Star Alliance: An Overview

The year 1997 was a pivotal moment in the aviation industry, when five airlines came together and formed the world’s first global airline alliance, the Star Alliance. As demand for international travel grew, these five founding airlines—Lufthansa, United Airlines, Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines and Thai Airways—joined forces to provide passengers with a seamless travel experience across multiple continents. This collaboration laid the groundwork for what is today the largest airline alliance in the world.

In many ways, the Star Alliance defined what it meant to be an airline “alliance,” as two other major alliances formed quickly thereafter: 1999 saw the founding of the Oneworld Alliance, and 2000, the SkyTeam Alliance. Since its inception, the Star Alliance has expanded significantly, welcoming a diverse range of member airlines from around the globe. Today, the Star Alliance stands as a pioneer in global aviation and is the largest airline alliance with 25 members.

In this article, we’ll explore the Star Alliance in detail, examining each member airline and their frequent flyer programs. We’ll also highlight the special travel benefits that might persuade you to pursue a Star Alliance membership for your future travels.

Member Airlines of Star Alliance

The Star Alliance comprises 25 member airlines, together serving over 1,100 destinations around the world. Here’s a quick introduction to each Star Alliance airline:

• Aegean Airlines: Aegean Airlines is Greece’s largest carrier, and offers an extensive network of flights across Europe with a strong presence in the Mediterranean region.
• Air Canada: Canada’s flag carrier, Air Canada, connects passengers to destinations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, with major hubs in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
• Air China: One of China’s leading airlines, Air China provides a vast network of domestic and international flights, connecting Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania.
• Air India: India’s national airline, Air India, offers routes spanning Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East. Its key hubs are in Delhi and Mumbai.
• Air New Zealand: Based in Auckland, Air New Zealand connects passengers to destinations across the Pacific, with a strong focus on Oceania routes.
• All Nippon Airways (ANA): Japan’s largest airline, ANA, operates a comprehensive network across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, with major hubs in Tokyo and Osaka.
• Asiana Airlines: South Korea’s second-largest carrier, Asiana Airlines, offers a wide range of flights within Asia and to destinations in Europe, North America and Oceania.
• Austrian Airlines: Austria’s flag carrier, Austrian Airlines, connects Europe to the world from its hub in Vienna. They offer flights to destinations across Europe, as well as between North America and Asia.
• Avianca: As the national airline of Colombia, Avianca provides extensive coverage across South America, Central America and the Caribbean, with additional routes to North America and Europe.
• Brussels Airlines: Based in Belgium, Brussels Airlines offers flights across Europe, Africa and North America, with a focus on connecting Europe with Africa.
• Copa Airlines: Panama’s national airline, Copa Airlines, serves as a key connector between North and South America, and also offers flights to destinations in the Caribbean.
• Croatia Airlines: Croatia’s national airline connects passengers to destinations across Europe, with a focus on the Mediterranean region.
• EgyptAir: As the flag carrier of Egypt, EgyptAir offers flights across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia and North America, with its main hub in Cairo.
• Ethiopian Airlines: Africa’s largest airline, Ethiopian Airlines, operates an extensive network across Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East. Its major hub is in Addis Ababa.
• EVA Air: Taiwan’s second largest carrier, EVA Air, connects Asia with North America, Europe and Oceania, with its hub in Taipei.
• LOT Polish Airlines: Based in Warsaw, LOT Polish Airlines offers flights across Europe, North America and Asia, with a focus on connecting Central and Eastern Europe with the rest of the world.
• Lufthansa: Germany’s main carrier and a founding member of the Star Alliance, Lufthansa operates one of the largest global networks, connecting Europe with the Americas, Asia and Africa.
• Shenzhen Airlines: Based in Shenzhen, China, Shenzhen Airlines offers a robust network of domestic flights within China and a growing presence of international routes within Asia.
• Singapore Airlines: Singapore’s national airline is renowned for its world-class service, offering flights across Asia, Europe, North America, Africa and Oceania from its hub in Singapore.
• South African Airways: As South Africa’s national airline, South African Airways connects passengers to destinations across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas, with a major hub in Johannesburg.
• Swiss International Air Lines: Switzerland’s flag carrier, Swiss, offers flights across Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. Its main hub is in Zurich.
• TAP Air Portugal: Portugal’s national airline, TAP, connects Europe with Africa, North America and South America, with a distinct focus on transatlantic routes.
• Thai Airways: As Thailand’s national airline, Thai Airways operates an extensive network across Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Middle East, with a major hub in Bangkok.
• Turkish Airlines: Based in Istanbul, Turkish Airlines connects Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, boasting one of the most extensive route networks in the world.
• United Airlines: One of the founding members of the Star Alliance, United Airlines offers flights across North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Oceania, with major hubs all across the United States.

Benefits of Star Alliance Membership for Passengers

Joining one of the Star Alliance airline membership programs can get you some great benefits for your next journey. Here are some of the perks you can look forward to.

Seamless Connectivity

One of the standout advantages of a Star Alliance membership is that you can piece together a global itinerary with seamless connectivity. With 25 member airlines operating flights to over 1,100 destinations worldwide, you can easily create a flight path to most destinations in the world on one single booking.

For instance, imagine you’re traveling from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA), stopping there for a few days before continuing on to Bangkok (BKK). You can book the first leg of your trip on United Airlines from JFK to FRA, then continue on Thai Airways from FRA to BKK—all under one itinerary.

This is possible because of the Star Alliance relationship between these two airlines. Seamless connectivity helps you avoid having to make separate bookings for each travel leg, and you’ll enjoy smoother transfers across international borders.

Earning and Redeeming Miles With Partners

Star Alliance also makes it easy to earn and redeem miles across its member airlines. Whether you’re a frequent flyer with United, Lufthansa or any other Star Alliance airline, you can earn miles when flying with partner carriers.

For example, suppose you’re part of the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program but want to fly from London (LHR) to Chicago (ORD). You can book a flight on United Airlines and still earn KrisFlyer miles. Similarly, you can redeem those miles for flights on any Star Alliance carrier. This flexibility allows you to take full advantage of your preferred frequent flyer program, no matter which Star Alliance airline you’re flying with.

It’s worth noting that each airline has its own set of earning and redemption rates for flights with partner airlines. These rates can vary based on the fare class and airline policies, so it’s a good idea to review the mileage charts or dynamic pricing models specific to your frequent flyer program.

Frequent Flyer Benefits

Achieving elite status with a Star Alliance member airline unlocks additional perks that extend across the entire alliance. These benefits include priority boarding, priority check-in, additional baggage allowance and lounge access at airports worldwide.

For example, if you reach Star Alliance Gold through Lufthansa’s Miles & More program (Senator status), you can enjoy these privileges when flying any Star Alliance airline. This can include priority services, complimentary upgrades when available and access to over 1,000 lounges around the globe, regardless of your class of service.

To maximize these benefits, we advise focusing your loyalty on a single frequent flyer program. Doing so allows you to accumulate status with that program more quickly so you are able to access the full scope of Star Alliance perks.

Global Lounge Access

Star Alliance Gold members enjoy access to Star Alliance lounges at airports around the world, providing a more comfortable and relaxing travel experience. Whether you’re on a business trip or a long-haul journey, lounges offer complimentary food and beverages, Wi-Fi and quiet spaces to work or unwind.

There are access restrictions for certain lounges listed in Star Alliance’s official Lounge Access Policy page. For example, unfortunately, you won’t be able to access lounges like the Lufthansa First Class lounge in Frankfurt, or the United Polaris Lounge in Newark (EWR), with Star Alliance Gold status alone. These lounges have additional access requirements that can include class of service, achieving the status with a particular airline’s loyalty program and whether you’re flying domestically or internationally.

In general though, Star Alliance provides very comprehensive access to lounges compared to the other two major alliances. Here are a couple of highly-lauded lounges you can access through earning Star Alliance Gold status from any partner airline:

• Turkish Airlines Business Lounge, Istanbul (IST): Located in the international terminal of the Istanbul Airport, the Turkish Airlines Business Lounge is one of the most impressive and unique lounges in the Star Alliance network. Spanning two floors, it offers Turkish delicacies and a variety of international cuisines. This lounge also features shower suites, relaxation areas, private sleeping rooms and even a golf simulator.
• Star Alliance Lounge, Los Angeles (LAX): Located in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, the Star Alliance Lounge at LAX offers a spacious and contemporary design. It was named North America’s Leading Airport Lounge in 2024, and gives travelers a chance to admire panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills from an outdoor terrace. Travelers can expect a buffet with a selection of international dishes, shower facilities and dedicated workspaces.

Star Alliance Status Tiers

Next, let’s look at the status tiers within the Star Alliance network. Star Alliance offers two main status levels: Star Alliance Silver and Star Alliance Gold.

Star Alliance Silver

Star Alliance Silver is the entry-level status tier. While it provides fewer benefits compared to Gold status, members still enjoy some practical travel perks that can come in handy in last-minute travel situations:

• Priority stand-by for flights
• Priority waitlist for reservations

Star Alliance Gold

Star Alliance Gold is the top-tier status, offering all the benefits of Silver status along with a host of additional perks designed to add a touch of luxury to your travel. Key benefits for Gold members include:

• Priority check-in
• Priority boarding
• Priority security screening at select airports
• Priority baggage handling
• Extra baggage allowance
• Access to over 1,000 Star Alliance lounges worldwide

Star Alliance Frequent Flyer Programs

You earn Star Alliance status via the frequent flyer programs of Star Alliance member airlines. While each airline operates its own loyalty program, the status tiers in each program correspond directly to Star Alliance Silver or Star Alliance Gold. By achieving status with any member airline’s frequent flyer program, you also earn the equivalent Star Alliance status.

Star Alliance provides a user-friendly tool on its website where you can input your frequent flyer program and status level to determine your corresponding Star Alliance status. The table below summarizes how the frequent flyer programs align with Star Alliance status tiers:

Earning status in a member airline’s frequent flyer program not only grants you the perks of that specific airline, but also the benefits of the equivalent Star Alliance tier. For example, if you achieve Premier Gold status with the United Airlines MileagePlus program, you’ll also enjoy all Star Alliance Gold privileges, such as lounge access, priority services and baggage allowances across the entire Star Alliance network.

Conclusion

As the largest global airline alliance, Star Alliance continues to offer unmatched connectivity and a range of valuable benefits for its loyal travelers. The alliance’s elite status tiers, Star Alliance Silver and Gold, offer perks such as priority check-in, baggage handling, and access to over 1,000 lounges worldwide.

Enrolling in a frequent flyer program with any Star Alliance member is the first step for travelers looking to maximize their flying experience. Whether it’s enjoying a pre-flight meal in the Star Alliance Lounge at Los Angeles (LAX) or taking advantage of the extra baggage allowance, the benefits of Star Alliance membership extend across borders. This provides extra convenience and comfort wherever your travels may lead.