Star Alliance Member Airlines, Gold Benefits and Lounges

What is an airline alliance?

An airline alliance is a group of carriers that open their networks, lounges and status benefits to each other’s customers. Star Alliance lists 26 member airlines on its member page.

The frequent flyer program stays with the individual airline. A Gold status cannot be moved to another program, because the members run their programs independently. You keep earning miles in a program such as Miles & More, Aeroplan or United MileagePlus, and the alliance makes sure the status you reach counts with the other members.

Star Alliance members and airlines at a glance

Star Alliance currently has 26 airlines, and the table below lists them with their joining date. United Airlines is a founding member.

In addition, Juneyao Airlines offers connecting flights as a Star Alliance Connecting Partner.

The members of the two competing alliances are covered under SkyTeam and oneworld. If you want to know who belongs to SkyTeam or which airlines are oneworld members, the lists are there.

Asiana Airlines is leaving Star Alliance

Asiana Airlines leaves the alliance on December 16, 2026 at 23:59 Korea Standard Time. From December 17, 2026, Star Alliance has 25 member airlines.

Two different deadlines apply to frequent flyers.

• Miles and points in the members’ programs are only earned on Asiana flights departing on or before October 15, 2026.
• Status benefits on Asiana flights remain valid until December 16, 2026, 23:59 Korea Standard Time.

Star Alliance Gold benefits

Star Alliance Gold and Silver are the two status levels recognized across all members. Each member airline decides for itself which of its own tiers equals Gold or Silver.

The Gold package has six parts: a priority line at check-in, priority boarding where offered, early baggage delivery, a larger baggage allowance, lounge access with limits, and the Gold Track lanes. In detail:

• Gold bags carry a priority tag, so they should appear among the first on the carousel.
• The extra allowance is either another 20 kg (44 pounds) or one more bag, depending on the baggage rules of the airline you fly.
• Gold Track speeds you through security and passport control where it exists. Gold holders can use it, and so can First and Business Class passengers of every member airline. Over 100 security checkpoints and selected passport lanes worldwide offer it.
• On Heathrow Express, Gold members and one companion get a complimentary upgrade to PREMIER+.
• The better position on the standby list does not apply to award tickets.

Star Alliance Gold lounge access

More than 1,000 lounges around the world are open to Gold holders who fly with a member airline, and six of them are run by the alliance itself.

• Those alliance lounges admit Gold customers on a Star Alliance flight whatever cabin they booked.
• The business class lounges of the member airlines are a second route in. On a member-operated flight in any cabin, Gold customers may use any member’s business class lounge at the departure airport, as long as the conditions are met.
• Gold customers may bring one eligible guest who travels on the same Star Alliance flight from that airport.
• Any companion aged two or older counts as a guest, younger children do not.

Star Alliance Silver

• Silver brings priority waitlisting and priority airport standby, where allowed by law.
• Silver customers have no access to Star Alliance lounges.

According to Star Alliance, you can reach Silver and Gold through 19 frequent flyer programs of the member airlines. If lounges are the reason you want a status, aim for Gold, because Silver does not help there.