worth it?

You didn't have to think about a status match when Bamboo Airways offered one. To be able to match, you need at least one flight on Bamboo Airways.

A status match would make a lot of sense if you want to fly Bamboo Airways with any regularity. I don't think this is worth much, if you ask me. It is one thing for Bamboo Airways to be part of a major global alliance, but it is not a status match.

I am curious if an award flight on Bamboo Airways would meet the flying requirement for a top-tier status match with Aeroplan. I will be flying Bamboo Airways soon, so I might give it a try, though I am not sure what to think.

There could be more value to a match if Bamboo Airways were already in the US. Currently the carrier has a limited long haul network as they only operate flights to and from Vietnam.

I earned my Starlux Airlines Cosmic Insighter status through a status match. The Starlux status match is valid for a long time. The card and luggage tag came with it.

Status match promotion has been updated. Bamboo Club status matches now require at least one flight on Bamboo Airways, either in business or economy, depending on which tier you want to match to. Though it will be of limited value to most, it is worth being aware of.

The Bamboo Airways status match is open to anyone.