United Airlines has overhauled its lounge access policy and–in some circumstances–dramatically raised membership prices to its network of United Club lounges.
United Airlines Announces Two Lounge Membership Tiers, New Pricing For United Club Access
While not quite as draconian as Delta’s recent changes, United Airlines is introducing two lounge tiers, limiting access, and raising prices for lounge membership.
Before today, annual membership to the United Club ranged from $550 to $650 per year, with discounts offered to United MileagePlus elite members:
That membership included access for two guests.
Effective today, however, United is rolling out two tiers of United Club membership:
United Club Individual Membership
Priced at $750/year (or 94,000 miles) with no discounts for MileagePlus elite members, this membership will only allow access to United Clubs (no Star Alliance partner lounges) and will not allow complimentary guest access (guests will cost $59 each).
United Club All Access Membership
Priced at $1450/year (or 175,000 miles), this membership will allow access to United Clubs for the member plus two guests and also allow access to “all” Star Alliance lounges worldwide.
MileagePlus Premier members can purchase this membership at a discount:
- Premier Platinum – $1,300 or 163,000 miles
- Premier 1K members – $1,200 or 150,000 miles
- Global Service members – $1,000 or 125,000 miles
The new prices are effective immediately, but current members will only see the price increase on their date of renewal. When your current membership expires, you’ll be offered a choice between individual or all-access membership (and be charged accordingly).
Annual Fees Go Up For Lounge Access Via Credit Card
United is also raising the annual fee of its Chase co-branded United Club Infinite card and United Club Business Card from $450-525 to $695, which offers entry for the primary cardmember and one guest and any dependents under 18.
Cardmemebrs can upgrade to an “All Access” membership (meaning they can bring in two guests) by earning Premier Gold status or spending $50,000 in eligible purchases.
I’ll outline United’s new card and updated co-branded credit card products in a separate post.
New Three-Hour Time Limit
Passengers using a one-time pass to enter the lounge will be limited to lounge access only three hours or less prior to departure. This does not apply on a connecting itinerary in the connecting city if the layover is longer than three hours.
Time limits will not be placed on those accessing via other means including class of service, status, or membership.
Thankfully, this policy is not nearly as restrictive as Delta’s policy…
Lounge Passes Not Transferable
One more negative change. One-time lounge passes earned via a co-branded credit card will no longer be freely transferable. Effective August 1, 2025, only cardmembers and guests traveling with them can use one-time lounge passes.
These one-time passes will no longer be valid at any Club Fly Lounge (Denver and Houston).
What About Lifetime Club Members?
Lifetime members of the United Club will be given “All Access” membership, though the age for eligible dependents will be lowered from 21 to 18.
CONCLUSION
United Airlines has overhauled its lounge access membership with prices going way up for those who tend to travel with guests. With Delta making even more restrictive changes to its lounge access policy, I saw it as only a matter of time before United would raise prices…
This is bad news (especially because United Clubs do not tend to be as crowded as Delta lounges)…but it could have been far worse.
Am I understanding this correctly? If I have a base membership only I can get in, but if I have the credit card I can bring my wife and kids in?
Also, small correction: the current annual fee is $525
That is correct…makes so much more sense to have Club Card from Chase.
Business Club card annual fee was $450.
Now I’m reading that if you have united gold or higher or spend 50k, you get upgraded to all access membership.
Seems like these restrictions are only for people with bad credit
What about lifetime United Club Members
They will get the “All Access” membership, but dependent access will be lowered from age 21 to age 18.
I let my family use my 2 annual club passes. Stopping this seems extremely petty. If UA thinks there’s some kind of abuse, then restrict use to additional cardholders on the account. It’s only 2 passes!
Well, depending on how UA handles this for United club Card holders, this could be my last year as a UC member. Those new fees are tough to justify
So what I’m reading is that United is pushing everyone to just get the Club Card from Chase…as you mentioned, this could be a lot worse, ie Delta
My United credit card renews on July 4, looks like I just made the cut-off for United Club passes to be used by someone else for almost a year. Little victories…
How do the economics of a $1,450 membership work out for anyone?
They don’t.
They are trying to effectively force you to get a United credit card.
I’m assuming current benefits apply until renewal date? I bought a membership 6 months ago, which allows me to bring my spouse and my kids in (including one who is above 18 but below 21 years old). Am I correct to assume that this will still be allowed for the remaining 6 months of my current term?
Correct.
Food is step above vomit. People who renew need a psychiatric exam.
When does this policy go into effect?
These one-time passes will no longer be valid at any Club Fly Lounge.
August 1, 2025
Given continued improvements I am seeing it doesn’t sting as much. I travel alone normally anyway so basic is fine. I will not at all engage their card though. I prefer using UA for flying and Citi and Amex for point transfers on multiple airlines.
I doubt that the All Access membership will fly with too many. Watch that to be lowered or scrapped in the future.
Twice in my life, including this past January, I purchased a one-time United Club pass off of ebay. I guess that will no longer be an option.
I sort of understand the domestic lounge access membership thing within the US, but is there really a market for selling access to *A lounges to UA elites who are already entitled to use them by virtue of their *G status?
There is a non-insignificant amount of people who have access to the US banking system, but live mostly in Europe or Asia, and redeem a lot of miles on Star carriers, mostly in Y. For these folks, getting lounge access is fairly valuable. I speak from experience as from 2014 – 2016 I was one of those people.
But those people would presumably either be *G and get access through status during their Y trips or not travel enough to justify paying 3 times the Priority Pass subscription rate!
Wow. Pricing makes sense (500 for unlimited access was always a sweetheart deal for frequent flyers) but surprised they value their own miles at under 1 cpm! That alone is brand negative.
Any word on which tier JP Morgan credit card holders will get?
All Access
I hope you are right about JP Morgan cardholders getting All Access but Dan says no.
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/airlines/united/wow-united-massively-overhauls-credit-card-program-and-lounge-access-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
Matt, would you be able to confirm this. I’m being told that JP Morgan cardholders don’t get all access as a card benefit.
Will Lifetime Premier Gold (Million Milers) still get United Club access and foreign Star Alliance access on international flights?
Yes.
They don’t.
They are trying to effectively force you to get a United credit card.
Thanks for posting this. This is even less of a reason to join an airline lounge/club that I haven’t been party to in years and has some of the worst food outside of the local 7/11.
To be honest I have signed up for a day or two in the past few years ($59 p/p per day as I recall) but only in airports where the food was even worse than what UAL offered.
Thank Goodness I fly Emirates in a few weeks!!!!
Can star alliance gold members and 1 guest still get to access the lounges in the U.S. when flying from the U.S. to a destination outside of the continental U.S. on an economy ticket free of charge? Ex: ORD to CUN or ORD to SJO, etc.?
Yes. No change there.
Thanks for clarifying these changes. So if my renewal on my credit card is May 1st will I have to pay the new higher renewal fee?
It’s worse than that…
Even with 1k status, first class domestic boarding pass and a club card , you are no longer allowed to access the lounge IF YOUR FLIGHT IS NOT CROSS COUNTRY IE. EWR TO LAX !!!!?
BUT GOLD IS ALLOWED ID FLYING EWR TO LAX. BUT 1k not allowed if flying DEN TO DFW.
This is real experience and confirmed by UA
GO WOKE AND GO BROKE UNITED !!!!