How to get United Club lounge access: From credit cards to paid lounge memberships

Airport lounges can function oases from a busy, crowded or outdated terminal. Some lounges, like Priority Pass, belong to a membership community; others are airline-specific, just like the United Membership lounge.

For those who’re a loyal United Airways flyer or frequent one of many service’s largest hubs, visiting a United Membership lounge might be already in your radar. Nonetheless, the airline recently made some major access changes, affecting most flyers.

So, preserve studying to search out out extra about entering into United lounges.

The right way to entry United Membership and Polaris lounges

The Chicago-based airline gives a community of normal lounges, dubbed United Membership, and unique ultra-premium lounges for worldwide long-haul enterprise vacationers and Star Alliance premium cabin, referred to as Polaris Lounge. Lounge entry gives vacationers with complimentary drinks, snacks and high-speed web, and choose lounges provide facilities, resembling non-public rest areas and showers.

So, how does one achieve entry to United’s community of lounges?

Identical-day boarding cross requirement

Although United introduced a number of adjustments with regards to accessing its lounge community, one requirement that is not altering is that you’re going to nonetheless want a same-day boarding cross. This will also be a same-day boarding cross for a Star Alliance partner airline, like Lufthansa or Swiss.

Associated: Best United Airlines credit cards

Paid United Membership membership

United now has two tiers of paid membership for entry to the Membership.

United Membership particular person membership

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Value: $750 or 94,000 miles

This membership gives limitless entry to all 45-plus United Membership areas for the first member solely. There are not any reductions out there for United Premier members. Particular person members can pay to deliver company into the lounge on a one-off foundation; you may must pay $59 for a one-time cross per visitor.

Particular person members don’t have entry to Star Alliance accomplice lounges.

United Membership All Entry membership

Value: Varies relying on Premier standing

All Entry members can get pleasure from limitless United Membership entry for the first member and as much as two company, or one grownup and two dependents below 18 years outdated.

This membership additionally consists of entry to all Star Alliance member lounges, in addition to different select partner locations. All Entry members can use any Star Alliance member carrier-owned or Star Alliance-branded lounge.

Whereas these new membership plans are already efficient for brand spanking new sign-ups, present members who signed up earlier than March 24 will not see any adjustments till their membership 12 months expires. Upon renewal, members should select between a person or All Entry plan (and pay the related greater charges).

Be aware that lifetime United Membership members have been transformed to All Entry plans.

TPG values United MileagePlus miles at 1.35 cents every, per our March 2025 valuations, so your greatest guess is to pay the annual membership payment with money as an alternative of miles.

Having an eligible cobranded United credit card may be essentially the most cost-effective strategy to persistently enter the United Membership.

You may get lounge entry with the next playing cards (word that some playing cards solely provide one-time passes):

*Beginning Could 1, one-time passes can solely be utilized by the first cardholder, a licensed person or a visitor touring with both cardmember; moreover, passholders can solely use the cross inside three hours of their scheduled flight departure.

**The data for the United Membership Enterprise Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

Be aware that lounge membership earned by way of a cobranded bank card gives a novel entry coverage that features entry for main cardmembers, one visitor and any dependents below 18 years outdated.

Cardmembers can unlock an All Entry membership membership (bumping up the visitor allowance to 2 individuals and unlocking entry to accomplice lounges) in certainly one of two methods. The primary is to earn Premier Gold standing or greater in a given 12 months, and the second is to spend at the least $50,000 on eligible purchases on their cobranded card in a calendar 12 months.

For the reason that annual payment on each the United Membership Card and the United Membership Enterprise Card is $695, having a bank card to enter the lounge stays a extra enticing choice than outright shopping for a membership.

Moreover, the United Membership Card and the United Membership Enterprise Card provide 4 one-time passes yearly when cardmembers have a licensed person on their account and have unlocked an All Entry Membership.

For those who’d want to keep away from the hefty annual payment, you’ll be able to go for the entry-level United Explorer Card or the United Business Card, each of which embody two single-use United Membership passes every year. Be aware that these day passes do not embody visitor entry, nor can they be transferred to buddies or household who aren’t approved customers or accompanying a cardmember into the lounge.

Star Alliance Gold members who maintain standing with one other accomplice airline can use the United Membership with any same-day Star Alliance boarding cross, together with throughout home United journey (once more, company should be traveling on the same flight because the elite member).

Since Jan. 1, 2021, United’s invite-only Global Services members can get pleasure from lounge access on all United-operated flights, together with these working solely inside the U.S. Be aware that this new perk solely covers the World Companies member — you may solely be capable to deliver a visitor into the lounge with an All Entry membership, eligible cobranded bank card or when flying internationally.

Entry United lounges with Ticket kind

Premium-cabin Star Alliance vacationers may also use United Golf equipment, although the precise phrases and visitor privileges differ by ticket kind, as seen under.

• Lively U.S. army personnel: You will must journey with a legitimate army I.D., a same-day United boarding cross and be wearing uniform, or deliver your depart orders or relaxation and recuperation papers.
• Air Canada Maple Leaf Club members: Maple Leaf Membership North America members can use any home United Membership location, whereas Maple Leaf Membership Worldwide members can use all areas worldwide and produce a visitor for every go to.
• Virgin Australia Velocity Gold, Platinum and VIP elite members: Members might go to United Golf equipment by presenting a same-day boarding cross for a global United or Virgin Australia flight departing from the identical airport. You’ll be able to deliver one visitor in case you’re touring with United.

In fact, Star Alliance premium-cabin passengers even have entry to United’s Polaris lounges, which provide trendy furnishings, non-public spalike bathe suites and elevated culinary experiences.

Three sorts of passengers are eligible for Polaris lounge entry:

• Vacationers in United Polaris enterprise class: Out there at departure, connecting and/or arrival airports (no company)
• Vacationers in Star Alliance first-class: Solely out there on the departure airport for a long-haul first-class flight (one visitor)
• Vacationers in Star Alliance enterprise class: Solely out there on the departure airport for a long-haul business-class flight (no company)

United Membership Fly Entry

Along with United Golf equipment and Polaris Lounges, the service operates a grab-and-go lounge idea referred to as “Membership Fly.”

The primary such house opened in Denver in November 2022, and a second one opened in Houston in early 2025. Eligible vacationers can enter Membership Fly by scanning their boarding cross on the self-serve entry gate.

When you get inside, you’ll be able to raid the snack bar that is stocked with packaged and ready meals, and it’s also possible to order a espresso from the barista.

Given Membership Fly’s give attention to effectivity, the entry insurance policies are a bit completely different. All vacationers eligible to enter a United Membership or Polaris Lounge can go to Membership Fly, however they can’t deliver any company. (This excludes lively U.S. army personnel, one-time passholders and Air Canada Maple Leaf Membership members.)

Take a look at United’s web site for an entire listing of the airline’s Club and Polaris lounge locations.