Star Alliance Airport Lounge Entry Defined

One of many nice issues concerning the “large three” world airline alliances is that they provide reciprocal lounge entry for vacationers. On this publish I wished to take a more in-depth have a look at the Star Alliance’s lounge entry coverage for vacationers, as understanding the nuances of airport lounge entry will be difficult.

As a basic rule of thumb, you possibly can anticipate that you simply’ll get lounge entry with Star Alliance both when you have Star Alliance Gold elite standing, or in the event you’re touring in first or enterprise class. That doesn’t constantly apply inside america (when touring on United), which I’ll handle as properly.

First let me cowl the fundamentals of the Star Alliance, after which I’ll speak concerning the alliance’s coverage on lounge entry when touring in first-class, enterprise class, and when having Star Alliance Gold standing. Observe that you could at all times reference the Star Alliance Lounge Finder for the fundamentals of Star Alliance’ lounge entry guidelines (although I’ll attempt to simplify it much more on this publish).

In separate posts I’ll cowl the lounge entry insurance policies of oneworld and SkyTeam. Let me say that generally I believe oneworld has probably the most beneficiant lounge entry insurance policies, adopted by Star Alliance, adopted by SkyTeam.

The fundamentals of the Star Alliance

First let’s cowl the very fundamentals. The Star Alliance is the world’s largest airline alliance, with over 25 member airways. The alliance was based in 1997, with United Airways, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airways, and Thai Airways, being the founding members.

These days Star Alliance has the next member airways:

Star Alliance first-class lounge entry

Let’s begin with the Star Alliance lounge entry coverage when touring in lengthy haul, worldwide first-class. The Star Alliance lounge entry coverage for first-class is as follows:

• You could have entry to worldwide first-class and/or any Star Alliance member carriers’ personal lounges (with sure exclusions, which I’ll handle beneath)
• You could current a boarding go for journey in first-class on a Star Alliance flight
• You should be departing from the native airport in first-class
• You could have paid to your ticket with money or miles; employees journey doesn’t qualify
• You might be entitled to carry one visitor, they usually should be touring on the identical flight

Observe that not all Star Alliance first-class lounges can be found to first-class passengers on different Star Alliance airways:

In the event you ask me, one main weak level of the Star Alliance’s lounge entry coverage is that in the event you’re accessing a lounge primarily based on the cabin you’re touring in, it’s the departing flight that counts. Say you’re flying Lufthansa first-class from Frankfurt to Los Angeles, and are then connecting from Los Angeles to San Francisco in United first-class. You wouldn’t obtain any lounge entry in Los Angeles, since entry is predicated in your departing flight (which might be United’d home first-class, and that doesn’t include lounge entry).

Let me emphasize that particular person airways might have extra beneficiant insurance policies that apply solely to their very own passengers. For instance, in the event you fly first-class and connect with enterprise class on airways like Lufthansa, Singapore, SWISS, and many others., it’s possible you’ll get first-class lounge entry whereas in transit. Nevertheless, that solely applies to the service’s personal lounges, and isn’t an alliance coverage.

Star Alliance enterprise class lounge entry

Now let’s speak concerning the Star Alliance lounge entry coverage when touring in enterprise class. Observe that lounge entry for home United passengers differs a bit, so I’ll cowl that in additional element beneath. The final Star Alliance lounge entry coverage for enterprise class is as follows:

• You could have entry to any designated Star Alliance enterprise class lounge
• You could current a boarding go for journey in enterprise class on a Star Alliance flight
• You should be departing from the native airport in enterprise class
• You could have paid to your ticket with money or miles; employees journey doesn’t qualify
• You aren’t entitled to carry any company

One added wrinkle is that particular person airways might have extra beneficiant insurance policies for their very own passengers. Simply to present an instance, say you’re flying from Frankfurt to Chicago to Los Angeles, with that second flight on United. A United first-class ticket from Chicago to Los Angeles doesn’t provide lounge entry primarily based on Star Alliance insurance policies. Nevertheless:

• If the Frankfurt to Chicago flight is on United, you may use United’s lounges in Chicago
• If the Frankfurt to Chicago flight is on Lufthansa, you couldn’t use United’s lounges in Chicago

That’s as a result of Star Alliance lounge entry is predicated on the departing flight (and the Chicago to Los Angeles flight doesn’t provide lounge entry), however particular person airways might have extra beneficiant insurance policies (United gives lounge entry to same-day connecting United lengthy haul enterprise class passengers, above and past the Star Alliance coverage).

Star Alliance elite lounge entry

Star Alliance Gold is the elite tier that gives entry to Star Alliance lounges along side same-day journey. This will get you completely different lounge entry than you’d get if touring in first or enterprise class, because the coverage differs a bit by airline:

• You possibly can entry any designated Star Alliance Gold lounge; in some instances these can be enterprise class lounges, in some instances they’ll be higher, and in some instances they’ll be worse, although they’ll all have the Star Alliance Gold emblem on the entrance
• It is advisable present proof of your Star Alliance Gold standing, ideally by having it related together with your ticket, by which case it can present in your boarding go
• You could current a boarding go for journey on a Star Alliance flight departing from the native airport in any class of service
• You could have paid to your ticket with money or miles; employees journey doesn’t qualify
• You might be entitled to carry one visitor, they usually should be touring on the identical flight
• United MileagePlus Star Alliance Gold members might solely entry the United Golf equipment inside america when touring along side a Star Alliance worldwide flight; nonetheless, they will entry different Star Alliance lounges when touring domestically (just like the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge LAX, for instance)

I believe it’s attention-grabbing to notice how completely different airways deal with Star Alliance Gold clients:

• Lufthansa offers Star Alliance Gold members entry to Senator Lounges, that are higher than the service’s lounges for enterprise class passengers
• Singapore Airways offers Star Alliance Gold members entry to KrisFlyer Gold Lounges, that are worse than the service’s lounges for enterprise class passengers
• United Airways offers Star Alliance Gold members entry to United Golf equipment, that are worse than the service’s United Polaris Lounges for enterprise class passengers
• It’s additionally as much as every Star Alliance airline as as to if or not they wish to enable Star Alliance Gold members into contract lounges, when there are not any Star Alliance lounges obtainable; some airways provide this, whereas others don’t

What about United Airways lounge entry?

US airways are likely to get in the way in which of the alliance “groove” in relation to lounge entry. That’s as a result of inside america you usually don’t get lounge entry only for flying home first-class, or on account of getting elite standing. Quite US airways attempt to promote lounge memberships.

In the event you’re touring inside america on United, what does that imply?

• A primary or enterprise class ticket inside america on United usually gained’t get you lounge entry, aside from a restricted variety of premium routes
• Star Alliance Gold members by way of United MileagePlus don’t get United Membership entry when touring inside america on United; nonetheless, Star Alliance Gold members who earn standing by way of a program apart from United MileagePlus can entry United Golf equipment when touring domestically

See my detailed publish on United Membership entry.

Backside line

One of many nice issues concerning the world airline alliances is the reciprocal lounge entry perks they provide to these touring in premium cabins, in addition to elite members. That is value realizing, as a result of in lots of instances you will have entry to higher lounges than you anticipate — don’t essentially simply go to the lounge that your airline offers you an “invitation” for.

Generally lounge entry for Star Alliance Gold elite members is fairly nice and simple. In the meantime for first & enterprise class passengers it may get a bit difficult — the most important limitation is that alliance lounge entry is decided primarily based in your departing boarding go, which isn’t very best for these connecting past lengthy haul flights (since these usually have probably the most beneficiant insurance policies).

What has your expertise been with Star Alliance lounge entry?