How Do You Become a Star Alliance Member?
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If you are asking how to become a Star Alliance member, the most important thing to know is this: you do not join Star Alliance directly as a traveler. Instead, you join the frequent flyer program of a Star Alliance airline, then earn benefits and alliance status through that airline’s program.
That means the real question is not “How do I join Star Alliance?” but “Which Star Alliance airline loyalty program should I join, and how do I earn status in it?” Once you understand that difference, the whole system gets much easier to follow.
What Star Alliance Actually Is
Star Alliance is an airline alliance, not a public loyalty program with one universal membership account for flight status. This is a network of member airlines where you can earn and transfer miles across carriers, as well as enjoy shared benefits — such as Star Alliance Silver and Gold status — by participating in frequent flyer programs.
You pick one member airline’s frequent flyer program as your “home” program. You do not need to join all 26 member airlines. You choose one, credit your flights there, and if you earn a qualifying elite tier, Star Alliance-wide benefits kick in when you fly other alliance members.
The table below gives you the current member airlines, each carrier’s frequent flyer program, and a practical summary of the main regions/destination networks they serve. Star Alliance currently it has 26 member airlines, serving 1,150+ airports across 190 countries.
| Airline | Frequent flyer program | Main destinations / network focus |
|---|---|---|
| Aegean Airlines | Miles+Bonus | Greece, Cyprus, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, some North Africa routes |
| Air Canada | Aeroplan | Canada, U.S., Caribbean, Mexico, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific |
| Air China | PhoenixMiles | China domestic network plus Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, some Africa routes |
| Air India | Maharaja Club | India domestic network plus Middle East, Asia, Europe, North America |
| Air New Zealand | Airpoints | New Zealand domestic network plus Australia, Pacific Islands, Asia, North America |
| All Nippon Airways (ANA) | ANA Mileage Club | Japan domestic network plus Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania |
| Asiana Airlines | Asiana Club | South Korea domestic/regional network plus Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania |
| Austrian Airlines | Miles & More | Europe-focused network plus Middle East, North America, Africa, selected Asia routes |
| Avianca | LifeMiles | Colombia and Latin America, Central America, Caribbean, North America, Europe |
| Brussels Airlines | Miles & More | Europe, Africa, North America, selected Middle East routes |
| Copa Airlines | ConnectMiles | Central America, South America, Caribbean, Mexico, U.S., Canada via Panama hub |
| Croatia Airlines | Miles & More | Croatia domestic network plus Europe, especially seasonal leisure and regional routes |
| EGYPTAIR | EGYPTAIR Plus | Egypt, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, selected North America routes |
| Ethiopian Airlines | ShebaMiles | Africa-wide network plus Europe, Middle East, Asia, North America, South America |
| EVA Air | Infinity MileageLands | Taiwan, East and Southeast Asia, Europe, North America |
| ITA Airways | Volare | Italy domestic and Europe plus North America, South America, Middle East, Africa, Asia |
| LOT Polish Airlines | Miles & More | Poland domestic/regional network plus Europe, North America, Asia, Middle East |
| Lufthansa | Miles & More | Global network from Germany to Europe, Americas, Asia, Africa, Middle East |
| Shenzhen Airlines | PhoenixMiles | China domestic network plus East and Southeast Asia |
| Singapore Airlines | KrisFlyer | Southeast Asia, South Asia, Europe, North America, Australia/New Zealand, some Africa routes |
| South African Airways | Voyager | Southern Africa, broader Africa, selected Europe and long-haul international routes |
| SWISS | Miles & More | Europe plus North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Middle East |
| TAP Air Portugal | Miles&Go | Portugal/Europe plus Brazil and South America, North America, Africa |
| THAI Airways | Royal Orchid Plus | Thailand domestic/regional network plus Asia, Europe, Australia |
| Turkish Airlines | Miles&Smiles | Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, North America, South America |
| United Airlines | MileagePlus | U.S. domestic network plus Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa |
The Basic Process: How to Become a Star Alliance Member
The process is straightforward.
First, join a frequent flyer program with a Star Alliance airline. Once you join a member airline’s frequent flyer program, you can use your frequent flyer number on flights throughout the alliance. For example, if you join United MileagePlus, you can earn miles on flights operated by United and other Star Alliance carriers.
Second, add that frequent flyer number to your bookings. Miles will then automatically be credited when you fly eligible tickets on member airlines.
Third, if you want actual Star Alliance status benefits rather than just mileage earning, you need to qualify for elite status in that airline’s program. Alliance-wide recognition happens through Star Alliance Silver or Star Alliance Gold, which are attached to qualifying member-airline elite tiers.
What You Get Without Elite Status
Even if you never earn elite status, joining one Star Alliance airline’s frequent flyer program still matters. You can earn miles on eligible flights across the alliance and redeem them according to the rules of your chosen airline program.
So, at the most basic level, “becoming a Star Alliance member” means choosing a Star Alliance airline program and using it consistently. That alone gives you alliance participation for mileage earning.
What Star Alliance Silver Means
Star Alliance Silver is the lower alliance-wide elite tier. Standard shared benefits are:
- priority reservations waitlisting
- priority airport standby.
Silver is real status, but it is limited. It does not come with the high-value perks most travelers are actually chasing, such as lounge access. That is why, for most readers, Star Alliance Gold is the level that really matters.
What Star Alliance Gold Means
Star Alliance Gold is where the alliance becomes much more useful. Gold members receive:
- airport lounge access
- priority check-in
- priority boarding
- extra baggage allowance
- priority baggage handling.
Star Alliance Gold customer traveling in any class on a Star Alliance member airline-operated flight has access to member airline lounges, with the usual guest rules and lounge-policy conditions.
That is why many frequent flyers treat Gold as the “real” target when they are choosing a Star Alliance program. Silver is better than nothing, but Gold is what unlocks the most visible alliance-wide travel improvements.
You Do Not Need to Fly One Airline Only
A common misunderstanding is that you must fly only one airline to earn Star Alliance benefits. You do not. The key is that you usually credit your eligible flights to one chosen frequent flyer program. Star Alliance’s own earning page emphasizes using the same frequent flyer number across member airlines so miles can accumulate into one account.
For example, you could join United MileagePlus, then fly United, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Air Canada, or ANA on eligible fares and credit those flights to United if the fare rules allow it. The important part is not the airline logo on every boarding pass. The important part is where you credit the flights.
A Simple Example: United MileagePlus
United is an easy example how Premier status maps to Star Alliance status.
- Premier Silver members are Star Alliance Silver
- Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K members are Star Alliance Gold.
Thresholds for the Premier elite status:
- Premier Silver: 15 PQF and 5,000 PQP, or 6,000 PQP
- Premier Gold: 30 PQF and 10,000 PQP, or 12,000 PQP.
So if you joined MileagePlus and reached Premier Gold, you would effectively become Star Alliance Gold through United. That would then give you the alliance-wide Gold benefits when flying other Star Alliance airlines.
How to Choose the Right Star Alliance Program
The best program is not automatically the airline you fly once in a while. It is usually the program that fits your real travel pattern.
If you mostly fly United and book in the U.S., MileagePlus is a logical home program because the qualification and benefits are easy to manage directly with United.
If you often fly international Star Alliance carriers and care more about how partner flights credit, then a different member airline’s program may be a better fit.
The cleanest rule is this: choose a program where you can realistically earn elite status and where you actually want to keep your miles.
Do Credit Cards Make You a Star Alliance Member?
Not directly.
A co-branded airline credit card can help you earn miles in one member airline’s program, and in some cases can help with status qualification in that airline’s own program.
In other words, most airline credit cards don’t automatically grant elite status just because you hold them. More often than not, they either help you earn status faster or allow you to retain the privileges you’ve already earned.
Here’s one current example: the Air Canada Aeroplan credit card from Chase. It automatically grants you Aeroplan 25K status (the entry-level tier) for the remainder of this calendar year and the next, which in turn grants Star Alliance Silver status. However, to maintain your 25K status after the initial years, you must spend $15,000 on the card each year. If you don’t reach this amount, you’ll revert to the basic Aeroplan membership level, which means you’ll also lose your Star Alliance Silver status.
So a credit card can be helpful, but it does not replace the need to join a member-airline program and meet that program’s requirements if your goal is Star Alliance Silver or Gold.
Can You Buy Star Alliance Membership?
Not in the usual elite-status sense.
There are some Star Alliance products, like paid lounge entry programs or Star Alliance Rewards in limited contexts, but those are not the same as becoming a standard Star Alliance Silver or Gold customer through an airline frequent flyer program.
So if your goal is true alliance elite recognition, the normal route is still: join one airline program, then earn status in it.
Bottom Line
To become a Star Alliance “member,” you join the frequent flyer program of one Star Alliance airline. That gives you a place to earn miles across the alliance. If you want actual alliance status benefits, you then earn elite status in that airline’s program, which can map to Star Alliance Silver or Star Alliance Gold.