Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance by market share, traces its humble origins to 1997, when Air Canada, Lufthansa, SAS, Thai Airways, and United Airlines formed what was the world's first global airline alliance. Members of the alliance are required to paint a small percentage of their fleet in the alliance's livery.

All of United's currently 737-800s were formerly of Continental Airlines, then a SkyTeam member. Continental switched to Star Alliance in 2009 to facilitate its ongoing merger talks with United. The two airlines would eventually combine in 2010, being fully integrated by March 2012.

N33284 was originally delivered to Continental in March 2004 and became part of United's fleet in 2010, along with the merger of the two companies. She was painted in the Star Alliance livery in September 2024, becoming one of six 737-800s in United's fleet to fly in these colors.

Made using BaconEggs's excellent blank 737-800, and N908QD's split scimitar winglets.