More changes are afoot at United Airlines. Less than five months after announcing a change to its loyalty program, making it harder than ever to earn elite status, the carrier yesterday shared that increased fees for its co-branded credit cards and lounge memberships had gone into immediate effect.
It’s the latest example of airlines making lounges harder to access in order to manage overcrowding and maintain a more premium experience. They’re also increasing other fees, ranging from checked bag fees to credit card rates, to boost revenue during rising costs and economic uncertainty.
The changes were implemented on Monday, March 24, with the new fees applying to all future sign-ups. Existing customers won’t be required to pay the increased rate until their renewal date. Here’s what to know about the changes to United’s credit card and airport lounge programs.
Changes to United Club lounge access
United now offers two membership tiers for its pay-to-use lounges (which include access to more than 45 United Club outposts and two grab-and-go concepts nationwide).
Individual Memberships will now cost $750 (up from $650 a year) a year or 94,000 United loyalty miles and allow access only to the pass holder (though they can bring a guest into the lounge on a one-off basis for $59 a pop). Previously, you could bring two adult guests or one adult guest and any number of dependent children.
The other option is a brand new All Access Membership. It allows members to bring up to two guests and includes entry to participating lounges belonging to other airlines in the Star Alliance network, now costs $1,400 or 175,000 miles (though travelers with elite status with the airline receive discounted rates of up to $400 or 50,000 miles off).
While the restructuring definitely stings, it is not as limiting as the changes Delta Air Line announced in 2023 for access to its Sky Clubs, a move that sparked enough pushback from frequent fliers that Delta walked back some of the alterations.
Changes to United’s credit card program
United offers a handful of co-branded credit cards, each with different annual fees and perks. The following cards are increasing their yearly payment cost while adding new benefits for cardholders.
- The United Explorer Card: Now has an annual fee of $150, up from $95
- The United Quest Card: Now has an annual fee of $350, up from $250
- The United Club Card and the United Club Business Card: Now both have an annual fee of $695, up from $525 and $450, respectively. For each, a United Club membership is still included, but cardholders will get entry for only one guest and any dependents under 18 years of age at United lounges (down from two guests and dependents under 21). They will not be granted access to Star Alliance or other partner lounges unless they spend $50,000 on their card in a given year, in which case they’ll unlock an All Access Membership.
Each of the credit cards now comes with a handful of yearly statement credits, including money back on reservations made through Renowned Hotels and Resorts (Chase’s luxury hotel booking platform for United cardholders), on Uber or Lyft rides, on Avis or Budget car rentals booked through United Cars, on a JSX flight, and Instacart purchases. The dollar amount varies by card.
