UA Gold (*A gold) on TG benefits?

[Daver6]

I'm not very familiar with *A benefits in general. Given UA gold which is *A gold, what benefits does one get on TG in Y? Do you get access to preferred/paid seating. I couldn't see anything to suggest this, but coming from OW, that would seem like a pretty basic benefit not to get.

Looks like you get access to J check-in and boarding as well as lounge access.

I find the TG website so terrible to use, I'd actually avoid flying TG in again in future. I needed to call for basic stuff like changing a FF number. Then the staff messed that up so I'm going to need to call again

 

[trooper]

An extra bag, Lounge access, Priority boarding and security (where available) Preferred seating has never been a published *G benefit...of course you may get lucky at check in, some airlines provide more than published benefits.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Preferred seating has never been a published *G benefit...of course you may get lucky at check in, some airlines provide more than published benefits.

That's correct Star Alliance is the only airline alliance I'm aware of that doesn't provide alliance wide complimentary priority seat selection (SkyTeam and OneWorld do).

However, yes there are certainly unpublished benefits that come your way. For instance, as a UA*Gold flying Air Canada a few times, there were occasions where I was upgraded at the gate to business. In other words they had to do an operational upgrade because they ran out of seats in coach, and prioritize who to "bump" up to business based on status. On EgyptAir, the captains always came out to say high, thank your for flying EgyptAir as a Star Alliance Gold, and shake your hand. Then of course there is the whole Lufthansa Group carve out for United Premier Golds (and above), which meant that you could buy the cheapest EuroWings economy fare yet have access to the Lufthansa Senator lounge when travelling. I remember, visiting lounges at Berlin Tegel and Dusseldorf flying to Vegas on a $200 CAD EuroWings basic fare. At first, the attendant told me I'm not allowed in, I then asked them if they could humour me and look up the United rules. To their shock there was indeed a carve out for United Premier Golds offering lounge access.

 

[trooper]

That SEN lounge access works of course for all *Golds... ( I was pleasantly surprised as an NZ Gold)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That SEN lounge access works of course for all *Golds... ( I was pleasantly surprised as an NZ Gold)

Bizarre. Full fare business gets relegated to the business lounge while economy gets the elevated senator lounge. You’d think it should be the other way around!

 

[kangarooflyer88]

That SEN lounge access works of course for all *Golds... ( I was pleasantly surprised as an NZ Gold)

Do you mean to say that you can access Senator lounges flying EuroWings basic economy as an NZ Gold? That's news to me. It's my understanding that this carve out was specific to ANA and United and it ended sometime in 2020 IIRC.

Bizarre. Full fare business gets relegated to the business lounge while economy gets the elevated senator lounge. You’d think it should be the other way around!

I mean there's not a huge difference between the Senator lounge and the business class lounge in most cases. Certainly the Senator lounge cannot hold a candle up to the First Class lounge or terminal.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Do you mean to say that you can access Senator lounges flying EuroWings basic economy as an NZ Gold? That's news to me. It's my understanding that this carve out was specific to ANA and United and it ended sometime in 2020 IIRC.

I mean there's not a huge difference between the Senator lounge and the business class lounge in most cases. Certainly the Senator lounge cannot hold a candle up to the First Class lounge or terminal.

Not as much difference these days, but go back 10 years and the business class lounges were a very poor relation of the senator lounges… dull, dark, limited seating and food options. Sort of like a ‘ye olde qantas club’ or the melbourne dungeon!