The United Membership℠ Card (see charges and costs) gives many advantages when flying with United Airways. You is perhaps stunned to search out that this card additionally gives resort advantages and different travel-specific annual assertion credit.
Nonetheless, the $695 annual price could be exhausting to justify. Are there actually sufficient perks packed into the United Membership Card’s annual price to make it price it? Let’s have a look.
Welcome bonus
New candidates for the United Membership Card can earn 95,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening.
In line with TPG’s April 2025 valuations, United miles are price 1.35 cents apiece, making this bonus price a strong $1,283.
A few of the finest makes use of of United miles embrace home United flights that may price as little as 6,000-8,000 miles one-way, reserving Lufthansa firstclass with out exorbitant charges and flying United’s Polaris enterprise class to Europe or Asia.
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United Membership membership
Entry to the United Membership normally is available in one among 3 ways:
Relying on how precious a United Membership membership is to you, this profit alone may justify holding the United Membership Card. The cardboard’s annual price is $55 cheaper than shopping for a United Membership membership annually and is probably going 1000’s of {dollars} cheaper than qualifying for elite standing with United yearly. Main cardholders can even carry one visitor and dependents below 18.
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As a United Membership cardholder, you can too earn an All Entry membership after reaching Premier Gold Standing or by spending $50,000 on purchases every calendar yr.
This membership tier gives added advantages, together with the flexibility to carry as much as two grownup friends or one grownup and dependents below 18. Cardholders can even entry Star Alliance companion lounges.
With a United Membership All Entry Membership and after a certified consumer is added to the first cardholder’s account, 4 United Membership one-time passes shall be added to the account every anniversary yr.
Nonetheless, when you aren’t flying with United Airways usually sufficient, you could not use the lounge sufficient to justify these prices. Even with the cardboard, you continue to want a same-day boarding move for United Airways or one among its companions to make use of the United Membership. Having the Membership card — and thus a United Membership membership — doesn’t suggest you may enter the lounge when you’re flying on American Airways, for instance.
The good information is that when you open the United Membership Card, you will be reimbursed for the unused portion of your United Membership membership (if the refund is greater than $15) after your software is authorised.
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Advantages on United flights
These with the United Membership Card take pleasure in entry to precedence check-in and safety screening, in addition to precedence boarding privileges and baggage dealing with (the place accessible). Which means your suitcase ought to come out first, avoiding delays at baggage declare.
You will additionally get a better checked baggage allowance. Those that do not have a United Airways bank card usually do not get free checked luggage when flying with United on home or short-haul financial system flights.
Whereas different bank cards just like the United℠ Explorer Card (see charges and costs) enable cardholders to verify one suitcase totally free on these flights, United Membership cardholders get two free checked luggage. This profit is on the market for the first cardholder and one companion on the identical reservation.
It is also price noting that you will need to use your United Membership card to pay on your tickets to take pleasure in this profit. Merely having the cardboard would not invoke the flexibility to verify two luggage totally free.
Membership cardholders additionally obtain 25% again as an announcement credit score for inflight purchases of meals, drinks and Wi-Fi on United-operated flights. When paying along with your card, you will additionally obtain 25% again on premium drinks at United Membership places.
Lastly, United Membership cardholders with United MileagePlus standing are eligible for complimentary upgrades when flying with United or United Specific on reservations booked with miles (when accessible). This additionally applies to 1 touring companion on the identical reservation. This perk makes upgrades accessible even after reserving seats in financial system utilizing miles.
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United Award flight low cost
With the United Membership Card, it can save you 10% of the mileage price on United Saver awards for redemptions on financial system tickets (fare lessons X and XN) for flights inside the continental U.S. or between the continental U.S. and Canada.
This is applicable to flights on United and United Specific solely, nevertheless.
This low cost is on the market for all passengers on the identical reservation as the first cardholder, however the journey should be booked from the first cardholder’s MileagePlus account.
As well as, cardholders can earn as much as 20,000 miles in award flight reductions annually. After spending $20,000 every calendar yr on the United Membership card, cardholders will even obtain a ten,000-mile low cost as much as two instances per yr.
Associated: A overview of United Airways in firstclass on the Airbus A320 from Seattle to Los Angeles
Spend your manner towards elite standing
To attain standing with United Airways annually, you will need to full one of many following: a mixture of Premier qualifying flights (PQFs) and cash spent to earn Premier qualifying factors (PQPs) or just an elevated amount of cash spent for additional PQPs.
These pursuing elite standing tiers with United can earn as much as 28,000 additional PQPs annually by means of spending on the United Membership Card. Cardholders earn 1 PQP for every $15 spent on purchases, and there is a most of 28,000 PQPs that may be earned this manner throughout a calendar yr. These bonus earnings are legitimate by means of the Premier 1K standing degree.
Cardholders additionally earn a bonus of 1,500 PQPs annually for being a cardholder. Your United Membership card should be open as of Dec. 31, and the bonus PQP shall be deposited six to eight weeks after Feb. 1 annually beginning in 2026.
Associated: The final word information to incomes elite standing with United playing cards
Resort and journey advantages
The first cardholder can enroll for Platinum Elite standing with IHG One Rewards. Advantages embrace bonus factors on paid stays, complimentary room upgrades based mostly on availability at check-in, precedence check-in when arriving on the resort, reductions on reward nights at choose properties and a welcome reward at check-in. This usually contains factors or a snack.
Every anniversary yr, cardholders will obtain as much as $200 in assertion credit towards pay as you go lodging booked straight by means of Famend Resorts and Resorts with their United Membership card.
Cardholders can even enroll for Avis President’s Membership standing. Usually accessible by invitation solely, this tier gives perks corresponding to complimentary two-class upgrades on rental automobiles, assured automobile availability, skipping the road when choosing up your rental automobile and extra.
When reserving automobile leases straight by means of automobiles.united.com and paying with the United Membership card, cardholders obtain $50 in United TravelBank money, as much as $100 every anniversary yr, for the primary and second Avis or Price range automobile rental.
As with standing in different rental automobile packages, the very best worth on this profit could be the availability to match your rental automobile elite standing from one program to a different.
Further journey advantages embrace as much as $200 in assertion credit every anniversary yr when reserving flights straight with JSX utilizing the United Membership card.
Associated: When does your resort elite standing expire?
Different perks
Cardholders can obtain as much as $120 in reimbursement for his or her World Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus software price. This profit is on the market as soon as each 4 years.
With the United Membership Card, you will earn a minimum of:
- 9 miles per greenback spent on purchases with United airfare (based mostly on United elite standing)
- 5 miles per greenback spent on purchases with Famend Resorts and Resorts
- 4 miles per greenback spent on different eligible United purchases
- 2 miles per greenback spent on all different journey and eating
- 1 mile per greenback spent on different purchases
In line with our April 2025 valuations, this represents as much as 12.1% on spending with United Airways airfare, 6.7% return on spending with Famend Resorts and Resorts, 5.4% return on spending different United purchases, 2.7% return on journey spending and eating and 1.35% return on all different spending.
Cardholders will earn as much as $150 again as assertion credit every calendar yr on ride-hailing companies. The cardboard gives an as much as $12 assertion credit score every month from January by means of November, and as much as $18 in December. Yearly opt-in is required.
Further assertion credit embrace as much as two $10 Instacart credit month-to-month — as much as $240 complete every calendar yr — plus a complimentary Instacart+ membership. Advantages are legitimate till Dec. 31, 2027.
The cardboard additionally contains advantages like automobile rental harm insurance coverage, journey cancellation/interruption insurance coverage and buy safety.
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Backside line
The United Membership Card has a hefty $695 annual price however contains perks like reductions on award fares, cabin upgrades as accessible and lounge entry that assist offset this price.
The cardboard is definitely worth the annual price for frequent guests to the United Membership or Star Alliance lounges and those that redeem a whole lot of miles for home financial system flights. Those that aren’t avid United followers will discover higher worth with different playing cards.
To study extra, learn our full overview of the United Membership card.
Apply right here: United Membership Card
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