Choose the alliance by the airlines you will fly most, not by alliance size. From China, that usually means Star Alliance for Air China and Shenzhen Airlines, SkyTeam for China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines, and oneworld for Cathay in Hong Kong. China Southern is on none of the three member lists. Two dated changes matter in 2026: ITA Airways joined Star Alliance (release of 31 March 2026, fully connected from 1 April), and Asiana leaves it at 23:59 Korea Standard Time on 16 December 2026.
Quick answer by situation
- Beijing is your main airport: Star Alliance first, because Air China is headquartered there and PhoenixMiles Gold and above map to Star Alliance Gold; SkyTeam is the other fit, since China Eastern also lists Beijing Capital and Beijing Daxing as hubs.
- Shanghai is your main airport: SkyTeam first, because China Eastern is headquartered in Shanghai and lists Pudong and Hongqiao as hubs.
- Guangzhou is your main airport: Star Alliance first, because its release of 28 April 2026 describes its own lounge at Baiyun Terminal 3 and the member airlines that fly from Guangzhou.
- You live in or often pass through Hong Kong: oneworld, through Cathay, whose home is Hong Kong.
- You mainly fly China Southern or Hainan Airlines: neither is on the three member lists, so decide on the other airlines you use for long trips.
- You fly to the US: choose by the US airline you will use: United (Star Alliance), American Airlines or Alaska Airlines (oneworld), Delta (SkyTeam).
- You fly to Europe: choose by the European airline you will use: Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, ITA, TAP, LOT and others in Star Alliance; Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic in SkyTeam; British Airways, Iberia and Finnair in oneworld.
- You fly within Asia: it depends on the country. Japan has ANA (Star Alliance) and Japan Airlines (oneworld). Korea has Korean Air (SkyTeam), with Asiana in Star Alliance until 16 December 2026. Southeast Asia has Singapore Airlines and THAI (Star Alliance), Malaysia Airlines (oneworld), and Vietnam Airlines and Garuda Indonesia (SkyTeam).
- You want lounges on an economy ticket: only Star Alliance Gold, oneworld Emerald and Sapphire, and SkyTeam Elite Plus give that; Star Alliance Silver, oneworld Ruby and SkyTeam Elite have no lounge access.
- You fly business class a few times a year and hold no status: pick by your routes, because all three admit international business class passengers on member flights under conditions.
- You hold Asiana Club Diamond or higher status: SkyTeam, through Korean Air, because Asiana says your Star Alliance Gold converts to SkyTeam Elite Plus; the dates are in the Asiana section.
Which airlines belong to oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam in 2026?
oneworld (members page): Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian and SriLankan Airlines are marked "Member". Philippine Airlines is marked "Future Member", and the page gives no date.
Star Alliance (news release of 23 June 2026, 26 members): Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, ITA Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines and United. Juneyao Airlines is a Connecting Partner, not a member.
SkyTeam (members page, 18 airlines): Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, China Airlines, China Eastern, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, SAS, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Xiamen Airlines. Aeroflot is also listed, marked "suspended".
Dated changes and flags:
- ITA Airways: Star Alliance's release of 31 March 2026 calls it the 26th member, fully connected into the network from 1 April 2026.
- Asiana Airlines: leaves at 23:59 Korea Standard Time on 16 December 2026; from 17 December 2026 Star Alliance has 25 members (release of 23 June 2026).
- S7 Airlines: oneworld's members page says its membership has been suspended since 19 April 2022, until further notice.
Which alliance is each airline from China in?
| Airline | Alliance | Frequent flyer programme | Base and hubs, as the alliance pages state them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air China | Star Alliance, joined December 2007 | PhoenixMiles | Headquartered in Beijing; hubs Beijing (PEK), Chengdu (TFU), Chongqing (CKG), Urumqi (URC) |
| Shenzhen Airlines | Star Alliance, joined November 2012 | PhoenixMiles | Headquartered in Shenzhen; hub Shenzhen |
| China Eastern | SkyTeam | Eastern Miles | Headquartered in Shanghai; hubs Beijing Capital (PEK), Kunming (KMG), Shanghai Pudong (PVG), Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA), Xi'an (XIY), Beijing Daxing (PKX) |
| Xiamen Airlines | SkyTeam | Egret Miles | Hubs Xiamen (XMN) and Fuzhou (FOC) |
| Cathay Pacific | oneworld, founding member | Cathay | Home in Hong Kong |
| China Southern | On none of the three member lists | Sky Pearl Club | Not stated |
| Hainan Airlines | On none of the three member lists | Not stated | Not stated |
China Southern's Sky Pearl Club notice dated 24 December 2019 (Chinese) says it would finish its transition out of SkyTeam on 31 December 2019 and formally leave SkyTeam from 1 January 2020. It adds that China Southern keeps bilateral codeshare cooperation with SkyTeam member airlines and frequent flyer cooperation with some of them. The notice is from 2019, so ask Sky Pearl Club which partners apply before you rely on it.
For Guangzhou Baiyun, Star Alliance's release of 28 April 2026 says its lounge in Terminal 3 is open 24 hours and takes First and Business class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members travelling on member airline flights, whatever the cabin, departing from Terminal 3. It says 10 Star Alliance members operate from Guangzhou, including Air China and Shenzhen Airlines, with 1,500 weekly departures to 52 destinations in 10 countries. Asiana is one of the 10 until 16 December 2026.
Which Air China, China Eastern, Xiamen or Cathay card matches which alliance tier?
An alliance tier comes from an airline's own programme. oneworld has no standalone programme; a drop-down on its benefits page shows each member airline's pairing. Star Alliance says each member airline defines which of its tiers equates to Gold or Silver. SkyTeam says each carrier's Elite programme equates to Elite or Elite Plus.
| Programme and card | Alliance tier | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Air China PhoenixMiles Annual Premium Lifetime Platinum, Lifetime Platinum, Platinum, Gold | Star Alliance Gold | PhoenixMiles guide, effective 19 March 2025 (Chinese) |
| Air China PhoenixMiles Silver | Star Alliance Silver | Same guide |
| China Eastern Eastern Miles Platinum, Gold | SkyTeam Elite Plus | Eastern Miles elite page (Chinese) |
| China Eastern Eastern Miles Silver | SkyTeam Elite | Same page |
| Cathay Diamond, Gold, Silver | oneworld Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby | Cathay's oneworld page |
| Xiamen Airlines Egret Miles VIP | SkyTeam Elite Plus and Elite; the page does not say which card equals which | Xiamen Airlines' Egret Miles announcement |
Shenzhen Airlines also uses PhoenixMiles. Three details sit outside the table:
- The Eastern Miles page tells members to ask the SkyTeam airline to put their Eastern Miles number in the booking so the status is recognised. On flights where both the marketing and operating carrier are MU, FM or KN, China Eastern's own rules apply.
- Xiamen Airlines' announcement describes a new Egret Miles scheme that was set to go live in July 2026, and does not say whether the SkyTeam mapping changes with it.
- Cathay Green is not paired with a oneworld tier. Cathay's member-benefits page says a changed membership programme takes effect on 1 January 2027; its oneworld section does not pair statuses with oneworld tiers.
For the programmes themselves, see how Air China, China Eastern, China Southern and Cathay programmes compare.
What does the top tier of each alliance give you at the airport?
| Star Alliance Gold | oneworld Emerald | oneworld Sapphire | SkyTeam Elite Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lounge | Any member airline's Business Class lounge at the departure airport, in any class; may also reach First Class lounges when flying First (not ultra-premium) | First and Business Class lounges | Business Class lounges | SkyTeam lounges on international flights operated by a member, or same-day transfers between two members |
| Guest | One eligible guest on the same flight | One guest, on a oneworld-marketed and -operated flight | Same as Emerald | One guest on the same SkyTeam-operated flight |
| Priority check-in and boarding | Yes, both | First Class check-in; priority boarding | Business Class check-in; priority boarding | Priority check-in; priority boarding, or boarding at leisure |
| Extra checked baggage | 20 kg or an additional piece, depending on the airline's baggage policy | 20 kg (weight system) or one extra bag (piece system) | 15 kg above the ticketed Economy allowance (weight system); on international itineraries that include domestic sectors, one extra bag of up to 23 kg, maximum two pieces (piece system); other conditions apply | 20 kg, or one extra bag where the piece concept applies |
| Security and immigration fast track | Gold Track, where available | Fast track or priority lane at select airports | — | Fast Track lanes, when available |
| Priority baggage handling | Yes | Yes, not on British Airways flights | Yes, not on British Airways flights | Yes |
| Also | Priority waitlist and standby | Preferred seating, waitlist and standby priority | Same as Emerald | Priority seating, waitlist and standby; a guaranteed full-fare economy booking on international long-haul flights of 6 hours or more that are sold out in economy, booked at least 24 hours before departure |
A dash means the page does not list that benefit. Each alliance's page says some of these benefits depend on the airline or the airport. Extra bags are not available on British Airways "Hand Baggage Only/Basic" fares. For the full tables, see Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam elite benefits compared in full.
Tiers with no lounge. Star Alliance Silver gets priority waitlist and airport standby only. oneworld Ruby gets Business Class priority check-in, preferred seating, and waitlist and standby priority. SkyTeam Elite gets 10 kg of extra baggage or one extra bag where the piece concept applies, plus priority check-in, boarding or boarding at leisure, seating, waitlist and standby.
Lounge conditions.
- Star Alliance Gold needs a boarding pass for a Star Alliance member-operated flight that departs the same day or by 05:00 the next morning, and the lounge must show the Star Alliance Gold logo. United MileagePlus Gold members may use United Clubs in the US only when departing on an international Star Alliance flight.
- oneworld requires a flight marketed and operated by a oneworld member, with access on the day of travel or before 06:00 the next morning. Exceptions apply, including American Airlines and Alaska Airlines flights within North America.
- SkyTeam's lounge FAQ says entry at the departure airport is "a minimum of 3 hours prior to departure", and the release of 20 January 2025 describes 3-hour lounge access on departure at more lounges.
Air China's own lounges. The PhoenixMiles guide's Star Alliance Gold lounge row excludes the lounges of Air China and Shenzhen Airlines, and its flight condition excludes flights those two airlines operate. For flights that Air China group airlines operate, the guide has separate lounge tables by card level.
Can you use an alliance lounge with a business class ticket and no status?
Yes, on a member airline's own flights, under conditions:
| Alliance | Access with a business class ticket | Guest | Conditions on the page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Alliance | International Business Class: any member airline's Business Class lounge at the departure airport | None | Boarding pass for an international Business Class seat on a member-operated flight; departure the same day or by 05:00 the next morning; the lounge shows the Star Alliance Gold logo |
| oneworld | First or Business Class on a oneworld member airline: the equivalent class of lounge, whatever your status | The page states one guest for First Class and gives no business class guest rule | Flight marketed and operated by a oneworld member; day of travel or before 06:00 the next morning; exceptions apply, and Qatar Airways "Business Lite" and Finnair "Business Light" fares are not eligible |
| SkyTeam | International First and Business Class on a same-day international flight operated by a SkyTeam member, or transfers between flights of two members | The FAQ gives a guest rule for Elite Plus only | Domestic itineraries must include a transfer to an international flight; some discounted Business Class fares may not include lounge access, so read the fare conditions when you book |
For Beijing and Shanghai, see who gets into which lounges at Beijing and Shanghai airports.
What happens to Asiana status and miles when Asiana leaves Star Alliance?
Asiana's notice of 23 June 2026 says the exit is due to its merger with Korean Air. The dates:
- 15 October 2026: last departure date for earning miles in a Star Alliance partner programme on Asiana-operated flights. Missing-mileage claims for those flights close on 31 October 2026.
- 16 December 2026, 23:59 Korea Standard Time: Asiana leaves. Asiana says Star Alliance elite benefits for Asiana Club members on partner airlines are valid for flights departing on or before that date. Star Alliance says Gold and Silver customers can use their benefits on Asiana flights until then, and that award travel on Asiana must be completed by then, under each programme's own timelines.
- 17 December 2026: Asiana flights depart under Korean Air flight numbers and are operated by Korean Air (Asiana notice, 14 September 2026).
For Asiana Club Diamond or higher members, Asiana says Star Alliance Gold converts to SkyTeam Elite Plus; the notice states no conversion for lower levels. It also says your accrued Star Alliance mileage balance and expiry dates stay unchanged, and that Star Alliance award tickets already issued with Asiana miles for travel on or after 17 December 2026 are no longer valid, with a full refund and miles reinstated without penalty. Award deadlines differ by partner airline, and Asiana has published a separate mileage-integration notice; read both on Asiana's site before you plan award travel. For the cabin side, see Korean Air and Asiana business class compared.
What is each alliance best for, and what is the drawback?
Star Alliance
- Best for: Air China and Shenzhen Airlines flyers, Europe through Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian and others, Japan through ANA, and Guangzhou.
- Not for: flyers who need Asiana after 16 December 2026, people who want a Shanghai-based carrier, and Silver holders who want a lounge. Gold lounge rules carry several conditions.
oneworld
- Best for: Hong Kong-based flyers through Cathay, British Airways and Iberia in Europe, Japan Airlines, and American Airlines in the US.
- Not for: anyone who wants to credit a mainland China carrier, since none is a member; it has the shortest member list of the three, and Ruby has no lounge.
SkyTeam
- Best for: China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines flyers, Shanghai, Air France and KLM in Europe, Korean Air, and Delta in the US.
- Not for: anyone who needs a lounge below the top tier, since Elite has none; China Southern flyers; or anyone relying on Aeroflot, which is listed as suspended.
FAQ
Can I move my status or miles to another alliance?
Star Alliance's FAQ says Gold status cannot be moved to another programme, because member airlines run their programmes independently. SkyTeam's FAQ says Elite status is not transferable to another carrier's programme, but is recognised across SkyTeam carriers. oneworld has no standalone programme, so a oneworld tier comes from a member airline's own programme. Star Alliance's benefits FAQ, SkyTeam's Elite FAQ and oneworld's benefits page say nothing about moving miles between alliances.
Is China Southern in an alliance?
China Southern is not on oneworld's members page, in the Star Alliance member list of 23 June 2026, or on SkyTeam's members page. Its Sky Pearl Club notice dated 24 December 2019 says it would formally leave SkyTeam from 1 January 2020.
Is Hawaiian Airlines in oneworld?
oneworld's members page does not list Hawaiian Airlines, while oneworld's benefits page and Cathay's oneworld page do. The pages differ, so this guide does not count it as a member.
Can SkyTeam Elite Plus members use lounges on domestic flights?
Since 1 April 2025, Elite Plus members get lounge access on domestic flights at select lounges of SkyTeam members. SkyTeam's release of 6 October 2025 counts 32 participating lounges in China, run by China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines. Access is not available at all member lounges.
How big is each alliance?
oneworld's members page says its network serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Star Alliance's members page says its 26 airlines serve over 1,150 airports across 190 countries. SkyTeam's fact sheet, updated August 2026, gives 960+ destinations and 165+ countries. The three pages count different things, so do not read them as a ranking.
Need a business class quote?
If you plan a trip on a oneworld, Star Alliance or SkyTeam airline, send us your route and dates and we will reply with a business class quote: contact us.
