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United MileagePlus® Club card review
Please note: This card has been discontinued, and it is not available on our site.
- Get this card if you’re a loyal United flyer and you’ll visit United Clubs often.
- Pick something else if you’re an occasional flyer. You might get more value out of United’s mid-tier card.
- Apply with a good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
Discontinued product
This card has been discontinued, and it is not available on our site. Compare other credit cards or take Finder's credit card quiz to find one that fits your needs.
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How to apply for the United MileagePlus® Club card
- Go to the Chase website and click Apply now.
- Complete the application with information like your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, annual income and contact information.
- 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.
Is the annual fee worth it?
The United MileagePlus® Club card has an annual fee of $450.
According to the United website, miles are worth 1.3 cents each when redeemed for flights. Through rewards alone, you’d need to earn 34,616 miles to break even.
Spending breakdown
| Categories | Rewards rate | How much you need to spend |
|---|---|---|
| United ticket purchases | 2x miles | $17,308 |
| Other purchases | 1.5x miles | $23,078 |
Here’s how your rewards might look for spending in a mix of categories:
| Categories | Rewards rate | Hypothetical spending | Miles earned |
|---|---|---|---|
| United ticket purchases | 2x miles | $5,000 | 10,000 |
| Other purchases | 1.5x miles | $16,411 | 24,616 |
This spending would yield the 34,616 miles you need to break even on your annual fee.
United MileagePlus® Club card benefits: An easier way to get value from your annual fee
As you can see above, it could be difficult to break even on your annual fee through miles alone. It’s easier to get value from your card through its benefits.
Value from card benefits
| Benefit | Potential annual value |
|---|---|
| Free first and second checked bag for 10 one-way flights a year | $700 |
| United Club membership | $550 |
| No close-in fees | $225 |
| Priority boarding | $150 |
You’d get $1,625 of value from these benefits. This doesn’t include potential value from benefits like travel insurance, purchase protection or The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection stays.
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.
Inside Access lets you join experiences like these …
- Sqirl with Chef Jessica Koslow: $100 per person.
Chef Koslow will curate specialty dishes for guests of this private dinner. - Ski with Champions Lindsey Vonn and Jonny Moseley in Vail: $100 to $1,000 per person.
Join the ski champions for a private buffet dinner and Q-and-A session. The following day, you’ll ski with both of them. In the evening, Jonny will host an après-ski event. - Super Bowl packages: $6,290 to $12,140 per person.
Enjoy a special pregame party with refreshments before you attend the big game. You’ll also receive a VIP ticket to The Super Bowl Experience and access to the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest Concert.
- 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 is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau but it has an A+ rating and a composite score of 1.18 out of 5 stars based on 229 customer reviews as of October 2020. Most customer complaints revolve around poor customer service and hidden costs Chase credit cards in general. Make sure you read your card’s terms and the rewards agreement to avoid issues with your account.
As of October 2020, Chase earns a Trustpilot score of 1.3 out of 5. Most negative reviews cite slow responses to fraud complaints and less-than-helpful customer service. Positive reviews cite the bank’s great mobile app and quick resolutions to their issues. Overall, your mileage may vary with Chase customer support.
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.
Compare United MileagePlus® Club card with other cards
Compare travel credit cards
Compare United MileagePlus® Club card with other cards
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 |
|---|---|
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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
Review by
Kevin Joey Chen
kevin.chen@findercrew.comKevin Joey Chen is a credit cards, banking and investments writer whose work and analysis have appeared on CNN, U.S. News & World Report, Business.com, Lifehacker and CreditCards.com. He's passionate about helping you get your finances in order by expertly navigating cutting-edge financial tools — including credit cards, apps and budgeting software.
Expert review
Among United’s cobranded credit cards, the United MileagePlus® Club card is the premium option — with an equally premium annual fee.
For many travelers, the card’s biggest draw is the United Club membership. This normally costs $550 a year, so you could find a valuable deal in the card if you frequent United Club lounges.