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United Club Membership Price Hike Comes With Launch of New All Access Membership

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Ryan Smith
Edited by: Nick Ellis
& Michael Y. Park
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We have bad news and interesting news. The bad news is that the cost of an annual lounge membership to the United Club is going up.

The interesting news is that United is launching a new membership type called All Access, which comes with extra benefits.

Is the increased cost worth it? What, exactly, is the new United Club All Access membership? You have questions, and we have answers.

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Increased United Club Lounge Membership Fee

Until today, the cost of a United Club membership started at $650 or 85,000 miles. The price dropped to as low as $550 for those holding United Airlines’ top elite status, with Premier 1K members saving $100 or 10,000 miles on the cost of the annual membership.

As of today, March 24, 2025, however, the cost for a standard membership has jumped by $100 or 9,000 miles — now costing $750 or 94,000 MileagePlus miles. And the bad news gets worse, as United MileagePlus elites no longer get a discount on their membership.

Going forward, this is the new starting price for an individual lounge membership. Emphasis on “individual,” as members previously could bring guests but will lose that perk unless they have the new All Access membership.

United Club Boston Logan Lounge entrance
Inside the United Club in Boston. Image Credit: Chris Hassan
Hot Tip:

Redeeming United miles to cover your lounge membership isn’t a great idea. We value United miles at 1.2 cents apiece, but using them for a lounge membership provides a value of just 0.8 cents per mile.

United Adds New All Access Membership Tier

The new United Club All Access membership costs $1,400 or 175,000 miles, and it includes access for the primary member and up to 2 adult guests, or 1 adult guest and dependents under 18. The All Acess membership also gets you into Star Alliance lounges, which your individual United Club membership doesn’t do on its own. Access to these lounges without the All Access membership requires you to have elite status with a Star Alliance airline or fly in an eligible premium seat.

That elevated price for the All Access membership may feel steep, but if you regularly bring guests into the United Club during your travels, it’s cheaper than buying a separate individual membership for your spouse, partner, or preferred travel buddy — and you’ll be able to bring the kids and visit extra lounges, as well.

These changes come as United is making big changes to its lounges, including where they are, what they look like, and — as of today — the price to get in.

Those with United’s Premier Platinum status or higher get discounts on the All Access membership:

  • Premier Platinum members pay $1,300 or 163,000 miles.
  • Premier 1K members pay $1,2000 or 15,000 miles.
  • Global Services members pay $1,000 or 125,000 miles.

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Cheaper United Club Membership

Holding the right credit card can give you a membership to the United Club each year, and it’s less expensive than paying for the membership outright.

The United Club℠ Card ($695 annual fee) and United Club℠ Business Card ($695 annual fee) both provide an individual United Club membership for cardholders. Holding one of these credit cards and paying the annual fee is cheaper than paying for the membership with cash or miles.

Additionally, those with the United Club card and United Club Business card enjoy a United Club membership that provides access for the primary cardholder, 1 adult guest, and dependents. These cardholders can unlock an All Access membership by spending at least $50,000 on purchases with their card in a calendar year, or by reaching a minimum of Premier Gold status.

Hot Tip:

It’s worth noting United Airlines is making other changes to its credit cards today. Read about the updates to United’s consumer credit cards and updates to United’s small business credit cards in our detailed coverage.

Final Thoughts

United Club memberships are now more expensive. If you have a membership currently, you can continue to use it without changes until your next annual membership fee is due. On that date, you’ll have to pay the higher price.

United has also made changes by introducing a higher membership tier, All Access. This provides guest privileges and access to Star Alliance lounges, but it also costs much more than the individual plan.

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About Ryan Smith

Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and is now revisiting some favorites. Over the years, he’s written about award travel and credit cards for publications like AwardWallet, The Points Guy, USA Today Blueprint, CNBC Select, Tripadvisor, Point.me, Forbes Advisor, and more.

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