Star Alliance facts for kids

Star Alliance is a big group of airlines from all over the world. Their main office is in Frankfurt, Germany. Star Alliance started on May 14, 1997. It was the very first global airline team of its kind!

Today, Star Alliance has 26 airlines working together. They have over 5,000 airplanes. These planes fly to more than 1,300 airports in 195 countries. That's over 19,000 flights every single day!

Star Alliance is the biggest airline team in the world. They help travelers earn rewards. For example, members can get special benefits like faster boarding or extra luggage. Many of their airplanes even have a special Star Alliance paint job!

Quick facts for kids
Star Alliance

Launch date	14 May 1997; 29 years ago (1997-05-14)
Full members	26
Destination airports	1,300
Destination countries	195
Annual passengers (M)	762
Annual RPK (G)	1,739
Fleet size	5,033
Headquarters	Frankfurt, Germany
Management	Theo Panagiotoulias (CEO) Michael Rousseau (Chairman)
Alliance slogan	Together. Better. Connected.

History

How Star Alliance Began

Star Alliance started on May 14, 1997. Five big airlines from different parts of the world created it. These airlines were Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International, and United Airlines. They chose a star-shaped logo. Each point of the star stood for one of these founding airlines. Their first motto was "The Airline Network for Earth." Their goal was to connect people to major cities everywhere.

Soon after, more airlines joined the team. VARIG from Brazil joined in October 1997. This helped Star Alliance reach South America. Then, Ansett Australia and Air New Zealand joined. This expanded the network to Australia and the Pacific region. By then, the alliance flew to 720 places in 110 countries. They had 1,650 airplanes. In 1999, All Nippon Airways from Japan also became a member.

Growing Bigger in the 2000s

Many new airlines joined Star Alliance in the early 2000s. Austrian Airlines and Singapore Airlines became members in 2000. BMI and Mexicana also joined, making the team 13 airlines strong.

Sadly, Ansett Australia left the alliance in 2001 because of financial problems. But Star Alliance kept growing! They even started offering "Round the World" tickets. These special tickets let people fly to many cities around the globe.

More airlines joined, like Asiana Airlines, Spanair, and LOT Polish Airlines in 2003. US Airways joined in 2004, becoming another big airline from the United States. Later, Adria Airways, Blue1, and Croatia Airlines also became part of the team.

In 2005, TAP Air Portugal joined, adding flights to Africa. Then, Swiss International Air Lines and South African Airways became members in 2006. By 2007, Star Alliance was 10 years old! They flew to 855 places in 155 countries. They also started working with UNESCO to help protect the environment.

VARIG left the alliance in 2007. But then, two Chinese airlines, Air China and Shanghai Airlines, joined. In 2008, Turkish Airlines and EgyptAir also became members.

Towards the end of the decade, Continental Airlines joined in 2009. This was special because they moved from another airline team, SkyTeam. Later, Continental Airlines merged with United Airlines, which was already a Star Alliance member. Brussels Airlines also joined in 2009.

Changes and Growth in the 2010s

Airplanes from Star Alliance members at Narita International Airport in 2012.

In 2010, TAM Airlines from Brazil joined, making Star Alliance stronger in South America. Aegean Airlines from Greece also became a member. However, Shanghai Airlines left the team when it merged with another airline.

Later, Ethiopian Airlines joined in 2011. This added many new places in Africa to the Star Alliance map.

The years 2012 and 2013 brought many changes. Some airlines, like Spanair and BMI, left the alliance. But new airlines joined, especially in Latin America. Avianca, TACA Airlines, and Copa Airlines became members in 2012. This greatly increased Star Alliance's presence there. Shenzhen Airlines from China and EVA Air from Taiwan also joined. By 2013, Star Alliance had 28 members, making it the largest airline team.

In 2014, Air India officially joined the alliance. However, TAM Airlines and US Airways left due to mergers with airlines from other alliances.

Star Alliance also started a new idea called Connecting Partners. These are airlines that work closely with Star Alliance members but are not full members themselves. Avianca Brasil became a Connecting Partner in 2015. Juneyao Airlines from China joined as a Connecting Partner in 2017. Towards the end of the decade, Avianca Brasil and Adria Airways left the alliance.

Recent Updates in the 2020s

In February 2020, Thai Smile, a smaller airline connected to Thai Airways, joined as a Connecting Partner. However, in January 2024, Thai Smile stopped operating as a separate brand and became part of Thai Airways International.

Asiana Airlines announced in November 2020 that it planned to leave the alliance. This was because Asiana Airlines merged with Korean Air, which is part of the SkyTeam alliance. The merger was completed in December 2024, and Asiana Airlines became a part of Korean Air. It was announced in May 2026 that Asiana would be fully integrated into Korean Air by December 17, 2026.

In October 2023, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), one of the founding members, made plans to leave Star Alliance. This happened because Air France-KLM invested in SAS. As a result, Scandinavian Airlines left Star Alliance on August 31, 2024, and joined SkyTeam on September 1, 2024.

In January 2025, Lufthansa Group bought a part of ITA Airways, another airline that was in SkyTeam. After this, ITA Airways left SkyTeam on February 3, 2025. ITA Airways then joined Star Alliance on April 1, 2026.

Member Airlines and Affiliates

Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines (switched to SkyTeam in 2024), Thai Airways International, and United Airlines are the five founding members of 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 Jetz Air Canada Rouge
Air China	12 December 2007	N/A
Air India	11 July 2014	N/A
Air New Zealand	3 May 1999	N/A
All Nippon Airways	15 October 1999	ANA Wings
Asiana Airlines	28 March 2003	N/A
Austrian Airlines	26 March 2000	N/A
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	N/A
Croatia Airlines	18 November 2004	N/A
Egyptair	11 July 2008	N/A
Ethiopian Airlines	13 December 2011	N/A
EVA Air	18 June 2013	N/A
ITA Airways	1 April 2026	N/A
LOT Polish Airlines	26 October 2003	N/A
Lufthansa	14 May 1997	Lufthansa City Airlines
Shenzhen Airlines	29 November 2012	N/A
Singapore Airlines	1 April 2000	N/A
South African Airways	10 April 2006	N/A
Swiss International Air Lines	1 April 2006	N/A
TAP Air Portugal	14 March 2005	TAP Express
Thai Airways International	14 May 1997	N/A
Turkish Airlines	1 April 2008	N/A
United Airlines	14 May 1997	United Express

Connecting Partners

These airlines work with Star Alliance members but are not full members themselves.

Connecting Partner	Joined
Juneyao Air	23 May 2017

Intermodal Partners

Star Alliance also works with train companies! This means you can sometimes use your flight benefits on certain train routes.

Intermodal Partner	Joined
Deutsche Bahn	1 August 2022
Austrian Federal Railways	19 March 2025

Former Members

Over the years, some airlines have left Star Alliance for different reasons, like mergers or stopping operations.

Former member	Joined	Exited	Notes
Adria Airways	18 November 2004	30 September 2019	Stopped flying on September 30, 2019.
Ansett Australia	3 May 1999	12 September 2001	Had financial problems and stopped flying.
British Midland International	1 July 2000	20 April 2012	Merged into British Airways, an airline in the Oneworld alliance.
Continental Airlines	27 October 2009	3 March 2012	Merged with United Airlines.
Mexicana	1 July 2000	31 March 2004	Left the alliance and later joined Oneworld.
Shanghai Airlines	12 December 2007	31 October 2010	Bought by China Eastern Airlines, an airline in the SkyTeam alliance.
Spanair	1 May 2003	27 January 2012	Stopped flying on January 27, 2012.
Scandinavian Airlines	14 May 1997	31 August 2024	A founding member; joined SkyTeam after an investment by Air France–KLM.
TAM Airlines	13 May 2010	30 March 2014	Merged with LAN Airlines, an airline in the Oneworld alliance.
US Airways	4 May 2004	30 March 2014	Merged with American Airlines, an airline in the Oneworld alliance.
VARIG	22 October 1997	31 January 2007	Stopped flying in 2006.

Customer Services

Frequent Flyer Programs and Special Status

When you fly with Star Alliance airlines, you can earn points for a "frequent flyer program." These points can help you get special benefits! There are two main levels of special status: Star Alliance Silver and Star Alliance Gold.

• Star Alliance Silver gives you benefits like priority when booking flights or if you are on a waiting list.
• Star Alliance Gold gives you even more! You get faster check-in, special baggage handling, extra luggage allowance, and access to fancy airport lounges. These lounges are great places to relax before your flight.

You only need to be a member of one Star Alliance airline's program to get these benefits across the whole network.

Codeshare Flights

Star Alliance airlines often share flights. This means you might buy a ticket from one airline, but fly on a plane operated by another Star Alliance member. This helps them offer more flights to more places.

Livery and Logo

Some Star Alliance airlines paint their planes with a special Star Alliance design. This usually means a white plane with "Star Alliance" written on it. The tail fin often has the star-shaped alliance logo. This special paint job started in 2002.

You might see some differences. For example, Air New Zealand uses a black plane with the Star Alliance logo. If a plane has its regular airline colors, you'll usually find the Star Alliance logo near the cockpit windows.

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  A former Lufthansa A340-200 in an early Star Alliance design.

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  A former All Nippon Airways Boeing 767-300 with a Star Alliance paint job.

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  An Air India Boeing 787-8 in the current Star Alliance design.

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  A former Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200ER with an older Star Alliance design.

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  A Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER in a newer Star Alliance design.

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  An Air New Zealand Airbus A321neo in a unique black Star Alliance design.

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  An SAS A320neo in its regular colors, showing the Star Alliance logo.

Awards and Recognition

Star Alliance has won important awards! On June 24, 2024, it was named the World's Best Airline Alliance by Skytrax. It also won the award for Best Airline Alliance Lounge.

See also

In Spanish: Star Alliance para niños