Your Marriott Status Can Get You Into Air India Lounges

A lot of people in India have Marriott Platinum status. Credit card perks, work travel, or just enough hotel stays over the years. It sits there, gets you late checkout and room upgrades when available.

But did you know it can also get you into airport lounges?

Marriott and Singapore Airlines have a partnership that lets you convert your hotel status into airline status. And if you play it right, you end up with Star Alliance Gold. That's the status that unlocks lounges across 26 airlines, including Air India.

What You Get

Marriott Gold Elite: Take 2 Singapore Airlines flights within 6 months and you'll get KrisFlyer Silver. Nice, but not life-changing.

Marriott Platinum, Titanium, or Ambassador: This is where it gets interesting. You get instant KrisFlyer Silver. Then take 4 Singapore Airlines flights within 6 months, and you're upgraded to KrisFlyer Gold.

KrisFlyer Gold comes with Star Alliance Gold. And that's the real prize.

Why Star Alliance Gold Matters in India

Air India is part of Star Alliance. So your Star Alliance Gold status works on every Air India flight, domestic or international.

Here's what you get:

Lounge access. Flying Mumbai to Delhi for work? Walk into the Air India lounge. No more waiting at crowded gates. This alone makes it worth it if you fly even a few times a year.

Extra baggage. Star Alliance Gold gives you an additional checked bag on most routes. If you've ever paid ₹3,000 for an extra suitcase, you know how quickly this adds up.

Priority check-in. Skip the regular queue. Use the business class counter even if you're flying economy. On a Monday morning at Mumbai T2, this is a lifesaver.

Priority boarding. Board early, get overhead bin space, settle in without the chaos.

Priority baggage. Your bags come out first. Small thing, but surprisingly satisfying after a long flight.

And this works across all Star Alliance airlines. Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, United, ANA. You're covered globally.

How to Actually Do It

Step 1: Check your Marriott status. You need Platinum or higher for the Gold accelerator. Gold Elite members can only reach KrisFlyer Silver. Don't have Platinum yet? There's an unpublished challenge that gets you there in 16 nights.

Step 2: Go to the Marriott partnership page and link your KrisFlyer account. Your name needs to match exactly on both.

Step 3: Wait about a week. You'll see KrisFlyer Silver appear in your account, valid for 12 months.

Step 4: Book 4 Singapore Airlines flights within 6 months. A round trip counts as 2 flights, so you really just need 2 return trips.

Step 5: After your 4th flight posts, you'll be upgraded to KrisFlyer Gold with Star Alliance Gold benefits.

The Fine Print

Only Singapore Airlines operated flights count. If the flight number starts with SQ and it's actually flown by Singapore Airlines, you're good. Codeshares where another airline operates the flight don't qualify.

Award tickets don't count either. You need to pay cash for these flights.

From India, Singapore Airlines flies out of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Kochi. So there are plenty of options. If you're planning a trip to Singapore, Southeast Asia, Australia, or connecting anywhere via Changi, these flights would count anyway.

Is It Worth the Effort?

If you already have Marriott Platinum and you're planning any travel through Singapore in the next 6 months, absolutely. Two round trips. That's all it takes. And you walk away with 12 months of lounge access on Air India and every other Star Alliance carrier.

For someone who flies domestic 4-5 times a year, the lounge access alone makes this worthwhile. Add the baggage allowance and priority perks, and it's hard to say no.