United MileagePlus® Club card review

How to apply for the United MileagePlus® Club card

1. Go to the Chase website and click Apply now.
2. Complete the application with information like your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, annual income and contact information.
3. Review your application and submit it.

The perks

• Signup bonus: 50,000 bonus miles after you make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of card membership. According to the United website at the time of writing, this bonus is worth $650 when redeemed for flights.

  If you earn the bonus, you could have enough miles for a few flights. Short-distance Saver Award flights within the continental US and Canada go for as low as 10,000 miles each way. Longer Saver Award flights start around 12,500 miles each way.

• United Club membership.
  Access over 45 United Club airport lounges around the world. You can also enter any Star Alliance Business Class Lounge when you fly on a Star Alliance carrier. Each time you visit a United Club location, you can bring an adult guest plus your children under 21. Or, you can bring up to two guests. Normally, a United Club membership costs $650 a year. The United MileagePlus® Club card costs $450 a year, so it could be a great deal for airport-lounge access alone. Note that an annual membership costs $600 or 80,000 miles for flyers with Premier Platinum status, and $550 or 75,000 miles for flyers with Premier 1K status.
• Rewards: Up to 2x miles.
  Earn 2x miles on tickets you buy from United. Earn 1.5x miles on all other eligible purchases. This is an attractive rate, as a typical credit card offers 1x miles as its base rate.
• United perks. You’ll find baggage perks, Premier Access benefits, no blackout dates for award flights and no close-in ticketing fees. There’s a notable omission: You won’t receive a 25% discount on eligible in-flight purchases, a perk you’ll find with United’s mid-tier option. Click the dropdown menu below to see more details about United perks you’ll receive.

More perks

• Premier Access travel services.
  Get to your boarding gate faster with special airport check-in lines and security lanes. Your checked bags will be among the first to be delivered to the carousel at your destination airport. Also enjoy priority boarding on United and United Express flights. You’ll board in Group 2 — behind the Pre-Boarding group and Group 1, but before Groups 3 to 5. Normally, Premier Access starts at $15 per flight.
• Free first and second checked bags.
  On each United-operated flight, you and one companion on the same reservation can each check your first and second bags at no extra cost.
• No blackout dates for award flights.
  Enjoy unfettered access to award flights.
• No close-in fees for United award flights.
  Normally, United charges $75 when you book an award flight fewer than 21 days before departure. This fee is waived when you book award travel with your MileagePlus number.

How to earn United miles

You’ll also like …

• The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection.
  Use your card to book a stay at a property in The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection. Your reservation comes with early check-in, late checkout upon availability, free Wi-Fi, complimentary daily breakfast for two and a unique perk depending on the property.
• Hertz President’s Circle Elite Status.
  As a cardholder, you can join Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle. This is Hertz’s highest loyalty tier.You’ll receive benefits like upgrades, a 50% point bonus on eligible earning activity, a four-month CLEAR trial, point transfers to eligible travel partners and a dedicated phone support line.
• Inside Access experiences.
  As a card member, you can access unique experiences.

• United MileagePlus events.
  Redeem rewards for sporting experiences, upgraded hospitality for golf events, live-theater experiences and more.
• No foreign transaction fees.
  With most non-travel credit cards, you’ll pay a fee when you use your card abroad or at a foreign website. You won’t encounter that fee with this travel card.
• Visa Signature Concierge.
  Call the concierge service anytime for help with dining reservations, gift-finding, obtaining tickets to shows and more.
• Travel and purchase coverage.
  Use your card and qualify for a suite of protection and insurance.

Travel and purchase coverage

• Trip cancellation insurance
• Trip interruption insurance
• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Trip delay reimbursement

• Auto rental collision damage waiver
• Purchase protection
• Price protection
• Return protection
• Extended warranty protection

What to watch out for

• Annual fee: $450.
  You might find the bulk of this card’s value from its United Club membership. That said, it’s geared toward frequent United flyers.
• Elevated rewards only on United flights.
  While it has a solid base rewards rate, you might wish for elevated rewards in more categories, such as dining or groceries.

What should I know before I apply?

To apply for the United MileagePlus® Club card, you must be at least 18 years old, 19 in Alabama and Nebraska or 21 in Puerto Rico.

Information you’ll need

• Full name
• Mailing address and residential status
• Date of birth, mother’s maiden name and Social Security number

• Total gross annual income and employment information
• Email address and phone number
• Optional: MileagePlus number

United MileagePlus® Club card reviews and complaints

Some cardholders say that, beyond the United Club membership, there’s not much more to the United MileagePlus® Club card compared to the United℠ Explorer Card. However, other customers say they find United Club access extremely valuable — especially as United has upgraded many of its lounges.

JPMorgan Chase Credit Card isn’t accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), but it has an A+ rating from the agency. The bank has over 2,100 customer complaints, most of which have been resolved or answered according to the BBB.

An in-depth comparison of the top- and mid-tier United credit card options could help you get the most for your money.

I got the card. Now what?

• Make payments. You can pay your card bill online at the Chase website. You can also enroll in autopay.
• Avoid interest payments. After the close of each billing cycle, you have a grace period of 21 days to pay your balance. If you do, you won’t pay interest on your purchases.
• Avoid fees. Late and returned payments come with hefty fees of up to $38. Balance transfers and cash advances also come with fees.
• Contact customer service. If you have questions, you can contact Chase support at 800-432-3117, log in to your account to send a secure email or find support on Twitter @ChaseSupport.

How do I redeem miles from the United MileagePlus® Club card?

All miles earned during each billing cycle will be automatically transferred to your MileagePlus account at the end of the period.

You can redeem your miles on the United website by logging in to your MileagePlus account. Here are some redemption options:

• Flights
• Hotel stays
• Cruises
• Car rentals
• United Club membership
• Gift cards
• Merchandise

• Experiences
• United Wi-Fi
• TSA PreCheck application
• Transfers or donations
• Dining at select airports
• Magazines and newspapers
• Dining gift cards, discounts and certificates

For a good redemption rate, look for flights

According to our valuation at the time of writing, United miles are worth 1.3 cents each on average when redeemed for flights.

Other redemption options may yield lower rates. For example, redeeming United miles for hotel stays usually gives a per-mile average of 0.7 cents.

How to redeem United miles

Compare United MileagePlus® Club card with other cards

• Compare with Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Compare with The Platinum Card® from American Express

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Name	Product	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
American Express® Gold Card		60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	3x points on directly-booked flights; 4x at restaurants; 4x at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 annually (then 1x points)	$250		Earn up to 4x points on select purchases, a bevy of travel perks, and a welcome offer worth up to $600 with this upper-mid tier travel card. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card		80,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, a value of up to $1,000 through Chase Ultimate Rewards	5x points on Lyft, 2x points on travel and dining and 1x points on all other purchases	$95		Earn a huge signup bonus worth $1,000 with this popular travel card. Combine with other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards for even greater value.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Citi Premier® Card		60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, flights and hotels and 1x points on everything else	$95		Earn 60,000 bonus points after making $4,000 in purchases with your card within the first 3 months of account opening.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Sapphire Reserve®		50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	10x points on Lyft rides, 3x points on dining and travel after earning your $300 travel credit and 1x points on all other purchases	$550		Get a generous $300 in annual travel credits, 3x points on travel and dining, and a 50% bonus on point redemptions with Chase's premier card.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card		100,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus earn 25,000 after the first anniversary of card membership (offer expires 1/13/2021)	6x points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3x at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2x for all other purchases	$450		Earn 100,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 or more within your first 3 months, plus earn 25,000 after the first anniversary of card membership (offer expires 1/13/2021). Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Freedom Flex℠		$200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months, plus 5% cash back at grocery stores on up to $12,000 in the first year	5% back in rotating categories up to $1,500 combined each activated quarter (then 1%), 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases	$0		Get 5% back on purchases made through the Chase Travel Portal, making this a strong travel card as well as a solid everyday rewards card.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Luxury Card Mastercard® Black Card™		N/A	1x points on all purchases with 2% point value when you redeem for airfare and 1.5% for cash back	$495		Receive an annual $100 air travel credit toward flight-related purchases including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card		50,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months until 10/28/2020	2x miles on Delta purchases, restaurants and at US supermarkets and 1x miles on all other purchases	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($99 thereafter)		With a welcome offer worth up to $600, up to 2x miles on select purchases, and assorted Delta perks, this is a strong choice for Delta fans. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Hilton Honors American Express Card		80,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months	7x points on Hilton Honors purchases, 5x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations, 3x on all other purchases	$0		With a massive welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card and up to 7x points at Hilton, this is a solid pick for Hilton fans and occasional travelers. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Freedom Unlimited®		$200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months, plus 5% cash back at grocery stores on up to $12,000 in the first year	5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 5% on Lyft, 3% on dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases	$0		Now earning 5% on Chase Travel Portal purchases, this card has become a worthy travel card pick. Also get up to 5% on other everyday purchases.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
The World of Hyatt Credit Card		25,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. 25,000 points after spending another $6,000 in the first 6 months	4x total points at Hyatt hotels as a World of Hyatt member, 2x on gyms, commuting, dining and airlines and 1x on all other purchases	$95		Earn 25,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. 25,000 points after spending another $6,000 in the first 6 months.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card		130,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months	12x points on Hilton Portfolio spending, 6x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations, 3x on all other purchases	$95		With a big welcome offer worth up to $650, up to 12x points on spending, and free Gold status, this is an upgrade from the entry Hilton card. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card		10,000 miles after spending $500 in the first 3 months	2x miles at restaurants and on direct Delta purchases and 1x miles on all other purchases	$0		Earn 2x miles on Delta purchases and dining with this simple, entry-level Delta card, and pay no annual fee. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Luxury Card Mastercard® Titanium Card™		N/A	1x points on all purchases with 2% point value when you redeem for airfare and 1% for cash back	$195		Enjoy unique excursions, privileged access to exclusive events and insider opportunities.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi		N/A	4% at gas stations on up to $7,000 annually (then 1%), 3% at restaurants and on travel, 2% at Costco and 1% on all other purchases	$0		Get 3% back on your travel and dining purchases with no foreign transaction fees and use the card for your Costco membership.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Luxury Card Mastercard® Gold Card™		N/A	1x points on all purchases with 2% point value when you redeem for airfare or cash back	$995		Earn 2% point value when redeemed for airfare or cash back through the Luxury rewards program.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Compare United MileagePlus® Club card with other cards

• Compare with United℠ Explorer Card

Differences with the United℠ Explorer Card

Here are a few notable benefits you’ll find with the United MileagePlus® Club card but not the United℠ Explorer Card, and vice versa.

United MileagePlus® Club card	United℠ Explorer Card
United Club membership 1.5x miles on all eligible purchases Your first two checked bags free on each United and United Express flight No close-in ticketing fees on United flights Hertz President’s Circle Elite Status Price protection and return protection	Two one-time United Club passes each card year 2x miles at restaurants and on hotel stays booked directly with the hotel 2x miles on purchases from United, not just flights 25% discount on eligible in-flight purchases $100 credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee

Is the United MileagePlus® Club card worth its fee?

If you’re an occasional traveler, you’re unlikely to take full advantage of the card’s United Club membership or checked-baggage perk. Consider a mid-tier card instead and benefit from a lower annual fee and perks suited to the casual flyer.

But if you’re a frequent flyer, the card’s United Club membership might be a steal. And though you’ll find a few of its benefits with the United℠ Explorer Card, the United MileagePlus® Club card‘s airline perks can be invaluable for the right type of traveler.

Bottom line

For most travelers, the bulk of the United MileagePlus® Club card‘s value will come from the United Club membership.

For that benefit alone, the card could be worth paying for. But this depends on how often you fly. Consider another travel credit card if you only travel occasionally. If you’re a frequent flyer, however, you could get fantastic value from this premium United product.

Frequently asked questions

After you reach the spending requirement, look for your miles in your MileagePlus account within six to eight weeks.