Airline Alliances and Status Matches: Quick Guide to Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam
When you look at our big status match list, it’s not always obvious which airline belongs to which global alliance. And in reality, most people don’t chase a status match just for a single airline, they do it to unlock alliance-wide perks across many carriers.
This post gives you a quick overview of the 3 major alliances – Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam – and lists all current member airlines. That way, you immediately see what you really get when you match into a specific program.
Why airline alliances matter for status matches
If you match to an airline that’s part of a global alliance, your status is usually recognized by all member airlines in that alliance.
That can mean:- Lounge access when flying in economy on partner airlines
- Priority check-in and boarding across the alliance
- Extra baggage allowance on partner flights
- Better treatment during delays or irregular operations
So before you request a status match, it’s smart to ask yourself:
“Which alliance do I want benefits with – Star Alliance, oneworld, or SkyTeam?”
Below you’ll find the current alliance members (to the best of our knowledge). Always double-check directly with the airline or alliance if something is critical for your trip, as memberships can change.
Star Alliance – Member Airlines
Typical elite tiers: Star Alliance Silver, Star Alliance Gold
Examples of key perks with Star Alliance Gold: lounge access on most member airlines, priority services, extra baggage.
Current Star Alliance member airlines include:
- Aegean Airlines
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air India
- Air New Zealand
- All Nippon Airways (ANA)
- Asiana Airlines
- Austrian Airlines
- Avianca
- Brussels Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- EgyptAir
- Ethiopian Airlines
- EVA Air
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
- SWISS International Air Lines
- TAP Air Portugal
- Thai Airways International
- Turkish Airlines
- United Airlines
oneworld – Member Airlines
Typical alliance tiers: oneworld Ruby, oneworld Sapphire, oneworld Emerald
Why status here is popular: oneworld Sapphire and Emerald are very attractive for lounge access (including Business and First Class lounges) with airlines such as Qatar Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas.
Current oneworld member airlines include:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines (JAL)
- Malaysia Airlines
- Oman Air
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- SriLankan Airlines
SkyTeam – Member Airlines
Typical alliance tiers: SkyTeam Elite, SkyTeam Elite Plus
Key perks with SkyTeam Elite Plus: lounge access on international itineraries, priority check-in and boarding, extra baggage and other SkyPriority services.
Current SkyTeam member airlines include:
- Aeroflot (membership currently suspended for most practical purposes)
- Aerolíneas Argentinas
- Aeromexico
- Air Europa
- Air France
- China Airlines
- China Eastern Airlines
- Czech Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Garuda Indonesia
- ITA Airways
- Kenya Airways
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
- Korean Air
- Middle East Airlines (MEA)
- Saudia
- Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)
- Tarom
- Vietnam Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- XiamenAir
How to use this with our status match list
When you browse our main status match overview, you can now quickly check the alliance of each airline:
- If you often fly Lufthansa, SWISS, United or Turkish Airlines, look for Star Alliance matches.
- If you want access to Qatar, British Airways, Iberia or Qantas lounges, consider a oneworld match.
- If you mainly travel with Air France, KLM, Delta or SAS, a SkyTeam match may make the most sense.
Most status matches are really about alliance-wide benefits rather than just the matching airline, so choosing the right alliance is often more important than the specific carrier.
If you spot any alliance membership changes that we haven’t reflected yet, let us know in the comments so we can keep this page and the master status match list as accurate as possible.
Note: All deals are personally verified and bookable directly with airlines or reputable travel partners. Prices and availability can change quickly, we never sell flights ourselves.