Star Alliance facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Star Alliance

Launch date	14 May 1997; 28 years ago (1997-05-14)
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	Theo Panagiotoulias (CEO) Scott Kirby (Chairman)
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.

How Star Alliance Started

"The Star Alliance is Born" – planes from the five founding airlines (United Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International, Air Canada and Lufthansa) together in May 1997.

A Thai Airways Airbus A350-900 plane with the Star Alliance design in February 2024.

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)

Four Star Alliance member planes at Tokyo Narita Airport: Thai, United, Swiss, and SAS.

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

Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines were the first five airlines to start the alliance.

Current Members and Their Affiliates

Member	Joined	Member Affiliates
Aegean Airlines	30 June 2010	Olympic Air
Air Canada	14 May 1997	Air Canada Express Air Canada Rouge
Air China	12 December 2007	Air China Inner Mongolia Beijing Airlines Dalian Airlines
Air India	11 July 2014	Air India Express AIX Connect
Air New Zealand	3 May 1999	N/A
All Nippon Airways	15 October 1999	Air Japan ANA Wings
Asiana Airlines	28 March 2003	N/A
Austrian Airlines	26 March 2000
Avianca	21 June 2012	Avianca Costa Rica Avianca Ecuador Avianca El Salvador Avianca Express Avianca Guatemala
Brussels Airlines	9 December 2009	N/A
Copa Airlines	21 June 2012	Copa Airlines Colombia
Croatia Airlines	18 November 2004	N/A
Egyptair	11 July 2008
Ethiopian Airlines	13 December 2011
EVA Air	18 June 2013	UNI Air
LOT Polish Airlines	26 October 2003	N/A
Lufthansa	14 May 1997	Air Dolomiti Lufthansa CityLine
Scandinavian Airlines	14 May 1997	SAS Connect
Shenzhen Airlines	29 November 2012	N/A
Singapore Airlines	1 April 2000	Scoot
South African Airways	10 April 2006	N/A
Swiss International Air Lines	1 April 2006	Edelweiss Air
TAP Air Portugal	14 March 2005	TAP Express
Thai Airways International	14 May 1997	N/A
Turkish Airlines	1 April 2008
United Airlines	14 May 1997	United Express

Connecting Partners

Connecting Partner	Joined	Affiliates
Juneyao Air	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
Adria Airways	18 November 2004	30 September 2019	Darwin Airline	Stopped flying on September 30, 2019.
Ansett Australia	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.
Avianca Brasil	22 July 2015	31 August 2019	N/A	Stopped flying on August 31, 2019.
Blue1	3 November 2004	1 November 2012	N/A	Left the alliance on November 1, 2012.
British Midland International	1 July 2000	20 April 2012	BMI Regional Bmibaby	Merged into British Airways, an airline in the Oneworld group.
Continental Airlines	27 October 2009	3 March 2012	Continental Connection Continental Express Continental Micronesia	Merged with United Airlines on March 3, 2012.
Mexicana	1 July 2000	31 March 2004	Aerocaribe	Left the alliance in 2004. Later stopped flying in 2010.
Shanghai Airlines	12 December 2007	31 October 2010	China United Airlines	Bought by China Eastern Airlines, a SkyTeam member.
Spanair	1 May 2003	27 January 2012	AeBal	Stopped flying on January 27, 2012.
TACA Airlines	21 June 2012	27 May 2013	TACA Regional	Merged with Avianca on May 27, 2013.
TAM Airlines	13 May 2010	30 March 2014	TAM Paraguay	Merged with LAN Airlines, a Oneworld member.
US Airways	4 May 2004	30 March 2014	US Airways Express US Airways Shuttle MetroJet (American airline)	Merged with American Airlines, a Oneworld member.
VARIG	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
Airline	Frequent flyer program	Star Alliance Silver (similar status)	Star Alliance Gold (similar status)
Austrian Airlines	Miles & More	Frequent Traveller	Senator HON Circle
Brussels Airlines
Croatia Airlines
LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa
Swiss International Air Lines
Aegean Airlines	Miles+Bonus	Miles+Bonus Silver	Miles+Bonus Gold
Air Canada	Aeroplan	25K 35K	50K 75K Super Elite 100K
Air China	PhoenixMiles	Silver	Gold Platinum
Shenzhen Airlines
Air India	Flying Returns	Silver	Gold Platinum
Air New Zealand	Airpoints	Silver	Gold Elite
All Nippon Airways	ANA Mileage Club	Bronze	Super Flyers Diamond Platinum
Asiana Airlines	Asiana Club	Gold	Diamond Diamond Plus Platinum
Avianca	LifeMiles	Silver	Gold Diamond Cenit
Copa Airlines	ConnectMiles	ConnectMilesSilver	Gold Platinum Presidential Platium
Egyptair	EgyptAir Plus	Silver	Gold Elite Platinum
Ethiopian Airlines	ShebaMiles	Silver	Gold Platinum
EVA Air	Infinity MileageLands	Silver	Gold Diamond
Scandinavian Airlines	EuroBonus	Silver	Gold Diamond Pandion
Singapore Airlines	KrisFlyer	Elite Silver	Elite Gold PPS Club Solitaire PPS Club
South African Airways	Voyager	Silver	Gold Platinum
TAP Air Portugal	Miles&Go	Silver	Gold Navigator
Thai Airways International	Royal Orchid Plus	Silver	Gold Platinum
Turkish Airlines	Miles & Smiles	Classic Plus	Elite Elite Plus
United Airlines	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