Star Alliance Gold – member airline benefits

Singapore Airlines Economy Check-in - Frankfurt AirportWelcome to part 2 of my series of posts about the Star Alliance Gold Status. If you missed part 1 “Star Alliance Gold – Introduction“, you can read it here.
 

While I focused first a bit on the introduction, I will now tell you more about the different benefits and requirements at the member airline frequent flyer programs.
In addition to the Star Alliance Gold benefits, you also get, what I call, “local benefits”. E.g. Upgrade voucher or Lounge access even If you’re only a Silver status member. These benefits depend on the member alliance and their frequent traveller program.
 

Here’s a list of benefits you enjoy in addition to the Star Alliance Gold benefits

Airline program Airline benefits Qualification / Renewal
Airpoints
(Air New Zealand)
Airpoints Gold

  • Advanced Seat Request
  • Discounted Business Awards
  • electronic tag
900 points / yr
renew: 810 points / yr
Miles & More Senator status

  • +25% bonus miles
  • 2 upgrade voucher per renewal
  • improved flight award booking availability
  • Companion Award
  • dedicated Senator phone support
100,000 miles / yr.
Miles & Smiles
(Turkish Airlines)
 Miles & Smiles Elite

  • double status miles for C/cl. on TK
  • 50% companion discount
  • dedicated phone line
40000 miles / yr. during Classic Plus status.
renew: 25,000 / yr or 37,500 miles / 2 yrs.
KrisFlyer
(Singapore Airlines)
Elite Gold

  • Access to SilkAir lounges when flying MI
  • Virgin Australia lounge access when flying DJ or VA
50,000 Elite miles during 12 month period
Royal Orchid Plus
(Thai Airways)
Gold status

  • Complimentary Gold Upgrades
  • Threshold Bonus Miles
50000 miles until 31 December or
50000 miles during first year after enrollment
80000 miles until 31 December the next year
40 flown international sectors on TK / yr
These are only a selection of frequent flyer programs and highlighted benefits. More benefits maybe included.
Qualifying booking classes and miles accrual factor differ from airline to airline.
Please read each program description on the airline websites for more details.

These are only examples and each airline may have even more benefits. What I show you with this is, that airlines offer different benefits to their Star Alliance Gold equivalent status.

A good comparison is Miles & More Senator vs. Turkish Airlines Elite. You need much more miles for Senator status, but you get 2 upgrade voucher, which you can even redeem on international flights.

Domestic lounge access

If you’re based in the US this may be (very) interesting for you. Did you know, that if you’re member of a foreign frequent flyer program you can access lounges even when flying domestically? I know quite a few people who are based in the US, but fly on an European or Asian Frequent flyer program, just to have airport access when flying domestic in the US.

[note color=”#FFCC00″]Important! All information mentioned above is based on personal experience and extended with information from the airline websites. The content may not be 100% accurate or could be outdated.
Please read the airline website and program descriptions before applying for any frequent traveller program.[/note]

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