Star Alliance - Lounge Usage Question
 

I am curious as I could not find an answer to this. If I was flying a domestic US segment, ticketed on UAL, with my UAL FFN on it, can I still get Star Gold lounge access using my non-US Star Gold cards (SQ, BD)?

Someone please help,
A.

Unfortunately no. You have to have a same-day international segment in order to get in. However, as far as I know, if you are a member of the PPS Club (which you are, according to your profile), then you have access. Hope that helps!

Sure, no problem at all on these domestic-only flights, as long as you are able to produce a non-American *G card.

It doesn't matter what FFP the BP shows, or wether or not it even shows some FFP at all. The flight has to be on a *A member, though.

Once, I even used the RCC in LAX as a domestic arrival lounge (showing my SEN card) while waiting up for a friend arriving on a later flight.

In Aug, I flew UAL SFO-LAS on a UAL FF number on the boarding pass but flashed my BMI gold card at the desk. The guy checked for the Star Gold symbol on the card and waved me through.

Later in the same month, I flew UAL LAX-LAS with no UAL FF number on the boarding pass, flashed the Star Gold symbol at the guy at the counter and walked through.

You only have to show the UAL boarding pass to show you are flying UA instead of another airline

This is all very useful info. I was pretty sure I could do this ... but wanted to confirm. Yes, the SQ PPS opens doors ... but you would be surprised at the reaction I get in smaller American towns where many have never seen the card.

Cheers,
A.

Wait....seriously? If I had a non-UA or US/HP * Gold card, I can have access to RCCs when flying domestically?

Of course. It has always been like this. Where have you been hiding? :)

And not only access to RCCs but ALL *G lounges (AC, US, UA, soon HP) in North America.

when flying UA, yes (there was a few months interruption about two years ago, but other Star-members forced UA fast to grant this again).

You also get some interesting reactions when you show a BD*G card. They recognise the logo but I have had more than one agent comment they had never seen it before.

= Haha ... are you serious? I am surprised at all this reaction given that Star is pretty good at having all airlines staff know their benefits.

-A.

PS - I will let you know what reaction I get.

LOL.. :D The RCC matrons do not even know the UA benefits...let alone other *A members. :D :D :D

Please excuse what may be a dumb question for more experienced flyers.

If I join Air Canada's FF program (which has a lower threshold for Gold I believe), then I could use the RCC everytime I fly UA domestically, and save myself the RCC annual fee? Likewise with US/HP (assuming they stay in *A)?

If so, what's the downside? Upgrades?

= No. You cannot join US/HP and use RCC for domestic travel. It has to be a non US Star partner from what I gather here. Cost-benefit on joining AC and others can be found using Star Alliance sticky. Read that - info is just great.

Cheers,
A.

Thanks for the quick response, for clarification my syntax gave the wrong impression, I meant using the US/HP clubs domestically with an Air Canada FF Gold card (fly a fair amount of US Air in the past year and used the Charlotte club quite a bit with my RCC card).

Have been trying to figure out the cost/benefit of switching to AC for *A membership basically because of the lower threshhold for Gold, don't do enough trans pac flights anymore to make Gold on United.

Again thanks.

Unless you have a UA ticket for travel that day a US or AC or any other *A Gold can use the RCC. You can't use a RCC with a non *A ticket.

My colleague is *G with AC and uses the RCC all the time for domestic travel with UA - has an easier time getting into the lounges than I do with a BD *G card!