[1] As of April 2024, it is also the world's largest airline alliance by market share, holding 17.4%, compared to 13.7% for SkyTeam and 11.9% for Oneworld.

[6] Star Alliance has 25 member airlines that operate a combined fleet of over 5,000 aircraft, serving more than 1,300 airports in 195 countries on more than 19,000 daily departures.

The alliance has a two-tier rewards program, Silver and Gold, with incentives including priority boarding and upgrades.

[17] With Singapore Airlines' entry into the alliance, Thai Airways considered moving to OneWorld, but eventually decided to remain.

[19] That year the now-defunct BWIA West Indies Airways, which had entered an alliance with United Airlines, considered becoming a member but did not.

[21] Partner airlines promoted the Star Alliance brand with a ‘Round the World’ ticket (RWT) that offered choices of 19,000, 21,000, and 23,000 miles with stopovers of 15 cities valid for one year.

[27] Although Star Alliance invited Lineas Aereas Azteca in 2005 to join in mid-2007, the airline filed for bankruptcy.

[30] By May 2007, Star Alliance's 10th anniversary, its members had a combined 16,000 daily departures to 855 destinations in 155 countries and served 406 million passengers annually.

The alliance introduced Biosphere Connections, a partnership with UNESCO, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands to promote environmental sustainability.

[36] EgyptAir, Egypt's national airline and Star Alliance's second African carrier, joined on 11 July 2008.

[37] On 27 October 2009, Continental Airlines became the 25th member of Star Alliance after leaving SkyTeam three days earlier.

[39] Brazilian carrier TAM Airlines joined Star Alliance on 13 May 2010,[40] increasing its foothold in South America.

[46] 2012 and 2013 were tumultuous years for Star Alliance, starting with two key departures but ending with a major move into Latin America.

In Europe, Spanair ceased operations, and BMI left after being acquired by International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of Oneworld members Iberia and British Airways.

Avianca Brasil joined in this way on 22 July 2015, bringing the alliance back into the Brazilian market and partially filling the void left by TAM.

[62] South African Airways' low-cost subsidiary, Mango, was initially announced to join as a Connecting Partner in Q3 2016,[63] but has since been delayed.

No date was given when the airline will depart Star Alliance, until Asiana will end its 38 years of operation and will be integrated to Korean Air in 2026.

As a result of the investment, Scandinavian Airlines left Star Alliance on 31 August 2024 and joined SkyTeam on 1 September 2024.

Since August 2022, the German railway provider Deutsche Bahn has been the first intermodal partner of the Star Alliance, whose airlines have been able to assign their own flight numbers for trains.

These two status levels entitle special Star Alliance premium customer benefits and privileges.

[110][111] Star Alliance Gold is given to customers who have reached a higher level of a member airline's frequent-flyer program.

Benefits are priority reservations waitlist, airport stand-by, check-in and baggage handling; an additional checked luggage allowance of 20 kilograms (44 lb) (or one extra piece, where the piece rule applies), and access to designated Star Alliance Gold lounges the day and place of departure with the presentation of a Star Alliance boarding pass.

Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand were two exceptions: Singapore Airlines formerly kept its logo on the tails of its aircraft, but now uses the Star Alliance logo on white tails, while Air New Zealand now uses full black livery with reversed colored original Star Alliance livery elements.