Star Alliance Lounge Access: Rules and Exceptions

How the published framework is organised

The Star Alliance lounge at Los Angeles (LAX) is in the Tom Bradley International Terminal on the sixth floor and reachable by the elevator at the clock tower in the main atrium, open 08:00–01:00 on all days. The Star Alliance lounge at Rio de Janeiro (GIG) is in Terminal 2, Level 3, after duty free and before the gates, open 12:00–02:00 on all days [1].

Beyond that sales route, the page does not set out the alliance-level eligibility rules that would decide complimentary entry — what role cabin plays, how Star Alliance status tiers are treated, or whether a same-day international itinerary is required. What the page does make clear is that entry is administered lounge by lounge: each lounge holds its own terms and conditions for entry, including dress code and conduct, which visitors must follow [1].

Reserving a lounge and passing the door

A booking fixes the lounge, the date and the arrival time before payment, and the traveller then selects the number of lounge accesses for the party, which the page limits to nine persons, completes checkout and receives a confirmation email to present at the entrance [1]. Where a lounge restricts purchase times and no access is shown for the chosen date and time, a different date and time has to be selected [1]. Access can also be bought at the counter by scanning a barcode at the lounge entrance, with date and time already preselected, and a counter purchase allows the traveller to proceed to entry straight away [1].

At the door the reservation is shown together with a valid boarding pass for the same day of travel, and identification may be requested at any time [1]. A reservation may be made for another person provided the full name matches the name on the boarding pass, and any guests added to a reservation are admitted only in the presence of the person in whose name the reservation was made [1]. The person making the reservation must be at least 18 years old [1]. Children's access is decided lounge by lounge: some lounges admit children without charge, while others require access to be bought for every child entering [1].

Changes are limited. First name, last name, email address, flight number and comments can be edited, but the reservation date and time cannot, so a different slot means cancelling and booking again [1].

Refunds, fees and length of stay

Refund treatment turns on timing and on the flight. A reservation cancelled more than 24 hours before the estimated time of entry is fully refunded where the flight was cancelled or delayed by more than four hours [1]. Where the purchase itself was made less than 24 hours before the estimated time of entry, the refund is partial and excludes a service fee of 5% of the transaction total [1]. If no cancellation is made and the flight is not cancelled or delayed by more than four hours, the reservation is not refunded [1]. Cancellation runs through the Manage my Reservation link in the confirmation email, and not every cancellation is eligible for a refund [1].

Taxes and service fees are already included in the lounge price shown [1]. A reservation provides for a maximum three-hour stay unless the access document or the lounge indicates otherwise, and some lounges sell several stay durations at different prices, with operating hours worth checking alongside the access policy [1]. A completed reservation guarantees entry, subject to lounge policies such as dress code and valid identification [1].

Exceptions and limits

• One lounge, not the airport. A purchased access is valid only for the lounge reserved; the holder is not eligible to enter another lounge at the same airport [1].
• Airline condition. Access can be bought only where the traveller is flying on a Star Alliance member carrier flight [1].
• House rules at the door. Lounges apply their own terms and conditions for entry, including dress code and conduct, which visitors must observe [1].
• Refused despite a reservation. Where entry is denied although a purchase was made and a reference number issued, Star Alliance directs the traveller to email [email protected] with the lounge name, the approximate time of entry, the name of the agent spoken to if known, and the reason given, so the lounge can be contacted [1].
• Party size wording. One answer limits a reservation to a travel party of up to nine persons including the person booking, while another describes purchasing access for a maximum of nine additional guests under the same reservation, so the headcount that applies should be settled during the booking flow [1].
• Children. No single rule applies across the network: complimentary child access and paid child access both appear, and the policy of the specific lounge governs [1].
• Not covered here.

Related pages

Work through the practical steps with the lounge access checklist, or read the wider alliance background in the Star Alliance guide. Definitions used on this page sit in the glossary. Airliner programme pages such as MileagePlus and Aeroplan cover the rules of individual carriers, which this page does not.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It does not cover the lounge rules of individual member airlines or of particular frequent flyer programmes such as Aeroplan or MileagePlus, and it does not describe status-tier guest policies, complimentary cabin-based entry or airline-specific location exceptions; those are not covered here.

1. Star Alliance paid lounge access and lounge FAQs, checked 18 October 2026