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The New United Club℠ Card is United Airlines' most premium travel credit card. Despite commanding a hefty $695 annual fee, the United Club card packs healthy benefits that more than outweigh the fee — and deserves a look if United is your airline of choice.
Here's all you need to know about the United Club to help you decide if it's a good fit for your wallet.
- Limited-Time Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles
- 4x miles on United® purchases
- 2x miles on dining and all other travel
- 1x mile on all other purchases
- United Club℠ card membership - at least a $750 value
- Free first and second checked bags - a savings of up to $360 per roundtrip (terms apply) - and Premier Access® travel services
- Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount after $20,000 in purchases to use toward an eligible award flight - up to two times each calendar year
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining
- Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Page Contents
United Club Pros
- Complimentary United Club membership.
- Earns 4x miles on United Airlines purchases.
- Extensive travel-related perks.
- Purchase protections, fee credits, and more.
- Earn up to Premier 1K with credit card spending alone.
United Club Cons
- Steep annual fee of $695.
- Becomes less valuable for infrequent United flyers or those who can't utilize all of the perks.
- United doesn't publish an award chart, so it's hard to know what you can do with your miles.
United Club Welcome Bonus
New applicants for the United Club can earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
To put the 90,000 bonus miles into context, AwardWallet users typically redeem United miles at 1.94¢ apiece. At this rate, the bonus is worth $1,719 towards award travel!
This bonus is excellent but falls short of the card's all-time-high bonus, which was offered back in 2022.
Related: The Best Credit Card Offers This Month
United Club Benefits
The United Club packs some amazing benefits for United MileagePlus members, and the benefits more than make up for the high annual fee, assuming you can make use of them. Those benefits include:
United Club membership
The United Club‘s headline benefit is a complimentary United Club membership for as long as you remain a cardmember. If you were to buy a United Club membership without the card, here's what it could cost you:
| MileagePlus Status | Annual Membership Cost | Annual Membership Cost in Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Membership | $750 | 94,000 miles |
| All-Access Membership (Member, Silver, or Gold) | $1400 | 175,000 miles |
| All-Access Membership (Premier Platinum) | $1300 | 163,000 miles |
| All-Access Membership (Premier 1k) | $1200 | 150,000 miles |
If you're already paying this membership fee, the United Club card immediately justifies its long-term annual fee. Even better, existing United Club members receive a pro-rated refund for any unused portion of their current membership if the refund exceeds $15.
To access the United Club, you must show a same-day boarding pass for travel on United or a Star Alliance partner. Recent changes to club access rules mean that you can now only bring one adult companion and any dependent children under 21 into the United Club.
After recent changes, cardholders will need to spend $50,000 in a calendar year to unlock what used to be standard membership access but is now called “All-Access Membership.” With this upgraded access, you will be able to bring in two adult companions or one adult and any dependent children. Additionally, once you have earned an All Access membership, cardholders who add an authorized user will also get four United Club one-time passes per year.
Premier Access & free checked bags
While other United co-branded cards offer a free checked bag and priority boarding, the United Club takes these benefits to the next level. Cardmembers and companions traveling on the same reservation are eligible for Premier Access.
This access makes your airport experience pretty similar to what you'd get by holding elite status:
- Access to designated check-in lines
- Exclusive security lanes
- Priority boarding
- Priority baggage handling
Just keep in mind that not all benefits are available at all airports.
Cardmembers also get their first and second checked bag free for themselves and one companion. This benefit applies only to United and United Express-operated flights, and you must use your card to purchase your tickets (or pay the taxes and fees on award bookings) to enjoy free checked bags.
Expanded MileagePlus award availability
The expanded MileagePlus award availability benefit is one of the most underrated benefits offered by United credit cards. Like most frequent-flyer programs, United limits the number of seats available to book with miles. The airline wants to sell as many tickets as possible to paying customers. Thus, the cheapest awards often include inconvenient extra stops or long layovers.
However, if you have the United Club card, you'll access many award options ordinarily unavailable to regular MileagePlus members.
Although it may not seem like a big deal, that extra award space can help you avoid an overnight layover or turn three stops into a single connection. It can also be convenient if you live near a smaller airport and need to connect to a major hub before an international flight.
Discount on United award bookings
Cardholders can book United Economy Saver awards with 10% fewer miles. This applies to United or United Express flights within the continental U.S. and Canada only.
Additionally, cardholders can now earn up to 20,000 miles in award flight discounts. That is one 10,000-mile discount after spending $20,000 in a calendar year up to twice per year.
Spend toward Premier elite status
United Club cardholders can earn up to 28,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) toward elite status through credit card spending each year. You'll earn 1 PQP for every $15 spent on purchases. This is enough to earn up to Premier 1K status on just credit card spending alone (albeit a huge amount of credit card spend.)
Starting in 2026, cardholders will automatically get a 1,500 PQP head start each calendar year—making it even easier to climb toward status. That means you’ll need to spend $22,500 less on your card to qualify!
Related: Guide To Earning United Premier Qualifying Points Through Credit Card Spending
Top-tier travel protections
In addition to the other benefits we've covered, the United Club comes with robust travel and purchase protections. These benefits are automatically triggered when you use the card for eligible purchases.
- Purchase protection: Purchases made with your card are covered for 120 days from damage or theft. There's a limit of $10k per claim.
- Return protection: Reimbursement for items the store won't take back within 90 days of purchase. This benefit is limited to $500 per item, $1,000 per 12-month period.
- Extended warranty: Extends the U.S. manufacturer's warranty by an additional year for warranties of three years or less.
- Trip cancellation/interruption: Reimbursement up to $10,000 per person if your trip is cut short for a covered reason ($20k limit per trip).
- Trip delay: If your trip is delayed more than 12 hours (or overnight), you may be covered for expenses like meals and lodging (up to $500 per ticket).
- Lost luggage: Get up to $3,000 per passenger if you or an immediate family member's checked or carry-on luggage is lost.
- Baggage delay: Reimburses you for essential purchases like toiletries or clothing for baggage delays over six hours (up to $100/day for three days).
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver insurance: Primary coverage for theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the U.S. and abroad.
For policy particulars, please refer to The New United Club℠ Card Guide to Benefits
Partner travel credits
United and Chase have added a host of opportunities to earn statement credits or TravelBank when using your United Club to book with their partners.
- Up to $100 per year in United TravelBank credit per year when you book a car rental through Avis or Budget (two $50 credits annually)
- Up to $200 in statement credits annually on flights booked with JSX, a semi-private jet service available in select cities.
- Book through Renowned Hotels and Resorts and earn up to a $200 statement credit.
- Up to $150 in statement credits each calendar year on rideshare purchases ($12 per month except December which has an elevated $18 credit.)
Other great perks
- Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application: Reimbursed once every four years when you pay the application fee with your card
- Complimentary IHG Rewards Platinum Elite status: A recently added benefit to this card is complimentary hotel status. You also can receive up to $75 in statement credits as reimbursement for IHG Hotels and Resorts purchases charged to your card.
- Avis President's Club: Includes complimentary two-class upgrades on rentals, guaranteed car availability, and expedited rental service.
- Instacart+: Complimentary annual membership plus up to $240 in Instacart credits.
- United elites are eligible for upgrades on award tickets: United typically limits complimentary Premier upgrades to paid tickets, but cardholders can be upgraded on awards, too.
- 25% back on United in-flight purchases and premium drink purchases at the United Club.
- No foreign transaction fees.
United Club Earning Rates
One of the significant weaknesses of the now-discontinued United MileagePlus® Club Card was that it earned fewer miles on United purchases than dozens of other rewards cards. However, he United Club has fixed that, earning as follows:
- Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining
- Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Depending on the other cards you hold, this card may not be the best choice for spending. Still, the earning categories are greater than on other United Airlines credit cards.
Redeeming Miles With the United Club
Despite recent devaluations, United's MileagePlus program is still valuable, given the access it provides to its 35+ partner airlines. MileagePlus members can redeem miles for travel on all of United's partners to over 1,000 destinations worldwide. That's a lot of flexibility for one award currency.
Additionally, United's award pricing is often paired with some of the lowest out-of-pocket costs of any program. For example, you could redeem 80,000 MileagePlus Miles on a United flight from Denver to Frankfurt, Germany, plus $5.60. For flying lie-flat in Polaris, that's a great deal.
Other great uses of United miles include domestic flights where the cash cost is high, but the price in miles isn't. Moreover, United sometimes offers great pricing on partner award flights. However, knowing how many miles you'll pay for a flight can be difficult, as United doesn't publish an official award chart. Luckily, we've assembled the unofficial chart here.
While not the most obvious use, it's also possible to redeem United miles to pay your credit card's annual fee. For the United Club card, you'll redeem 30,000 miles, providing a value of 1.75¢ per mile.
Related: The Basics of Booking an Award Flight with United
Application Restrictions
This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 policy, meaning your application won't be approved if your credit report shows five or more new credit card accounts in the past 24 months. See our full post on the 5/24 policy if you aren't already familiar with the rule.
In addition, the application page for this card includes the following eligibility language:
“This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of any United ClubSM credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of any United Club credit card who received a new Cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months. If you are an existing United Club Visa Signature Cardmember and would like this product, please call the number on the back of your card to see if you are eligible for a product change.”
In other words, if you already have the United Club, United Club℠ Business Card, or the MileagePlus Club Card, or you received a welcome bonus for any of these cards in the past 24 months, your new application will be denied.
Lastly, two additional items deserve your attention before you apply. Chase doesn't tend to approve more than two credit card applications from the same person within a 30-day period. And as this is considered a premium credit card, you may need good or excellent credit to be approved.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards that Compete With the United Club
Not sure if the United Club is right for you? Here are three additional cards to consider:
- If you want a United Airlines credit card without a $695 annual fee, check out The New United Quest℠ Card. With a $350, you'll get two free checked bags, up to $200 in United TravelBank credits, up to 20,000-mile award discounts annually, and can earn up to 18,000 PQPs from spending, but you won't get United Club access. Our United Quest Card review has more details.
- If you want lounge access but want to use your rewards with more than United, consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. This card carries a $795 annual fee but has strong earnings on travel and dining, provides a $300 annual travel credit, and offers top-of-the-line travel protections. Points can be transferred to United 1:1, but you can also leverage Chase's 14 airline and hotel partners for additional uses of your points. See our full Sapphire Reserve review to learn more.
- If you want elite airline perks but aren't sold on United, consider the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®. For a $595 annual fee, you'll get complimentary Admirals Club® membership, priority privileges at airports, a statement credit for your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application, up to 10x on hotel and rental car bookings, 4x on American Airlines purchases, and will earn Loyalty Points toward AA elite status from credit card purchases. See more details in our AA Executive Card review.
- 5 miles per $1 spent at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 3 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants
- 2 miles per $1 spent on select streaming services
- 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
- Earn 10X miles for every $1 spent on eligible hotels booked at aa.com/hotels and eligible rental cars booked through aa.com/cars
- Earn 4X miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases (increased to 5X miles through the end of the calendar year after you pass $150,000 in purchases annually)
- Earn 1X mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: Comparison of Premium Travel Rewards Credit Cards
Final Thoughts
The United Club provides top-tier benefits for frequent United flyers and offers a great return on United purchases, backed up by some of the most substantial travel protection benefits of any card on the market.
If you can take full advantage of the benefits, you should have no trouble accounting for the out-of-pocket expense of holding the card year after year. However, if you only fly with United infrequently, many other great cards with lower annual fees could be a better fit.
- Limited-Time Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles
- 4x miles on United® purchases
- 2x miles on dining and all other travel
- 1x mile on all other purchases
- United Club℠ card membership - at least a $750 value
- Free first and second checked bags - a savings of up to $360 per roundtrip (terms apply) - and Premier Access® travel services
- Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount after $20,000 in purchases to use toward an eligible award flight - up to two times each calendar year
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining
- Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The New United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees), The New United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees)
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