ITA Airways Officially Joining Star Alliance on April 1

We’ve finally reached the point we knew was coming. Italy’s ITA Airways has joined Star Alliance.

At an event in the Piazza di Spagna Lounge in Rome’s Fiumicino Airport (FCO), executives from the airline and the alliance celebrated the fact ITA will join the alliance on April 1, 2026.

“On behalf of our members, I am delighted to welcome ITA Airways as the 26th member of Star Alliance. This is the result of a focused and collaborative integration effort,” said Theo Panagiotoulias, CEO of Star Alliance.

Here’s what this means for travelers going forward.

Background: A Busy Year at ITA Airways

ITA rose from the ashes of Alitalia, and the airline joined the SkyTeam alliance in late 2021. However, the airline continually struggled with its finances, and Lufthansa Group bought a 41% stake in ITA, which was finalized in January 2025.

Since then, ITA has exited SkyTeam and begun integration into the Lufthansa Group.

Since Lufthansa and its group members are in Star Alliance, we assumed at the time that ITA Airways would eventually move to Star Alliance. That suspicion was furthered when it became possible to redeem miles from several Star Alliance members for ITA flights, including both United and Aeroplan — and United even announced reciprocal benefits. The real indicator, though, was when SkyTeam members started announcing the end of their partnerships with ITA.

Last week, ITA Airways announced the end of its Volare frequent flyer program. The program will shut down on March 30, 2026, as ITA will fold into the Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More program.

Air China Accidentally Revealed ITA’s Date for Joining Star Alliance

Spin your globe from all this focus on Europe, because the first news of ITA joining Star Alliance came from China.

Air China’s Phoenix Miles program posted a news update (available in Chinese only) stating that ITA Airways will join Star Alliance on April 1, 2026. The notice says that members will be able to earn miles and flight segments on ITA flights after this date and “enjoy the corresponding Star Alliance VIP benefits” if they put their Phoenix Miles number on the reservation. Air China’s notice also says award flights on ITA using Phoenix Miles will become available from that date.

It’s Now Official

Now that ITA and Star Alliance have officially confirmed the April 1 date, there’s no more need for speculation. ITA Airways will be a full member, offering all the benefits travelers expect. Those include through-checking baggage, status recognition, and earning and redeeming points with partners.

We’ll have to keep an eye on what those prices look like as they become available.

Final Thoughts

Hardly a week has gone by without some type of ITA Airways development in the past year. Whether that’s a new partnership, an existing partnership ending, or legal drama related to Lufthansa Group purchasing a major stake in the airline, there’s been a lot of buzz about Italy’s flag carrier.

Now, the airline is winding down its own rewards program, moving into the rewards program of Lufthansa Group, and finally — finally, after so many steps — joining Star Alliance on April 1.