When booking a flight with a Star Alliance airline, you can credit your flight to any other member. You can achieve higher elite status faster by crediting your flights to one airline. Depending on how much you fly, this strategy could earn you airline elite status and Star Alliance Gold benefits.

In 2026, the "easiest" way to earn Star Alliance Gold status—which grants you worldwide lounge access and priority boarding—is generally through the Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles or Copa Airlines ConnectMiles programs. Turkish Miles&Smiles is highly favored because you can achieve "Elite" status (the equivalent of Star Alliance Gold) with just 40,000 status miles earned within 12 consecutive months. Once earned, the status is valid for two years, and requalifying is even easier, requiring only 30,000 miles in the first year or 45,000 over two years. Copa ConnectMiles is also a strong contender for those in the Americas, often requiring 40,000 miles but with fewer "segment" restrictions than United. For travelers who want to avoid high flight requirements, several premium credit cards in 2026 offer status matches or "fast tracks." Additionally, the Asiana Club program used to be the easiest (requiring 40,000 miles over two years), but with the Korean Air merger finalized in 2025, many status-seekers have shifted to the Turkish or Aegean programs for more long-term stability.