First look at Star Alliance benefits for Air India Flying Returns members

As you'd be aware, Air India was announced last week as Star Alliance's 27th member. The membership will be effective 11 July 2014. There has been a reasonable amount of speculation on this blog, as also Live from a Lounge (and others too), as to what benefits in Star Alliance will accrue to members of Silver Edge, Golden Edge and Maharaja Clubs levels, in AI's Flying Returns program.

While the details are being worked out, here's a first look at status parity, announced by Air India:

So, AI Flying Returns Silver Edge club members are being mapped to Star Alliance Silver, and AI Flying Returns Golden Edge Club and Maharajah Club members are given Star Alliance Gold privileges. The benefits for AI Silver and AI Gold/Platinum match exactly with Star Alliance status benefits, though I can't be sure why they changed the order or the language of the benefits!

Here is the full description of these benefits:

• Priority Airport Check-in: Star Alliance Gold Status allows you to check-in through the Priority check-in counters. With shorter queues checking-in, you can get to the lounge a little sooner.
• Airport Lounge Access: When you travel with any Star Alliance member airline, you and a guest can escape the crowds and relax in over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide, regardless of your class of travel.
• Priority Boarding: There's no need to rush out of the lounge anymore. With priority boarding you can enjoy the freedom of boarding at your convenience along with First and Business Class passengers.
• Extra Baggage Allowance: As a Gold Status holder you can choose not to travel light. We allow an additional 20 kg (44 pounds) where the weight concept applies, or one additional piece of luggage where the piece concept applies.
• Priority Baggage Handling: Similar to you, your bags get priority treatment and are among the first to be unloaded, which means you can be one of the first in line for a taxi/shuttle bus.
• Priority Reservations Waitlist: If there aren't any seats available on your preferred flight, we ensure that you are given higher priority on the waiting list.
• Priority Airport Standby: If your travel plans change and flights are full, your Star Alliance Gold status ensures you are given higher priority when standing by for a flight at the airport.

To recap - it takes 25,000, 50,000 and 75,000 miles to be earned, to gain membership of the Silver Edge, Golden Edge, and Maharajah clubs, respectively, on AI's Flying Returns program. Those numbers are by level, so you can't start from scratch, earn say 55k miles, and expect Gold - you'll be Silver with 30k earned towards Gold, etc etc.

To be honest, this is the exact status equivalence I was expecting, since anything else (read: AI Gold = Star Alliance Silver) would have been very unfriendly towards AI frequent fliers. This also now opens up other avenues, which I will write about shortly.