GUIDE: How to Get Lounge Access with Airline Status – The Three Major Airline Alliances

Having airport lounge access can transform your experience from routine to luxurious. Did you know there are still many ways to access airport lounges even if you’re flying in economy? These include:

• Lounge access as an airline loyalty programme benefit
• Paying for annual lounge pass membership
• Purchasing a one-off lounge pass
• Access with insurance
• Particular bank accounts
• Credit card benefits
• Business or First Class travel

This guide breaks down everything you need to know about getting lounge access as an airline loyalty programme benefit, whether you already have elite airline status, want to know which lounges you can access, or are wondering how to get started.

I’ll also go through the main airline alliances and how you can get status with all airlines in an alliance just by having elite status with one airline.

Getting lounge access in this way means you can access some of the best airline-owned lounges, most of which are not available to enter with lounge passes. The only other way to access many of these lounges is by flying in Business or First, so you’ll typically have a more luxurious lounge experience.

This is the third article in our lounge access series. Make sure you also read our summary of bank accounts and credit cards with lounge access and guide to getting airport lounge access with lounge passes.

The Three Major Airline Alliances

Airline status is typically earned by being a frequent flyer with a particular airline. It differs from collecting miles and is based on metrics such as tier points, status credits, or qualifying miles.  Most airlines have multiple levels of elite status, though not all of them include lounge access. Lounge access is generally offered as a mid-to high-tier benefit (e.g. British Airways Silver).

Most airlines are part of an airline alliance, with the three major ones being Oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam. Earning elite status with one airline also grants you status with its airline alliance, extending benefits to all member airlines. This is perfect if your preferred airline doesn’t have a lounge at the airport you’re travelling from. It also means you can enjoy additional perks when flying with any airline in that alliance.

In most cases, you can earn miles with one airline and redeem them with another, provided both are part of the same airline alliance.

Keep in mind that some airlines provide lounge access to top-tier status holders for all flights, while others limit it to international itineraries. Guest policies also differ between airlines and alliances, with variations in the number of guests allowed and eligibility criteria.

How to Access Lounges with Oneworld Status

Oneworld is the favourite airline alliance among our readers due to British Airways being a member. The Oneworld network serves over 900 destinations in over 170 countries and has members like Qantas and Qatar Airways. 

There are three Oneworld Priority tiers: Emerald, Sapphire, and Ruby. Each tier enjoys a level of Oneworld Priority benefits. To get lounge access, your status must be equivalent to Oneworld Sapphire to access Business Class lounges or Emerald to access First lounges. Having Oneworld status will unlock access to over 600 lounges worldwide.

Here are the benefits of each Oneworld status tier:

But how do you get Oneworld status? If you hold status with any airline in the Oneworld alliance, your status will match either Oneworld Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald, meaning you will get these benefits when you fly on any Oneworld airline. Lounge access only applies to eligible flights.

Here’s how your status matches up to Oneworld:

It’s also worth noting that Fiji Airways (currently a Oneworld Connect partner) will become a full member in 2025, and Oman Air is also set to become a future member.

You can use the Oneworld Find a Lounge Tool to find out which lounges are available at your chosen airport.

The guest policy varies by airline, but the general policy is that infants under two are not counted as guests. 

There are some exemptions to Oneworld lounge access, which you can read about here.

How to Access Lounges with Star Alliance Status

Star Alliance is another favourite airline alliance that offers access to over 1,000 lounges worldwide. It includes airlines like Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and United Airlines.

With elite status for just one airline in the alliance, you can earn status across all Star Alliance member airlines’ frequent flyer programmes. Each airline’s higher tier status levels are split into two uniformly recognised Star Alliance tiers: Silver and Gold.

You can access Star Alliance member lounges if you are a Star Alliance Gold member or if you are flying on a Star Alliance-operated flight. You can also access the special Star Alliance branded lounges in places like Los Angeles (LAX), Amsterdam and Paris (CDG) as well as some third-party contract lounges.  

You can use the Lounge Finder to find out which lounges you can access at your chosen airport.

Star Alliance also accepts paid lounge membership customers into the business class lounges. Eligible paid lounge memberships include Air Canada Maple Leaf Club Worldwide and United Airlines United Club. To enter, you must also be travelling on a Star Alliance flight. You can bring one guest and generally cannot use contract lounges.

Some lounge access exemptions apply, mainly if you have lounge access via United Mileage Plus. In most cases, children under two can accompany you and are not counted as guests, but this policy may vary by lounge. You can read the full Star Alliance Lounge Access Policy here.

Here are the benefits of Star Alliance status:

Here’s how your airline status matches up with Star Alliance:

How to Access Lounges with SkyTeam Status

The SkyTeam alliance offers access to over 750 lounges worldwide, which you can access with SkyTeam Elite Plus status. The alliance has members such as Delta, Air France, and KLM and covers over 1,000 destinations.

There are two SkyTeam tiers: SkyTeam Elite and SkyTeam Elite Plus. Here are the benefits of each:

These benefits apply at selected airports, including lounge access exemptions (e.g. for Delta domestic passengers).

You can bring a guest travelling on a flight operated by a SkyTeam member airline. 

Access to a lounge must be within a 24-hour window before the flight’s scheduled departure time at the airport in question. Lounge access will be provided only at your departure airport and not on arrival unless you are connecting to a domestic flight or other qualifying international flight. There are a few other exemptions, which you can read about in the SkyTeam lounge access FAQ.

Here’s how your status matches up with SkyTeam Elite Plus status:

You can use the SkyTeam Lounge Finder to find a lounge you can use at your chosen airport.

Final Words

Having elite airline status already unlocks a whole world of benefits. If you hold elite status with any airline, make sure you look into which airline alliance they are part of (if any) so you can enjoy your status benefits across all member airlines.

Which airline alliance do you think offers the best overall benefits? Let us know in the comments below: