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The Star Alliance frequent flyer program has two status tiers – Silver and Gold. Both tiers come with tons of benefits that will make your life easier when you’re traveling, such as priority boarding, lounge access, baggage allowance, and more.
In this article, we’ll be focusing on the highest tier which is the Star Alliance Gold. We’ll discuss more about its benefits and how flyers can earn it.
Read More: Lufthansa First Class 747-8 Flight Review (Mexico City To Frankfurt) – An Awful Experience!
What Is A Star Alliance Gold Status?
To be clear, Star Alliance doesn’t have a true frequent flyer program like what airline companies traditionally have. You can’t directly sign up for a Star Alliance frequent flyer membership or earn status points to reach a certain tier.
What Star Alliance does is it awards a corresponding alliance status (like a status match) based on a person’s frequent flyer status from an airline alliance member.
For example, United Airlines is one of the Star Alliance members and it has 5 elite statuses in its United MileagePlus loyalty program: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Premier 1k, and United Global Services. You’ll be awarded a Star Alliance Silver status if you have a MileagePlus Silver status, meanwhile, you’ll be awarded a Star Alliance Gold status if you have a Mileage Plus Gold, Platinum, Premier 1k, or United Global Services status.
Here’s another example. For Lufthansa Miles & More loyalty members, Star Alliance Silver status is awarded to those with Frequent Traveller status and Star Alliance Gold status is awarded to those with Senator or HON Circle status.
The status match allows Star Alliance to offer a uniform set of benefits to more than 50 status tiers from the 27 alliance members. This means that you can use your Silver or Gold status benefits as long as you’re traveling on a Star Alliance airline.
Star Alliance Gold Benefits
Star Alliance Gold status offers a number of compelling benefits that can make your trips more efficient and convenient. Here are some of them:
Airport Lounge Access
Get free access to Star Alliance lounges and bring along one guest with you who is also traveling on the same day and on a Star Alliance flight. There are more than 1,000 Star Alliance lounges around the world where you can relax, unwind, and get away from the hustle and bustle of the airport.
Extra Baggage Allowance
Get a 20kg baggage allowance where the weight concept applies or one extra luggage piece where the piece concept applies.
Priority Check-in At Counters
You can get priority check-in at airport counters that have the Star Alliance Gold logo displayed. This means you can skip long lines, especially during holidays.
Priority Boarding
Board the plane along with First or Business Class passengers so you can sit back and relax right away while other passengers are boarding the plane. Take note that boarding groups may vary per airline but Star Alliance Gold members typically belong to boarding Groups 2 or 3.
Priority Baggage Handling
Your bags will get priority treatment and will be unloaded first so you can immediately claim them at the baggage carousel.
Priority Waitlisting
Get on the priority waitlist if ever there are no seats available on your chosen flight. However, this doesn’t apply on award flights and reservation policies may also vary per airline alliance member.
Priority Airport Stand-by
Get higher priority on the standby list if your plans change or your flight is full. Award tickets are not eligible for this benefit and policies also differ per airline.
Gold Track
Gold Track offers flyers with Gold status fast-tracked procedures at security and immigration checkpoints.
How To Get Star Alliance Gold Status
In order to get Gold Status, you need to have the following frequent flyer status from the following loyalty programs below:
- Aegean Airlines – Miles+Bonus
- Miles+Bonus Gold Status
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Aeroplan 50k
- Aeroplan 75k
- Aeroplan Super Elite 100k
- Air China – PhoenixMiles
- PhoenixMiles Gold
- PhoenixMiles Platinum
- Air India – Flying Returns
- Golden Edge Club
- The Maharajah Club
- Air New Zealand – Airpoints™
- Airpoints Gold
- Airpoints Elite
- ANA – ANA Mileage Club
- Platinum
- Superflyers
- Diamond
- Asiana Airlines – Asiana Club
- Asiana Club Diamond
- Asiana Club Diamond Plus
- Asiana Club Diamond Platinum
- Austrian Airlines – Miles & More
- Senator
- HON Circle
- Avianca – LifeMiles
- LifeMiles Gold
- LifeMiles Diamond
- Brussels Airlines – Miles & More
- Senator
- HON Circle
- Copa Airlines – ConnectMiles
- Gold
- Platinum
- Presidential Platinum
- Croatia Airlines – Miles & More
- Senator
- HON Circle
- EGYPTAIR – EGYPTAIR Plus
- EGYPTAIR Plus Gold
- EGYPTAIR Plus Elite
- EGYPTAIR Plus Platinum
- Ethiopian Airlines – ShebaMiles
- ShebaMiles Gold
- ShebaMiles Platinum
- EVA Air – Infinity MileageLands
- Infinity MileageLands Gold
- Infinity MileageLands Diamond
- LOT Polish Airlines – Miles & More
- Senator
- HON Circle
- Lufthansa Miles & More
- Senator
- HON Circle
- Scandinavian Airlines – EuroBonus
- EuroBonus Gold
- EuroBonus Diamond
- EuroBonus Pandion
- Shenzhen Airlines – PhoenixMiles
- PhoenixMiles Gold
- PhoenixMiles Platinum
- Singapore Airlines – KrisFlyer
- KrisFlyer Gold
- PPS Club
- Solitaire PPS Club
- Solitaire PPS Club Life
- South African Airways – SAA Voyager
- Gold
- Platinum
- Lifetime Platinum
- Swiss – Miles & More
- Senator
- HON Circle
- TAP Air Portugal – TAP Miles&Go
- TAP Miles&Go Gold
- Thai Airways International – Royal Orchid
- Royal Orchid Plus Gold
- Royal Orchid Plus Platinum
- Turkish Airlines – Miles&Smiles
- Elite
- Elite Plus
- United – MileagePlus®
- Premier Gold
- Premier Platinum
- Premier 1K
- United Global Services
Read More: Is Loungebuddy A Great Alternative To Priority Pass?
Comparing Star Alliance Gold To Other Alliance Elite Status
Star Alliance is the biggest airline alliance among all the three alliances so that already gives it an advantage over OneWorld and SkyTeam. However, here’s a quick comparison between the three:
Star Alliance Vs SkyTeam
Both alliances have two tiers and the Star Alliance Gold’s equivalent is the SkyTeam Elite Plus. Both statuses offer very similar benefits but we think that Star Alliance wins this one just because it offers more lounge options.
Star Alliance Vs OneWorld
OneWorld has three tiers – Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald – so we’ll make two comparisons here.
Let’s compare Star Alliance Gold to OneWorld Sapphire first. Both statuses have similar perks but the only advantage of OneWorld is that it offers preferred seats so it’s very clear that OneWorld Sapphire wins this one.
As for OneWorld Emerald. It’s a no-brainer that OneWorld Emerald wins this one because not only does it have preferred seats but it also offers lounge access to first-class and business-class lounges, something Star Alliance Gold doesn’t have.
Bottomline
It’s great to have a Star Alliance Gold status because you don’t even have to earn it. You’re just awarded it once you hit a corresponding status from your respective airlines’ frequent flyer memberships.
Imagine having lounge access, priority baggage handling, priority check-in, priority boarding, and more when flying with any of the 27 airline members.
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