Star Alliance is the biggest “Airline Alliance” in the world. You will most likely be flown with a Star Alliance Member Airline if flying out of India to the USA, Singapore, Australia, and many more places. Today, we look at Star Alliance and how Indian Travellers can make the most of it.
Check here for the official website.
What is Star Alliance?
Star Alliance is the first of the world’s three airline alliances to be formed. Today, it has 25 members and connecting airline partners. Recently, SAS, its founding member, left this alliance on 1st September 2024 to join SkyTeam Alliance.
Star Alliance Airlines with flights to or from India
Even though Air India is a Star Alliance member, a few more members have direct flights to and from India. Here is the list of Star Alliance Airlines that fly directly to or from India with the number of destinations they fly to around the world:
| Airlines | Airports Served |
| Air Canada | 218 |
| Air India | 123 |
| ANA | 98 |
| Air Asiana | 76 |
| Egypt Air | 72 |
| Ethiopian Airlines | 126 |
| LOT Polish | 90 |
| Lufthansa | 183 |
| Singapore Airlines | 63 |
| Swiss Air | >100 |
| Thai Airways | 76 |
| Turkish Airlines | 311 |
| United Airlines | 353 |
Of these 25 airline members, only 13 have a direct flight to or from India. And the rest of the airlines usually have connecting flights outside India.
Note: The Connecting partner (not full member partner) works only with the full member’s airlines. It means you can’t book flights on these airlines with your points. The connecting members are:
Thai Smile Airways, a connecting partner, has now merged with Thai Airways.
Related: Find Flights Based on Alliance with Google Flights.
What is Star Alliance Status?
Star Alliance has two statuses based on the Elite Status you hold with the member airlines. These two statuses are:
- Silver Status
- Gold Status
How do you get a Star Alliance Status?
India does not have a “Star Alliance Card“. So the only way for an Indian Traveller to get one of these two Alliance statuses is to get it based on the member Airline Elite Status.
This is how it works: If you hold “Air India-Silver Status” status, you can get a “Silver Status”. Silver Airline Status mainly matches Sliver Alliance’s Status, but some exceptions may exist. Check here for the status you can get based on your Member Airline elite status.
Related: How to earn an Airline Elite Status in India?
Benefits of Star Alliance Status
The benefits of being or having a star alliance status vary based on the status. However, the most significant advantage of having an alliance status is sharing elite benefits across the alliance member airlines.
Silver Status Benefits
The Star Alliance Silver status does not have any significant benefits. These are the benefits:
- Priority Airport Stand-by
- Priority Reservation Waitlist
Gold Status Benefits
The Gold Status of Star Alliance offers impressive benefits, such as Gold Track, etc.
- Gold Track (available at select airports)
- Dedicated Security Lanes, And
- Dedicated Immigration lanes
- Extra Baggage Allowance:
- 20KG
- Available on most partners
- Few Airlines may offer only on the connecting flights.
- Priority Boarding
- Airport Lounge Access
- Priority Baggage Handling
- Priority Airport Check-in
- Upgrade to Business or First Class on the Heathrow Express
Many dream of Gold Status, but it can be challenging to obtain in India. However, after changes in the Air India Flying Returns Frequent Flyer Program, it is possible to earn Star Alliance Gold Status.
How to Get Star Alliance Gold Status in India?
India does not have a “Star Alliance Credit Card.”
There are four possible ways to become a Star Alliance Gold Elite Status Holder in India:
- Become an Air India Elite Status holder with flying
- Status Match United Airlines Elite status with Marriott
- Status Challenge Singapore Airlines Elite Status with Marriott
- Credit Star Alliance flights to other partner airlines like Asiana.
Another way to get Gold Status is to earn elite status by crediting flights to another airline.
Star Alliance Lounge Access
With over 1000+ lounges worldwide, you can relax at most international airports. As a Gold member, you get free access to these lounges even if you fly in economy class. If you don’t have a Gold Status, then the Business class or first class cabin tickets are good for entering these lounges.
At some locations, Paid access is also available.
Note: If you have a “United Club” Subscription, which costs a minimum of $650 or 85000 United miles, or an “Air Canada Maple Leaf Club Worldwide” Membership, which costs around the same CA$665, then you can visit Star Lounges even with economy-class tickets.
You can find the Airport-Wise Star Alliance lounges here.
Which are the best Star Alliance Airlines for Indian Travelers?
The best Star Alliance Airlines for Indian flight travellers depends on the part of the world they frequently visit.
Best for Asia and Oceania: Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines is the best Star Alliance airline for travel in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. However, almost all flights are expected to be connecting flights with layovers at Changi Airport-Singapore. Since Singapore Airlines is one of the best airlines in the world, even long journeys would be great, like mine.
It also has a close partnership with Marriott, and if you are a Marriott Elite Status holder, you may also be eligible for Singapore Airlines Elite Status.
Best for America: United Airlines/Air Canada
United Airlines travellers to around 340 destinations. With this vast number of destinations and connectivity to India, you can easily travel to North America, Canada and South America. However, there may be better options available, such as Turkish Airlines.
Even our Air India, which has direct flights to the US and Canada, can work well for you. But our pick is United Airlines because of the ease of using points. Plus, you can use “United Airlines Excursionist” to get a free flight.
United also partners with Marriott, and if you hold Marriott Elite Status, you may also be eligible for United Airlines Elite Status.
Air Canada is also a good option, considering low mileage requirements and better partner availability of award seats.
Best for Europe: Turkish Airlines or Lufthansa
Our Pick for the best Star Alliance Airline for Europe is Turkish Airlines & Lufthansa. Turkish Airlines’ connectivity to India and its Partnership with Indigo are the reasons. You can book a Europe-bound flight with connections to Turkey starting at 30K miles and enter your Miles and Smiles number to enjoy member benefits and mile earning. It also offers discounts on award flights.
Lufthansa also offers Miles & More Mileage Bargains with which you can travel to most of Europe in 30K Miles roundtrip.
Best for Africa: Ethiopian Airlines
You might not have heard of Ethiopian Airlines, but it is one of Africa’s biggest airlines. It has excellent connectivity to South Africa and other parts of Africa. However, most of the flights are connecting flights with layovers at “Addis Ababa”, the capital of Ethiopia.
How to choose your best Star Alliance Airlines?
The easiest way to figure out your best Star Alliance Airlines is the destination you frequently travel to. At the same time, the Airlines should have better connectivity, points earning and redemption options. For Example, Air Canada works well if you frequently travel to Canada.
Reward Flight Search
The two best options for searching for Reward Flights for Star Alliance Airlines are:
- Air Canada: Aeroplan
- Singapore Airlines: KrisFlyer
- United Airlines: MileagePlus
However, the miles required for your destinations may vary when booking with these frequent flyer programs. Although Turkish Airlines has excellent connectivity to parts of the world, it charges high fuel surcharge fees, which decreases the value of your points.
Bonus: Avianca Lifemiles
Avianca Lifemiles is one of the cheapest miles to buy in the world. It also doesn’t have a significant fuel surcharge, and with a great Award Chart, you may be hooked on great travel ahead with Avianca Lifemiles.
Final Thoughts
Star Alliance is a boon for Indian travellers, and with the help of this, they can fly almost anywhere in the world. Even better are the miles-earning opportunities on Star Alliance Airlines in India, including the transfer of Credit Card Points. Also, with Star Alliance Gold Status, you get benefits across 25 airlines. It is the best Airline Alliance for Indian Travellers.
