SkyTeam Members and Benefits of Elite and Elite Plus

What SkyTeam is as an airline alliance

SkyTeam is an airline alliance in which carriers link their frequent flyer programs so that status and benefits also apply at the partners. Aeromexico and Air France founded it on June 22, 2000 in New York City together with Delta Air Lines and Korean Air. Status does not belong to a single airline but comes in two alliance-wide tiers. You collect status miles in your own frequent flyer program and reach SkyTeam Elite or SkyTeam Elite Plus with them.

Who belongs to SkyTeam: the members

The SkyTeam fact sheet starts its roster with these ten airlines:

• Aeroflot (suspended)
• Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Aeromexico
• Air Europa
• Air France
• China Airlines
• China Eastern
• Delta Air Lines
• Garuda Indonesia
• Kenya Airways

The same roster continues with:

• KLM
• Korean Air
• Middle East Airlines
• SAS
• Saudia
• TAROM
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• Xiamen Airlines

SkyTeam and Aeroflot agreed to put the membership on hold for now. Aeroflot is on the list, but it is not an active partner.

Founders and later joiners

• Aeromexico and Korean Air are founding members.
• Aerolíneas Argentinas has been a member since 2012.
• TAROM and Vietnam Airlines have belonged since 2010.
• Virgin Atlantic joined on March 2, 2023.
• SAS followed on September 1, 2024.
• Kenya Airways is the only African member.

The status tiers SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus

SkyTeam has two tiers. Elite is the lower one, Elite Plus the upper one. Which status in your own program matches them is covered in that program’s unit, for example Flying Blue or SAS EuroBonus. At Delta, the Diamond and Platinum levels count as Elite Plus, and so does Gold Medallion.

Benefits of both tiers

Elite and Elite Plus share the perks on the ground and on board.

• The extra baggage allowance is 10 kg at Elite and 20 kg at Elite Plus, or an additional piece where an airline counts bags instead of weight.
• At check-in you use the line with the SkyPriority sign, and if you checked in online, your bags go to the front of the drop-off queue.
• SkyTeam tries to give you a window or an aisle seat, but it promises no more than an effort.
• You may board early or later, as you prefer.
• If a flight is full, standby works in your favor: you are listed ahead of others on any flight SkyTeam operates.
• When a flight is sold out in the class you want, every Elite passenger on the waitlist ranks above travelers without Elite status, and the home program makes no difference.

Extra benefits of Elite Plus

Elite Plus adds lounge access and faster handling on the way through the airport.

• One guest may come along into the lounge, as long as that person is on the same SkyTeam-operated flight.
• Transfer desks have separate SkyPriority lanes.
• Security and passport control offer Fast Track lanes where an airport has them.
• At the destination your bags are among the first on the belt.
• Elite Plus also reserves a seat on busy long-haul flights. When economy is sold out on an international long-haul flight of 6 hours or more, a full-fare economy ticket remains bookable for you. The booking has to be made no later than 24 hours before departure.

SkyTeam lounge: access with Elite Plus

Of the two status tiers, only Elite Plus opens the lounge doors, and this is the clearest gap between them.

• The right covers international flights operated by a SkyTeam airline and same-day connections between two member flights.
• Across the alliance, more than 750 lounges welcome Elite Plus customers as well as First and Business Class passengers.
• Domestic flights count too since April 1, 2025, but for now only in selected lounges run by member airlines.
• On domestic itineraries, Elite Plus travelers can use more than 70 lounges.
• SkyTeam lets Elite Plus customers into the departure lounge at least 3 hours before the scheduled departure of their flight.

Further pages

For a comparison, see the pages on Star Alliance and oneworld. Background is in Grundkurs Lektion 4 and Grundkurs Lektion 13. Earlier alliance news is in the archive.