Earlier today I wrote about the new Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge in Terminal 6 at LAX. This lounge, along with the Star Alliance Lounge in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, presents two superb free lounge options for United Star Gold members.
Star Alliance rules require that Star Gold members have lounge access in all lounges, no matter the itinerary. But there are exceptions.
United Airlines is one of them. Because it sells membership to it United Clubs (and frankly because there are so many elites and the overcrowding would be unbearable), United does not allow its own Star Gold members (Premier Gold status and higher) to access United Clubs when on a purely domestic itinerary.
So if you have Gold status with Air Canada or Turkish Airlines you are free to enter any United Club even if you are traveling on a domestic United flight in economy class. But a United gold member on the same itinerary would be turned away.
That lounge exception applies only to United Clubs, not to other Star Alliance Gold lounges inside the USA. What that means is that United Gold members can now access the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge before their flights, even if on purely domestic itineraries.
If they are so inclined, United Gold members can also access the Star Alliance Gold Lounge in TBIT. That requires a hike, but TBIT and Terminals 4-8 are connected airside so at least it does not require re-clearing security.
While the TBIT is beautiful, the new Air Canada Lounge will be much easier for United flyers.
> Read More: Review – Star Alliance Lounge LAX
CONCLUSION
A crowded lounges is sometimes even worse than the gate area, but there is no doubt that having a quiet respite or complimentary cup of coffee before a flight is appreciated. If you are a United Gold flyer, remember that you can access either the Air Canada Lounge in T6 or Star Alliance Lounge in TBIT, no matter what Star Alliance flight you are on or cabin you are seated in.
I’ve been told repeatedly by United Airlines, both at the United Club at LAX and 1Kvoice that we are *not* allowed to access the club. The UC agent who told me that even said that he was going to call the Star Alliance lounge to make sure they stopped letting UA golds in.
Upon what basis do the agents tell you that?–the agents are incorrect. All non-UA domestic lounges are available to Star Golds. That includes every other Star Gold in the USA, except the Singapore Airlines lounge in SFO (soon to be closed) which flouts the Star Alliance rules.
From the United Mileage Plus website:
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/premier/staralliance.aspx
I suggest copying this or doing a screen shot to use as an argument if denied.
The following rules and restrictions apply:
When traveling on a Star Alliance member-operated flight, eligible Star Alliance Gold members (MileagePlus Premier 1K, Premier Platinum and Premier Gold) may visit designated Star Alliance member lounges. United Star Alliance Gold members may access any United Club only when holding a boarding pass for a same-day international Star Alliance member flight. United Star Alliance Gold members may access other Star Alliance member lounges before any departure on a Star Alliance member airline flight.
And from the Star Alliance Website:
http://www.staralliance.com/en/lounge-access-policy
If the lounge attendants deny you entry – you should report it the the Star Alliance ! (and of course Facebook !)
Great article! Quick question: who are the Stewarts? Since when do you have additional writers on your blog?
@A – We are the Stewarts! You have pointed out something that we have failed to do, properly introduce ourselves. Matthew put a headline description in one of the first posts I ran on Live and Let’s Fly (http://bit.ly/2qADCyl) but we need to have a more formal greeting. We will put this out in the next couple of days, but we have only been filling in on Sundays and just the last couple of weeks, however, we have known Matthew for more than five years and collaborated on projects in the past. More to come.
Thanks for the tip! I have a domestic departure out of LAX on Wednesday and will be checking out the Maple Leaf Lounge. Hoping for some hot soup!
I hear you like lobster bisque.