In general, airline elite status isn’t quite as valuable as it used to be — upgrades are harder to get, award charts have been devalued, and many perks have been cut back. However, I’d argue that alliance-wide status continues to be very valuable, for the premium perks it offers across a number of airlines.
When I think of my international flying memories, the perks I’ve received on account of my oneworld Emerald status are among my favorites. I wanted to dedicate this post to why I love oneworld Emerald status so much, as I’m sure I’m not alone.
In this post:
What is airline alliance status?
There are three major global airline alliances — oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam — and combined they have dozens of airline members. Not all airlines belong to a global alliance, though many major airlines do.
One of the benefits of these alliances for frequent flyers is that there’s a certain level of reciprocity when it comes to elite perks.
You don’t earn elite status directly with an alliance, but rather you earn status with a member airline, and that status maps over to an alliance elite tier. Just to give some examples:
- American AAdvantage Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro, and Alaska Mileage Plan MVP Gold 100K and MVP Gold 75K, gets you oneworld Emerald
- Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion, Platinum Medallion, and Gold Medallion, gets you SkyTeam Elite Plus
- United MileagePlus Premier 1K, Premier Platinum, and Premier Gold, gets you Star Alliance Gold
Personally I think oneworld Emerald status is the most valuable of those by far, so let me share why.
What are the benefits of oneworld Emerald status?
The oneworld alliance has three elite tiers — Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. Emerald is the top tier status, and is typically earned with having high level status in a oneworld frequent flyer program.
What are the perks of oneworld Emerald status? Here are the high-level benefits, roughly in the order that I value them:
- Access to first & business class lounges
- Access to preferred and pre-reserved seating
- Priority boarding
- Extra baggage allowance
- Access to first class check-in
- Fast track at select security lanes
- Priority baggage handling
- Priority on waitlists and when on standby
Below I wanted to go into a bit more detail on the benefits above that I value most.
Lounge access with oneworld Emerald
The single best perk of oneworld Emerald status is the lounge access benefit, as members receive access to oneworld first & business class lounges when traveling on a oneworld flight the same day in any cabin. They’re allowed to even bring one guest with them (also traveling on a oneworld flight).
Now, there are a few things to be aware of:
- Those earning oneworld Emerald status through American AAdvantage or Alaska Mileage Plan only get lounge access when traveling outside of North America, while other oneworld Emerald members get lounge access even when traveling domestically; in other words, non-AAdvantage and Mileage Plan oneworld Emeralds can even use American Flagship Lounges when traveling within the US
- Certain lounges are excluded from this benefit, including the Chelsea Lounge New York, British Airways Concorde Room, Qatar Airways Al Safwa Lounge Doha, Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge Doha, and Qatar Airways Premium Lounges outside of Qatar
As far as I’m concerned, this leaves some really phenomenal oneworld Emerald lounges, including some that I’d rank among the best first class lounges around the world.
This ranges from Cathay Pacific’s The Pier First Class Lounge Hong Kong…
…to Qantas’ First Lounge Sydney.
Preferred & pre-reserved seating with oneworld Emerald
I wish this weren’t actually a benefit that I valued, but unfortunately some airlines in oneworld charge for seat assignments, even in business class. For example:
- British Airways charges for seat assignments in business class
- Qatar Airways sells unbundled business class fares, which don’t allow seat assignments in advance for non-elite members
While I’d probably otherwise usually book away from airlines with policies like this, oneworld Emerald status makes this a non-issue, as I can continue to select seats in advance for free.
Do note that each airline has a different policy when it comes to assigning oneworld Emerald members priority economy seats. Some will assign extra legroom economy seats for free (for example, American gives oneworld Emerald members with joint venture partners free Main Cabin Extra seats), while others won’t.
Priority check-in & boarding with oneworld Emerald
As a oneworld Emerald member you can generally check in with international first class, and also board with international first class. Personally I love this perk, because when I review flights it’s handy to be able to board business class when first class boards, so I can snap pictures of the cabin before it gets too full.
Note that the exact policy of each airline differs. For example:
- While British Airways and Cathay Pacific let oneworld Emeralds board with international first class, American only lets oneworld Emeralds board after all premium cabin passengers
- Those who earn oneworld Emerald through American AAdvantage or Alaska Mileage Plan can only use American’s Flagship First Check-In when flying on select international flights
Extra baggage allowance with oneworld Emerald status
While I only travel with hand luggage a majority of the time, for those times where I check luggage, the extra oneworld Emerald baggage allowance comes in handy:
- For tickets that have a weight limit, you get an extra 20kg of luggage
- For tickets that have a piece system, you get one additional bag
For example, while American Airlines domestic first class passengers get two free checked bags up to 70 pounds each, as an Executive Platinum member (oneworld Emerald) I get a third free checked bag with the same weight limit.
How does oneworld status compare to others?
Why do I prefer oneworld Emerald status to top tier status with Star Alliance or SkyTeam? First of all, the oneworld alliance is the only one to have a true “top tier” alliance-wide status. For example, Star Alliance Gold is the highest Star Alliance status, and you generally get that with mid-tier airline status. Big picture:
- Star Alliance Gold doesn’t get you access to international first class lounges with any airlines, while I consider that to be the single best oneworld Emerald perk (and please, no one tell me that Lufthansa Senator Lounges are in fact first class lounges)
- SkyTeam Elite Plus is just generally uncompetitive; for example, SkyTeam Elite Plus members with non-US airlines don’t even get lounge access when traveling domestically within the US, while elite members with oneworld and Star Alliance do
Bottom line
While there’s value to airline status in general, I find that reciprocal alliance perks really shine with oneworld Emerald. Any time I consider giving up on status with American Airlines, I’m reminded of how much I’d miss oneworld Emerald status. There’s something about the peak experiences that the status allows that makes me really value it.
It sure is nice to fly American business class out of LAX and use the Qantas First Lounge, or to fly Cathay Pacific business class on a regional flight out of HKG and use the Cathay Pacific First Lounge.
Anyone else love oneworld Emerald as much as I do? And anyone disagree with my take, and prefer status with Star Alliance and/or SkyTeam?
99% of the article text is actually unnecessary, as Emerald is 99% identical to Star Alliance or SkyTeam top tiers (both of them offering lounge access, priority security/boarding/luggage, free/better seat selection, extra baggage etc.).
The single difference is indeed access to First class lounges, which sure is cool, but is it worth all the fuss of a dedicated article for it?
It's funny that an expert like you would put a picture of Chelsea lounge which is not an Emerald lounge
@ B Trunsh -- There's no picture of the Chelsea Lounge in this post. Where are you seeing that?
Do LATAM Black members get SkyClub access on domestic Delta itineraries?
I have been EXP for 6 years now and don't regret making it each year. I have United 3k Gold for life but as said above the LH in FRA which says it is a F lounge is a joke. I have been often in the AA Flagship JFK, BA F lounge in LHR, CX F Pier in HKG and LAX QF lounges. Even the UA Polaris lounge comes maybe second the the Emerald lounges.
Interesting that you go into detail about the lounge exclusions in North America but you have left out the exclusion of BA hand-baggage-only fares which arguably makes OWE status less valuable than SkyTeam Elite (not even Elite Plus!) for European travel.
I can't seem to reconcile tier status (which affords an elevated travel experience) with baggage-only fares. It reminds me of a reader who once complained how it was so unfair that the people in first class got champagne but the people in economy don't.
The entire point of status is to get premium class benefits on economy fares. If I spend £500 on the 1.5 hour flight between London and Milan, the ticket will include lounge access, the facility to check a couple of suitcases plus priority check in/security/baggage handling without any need for shiny cards.
Status will only come in handy if/when I am not happy with the price tag of a business class ticket.
Status, specifically Emerald, also comes in handy for access to first class lounges (eg. BA, Cathay, Qantas, Soho, JAL). A business class ticket alone will not get you into these lounges; Emerald status, by itself, will.
Status, specifically Emerald, also comes in handy for access to first class lounges (eg. BA, Cathay, Qantas, Soho, JAL, Malaysia, Finnair). A business class ticket alone will not get you into these lounges; Emerald status, by itself, will.
First class lounge access can obviously be good, but lounges such as the BA First ones which are not for ticketed F pax aren't life-changingly better than business (or Senator) ones. Unlike all other status levels [on any alliance], the value of OWE varies hugely depending on routes flown.
That may be true between London and Milan when you've paid for a business class ticket, but on other routes and other fares the status comes in handy in other ways. Such as accessing First Class lounges where they are available, or accessing any lounge in the US on domestic flights regardless of fare purchased, or getting access to premium economy seats with partners on economy fares. I agree with the theme of the post,...
That may be true between London and Milan when you've paid for a business class ticket, but on other routes and other fares the status comes in handy in other ways. Such as accessing First Class lounges where they are available, or accessing any lounge in the US on domestic flights regardless of fare purchased, or getting access to premium economy seats with partners on economy fares. I agree with the theme of the post, which is that one of the nicest benefits of status is the access to first class lounges. I frequently use the Qantas First Lounge at LAX when flying LAX-SFO in economy or US domestic "first", and I've used the Cathay First Lounge at LHR and the JAL First Lounge at HND while flying business class in the past 6 months. Seemed well worth the relatively small additional cost that I've paid out to reach OWE status.
I absolutely agree that a business class ticket will provide virtually all of the benefits that tier status affords. But, you make it sound as if lounge access is the only benefit. And, a lounge is a lounge. And, that might be your preference. Fair enough. But, one has to love First Wing check-in and security at T5. And, if departing from T3, CP's first class lounge is tops.
What is the easiest Oneworld program to achieve Emerald status ?
The answer is highly dependent on one's circumstances and is best determined by a person asking oneself a series of what-if questions. If a person based in the US does a lot of flying on AA and can muster up four segments on BA, BA Gold might be the easiest path. Or, if a person does about $10k or of shopping on AA's shopping portal during the holiday season (when there are substantial point bonuses), one can hit Platinum Pro. Does the person live in Spain?
Thanks Lee. Canada based, and so US credit cards for loyalty tier movement aren't an option. It'll be down to flying.
I don't have the same status with One World but I have a Star Alliance HON Circle because 90% of my flights are with Star Alliance Companies and I believe I have at least the same Perks.
Nah your status wouldn’t get you in the SQ First or Private Room lounges, ANA suite lounges nor the Polaris lounges while OW Emeralds happily gets QF, CX and JL first lounge access flying in coach. That’s a significant difference to me.
Star Alliance itself has no tier status that affords access to constituent airline first class lounges. Individual airlines within Star Alliance might have tier status that affords access to ITS OWN first class lounges. But, such tier status does not extend access to the first class lounges of other Star Alliance airlines.
@ JW & Lee, sure, you're both right but I have other options to enter those Lounges and to be honest I rarely fly SQ let alone ANA. So everything works fine for me with my Star Alliance Status. Knowing the right people at the right place also helps.
Considering that the vast majority of airports don't even have first class lounges available, and that the best lounges are still off-limits, the advantage of OWE over *G can be small to marginal for very many flyers.
let me get my popcorn and wait for timmy d to explain why ACTUALLY DELTA STATUS IS BETTER BECAUSE THEIR STOCK IS HIGHER!!!!! DUH
I find SkyTeam status to be absolutely useless. But, was this comment necessary?