The largest airport lounge networks are operated by the airlines themselves, with discounts for passengers who have elite status and sometimes complimentary
access on international itineraries.
Elite status normally doesn't grant access to lounges by itself, though mid-tier status on most carriers will include access to domestic and international
lounges on international itineraries.
This trip is a great example of how incredibly effective miles can be when put toward business and first class travel,
especially on international itineraries, and even more - so on those effectively utilizing open - jaw and stopover options.
United had relatively friendly award routing rules that allowed one stopover and two open jaws on roundtrip award tickets.Those rules are gone now though and have been replaced by the «Excursionist Perk,» which is essentially a free
segment on an international itinerary.
First, Delta has done away with stopovers on awards, which means that any stop greater than 4 hours on a domestic trip, or 24
hours on an international itinerary, will cause the journey to be priced out with an additional segment.
SkyTeam ElitePlus status includes partner lounge access
on international itineraries, even in economy
A SkyTeam Elite Plus member would definitely get
it on an international itinerary, but may or may not get it on a domestic itinerary.