While JetBlue’s new elite status-match campaign isn’t overtly directed at any single airline, its underlying goal is almost certainly to wean away current Virgin America elites in the run-up to that airline’s merger with Alaska Airlines.

Status Match

Through May 31, JetBlue will award complimentary Mosaic (elite) status to travelers with current elite status on the following airlines:

• Virgin America – Elevate Silver, Elevate Gold
• Alaska Airlines – MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75k
• American – Platinum, Executive Platinum
• Delta – Medallion Gold, Platinum, Diamond
• Emirates -‎ Silver, Gold, Platinum
• Southwest – A-List Preferred, Companion Pass
• United – Gold, Platinum, 1K

Mosaic status will remain in effect through the end of 2016, and program members with the matched status will be automatically enrolled in a status challenge (see below) to retain status through the end of 2017.

Status Challenge

No status on another airline? No problem; you can earn Mosaic status by earning 3,750 base flight points within 90 days. TrueBlue members earn three points per $1 spent, so the challenge amounts to earning status after spending $1,250.

The status will remain in effect through 2017.

Caveat

Earning status and its associated perks quickly and easily is a no-brainer.

There is one caveat, however, for those who might otherwise qualify for Mosaic status through normal means, in the process earning the 15,000-point welcome bonus awarded to newly minted elites. There’s no bonus for matched status: “Members who qualify for Mosaic status by means of the Mosaic Status Match will not be awarded 15,000 qualifying bonus points.”

After 20 years working in the travel industry, and almost that long writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.