Star Alliance - Different * Alliance Statuses on Different Airlines Q

Looking for some clarification-- I am * Gold with United and * Silver with USAirways. Recently in CLT I tried to board a USAirways flight with the other *Gold passengers, I showed the GA my United Card indicating * Gold status and was told that my *G status with United did not matter since I was * Silver with USAirways and needed to wait to board with my assigned Zone 2.

Now, my issue is not with having to wait to board but rather I am confused as to whether or not I should have been able to board with the other * Gold passengers. It was my assumption that I should be allowed to.

I ask because I am travelling internationally through CLT again in a few weeks (again on US Airways) and wanted to take advantage of the * Gold benefit of lounge access with international travel on *Alliance carriers. I am concerned that when I go to enter the US Airways Club that I will run into the same issue.

Shouldn't the higher status trump? TIA.

Looking for some clarification-- I am * Gold with United and * Silver with USAirways. Recently in CLT I tried to board a USAirways flight with the other *Gold passengers, I showed the GA my United Card indicating * Gold status and was told that my *G status with United did not matter since I was * Silver with USAirways and needed to wait to board with my assigned Zone 2.

Now, my issue is not with having to wait to board but rather I am confused as to whether or not I should have been able to board with the other * Gold passengers. It was my assumption that I should be allowed to.

I ask because I am travelling internationally through CLT again in a few weeks (again on US Airways) and wanted to take advantage of the * Gold benefit of lounge access with international travel on *Alliance carriers. I am concerned that when I go to enter the US Airways Club that I will run into the same issue.

Shouldn't the higher status trump? TIA.

More importantly, why would you collect status with two separate programs? I'm sure there's a good reason, I'm just curious why wouldn't you simply credit everything to either UA or US?

Now, my issue is not with having to wait to board but rather I am confused as to whether or not I should have been able to board with the other * Gold passengers. It was my assumption that I should be allowed to.

I ask because I am travelling internationally through CLT again in a few weeks (again on US Airways) and wanted to take advantage of the * Gold benefit of lounge access with international travel on *Alliance carriers. I am concerned that when I go to enter the US Airways Club that I will run into the same issue.

Shouldn't the higher status trump? TIA.

Nope, it doesn't matter you show the UA*G card, it is what status on boarding pass matters. For example if it is in reverse of your sutuation, if you travel on UA but put your US numbers in your reservation, then you will board in group 3 instead of group 2. GA will only look at the boarding group number on yuor boarding pass, not any cards you have.

What is on your boarding pass trumps any cards you may be carrying.

Fortunately, you can get both your US and UA numbers onto your reservation at the same time. Call Center agents (and checkin/gate agents) can see 2 different fields regarding your frequent flyer number - the FQTV field, and the FQTS field.

The FQTV field is where your credit goes. If you are crediting to US Airways Dividend miles, you would ask for your US number into the FQTV field. If you want UA miles, then the UA number goes into the FQTV field.

The FQTS field is the field which your status comes from. By default, the number in the FQTV field also goes into the FQTS field. However, you can ask for the number to be changed in the FQTS field to reflect a different status.

A lot of agents won't know how to do this, so expect a lot of "let me check with my supervisor" over the phone. But once it gets done, it makes your airport experience pretty hassle-free.

With the establishment of a Platinum status on UA & US, you may want to think about the value of maintaining status on 2 separate *A carriers. If you earned under only one program, you would most likely have a higher status than you have on either carrier now.

I would pick the carrier in which UG's are the most important. Both UA & US offer freebie UG's to elites, but only their elites, not *A.

Needless to say, you also need to consider the possibility that US acquires AA. It's unlikely that the new US-AA would be allowed to stay in *A as a condition of such an acquisition.

What is on your boarding pass trumps any cards you may be carrying.

Fortunately, you can get both your US and UA numbers onto your reservation at the same time. Call Center agents (and checkin/gate agents) can see 2 different fields regarding your frequent flyer number - the FQTV field, and the FQTS field.

The FQTV field is where your credit goes. If you are crediting to US Airways Dividend miles, you would ask for your US number into the FQTV field. If you want UA miles, then the UA number goes into the FQTV field.

The FQTS field is the field which your status comes from. By default, the number in the FQTV field also goes into the FQTS field. However, you can ask for the number to be changed in the FQTS field to reflect a different status.

A lot of agents won't know how to do this, so expect a lot of "let me check with my supervisor" over the phone. But once it gets done, it makes your airport experience pretty hassle-free.

Does this work on all airlines or UA only? I usually don't bother asking as many are even too lazy to "check with my supervisor." Often times even the supervisors have the "I don't think so" attitude.

LAX

It works on all airlines, although some place their own restrictions - I think on SQ, one of the fields (don't remember which) is restricted to only Krisflyer numbers if you are using 2 different numbers.

Running across an "I don't think so" attitude generally just requires a hang-up and call back to get it fixed. I've found that airlines which outsource call centers to India, Phillipines, etc. tend to be more open to doing it - simply because they assume that it's something they should know but were never trained in, so they actually check with the supervisor to try to learn it.

It works on all airlines, although some place their own restrictions - I think on SQ, one of the fields (don't remember which) is restricted to only Krisflyer numbers if you are using 2 different numbers.

Running across an "I don't think so" attitude generally just requires a hang-up and call back to get it fixed. I've found that airlines which outsource call centers to India, Phillipines, etc. tend to be more open to doing it - simply because they assume that it's something they should know but were never trained in, so they actually check with the supervisor to try to learn it.

I thought you were talking about in person at the airport. I guess one can always walk away & find another more helpful agent.

LAX

Well, if you don't do it over the phone, then how do you get priority checkin?

Well, if you don't do it over the phone, then how do you get priority checkin?

I find check-in agents less picky about having FFP on the reservation/BP than gate agents. I often just walk up to the F/C/*G check-in counter & show them my *G card (the one not on reservation) & my PNR. I have never been turned away even when I have a lower status FFP on the reservation.

LAX

I've never tried it...

But good to know all the same :)

Hi All,

I do need to think about why I was maintaining the two statuses on UA and US--no real good reason and since I fly 4 segments a week I should just consolidate going forward. Now to the immediate question at hand. I'm flying US internationally through CLT. No upgrades avail so my BP will read US Silver.

As i mentioned I am UA *Gold. According to the *A website (quoted below) I should be able to access the CLT USAirways Lounge during my layover by showing my UA *A Gold card and my international US BP. Correct? I am unsure given the above the BP trumps all scenario. I want to avoid any potential hiccups as my wife has little patience for that sort of thing and I want our early morning departure to go smoothly for all involved.

Quoting the *A Website

Star Alliance Gold Customers Travelling in Any Class: Customers have access to any Star Alliance member carriers' owned lounges with the Star Alliance Gold logo at the entrance.
Customer must present proof of Star Alliance Gold level status via a valid frequent flyer program Star Alliance Gold level card or other valid indication of Star Alliance Gold level status
Customer must also present a boarding pass for travel on a Star Alliance flight departing from the local airport
Customer is entitled to one guest
United and US Airways Star Alliance Gold customers may only access the United Clubs and US Airways Clubs within the U.S. when travelling in conjunction with a Star Alliance international flight.

The lounge dragon could very well deny you entry to the lounge because the *G isn't on your boarding pass.

That's why it's best to use FQTS/FQTV as outlined above.

The OP should probably consolidate into either the UA or US FF program, but there could be reasons not to do so. One is the uncertainty about a potential US/AA merger which would presumably move US into one world. A second reason is wanting to get benefits that UA and US provide to only their own elites, notably free upgrades but also free Y+ on UA. The new Plat level at 75K that COdbaUA has introduced means that it's time to rethink this choice; previously 75K total would only have been 1P unless the OP had wanted to reach for 1K but now those 25K miles on UA rather than US would lead to a higher status level.

Ok, I'll call US and go the FQTS/FQTV route for this upcoming trip and hope that does the trick.

As far as consolidating FF programs I am up in the air. I fly 4 segments per week getting in and out of CVL. As a result, I'm usually on 1 class planes making the upgrade possibilities for my business travel a non issue.

Decisions, decisions. I can say that being US Gold would have ensured an upgrade on the flight to aruba I'm taking Friday...the wife is not pleased.

I'm a GM on UA, less than 5k from 2P so I will be this year but *S on TG as I used to live in LAX and flew TG more than I have the past two years and their status also lasts for two years. When I fly UA I just keep my TG silver card out for check in at the priority line, secuity, etc. and nobody ever seems to mind. UAs' new boarding process is a little trickier now since they used to call out the various statuses but now only boarding groups. With the card though I've found that I can usually still board with group 3 and some agents will indeed still indicate *S, *G, etc. in their boarding announcements.

Hi All,

I do need to think about why I was maintaining the two statuses on UA and US--no real good reason and since I fly 4 segments a week I should just consolidate going forward. Now to the immediate question at hand. I'm flying US internationally through CLT. No upgrades avail so my BP will read US Silver.

As i mentioned I am UA *Gold. According to the *A website (quoted below) I should be able to access the CLT USAirways Lounge during my layover by showing my UA *A Gold card and my international US BP. Correct? I am unsure given the above the BP trumps all scenario. I want to avoid any potential hiccups as my wife has little patience for that sort of thing and I want our early morning departure to go smoothly for all involved.

Quoting the *A Website

Star Alliance Gold Customers Travelling in Any Class: Customers have access to any Star Alliance member carriers' owned lounges with the Star Alliance Gold logo at the entrance.
Customer must present proof of Star Alliance Gold level status via a valid frequent flyer program Star Alliance Gold level card or other valid indication of Star Alliance Gold level status
Customer must also present a boarding pass for travel on a Star Alliance flight departing from the local airport
Customer is entitled to one guest
United and US Airways Star Alliance Gold customers may only access the United Clubs and US Airways Clubs within the U.S. when travelling in conjunction with a Star Alliance international flight.

FYI, I have never been denied entry to any United Club (RCC & PC pre-merger) or US Airways Club when I hand over my *A BP with UA FFP & my OZ *G card. For lounge access, the keys are *A BP & *G card. It doesn't matter what FFP/status is on BP because agents at lounges are trained to ignore them (hence the need to carry the physical card).

LAX

FYI, I have never been denied entry to any United Club (RCC & PC pre-merger) or US Airways Club when I hand over my *A BP with UA FFP & my OZ *G card. For lounge access, the keys are *A BP & *G card. It doesn't matter what FFP/status is on BP because agents at lounges are trained to ignore them (hence the need to carry the physical card).

LAX

I've been rejected from the LH lounge multiple times, because my status wasn't reflected on my boarding pass. US and UA lounges end to be less picky...

I've been rejected from the LH lounge multiple times, because my status wasn't reflected on my boarding pass. US and UA lounges end to be less picky...

I don't get it. LH is notorious for asking for the physical card even if it says *G on the BP. Now that you have a *G card in hand & a *A BP, they deny you entry because the FFP doesn't match? I guess there are people that take pride in denying pax entry their lounge?!:confused:

LAX

I don't get it. LH is notorious for asking for the physical card even if it says *G on the BP. Now that you have a *G card in hand & a *A BP, they deny you entry because the FFP doesn't match? I guess there are people that take pride in denying pax entry their lounge?!:confused:

LAX

The lounge dragon wouldn't let me in until I got my BP reprinted to reflect my status. After going to the lounge, I just went back to the gate agent and got it changed back :rolleyes:

But I'm guessing that LH was just looking for excuses to keep people out...

FYI--I called the US call center 3 times this morning to do the FQTV thing...no one knew how to do it. I MIGHT try it in the morning tomorrow at the airport.