Do * members really give *Gold the same recognition ?
 

Is there a real recognition of the *Gold status among member airlines ?

For instance, on a busy flight, how does the priority system work ( first own airline's FF even with lower status or status first) ?

I'm especially interested in LH and UA attitude towards other *A Gold. I got an upgrade on LH with my PremEx card...would that happen with my SQ Gold ?

can someone shed a light on this ?

Thanks

LL

I have experience upgrades on airlines I only hold *Gold on...one case to 1st on UA NRT-PEK.

I really like the ability to check-in @ biz or 1st counters and beat the lines when travelling on non-J fares (intra-Europe pleasure travel for me).

Also, the luggage additions are nice...+1 bag.

Additionally, on UA I am always asked my meal choice 1st (often to my embarrassment).

Dorian



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Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart: http://www.informationlab.com/rtw.htm
Blondebomber's Star Alliance Comparison Chart: http://members.home.net/deercroft/starall00.html

No equal treatment for sure for all StarGold-members by different StarAlliance-members. I can compare best between UA's Mileage Plus 1K and LH's miles&more Senators

a Senator flying paid eco with/on UA or LH (compared with a 1K) :

check-in-line: [*]UA: Senator = Premier line, 1K = special 1K -line[*]LH: all Star Gold at the first-class counter

lounges:: [*]UA: no Senator access to 1K-lounges[*]LH: all Star Gold = Senator lounge (not only business-lounge)

automatic upgrades on UA-Shuttle flights only for 1K (not for Senators)

guaranteed seats': [*]UA: I am not aware of any guaranteed seats-policy for 1K or Senator[*]LH: seat guarantee for Senators (not for other StarGold) when booking 24 hours in advance for paid bus/first, 48 hours for paid eco, when flying internationally

But there are great, shared benefits for being StarAllianceGold like:[*]1 extra piece and 10 extra kg of check-in luggage[*]1 extra piece for hand-luggage[*]lounge access when fling same day[*]priority luggage (in my experience works really faster only in about 66% of my flights)[*]and, in general, airline-staffs are more ready to make an extra effort for you on/with any StarAlliance carrier

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 09-27-2000).]

thanks Dorian and Rudi

Rudi, you wrote that *gold have access to LH senator lounge...I was in Frankfurt last Sunday and was denied access to it even though I've got a UA PremEx card...and ended up in a so crowded business lounge that I left for the comfort of the waiting lounge at the gate!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

LL

[This message has been edited by LordLuck (edited 09-27-2000).]

If you had ANY *A sameday upcoming boarding pass departing from FRA you were ripped off. FRA Senator lounge always lets me in on my *Gold card.

Dorian



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Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart: http://www.informationlab.com/rtw.htm
Blondebomber's Star Alliance Comparison Chart: http://members.home.net/deercroft/starall00.html

I wonder if it is all * Gold, or just the high end, like AC SE's and UA 1K's?

According to the Star Alliance brochure, All Star Gold get to use Senator, Business and Frequent Traveller Lounges when departing on a Star Alliance carrier.

Brochure doesn't agree with the Star Alliance website but website is horribly out of date and doesn't even include Super Elite as getting Senator access which is explicit in SE member guide.

I had posted on another thread these links:

If you don't have a copy of the Star Alliance brochure that Rudi has been passing out you can see some of the pages that I have scanned (lower quality but readable at about 275k each) at:
http://members.home.net/deercroft/cover.jpg -- cover showing date of publication July 99

http://members.home.net/deercroft/brochure1.jpg -- intro--"we recognize your right to special treatment"

http://members.home.net/deercroft/brochure2.jpg -- "additional baggage up to a total of three items.

http://members.home.net/deercroft/brochure3.jpg -- lounge access "Star Alliance Gold gets you into Red Carpet Club Lounges if you read this chart!" Also shows that you get extra baggage privileges.

[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 09-28-2000).]

LLuck-- LH upgrade using PremEx card... hmm, could you elaborate? As to the treatment of golds, I can say that *A Golds get no (zilch) special treatment with SQ. We've already discussed the lounge thing, so that pretty much leaves out the more relevant perks. Perhaps with baggage, a Gold *A will get you some flexibility with SQ over what is a published benefit.



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Gaucho100K

Flew LAX to Los Cabos last week on Mexicana .. new member. Flashed the Star Gold card (ex UA!) and we both got upgrades to Mexico. No-one else in the cabin. Coach packed. Veuve Cliquot etc. Latin airlines usually guard up front seats like Gold.

Moral of the story .. "never hurts to ask"! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

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~ Glen ~

As BlondeBomber noted, the UA brochure doesn't agree with Star's website.

Other threads here and on the UA and SQ boards talk about lack of lounge access to some SQ lounges, even though UA's book says that RCC members and C/F international flyers can get into at least some SQ lounges. Have you checked the Star website? It recognizes SQ as a partner, but doesn't state that elites or club members on other airlines get any access to SQ lounges -- judging from Star's site, access is a one-way street for Singapore Air.

I have been upgraded to business on Air NZ several times and so have a couple of *GoldUA family members.A good friend was travelling business on LH last week and got bumped to first so it really is worth having. can hardly wait to travel as UA1K soon im doing my last 4000 for 84 next week!!

I agree on the LH lounge access policy at FRA in regard to who it lets in and who it doesn't.
My experiences have been posted in other threads:

- no SEN access when in C class on two class aircraft connecting to revenue F
- no SEN access when on arriving UA flight in F

are two of the most annoying examples.

I think the LH(SEnator-lounge) policy is exactly to the official rules, as far as I know and learned them (but I also know that the informations given on different websites (StarAllaince) and individual Star-members, are often (always?) incomplete, faulty/wrong.

The official rules are: StarGold have access to Senator lounges, when presenting a same day departing boarding pass on LH (in any class).

In my opinion it is 'unreasonable' to ask from any StarAlliance carrier, to just let 'in' any StarGold-member without same-day boarding pass for that particular carrier (the carrier with the best lounge would be 'punished', as most Gold-members would then choose that lounge and the best lounge would be always overcrowded - without 'income/pay-back' for that carrier.

Rudi:

1. The trend seems to be that in new airports and also where possible, they are trying to combine the lounges of the Star airlines.

2. The "best" lounge is not punished because Star has a system of charging each other for their elite's lounge access, but only if they can be bothered. Singapore Airlines seems to be doing this quite laboriously; all 4 times I was in various SQ lounges they remembered to take down my AC Elite details etc.