Does anyone know what the official line from *A is regarding status recognition across the network?

I am UA 1K so *G which shows up on an LH bp (if entered correctly by agent) and an AN bp ('cause I told them) in my experience but TG it did not and they told me to go away when I asked (and if you've flown their excuse for C class between BKK-SYD its another reason never to fly with them) and not on SK who I now fly with a lot - they said they could only ever know that I was a frequent flyer with another *A airline and not my status which is a shame as they do a lot for their Euro Bonus Gold members. I have to fly SQ, NH and NZ next month as well so I wondered what they do?

Shouldn't recognition be the same for all airlines... or am I just dreaming.

It's somewhat hit and miss as you've already experienced! When I have flown LH, my boarding pass shows *G ... likewise on SQ. On BD, they give you a *A Gold stricker on your boarding pass. So that's hard to miss! The BP is also a red-coloured business class one, even if you're flying cabbage. NO experience of NH or NZ.

On SK this past summer, my boarding passes came up with AC*G on them after presenting my AC FF card at check-in in LHR. Ditto for UA flights, but I did have to ask twice. And all of the points posted quickly.

BD are introducing a new computer system that according to the letter I received will enable them to give greater recognition to their frequent flyers. The system they are implemting is Lufthansa's. Hopefully they will now be able to share status.

UK UA 1K,

I am UA 1P, so *A Gold. I fly almost exclusively UA, but just this summer had a chance to experience 6 flights on VARIG (RG). All Varig employees wear name tages with the *A logo. Dedicated counters for check-in were clearly marked (except on a tiny island - FEN). I was given two hand-printed invitations for Business Class lounges at each check in. My bags were always marked with the *A orange "Priority" tag. Please note this was all on Y tickets.

My *A Gold status showed up on half the boarding passes, but this didn't matter as I received the lounge invitations and priority baggage tags.

Miles showed up on my UA Mileage Plus account within 48-72 hours after each flight.

Varig definitely has their act together, *A included (I'm writing up a trip report).

[This message has been edited by blairvanhorn (edited 08-16-2001).]

NH recognize 1K as if it is the top elite of thier own program. You can check in the first class check-in counter. Cheif Purser comes to your seat to say thank you on their flight. On boarding pass, *G and your mileage number are printed.

my experiences are, for the last 24 months, limited to AC, AN, AZ, LH, NG, OS, UA.

If properly entered (ff-number) before/at check-in, my *G status always showed (in different ways, depending on the carrier and also if used my UA or my LH *Gold status).

The main *Gold benefits, across all StarCarriers, for me are:
* lounge access
* preferred check-in (some North American check-in don't really honour this, but there my 1K status helps)
* the Senator mileage bonus (counting as status miles too) that I get on ALL Star-carriers
* e+ seating on UA flights (also when boked with my Senator status)

for complimentary upgrades I only once so far experienced/did profit on a non UA or LH flight (out of probably 40 non UA/LH-flight segments)

MX also treats STAR GOLD members very well, and makes a point of promoting their participation in the alliance on virtually all their logo'd material, inflight announcements, and -- so I hear, but as I have always from J on MX -- through upgrading those GOLDs booked in the back cabin. [But then, MX has a very strange upgrading policy which includes moving friends, family and employees into any empty front cabin seats that may remain empty once the door closes.]

ANA has a very restrictive lounge access policy which tends to break their agreement with the alliance. I have tried unsuccessfully twice to use their lounge at the Bradley Terminal, LAX when flying MX -- which has no lounge there -- and no other STAR partner lounge was open. Each time I was told in no uncertain terms I could only use their lounge when flying them, and in the front cabins! VARIG was more than welcoming when I tried to use their LAX lounge, the single time I found it open prior to a MX flight.

Blairvanhorn,

I fully agree with you. In fact VARIG not only recognize *A FF but also puts them ahead if they have higher levels that Varig's FF. Varig, in this order gives the preference to Varig Diamond's customers, to UA 1k, LH Sen (and equiv. from other *A) and only then to Varig Gold's customers, UA Premier Exec, etc etc.

Other *A airlines just put their own FF ahead, no matter if you've a higher status with a different *A carrier.

I do appreciate Varig's politic. They do work as a network.

Shareholder,

recently at LAX with a MX ticket I was more than welcome both at Varig and ANA lounges. At Varig the acceptance was immediate upon checking boarding pass with UA*G stamped. I do agree that ANA's lounge staff seemed puzzled on what to do with a customer holding a Y ticket from MX and a Star Gold card from * A. Finally I was welcomed and accepted.
My behaviour has always been. "Yes Madam I am correct... Would you be so kind to please recheck the * A rules ?"

Why is it important what is printed on your boarding cards? Don't you have a UA 1K membership card with a * Gold symbol on it that shows your * status? What am I missing here?

Because I thought that *G recognition shouldn't just begin and end at check-in plus lounge access. Kuma, Shareholder and pb9997's experiences of NH, MX and RG respectively show how it should work... it seems that it just doesn't with all airlines and not all check-in staff understand the system: the last SK agent said to me it was impossible to indicate my status in their records, but it clearly can be done as Whitey says.

Plus, if it isn't clearly printed on your BP, and my FF# always has been, then (as far as I understand...) sometimes the mileage does not post to your account. And then you have to send in your BP, etc.

Whitey,

As I posted above, my experience as *A Gold outside of UA is limited to my trips on RG. Out of six boarding passes, only three had UA *Gold noted on them; all six did carry my UA MP number and, as I mentioned, mileage posted for all six flights to my MP acct within 48-72 hours of each flight.

The AC's STAR brochure for elite Aeroplan members indicates that Varig does not provide certain priority services to STAR Golds due to Brazilian laws. This applies to Waitlist and Standby priorities. It appears, from posts above, that this is not the case.

However, according to AC's staff manual, STAR Gold and Silver members from other carries will receive the same priorities as AC's own respective elites. The problem may arise in some programs that provide STAR Gold status to the top and next-to-top tiers, then silver to their first tier of FFs. A few programs only have two elite tiers, others have three. At AC, both SuperElite (top tier) and Elite (mid-tier) are considered STAR Gold. According to the manual, this means that those belonging to other programs will fall behind AC's own SuperElites, but fit in with its Elite members.

Interestingly, posts to the BA Forum suggest that BA gives priority to all its elites -- Gold and Silver -- before affording status benefits to oneworld alliance Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby members.

Varig does apply the priority wailist (1st-type of fare, 2nd-*A Gold, Silver, no status) for reservations UNTIL the moment the airport hands them.

According to the Brazilian laws the airport is to start from scratch any Stand-by list independent of fare within a class, passenger, or any other screening method. These lists are public per flight and any passenger is entitled to know in which rank he has enrolled, when at the airport.

This is why at Brazilian airports Varig, UA or AA, BA, IB, etc work this way.