- General member: $650 or 85,000 miles
- Silver: $650 or 85,000 miles
- Gold: $650 or 85,000 miles
- Platinum: $600 or 80,000 miles
- 1K: $550 or 75,000 miles
A premium version of the membership could cost between $1250 and $1400. Surveys indicate that the United Club card's annual fee may rise from its current rate of $525 to $675. Certain benefits would be reserved for those spending $50,000 annually on the card or holding MileagePlus Gold status or higher.
United has presented three pricing and benefit options in their surveys. In all scenarios, the more expensive basic club membership would no longer include guest access to lounges. Basic members would lose access to Star Alliance lounges unless they hold United Gold status or higher.
Basic members would also face lower priority for lounge entry, seating availability within lounges, and agent assistance with reservations. The new premium membership would allow two adult guests (or one adult guest with dependent children under 21) and offer premium beverages not available to base members.
Credit card holders might see less attractive terms due to higher fees but could receive perks such as premium drinks and priority lines for club entry if they have United status or spend over $50,000 annually on the card. Guest access conditions could vary based on status or spending levels.
These proposed changes suggest a focus on limiting guest access and partner lounge access for basic members while offering enhanced services at substantially higher fees for other customers. Benefits like skipping queues for lounge entry and reserving seating in certain lounges are under consideration.
Flyers gaining lounge access via credit cards who also have Gold status or higher might benefit from these changes despite increased fees due to priority services offered within lounges. Notably absent from the survey were questions about limiting annual visits for credit card customers as Delta has done.
In line with Delta's approach, United may introduce priority access lines bundled with premium memberships or available to credit cardholders meeting specific criteria such as spending thresholds. Priority lines for in-person agent assistance during irregular operations are also being considered.
It remains unclear how extensively these priority services will be implemented across various clubs and whether sufficient seating will be allocated given the additional costs involved.
One respondent commented on the survey saying it did not encourage them "to keep a card or pay for a membership" when prices rise without significant enhancements in benefits. They noted that while high-priced memberships were discussed, improvements in lounge food quality were not mentioned despite attempts to match Delta's pricing standards without reaching similar service levels.
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