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Italy’s flag carrier, ITA Airways, is cozying up to a founding member of Star Alliance with the launch of reciprocal frequent flyer benefits. The new collaboration with United Airlines officially begins September 8th and gives passengers expanded earning, redemption, and lounge access opportunities. This comes in advance of ITA Airways joining Star Alliance in 2026 after its departure from SkyTeam in February and alignment with the Lufthansa Group earlier this year.
Starting next week, United MileagePlus® members will see the following benefits when flying ITA Airways:
- Earning Miles and Status Credits: MileagePlus® members will earn redeemable miles as well as elite-qualifying Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs) and Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) on ITA-operated flights.
- Redeeming Miles for ITA flights: Award bookings for ITA flights will be available on united.com.
- Lounge Access: United’s Premier Gold, Platinum, 1K®, and Global Services members will gain access to ITA Airways lounges across its network.
Full details can be found here.
ITA’s own loyalty program, Volare, will also begin offering reciprocal benefits for its members when flying with United Airlines. The partnership is especially significant during ITA’s current state where it officially exited SkyTeam but has yet to fully join Star Alliance.
Once fully integrated into Star Alliance, ITA is expected to roll out even broader partnerships with other member airlines to fully unlock a seamless global network for both business and leisure travelers. For now, this United partnership offers a major win for MileagePlus® members and provides access to ITA’s Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) hub and the connections it offers across Italy and Europe.
Anthony’s Take: I have enjoyed flying ITA Airways and its lounges. I am excited to have it fully join Star Alliance. As a Premier 1K® with United Airlines, I look forward to accessing the lounges (the same way I used to as a Delta Platinum Medallion member when ITA was part of SkyTeam).
(H/T: Upgraded Points.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
