Star Alliance facts for kids
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Launch date | 14 May 1997 |
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Full members | 26 |
Non-voting members | 40 affiliates |
Destination airports | 1,294 |
Destination countries | 195 |
Annual passengers (M) | 762 |
Annual RPK (G) | 1,739 |
Fleet size | 5,033 |
Headquarters | Singapore |
Management | |
Alliance slogan | Together. Better. Connected. |
Star Alliance is the world's largest group of airlines that work together. It started on May 14, 1997. Its main office is near Frankfurt Airport in Frankfurt, Germany. There is also a branch office in Singapore. As of April 2024, Star Alliance is the biggest airline group. It has 17.4% of the airline market. This is more than SkyTeam (13.7%) and Oneworld (11.9%).
Star Alliance has 26 member airlines. They fly over 5,000 aircraft (planes). These planes go to more than 1,290 airports in 195 countries. They have over 19,000 flights every day. The alliance has a special rewards program for travelers. It has two levels: Silver and Gold. These levels offer perks like getting on the plane first. Member airlines also often share airport terminals. Many of their planes have the Star Alliance design painted on them.
Contents
How Star Alliance Started
The First Years (1997–1999)
On May 14, 1997, five airlines from three different parts of the world formed Star Alliance. These airlines were United Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International, Air Canada, and Lufthansa. They chose a star logo from the start. The five points of the star stood for the five founding airlines. Their first slogan was "The Airline Network for Earth." Their goal was to connect travelers to every major city.
Later in 1997, VARIG, an airline from Brazil, joined. This helped Star Alliance reach South America. Ansett Australia and Air New Zealand also joined. This expanded the alliance to Australia and the Pacific region. With these new airlines, Star Alliance flew to 720 places in 110 countries. They had a total of 1,650 planes. On October 15, 1999, All Nippon Airways from Japan joined. This made it the second Asian airline in the group.
Growing Bigger (2000s)
Many airlines joined Star Alliance in the early 2000s. The Austrian Airlines Group joined on March 26, 2000. Singapore Airlines joined on April 1. BMI (British Midland) and Mexicana joined on July 1. This brought the total number of members to 13.
In September 2001, Ansett Australia left the alliance. This was because the airline went bankrupt. In 2003, Asiana Airlines joined on March 1. Spanair joined on May 1. LOT Polish Airlines, Poland's main airline, joined in October. Around this time, Mexicana Airlines left the alliance. They decided not to continue sharing flights with United Airlines.
US Airways joined the alliance in May 2004. This made it the second US-based airline in the group. In November, Adria Airways, Blue1, and Croatia Airlines joined. They were the first three smaller, regional members.
TAP Air Portugal joined on March 14, 2005. This added flights to African cities. In April 2006, Swiss International Air Lines and South African Airways joined. Swiss was the sixth European airline. South African Airways was the first African airline.
By May 2007, Star Alliance was 10 years old. Its members had 16,000 flights daily. They flew to 855 places in 155 countries. They served 406 million passengers each year.
VARIG left the alliance on January 31, 2007. Two Chinese airlines, Air China and Shanghai Airlines, joined on December 12. On April 1, 2008, Turkish Airlines joined. This made it the 20th member. EgyptAir, Egypt's national airline, joined on July 11, 2008.
On October 27, 2009, Continental Airlines became the 25th member. They had left SkyTeam just three days before. This was the first time an airline moved directly from one alliance to another. Two months later, Brussels Airlines joined.
More Growth (2010s)

Brazilian airline TAM Airlines joined on May 13, 2010. This helped the alliance grow in South America. Aegean Airlines, Greece's biggest airline, joined on June 30.
Shanghai Airlines left the alliance on October 31, 2010. This was because it merged with China Eastern Airlines, a SkyTeam member. On December 13, 2011, Ethiopian Airlines joined. This added five countries and 24 new places to the alliance's map.
The years 2012 and 2013 saw some changes for Star Alliance. Spanair stopped flying. BMI left after being bought by a company that owned Oneworld airlines. In North America, Continental merged with United Airlines. This reduced the number of members, but Continental stayed in the alliance through United.
On June 21, 2012, Avianca, TACA Airlines, and Copa Airlines joined. This greatly increased the alliance's presence in Latin America. In November, Blue1 left. Shenzhen Airlines joined, adding to Air China's network in China. Taiwanese airline EVA Air joined on June 18, 2013. After TACA joined Avianca, the alliance grew to 28 members. This made it the largest of the three main airline alliances. On July 11, 2014, Air India joined the alliance.
In 2014, two major airlines left due to mergers. First, Brazilian airline TAM Airlines merged with LAN Airlines. They became LATAM Airlines Group. This left the alliance without a presence in Brazil. Next, US Airways merged with American Airlines. They also left the alliance. Both new parent companies stayed with Oneworld.
Star Alliance also started adding "Connecting Partners." These are smaller airlines that work with alliance members. They add more connections without becoming full members. Avianca Brasil joined as a Connecting Partner on July 22, 2015. This brought the alliance back into the Brazilian market. Juneyao Airlines joined as a Connecting Partner on May 23, 2017. On August 20, 2019, Avianca Brasil left the alliance. On September 30, 2019, Adria Airways stopped flying and left the alliance.
Recent Changes (2020s)
Thai Smile, a smaller airline of Thai Airways, joined as a Connecting Partner in February 2020. In January 2024, Thai Smile stopped being a separate brand. It became part of Thai Airways International.
On November 16, 2020, Asiana Airlines announced plans to leave the alliance. Asiana will merge with Korean Air, which is a SkyTeam member. In 2022, Lufthansa announced plans to buy part of ITA Airways, another SkyTeam member. If this happens, ITA Airways might join Star Alliance.
On October 3, 2023, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) announced it plans to leave Star Alliance. It will join SkyTeam instead. This change will happen on August 31, 2024.
Member Airlines
Current Members and Their Affiliates
Member | Joined | Member Affiliates |
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30 June 2010 | ![]() |
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14 May 1997 | ![]() ![]() |
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12 December 2007 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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11 July 2014 | ![]() ![]() |
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3 May 1999 | N/A |
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15 October 1999 | ![]() ![]() |
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28 March 2003 | N/A |
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26 March 2000 | |
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21 June 2012 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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9 December 2009 | N/A |
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21 June 2012 | ![]() |
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18 November 2004 | N/A |
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11 July 2008 | |
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13 December 2011 | |
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18 June 2013 | ![]() |
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26 October 2003 | N/A |
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14 May 1997 | ![]() ![]() |
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14 May 1997 | ![]() |
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29 November 2012 | N/A |
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1 April 2000 |
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10 April 2006 | N/A |
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1 April 2006 | ![]() |
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14 March 2005 | ![]() |
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14 May 1997 | N/A |
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1 April 2008 | |
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14 May 1997 | ![]() |
Connecting Partners
Connecting Partner | Joined | Affiliates |
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23 May 2017 | N/A |
Train Partners
Since August 2022, the German railway company Deutsche Bahn has been a partner of Star Alliance. This means that Star Alliance airlines can give their own flight numbers to trains.
Airlines That Left the Alliance
Former member | Joined | Exited | Affiliates | Why they left |
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18 November 2004 | 30 September 2019 |
Darwin Airline |
Stopped flying on September 30, 2019. |
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3 May 1999 | 12 September 2001 | Aeropelican Air Services Hazelton Airlines Kendell Airlines Skywest Airlines |
Left the alliance on September 12, 2001, due to money problems. |
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22 July 2015 | 31 August 2019 | N/A | Stopped flying on August 31, 2019. |
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3 November 2004 | 1 November 2012 | N/A | Left the alliance on November 1, 2012. |
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1 July 2000 | 20 April 2012 | BMI Regional Bmibaby |
Merged into British Airways, an airline in the Oneworld group. |
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27 October 2009 | 3 March 2012 | Continental Connection Continental Express Continental Micronesia |
Merged with United Airlines on March 3, 2012. |
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1 July 2000 | 31 March 2004 | Aerocaribe | Left the alliance in 2004. Later stopped flying in 2010. |
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12 December 2007 | 31 October 2010 | China United Airlines | Bought by China Eastern Airlines, a SkyTeam member. |
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1 May 2003 | 27 January 2012 | AeBal | Stopped flying on January 27, 2012. |
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21 June 2012 | 27 May 2013 | TACA Regional | Merged with Avianca on May 27, 2013. |
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13 May 2010 | 30 March 2014 | TAM Paraguay | Merged with LAN Airlines, a Oneworld member. |
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4 May 2004 | 30 March 2014 | US Airways Express US Airways Shuttle MetroJet (American airline) |
Merged with American Airlines, a Oneworld member. |
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22 October 1997 | 31 January 2007 | Nordeste Rio Sul PLUNA |
Stopped flying on July 20, 2006. |
Benefits for Travelers
Frequent Flyer Programs and Status
When you fly with any Star Alliance airline, you can earn miles or points. You only need one frequent flyer card. These points help you reach Star Alliance Silver or Gold status. Being a member of one Star Alliance airline's program gives you access to the whole network. You don't need to sign up for other programs.
The more you fly with Star Alliance airlines, the faster you earn miles. You can use these miles for free tickets or upgrades. Remember to give your frequent flyer number when you book flights or check in. This makes sure your miles are added to your account.
Each airline's top loyalty levels match two Star Alliance levels: Star Alliance Silver and Star Alliance Gold. These levels give you special benefits. Some airlines have even higher levels, but they are still considered Gold status within Star Alliance.
- Star Alliance Silver gives you priority on waiting lists for flights. You also get priority if you are waiting for a flight on standby.
- Star Alliance Gold is for travelers who fly a lot. It includes all Silver benefits. Plus, you get priority check-in and baggage handling. You can also bring an extra bag for free. You can use special Star Alliance Gold lounges at the airport. You just need to show your boarding pass for a flight that day. Some airlines also offer better seats or guaranteed seats on full flights.
You can join many frequent flyer programs if you want. But you cannot move miles between different programs. It's usually best to use one program. This helps you reach Star Alliance Silver or Gold faster.
Frequent Flyer Programs and Star Alliance Status | |||
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Airline | Frequent flyer program | Star Alliance Silver (similar status) |
Star Alliance Gold (similar status) |
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Miles & More | Frequent Traveller | Senator HON Circle |
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Miles+Bonus | Miles+Bonus Silver | Miles+Bonus Gold |
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Aeroplan | 25K 35K |
50K 75K Super Elite 100K |
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PhoenixMiles | Silver | Gold Platinum |
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Flying Returns | Silver | Gold Platinum |
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Airpoints | Silver | Gold Elite |
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ANA Mileage Club | Bronze | Super Flyers Diamond Platinum |
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Asiana Club | Gold | Diamond Diamond Plus Platinum |
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LifeMiles | Silver | Gold Diamond Cenit |
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ConnectMiles | ConnectMilesSilver | Gold Platinum Presidential Platium |
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EgyptAir Plus | Silver | Gold Elite Platinum |
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ShebaMiles | Silver | Gold Platinum |
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Infinity MileageLands | Silver | Gold Diamond |
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EuroBonus | Silver | Gold Diamond Pandion |
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KrisFlyer | Elite Silver | Elite Gold PPS Club Solitaire PPS Club |
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Voyager | Silver | Gold Platinum |
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Miles&Go | Silver | Gold Navigator |
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Royal Orchid Plus | Silver | Gold Platinum |
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Miles & Smiles | Classic Plus | Elite Elite Plus |
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MileagePlus | Premier Silver | Premier Gold Premier Platinum Premier 1K Global Services |
Alliance Livery and Logo
Some Star Alliance member airlines paint their planes with the alliance's special design. This usually means a white body with "Star Alliance" written on it. The tail fin is black with the alliance logo. The engine colors or wingtip designs often stay the same as the airline's usual look.
Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand used to be different. Singapore Airlines kept its own logo on the tails. Now, it uses the Star Alliance logo on white tails. Air New Zealand uses a full black design with Star Alliance elements in different colors.
Asiana Airlines was the first Star Alliance member to paint its planes in the current Star Alliance design. Planes that keep their airline's regular paint job have the Star Alliance logo. It is usually placed between the cockpit and the first cabin doors. On very large planes like the Boeing 747 or Airbus A380, the logo is behind the cockpit. For smaller planes with less space, it might be under the cockpit or on the first cabin door.
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Thai Airways Airbus A350-900 in Star Alliance livery with a black tail. This is the most common design.
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Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER in Star Alliance livery with a white tail.
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A former All Nippon Airways Boeing 767-300 wearing an older Star Alliance livery.
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A SAS A320neo in its regular livery. You can see the Star Alliance logo behind the cockpit windows.
See also
In Spanish: Star Alliance para niños