March 24th, 2025 – Loyal members to the United Club may soon have to pay more for their membership, with the US-based airline United Airlines overhauling their MileagePlus program last week.

United Launches Two New Membership Tiers

Effective immediately, United Airlines will offer two new tiers of club membership, designed to combat crowing in airport lounges and ensure those who choose to pay the higher price can enjoy a higher level of service.

United Club Individual Membership

Priced at $750 or 94,000 miles, the United Club Individual Membership will now allow entry into all United Club locations for the named member only, with the option for guests to pay a $59 fee for a one-time pass to access the club. Additionally, existing United Premier Members won’t get a discount on the membership fee.

United Club All Access Membership

Comparatively, if you travel regularly enough with companions and you don’t mind forking over the extra cash, the United Club All Access Membership will get you plus two guests into all Star Alliance Member lounges, as well as other select partner locations. Designed to effectively give you Star Alliance Gold Status, if you’re happy to pay $1,400 or 175,000 miles, you’ll get more perks (and the ability to bring in guests). For those with Premier Membership wanting the All Access Membership, a discount is available here:

• Premier Platinum members: $1,300 or 163,000 miles
• Premier 1K members: $1,200 or 150,000 miles
• Global Service members: $1,000 or 125,000 miles

Other Changes for United Club Members

Outside of the new tiers of membership (and associated annual fees), United Airlines has also brought on a few other changes to help reduce overcrowding and ensure that those who pay for their membership get top-tier service.

United Club Credit Card Options

Outside of paying outright for the membership, United Members can also earn their membership through associated Credit Cards, with four cards available:

• United Club℠ Card
• United Club℠ Business Card
• United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Card (no longer accepting new applications)
• United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Business Card (no longer accepting new applications)

While the Club Card and Business Card both come with an annual fee of $695, spending enough on the card naturally is still a cheaper way to get membership into one of the lounges than paying the fees outright – Plus, lounge membership earned via a credit card offers the opportunity for the cardmember to bring one guest, as well as any dependents under 18.

Enforced Time Limit Within Lounges

Finally, United Airlines is following in the footsteps of several other airline lounges that have introduced time limits to stop people using the lounges as their all-day workspace, with United Club’s now introducing and enforcing a 3-hour time limit for select travellers. Starting May 1st, travellers using a one-time pass can only enter up to three hours before their scheduled departure time, and Club Fly locations will no longer accept one-time passes. Members or travellers flying in eligible premium cabins won’t be affected by these changes.

Will These Changes Benefit United Club Members?

While the increased fees won’t sit well with everyone who’s enjoyed the perks of being a United Club Member, if the airline is looking to decrease crowing and ensure the lounges are a place of relaxation, then yes, these changes will work.

Only a small subset of people will be impacted by the new time limit, and for those that don’t want to pay the higher membership fee, the credit card alternatives still offer you plenty of options without the high price tag.

If you’d like to learn more about United Airlines Membership and which is right for you, get in touch with our team today on 1300 131 885.