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Guides
The rules, stated plainly: how each programme counts, what a status actually gets you, and what to know before you buy a premium ticket. Every figure is dated, because these change.
Miles & More Senator status: Star Alliance Gold in 2026
After this you will know which of the two Miles & More thresholds you are short of, what Senator costs to fly for, and whether a cheaper route to the same card suits you better.
oneworld status in 2026: Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby compared
Three ranks, and only two of them open a lounge. After this you will know which rank is worth chasing and which member programme your flights should be credited to.
Flying Blue status in 2026: XP for SkyTeam Elite Plus
Twelve short business segments reach the card that opens a lounge. After this you will know how many XP you need, and which two rules quietly take some of them back.
Airline status in 2026: costs, status match, cheapest routes
A paid match to the top rank in oneworld runs about 647 euros; flying for Star Alliance Gold runs about 1,954. After this you will know which door to use, and when no card is worth buying.
Separate tickets: who pays when you miss the connection?
Nobody does, and that is what the saving buys. Which protections you hand over when you split a trip into two bookings, and which of them you can buy back cheaply.
Through-checked bags on separate tickets: does it work?
Sometimes, and never because anybody owes it to you. What to plan for at the staging airport, so the bag costs you an hour instead of the long-haul ticket.
Business class cheaper abroad: 5,182 francs less in Budapest
The same SWISS First Class seat costs 8,638 francs sold in Zurich and 3,289 sold in Budapest. Why that gap exists, how often it is big enough to be worth a detour, and how to price your own route.
Hidden city ticketing 2026: is it allowed?
What the German federal court actually decided on 28 October 2025, what a skipped leg costs you whoever turns out to be right, and why our own searches use the opposite technique. This is not legal advice.
Lounge access: business class ticket or Star Alliance Gold
Two things open the door, and they fail in different places. Which lounge you can count on at your home airport when the cheap hop and the long-haul sit on separate bookings, and which you cannot.
Status on a cheap business fare: does it count in full?
In two of the four big programmes it counts exactly as much as an expensive ticket. In the other two the cheap fare earns proportionally less. Pick the programme before you book and a saved 300 francs costs you no status at all.