Star Alliance guide: members, Gold vs Silver and award booking

Star Alliance is the largest airline alliance, with 26 member airlines at the time of writing, and United is its only US member. If you live in the US, the most useful way to think about it is simple: earn status where you fly most, and book awards with whichever member program prices your trip best. You don't have to fly an airline to use its miles.

This guide covers who is in the alliance as of October 23, 2026, what Star Alliance Gold and Silver actually get you, and which programs US travelers should look at for booking Star Alliance award flights. For the basics of how alliances work, start with our airline alliances explainer.

Star Alliance member airlines in 2026

According to the Star Alliance member airlines page, the alliance "unites 26 of the world's leading airlines" and reaches more than 1,150 airports in 190 countries. Here is the current list.

The alliance also lists Juneyao Air as a "connecting partner," a lighter tie-up for regional airlines that is not full membership.

Recent changes to know about

ITA Airways is the newest member. The Italian flag carrier was integrated into the network starting April 1, 2026, which brought the alliance to 26 members. Its Rome and Milan hubs now plug into the wider Star Alliance network.

Asiana Airlines is on its way out. Asiana is merging into Korean Air, a SkyTeam member, and leaves Star Alliance on December 16, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Korea time. Star Alliance award tickets and upgrades on Asiana flights can be redeemed through December 16, 2026, and status benefits such as lounge access on Asiana continue through that date. Earning Star Alliance miles on Asiana flights applies only to flights departing on or before October 15, 2026, so that window has already closed.

If you're planning a trip to Seoul after mid-December, don't count on Asiana space through a Star Alliance program. Once Asiana leaves, the alliance will be back to 25 airlines unless someone else joins.

Star Alliance Gold vs Silver

Star Alliance doesn't sell status. You earn a tier in one member airline's program, and that program's tier maps to either Star Alliance Silver or Star Alliance Gold. As the alliance puts it on its benefits and privileges page, each member airline defines its own tier levels and qualification rules, and you can't move Gold status from one program to another.

The gap is wide. Silver is a waitlist and standby perk and not much else, and the standby priority excludes award tickets. Gold is where the real value sits: lounges, an extra bag, faster security and earlier boarding on any member airline. Star Alliance says Gold members can use more than 1,000 airport lounges, including six Star Alliance-branded lounges, when flying a member airline.

Gold also comes with a small London perk at the time of writing: Gold members and one companion get a free upgrade to PREMIER+ on Heathrow Express when they buy a PREMIER+ ticket and show their frequent flyer card on board.

The United catch for Gold

There is one restriction US flyers should know. Star Alliance Gold earned through United MileagePlus does not include United Club access on wholly domestic itineraries, while Gold members from other programs get lounge access on Star Alliance itineraries. In practice, a United Premier Gold flying Chicago to Frankfurt gets the lounge; the same member flying Chicago to Denver does not.

Premier Gold is the lowest United tier that carries Star Alliance Gold. Requirements change every year, so check united.com for the current qualifying thresholds.

Earning Gold without flying United

Some US travelers credit their Star Alliance flights to a foreign program because its route to Gold is shorter. Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles is the usual example: One Mile at a Time reports that its Gold tier requires 40,000 elite miles in a year and is valid for two years. The trade-off is that you give up United's domestic perks, such as upgrades and preferred seating, and you'll be dealing with a program based overseas. For most people who fly United domestically every month, crediting to MileagePlus still makes more sense.

Best programs for booking Star Alliance awards from the US

United is the only Star Alliance airline based in the US, but you don't need to be Canadian, Colombian or Turkish to use those airlines' programs. Membership in most is open to anyone. These are the programs worth knowing.

United MileagePlus

For most US travelers, MileagePlus is the default. You earn it on every United flight, through United's hotel and car rental partners, its shopping portal and its dining program, so balances build up without extra effort. Its award search also includes partner flights, so it's a sensible first place to look even if you end up booking through another program.

The weakness is pricing. Partner awards don't always cost the same number of miles, so compare the price with another program before you book. Our guide to award charts vs dynamic pricing explains why.

Air Canada Aeroplan

Aeroplan is often the first alternative to check. According to Milesopedia's Aeroplan rules guide, last updated September 16, 2026, partner awards use a fixed fare structure rather than fluctuating prices, with exceptions including United and a few other airlines. No carrier surcharges are added when you book with points, though taxes and government fees still apply.

Two rules matter:

1. A flat $39 booking fee applies to any award ticket that includes a partner-operated flight.
2. A stopover on a one-way award costs 5,000 points and can last up to 45 days, and you can book it online.

That stopover rule is why Aeroplan is popular for trips like New York to Europe with a few days in Lisbon or Istanbul on the way.

Avianca LifeMiles

One Mile at a Time calls LifeMiles one of its favorite programs for redeeming, mostly because miles are easy to pick up through frequent purchase promotions. If you're a few thousand miles short of a business class award, buying LifeMiles during a sale can be cheaper than buying miles in other programs. The catch is that you're relying on a program based outside the US, so check the full price, taxes included, and the change rules before you buy.

Turkish Miles&Smiles

Miles&Smiles is better known for status than for redemptions. Readers of One Mile at a Time report that partner awards can be hard to book and that Turkish raised award prices on its own flights in 2024. Treat it as a status play first and a redemption program second.

How to book a Star Alliance award

1. Search for award space on united.com or aircanada.com. Both include partner flights in their award search.
2. Note the exact flights, cabin and dates that show as available.
3. Price the same flights in two or three programs. The difference can be large.
4. Check the taxes and fees, not just the miles.
5. Only move or buy miles once you've confirmed the space. Most transfers can't be undone.

Before you transfer anything, run the numbers through our award value calculator to see whether the redemption is worth it.

Bottom line

Star Alliance has 26 members today, with ITA Airways in and Asiana leaving on December 16, 2026. Silver gets you little; Gold gets you lounges, an extra bag and priority everywhere, though United-earned Gold excludes United Clubs on domestic trips. For awards, start with United MileagePlus, then compare Aeroplan and LifeMiles before you commit any miles.