Star Alliance recently made an update to its lounge access policy that potentially restrict lounge access for Star Alliance Gold Members. Going forward, member airlines within, the Star Alliance, are no longer required to offer lounge access to Star Alliance Gold members at airports where third party lounges are used.
To bring further clarity, if the following conditions below are satisfied, the Star Alliance member airlines that you are flying with have no obligation to offer you any lounge access (it is completely up to airlines discretion):
- If you are Star Alliance Gold members
- Your departing airport does not have any Star Alliance branded lounge or Star Alliance member airlines lounge
- The Star Alliance member airlines you are flying with is partnering with third party lounge and your cabin class does not automatically provide you with any lounge access
You are likely to fall into such situations at smaller or unpopular airports. Nevertheless, there is always a backup plan. Most countries should have travel credit cards which entitle you with free lounge access. Always remember to carry these lounge cards with you whenever you fly.
H/T: View From The Wing
What is the difference between “have access, if…” and “may have access.”?
may opens up possibility while have is smth of certainty
Wow, did you discover this information all on your own?
Can you provide a link to the source of this updated policy please? I am looking at Star Alliance website’s Lounge Access Policy. Under “Contract Lounges”, it states that if you are on a flight that’s operated by the member airline that contracted the lounge, you will have access. That means, if you travel Economy with the member airline that contracted the lounge, you will gain access based on *G status. This contradicts your last point which said example will not get access.
It’s likely that you won’t get access to the third party lounge if you are traveling on a flight operated by a member airline that don’t have third party lounge at that airport.
Hi Eric,
Previous terms are as follows:
“At airports where neither a Star Alliance branded lounge nor a Star Alliance member carrier offers a lounge, third party lounges are contracted by some of our member airlines. As a Star Alliance Gold customer travelling on a Star Alliance member airlines operated flight from such airports, you have access to these third party contract lounges, if the member airline you are travelling on has a contract with this lounge.”
– Note the phrase, “have access”
Current terms are as follows:
“At airports where neither a Star Alliance branded lounge nor a Star Alliance member carrier offers a lounge, third party lounges are contracted by some of our member airlines. As a Star Alliance Gold customer travelling on a Star Alliance member airlines operated flight from such airports, you may have access to these third party contract lounges. Please refer to the Lounge Finder to identify which lounges you may have access to, according to the policy of each airline”
– Note the phrase, “may have access”