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Airport lounges may be an oasis from a busy, crowded or outdated terminal.
Some lounges belong to a membership community, like Priority Pass. Others are airline-specific, just like the United Club.
If you’re a loyal United flyer or frequent one of many provider’s largest hubs, right here’s what you have to learn about accessing the United Club.
Same-day boarding cross requirement
The “Big Three” U.S. airways — American, Delta and United — all require a same-day boarding cross to entry their lounges. That means you’ll be able to’t use a United Club once you’re flying with American.
Related: The greatest bank cards for flying United
For starters, you’ll want a same-day boarding cross on United or a Star Alliance associate airline to realize entry to a United Club.
Credit playing cards
The United Club Infinite Card is the latest (and probably most reasonably priced) option to entry United Clubs for frequent vacationers. The card comes with a lounge membership that enables the first cardholder and two grownup companions (or one grownup and any dependent youngsters below the age of 21) entry to United Clubs for so long as you maintain the cardboard.
The United Club Infinite Card carries a $525 annual charge, which is decrease than a reduced lounge membership with Premier elite standing (see under). The card at the moment gives a sign-up bonus of 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
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Business house owners can open the United Club Business Card which gives the identical United Club entry because the United Club Infinite Card. However, this card has barely totally different auxiliary advantages and a decrease $450 annual charge.
The data for the United Club Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
If you’d desire to keep away from the hefty annual charge, you’ll be able to go for the entry-level United Explorer Card, which incorporates two single-use United Club passes annually. Note that these day passes don’t embody visitor entry.
Paid membership
You will pay for a United Club membership with both money or miles, although the value varies relying in your United Premier elite standing, with charges as follows:
| MileagePlus Premier standing | Annual membership |
|---|---|
| General member | $650 or 85,000 miles |
| Premier Silver | $650 or 85,000 miles |
| Premier Gold | $650 or 85,000 miles |
| Premier Platinum | $600 or 80,000 miles |
| Premier 1K | $550 or 75,000 miles |
While top-tier elite members (Premier Platinum and Premier 1K) get pleasure from a reduction, the costs are nonetheless fairly excessive. TPG values United MileagePlus miles at 1.21 cents every, so your greatest wager is to pay the annual membership charge with money, versus miles. (Of course, opening the United Club Infinite Card is a fair higher deal.)
If you don’t journey sufficient to decide to an annual membership, you can too buy day passes for $59 at United Club areas or by means of the United cellular app. Just observe that day passes do not assure entry throughout peak crowding intervals.
Since Jan. 1, 2021, United’s invite-only Global Services members can get pleasure from lounge entry on all United-operated flights, together with these working completely throughout the United States. Note that this new perk solely covers the Global Services member — you’ll solely be capable to carry a visitor into the lounge with a separate membership or when flying internationally.
Elite standing
Select Premier members can use the United Club at any time throughout their journey journey.
United Premier Gold (and better) members have entry to the provider’s lounges when touring internationally on any Star Alliance provider, no matter their class of service. They also can carry alongside one visitor departing on a Star Alliance provider from the identical airport. Note that since May 3, 2021, the visitor have to be touring on the identical flight.
Star Alliance Gold members who maintain standing with one other associate airline can use the United Club with any same-day Star Alliance boarding cross, together with throughout home United journey. The identical visitor guidelines apply. Since May 3, 2021, the Star Alliance requires company to be touring on the identical flight because the elite member.
(Note that Premier elites can’t use the provider’s Polaris lounges, as these areas have separate entry necessities that we’ll focus on in a second.)
Ticket kind
Premium-cabin Star Alliance vacationers also can use United Clubs, although the precise phrases and visitor privileges range by ticket kind, as seen under.
Other United Club entry
United’s lounges are open to some different vacationers, together with:
- Active U.S. navy personnel. You’ll have to journey with a legitimate navy ID, a same-day United boarding cross and be wearing uniform or carry your depart orders or relaxation and recuperation papers.
- If you are an Air Canada Maple Leaf Club member, you’ll be able to entry the United Club as earlier than any same-day Star Alliance member flight.
- Maple Leaf Club North America members can use any home United Club location, whereas Maple Leaf Club Worldwide members can use all areas worldwide and convey a visitor for every go to.
- Virgin Australia Velocity Gold, Platinum and VIP elite members might go to United Clubs by presenting a same-day boarding cross for a world United or Virgin Australia flight departing from the identical airport. You can carry one visitor if you happen to’re touring with United.
United Polaris Lounge entry
Of course, Star Alliance premium-cabin passengers even have entry to United’s Polaris lounges, which supply fashionable furnishings, personal spa-like bathe suites and elevated culinary experiences.
Three sorts of passengers are eligible for Polaris lounge entry:
- Travelers in United Polaris enterprise class: accessible at departure, connecting and/or arrival airports (no company).
- Travelers in Star Alliance top notch: solely accessible on the departure airport for a long-haul first-class flight (one visitor).
- Travelers in Star Alliance enterprise class: solely accessible on the departure airport for a long-haul business-class flight (no company).
United Club Fly Access
In addition to United Clubs and Polaris Lounges, the provider operates a brand new lounge idea referred to as “Club Fly.”
The first such area opened in Denver in November, based mostly on a grab-and-go idea. Eligible vacationers can enter Club Fly by scanning their boarding cross on the self-serve entry gate.
Once you get inside, you’ll be able to raid the snack bar that is stocked with packaged and ready meals, and you can too order a espresso from the barista.
Given Club Fly’s concentrate on effectivity, the entry insurance policies are a bit totally different. All vacationers eligible to enter a United Club or Polaris Lounge can go to Club Fly, however they can not carry any company. (This excludes energetic U.S. navy personnel and Air Canada Maple Leaf Club members.)
Locations
You’ll discover a plethora of United Clubs within the provider’s foremost hubs, together with:
- Chicago O’Hare (ORD) — Four areas: three in Terminal 1 (close to gates B6, B18 and C10) plus one other in Terminal 2 throughout from Gate F9.
- Denver (DEN) — Two areas: one close to Gate B32 and the opposite close to Gate B44. United Club Fly may be discovered close to Gate B60, and there is a short-term pop-up membership close to Gate B59. Two new and renovated golf equipment are anticipated to open in Denver in 2023.
- Houston (IAH) — Five areas: one in Terminal A (throughout from Gate A9), one in Terminal B (south mezzanine), two in Terminal C (close to Gate C1 and towards Gate C33) and one in Terminal E (between gates E11 and E12).
- Los Angeles (LAX) — one location adjoining to Gate 71A.
- Newark (EWR) — Three areas: one is a “pop-up” in Terminal C (close to Gate C93), plus a full membership in Terminal C (higher degree, close to Gate C123). Two new and renovated golf equipment are anticipated to open in Newark in 2023.
- San Francisco (SFO) — Three areas: two in Terminal 3 (close to Gate E4 and Gate F11) and one within the worldwide terminal (between gates G6 and G9).
- Washington Dulles (IAD) — Four areas within the Midfield Terminal (close to gates C4, C7, C17 and D8).
Except for Denver, all of those airports (Chicago O’Hare, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.) have Polaris lounges.
Most of the opposite golf equipment are scattered throughout the U.S., together with in airports corresponding to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), amongst others.
For full particulars on all of those areas, together with hours of operation, you’ll be able to go to this web page.
Bottom line
United gives quite a lot of methods to entry its United Clubs, each for premium-cabin frequent flyers and for these with a membership.
If you regularly journey with United, it’s price analyzing which choices provide the very best bang on your buck to unlock a calming lounge expertise.