Airline Alliances Explained: Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam
Who partners with whom, what carries across an alliance (earning, status, lounges, awards) and what doesn't, explained for US and transatlantic flyers.
Most of the world’s big airlines belong to one of three alliances: Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam. An alliance lets you earn and use miles across its member airlines, carries some elite benefits from one airline to another, and links their lounges. Knowing which alliance your home airport is built around is the first step to choosing a loyalty program.
What an alliance does for you
Alliance membership usually gives you four things:
- Earning on partners. You can credit a flight on one member airline to another member’s program.
- Status recognition. Elite status with one member is recognised, at an alliance tier, by the others.
- Lounge access. Higher alliance tiers, and premium-cabin tickets, open lounges across the alliance.
- Partner awards. You can usually spend one member’s miles on flights operated by others.
The three alliances at a glance
| Alliance | US member | Some members that matter for transatlantic flyers | Alliance status tiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oneworld | American Airlines, Alaska Airlines | British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Qatar Airways | Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald |
| Star Alliance | United Airlines | Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Air Canada, TAP Air Portugal | Silver, Gold |
| SkyTeam | Delta Air Lines | Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic | Elite, Elite Plus |
Each alliance has more members than this. The official alliance websites keep the current lists.
What doesn’t carry across
Alliances smooth a lot over, but not everything:
- Upgrades. Complimentary upgrades are usually only on the airline where you hold status.
- Some benefits. Extra baggage, priority boarding and seat selection may be handled differently by each partner.
- Award pricing. Each program prices its own awards, so the same partner flight can cost very different numbers of miles depending on which program you book with. See award charts versus dynamic pricing.
Joint ventures and non-alliance partners
On some routes, airlines go further than an alliance and form joint ventures, sharing revenue and schedules. Across the Atlantic, for example, American, British Airways, Iberia and Finnair work as one on many routes, and similar arrangements exist in the other alliances.
Some airlines also partner outside their alliance. Those partnerships can let you earn or spend miles on an airline in a different alliance, but the rules are narrower. Check the program’s own partner list.
Choosing an alliance from your home airport
For most people, the right alliance is the one that flies most from their home airport. Look at:
- Which airlines have a hub or many flights from your airport.
- Where you actually fly, especially long-haul.
- Which alliance covers both, so your miles and status work on the trips you take.
Then choose a home program within that alliance. For US flyers in Oneworld, see choosing a Oneworld home program.
Common questions
Which airline alliance is the biggest? By number of member airlines, Star Alliance. But the best alliance for you is the one that serves your airport and your routes.
Does my status work on partner airlines? Usually at the matching alliance tier, for benefits such as priority check-in, boarding and lounge access. Upgrades usually don’t carry across.
Can I earn miles on any alliance airline? Usually, but earning rates vary by fare class, and some cheap fares earn little or nothing on partners.
Are all alliance members’ lounges open to me? Only with the right status or ticket, and some lounges have their own exceptions.
Program rules change often. Check the alliance’s and airline’s official pages before you plan around them.