Summary
- Founded in 1997, Star Alliance remains the largest airline alliance with 26 members & 19,000 daily flights.
- Star Alliance’s two-tier reward program offers perks like priority boarding & lounge access.
- Star Alliance’s round-the-world ticket lets passengers explore 720 destinations in 110 countries.
Star Alliance
was the world’s first and remains the largest airline alliance. Headquartered from its base in Frankfurt, Germany, the coalition was founded on May 14, 1997, and as of this year, it holds the largest market share compared to the other two major airline alliances,
SkyTeam
and
oneworld.
According to Statista, the Star Alliance demands 17.4% of the overall aviation market (as of April 2024), compared to 13.7% at SkyTeam and 11.9% with oneworld.
19,000 daily departures
The alliance has 26 member airlines that operate a total fleet of over 5,000 aircraft. You can board a Star Alliance flight at 1,290 airports in 195 countries on over 19,000 daily departing flights. Star Alliance members have two-tier reward programs, Silver and Gold, with incentives including priority boarding, free upgrades, and lounge access.
Founded in May 1997, United Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways, Air Canada, and Lufthansa signed an agreement to form the world’s first airline alliance. They would follow the slogan ‘The Airline Network for Earth’ to be the alliance that takes passengers to every major city on Earth. With a starting advertising budget of $25 million, the airlines shared logos and looked for world domination. Now, defunct airline
VARIG
from Brazil joined the alliance in 1997, with
Ansett Australia
(also defunct) and
Air New Zealand
joining soon after.
With these carriers now onboard, the alliance alone served 720 destinations in 110 countries, with a fleet of over 1,650 aircraft. All Nippon was next to join the group, and in October 1999, it became the second Asian carrier following
Thai Airways International
. From here, the alliance has gone from strength to strength to the powerhouse it is today. Within the alliance, they have carved out a unique round-the-world ticket that enables any passenger to enjoy what the alliance offers in all shapes and forms of its airline members. With all this information, Simple Flying figured out why you should book your next round-the-world adventure using the Star Alliance.
Related
Chasing Status: The 5 Easiest Ways To Star Alliance Gold
The Star Alliance Gold Status can be earned in as little as 90 days.
Round the world ticket
The Star Alliance website has a handy tool to let your imagination run wild with a round-the-world itinerary booking tool. You can plan and book your multistop itinerary online, and with this inspiration, you can either book it then and there or discuss it with your local travel agent. The one alliance ticket lets you earn frequent flier miles and points with your preferred member airline. The round-the-world ticket allows a minimum of two and 15 stopovers, with at least 24 rest in each port (excluding transfers to a connecting flight). There are several caveats to be eligible:
- Must start and finish in the same country (so you could leave from New York City and return to Los Angeles)
- Follow one global direction (East or West)
- Cross both the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean
- Have a minimum of two stops
- Maximum of 15 stops
- Travel between 10 days or up to 12 months to complete the itinerary
- Transits must be less than 24 hours
- Stopovers must be more than 24 hours
- The total journey cannot exceed 39,000 miles
- Your preferred frequent flier membership must be to a member airline, the Star Alliance
To refresh your memory, members of the Star Alliance include:
|
Africa |
Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines , South African Airways |
|---|---|
|
Americas |
, Avianca, Copa Airlines, United Airlines |
|
Asia |
Air China, Air India, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, EVA Air, Shenzhen Airlines , Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International |
|
Europe |
Aegean Airlines, Austrian Airlines , Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines (leaving August 31, 2024), Swiss International Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines |
|
Oceania |
Air New Zealand |
Air Canada
The booking process
It’s very simple to plan and execute your round-the-world booking on the Star Alliance website, with a simple guide to help you along the way. The route planning is the fun part, and with the website’s easy click-and-select options, you can quickly type in any of your preferred destinations. For example, I selected a round-the-world trip departing from New York this November, visiting Cape Town, Cairo, Bangkok, Auckland, and Los Angeles before returning to the Big Apple. Executing my itinerary on the website was easy:
Throughout the planning and booking process, the website aids you with a range of direct or indirect options depending on your destinations and advises you of the airline, flight, and transit duration, along with your class of service and baggage allowance. The booking tool then calculates the total price of your itinerary so you can book and confirm on the spot. For the sake of my itinerary, the total was USD $6,732 in economy class.
When booking, you can input your preferred airline membership and use the online seat selection tool to ensure you have the best seat on the flight. Plenty of other handy tips as you make your way through the booking process. However, remember that it is your responsibility to ensure that your passport meets entry eligibility requirements for each destination and transit country and that you may need to meet other health requirements (such as vaccinations).
With the Earth 24,902 miles in circumference and home to seven billion people speaking over 6,000 languages, the world is yours to see. The real question is, when are you booking your ticket?