Airline Programmes
Frequent Flyer Programs — The Other Path to Lounge Access Concentrating your flights with one airline can unlock premium lounges worldwide. Compare programmes and find the right one for your travel style.
12 programmes 3 global alliances 6 regions
28 airlines
Singapore Airlines, ANA, Lufthansa, United, Air India
Gold tier = lounge access 13 airlines
Cathay, BA, Qantas, Qatar, JAL
Sapphire = Business · Emerald = First 19 airlines
Air France, KLM, Delta, Korean Air
Elite Plus = lounge access Top 2 airlines
Emirates, Etihad
Status applies only to that airline Pick one alliance, stick to its airlines, earn status, unlock lounges worldwide.
Alliance
All Alliances Star Alliance Oneworld SkyTeam Non-alliance Region
All Regions Asia Europe Middle East India North America Australia Star Alliance
26 member airlines sharing lounges worldwide. Earn Star Gold status with any of these programmes and you unlock Business Class lounges across all 26 airlines.
26 member airlines Aegean Airlines Air Canada Air China Air India Air New Zealand ANA (All Nippon Airways) Asiana Airlines Austrian Airlines Avianca Brussels Airlines Copa Airlines Croatia Airlines EgyptAir Ethiopian Airlines EVA Air LOT Polish Airlines Lufthansa SAS Shenzhen Airlines Singapore Airlines South African Airways SWISS TAP Air Portugal Thai Airways Turkish Airlines United Airlines
Singapore Airlines
KrisFlyer
KrisFlyer Elite Gold (= Star Alliance Gold)
How to qualify
50,000 elite miles or 50 sectors in 12 months
Best for: Premium travellers based in or transiting Singapore
Lufthansa Group
Miles & More
Senator (= Star Alliance Gold)
How to qualify
Senator: 100,000 status miles or 35 segments per calendar year
Best for: European travellers and India-Europe routes
ANA (All Nippon Airways)
Mileage Club
Platinum (= Star Alliance Gold), Diamond (Suite/First lounges)
How to qualify
Platinum: 50,000 Premium Points/year. Diamond: 100,000 Premium Points
Best for: Japan-focused travellers
United Airlines
MileagePlus
Premier Gold (= Star Alliance Gold)
How to qualify
Premier Gold: 50,000 PQP or 24 PQF in calendar year
Best for: US-based travellers and US routes
Gold (= Star Alliance Gold)
How to qualify
50,000 Edge Miles or 50 segments in 12 months
Best for: Indian travellers flying Air India internationally
Oneworld
13 member airlines including Cathay, British Airways, Qantas. Earn Oneworld Sapphire and you unlock Business Class lounges. Emerald unlocks First Class lounges.
13 member airlines Alaska Airlines American Airlines British Airways Cathay Pacific Finnair Iberia Japan Airlines (JAL) Malaysia Airlines Qantas Qatar Airways Royal Air Maroc Royal Jordanian SriLankan Airlines
Gold (= Oneworld Sapphire), Diamond (= Oneworld Emerald)
How to qualify
Gold: 600 club points or 30 sectors/year. Diamond: 1,200 club points
Best for: Asia-focused travellers and Hong Kong hub users
Gold (= Oneworld Sapphire), Platinum (= Oneworld Emerald)
How to qualify
Gold: 700 status credits in 12 months. Platinum: 1,400 status credits
Best for: Australia and NZ travellers — easier qualification path
British Airways
Executive Club
Silver (= Oneworld Sapphire), Gold (= Oneworld Emerald)
How to qualify
Silver: 600 tier points in 12 months. Gold: 1,500 tier points
Best for: UK and Europe-based travellers
Qatar Airways
Privilege Club
Gold (= Oneworld Sapphire), Platinum (= Oneworld Emerald)
How to qualify
Gold: 240 Qpoints in a year. Platinum: 600 Qpoints
Best for: Middle East travellers — easier path to Oneworld Emerald
SkyTeam
19 member airlines including Air France, KLM, Delta. Earn SkyTeam Elite Plus to unlock Business Class lounges.
19 member airlines Aeroflot Aerolineas Argentinas Aeromexico Air Europa Air France China Airlines China Eastern Delta Air Lines Garuda Indonesia ITA Airways Kenya Airways KLM Korean Air Middle East Airlines Saudia TAROM Vietnam Airlines Virgin Atlantic XiamenAir
Air France / KLM
Flying Blue
Gold (= SkyTeam Elite Plus)
How to qualify
Gold: 180 XP in 12 months. Platinum: 300 XP
Best for: European travellers and India-Europe routes
Non-alliance Airlines
Standalone giants with their own loyalty programmes. Status applies only to that airline's lounges and select partners — no cross-airline access.
Gold (Business lounges), Platinum (First lounges)
How to qualify
Gold: 25,000 tier miles or 25 flights/year. Platinum: 60,000 tier miles
Best for: Indian travellers using the DXB hub frequently
Etihad Airways
Etihad Guest
Gold (Business lounges), Platinum (First lounge)
How to qualify
Gold: 50,000 tier miles in 12 months. Platinum: 75,000 tier miles
Best for: Abu Dhabi hub users and India-UAE-Europe routes
