United Club 101: The Comprehensive Guide to Visiting United Lounges

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If you’re a frequent flyer with United Airlines or a member of the Star Alliance network, you may be familiar with the benefits of accessing United Club lounges. These exclusive spaces offer a comfortable and relaxing environment away from the hustle and bustle of the main terminal. With amenities like complimentary food and drinks, high-speed Wi-Fi, and a variety of seating options, the United Club is the perfect place to unwind before your flight.

Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, understanding how to access these lounges and what they offer can make your airport experience much more enjoyable. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about United Clubs, from where they’re located to how you can gain access.

Table of Contents

What is a United Club?

United Clubs are the lounges of United Airlines. Similar to other airport lounges, you can expect complimentary food and drink, WiFi, and various types of seating.

Where can I find a United Club?

The United lounge network includes more than 45 United Club lounge locations, six United Polaris lounges, and a number of partner lounges. So, wondering which airports have United club lounges? We’ve got you covered. You can find clubs at the following airports:

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – Atlanta, Georgia (ATL)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport – Austin, Texas (AUS)
Boston Logan International Airport – Boston, Massachusetts (BOS)
O’Hare International Airport – Chicago, Illinois (ORD)
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport – Cleveland, Ohio (CLE)
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport – Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (DFW)
Denver International Airport – Denver, Colorado (DEN)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport – Fort Lauderdale, Florida (FLL)
Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport – Guam (GUM)
Hong Kong International Airport – Hong Kong (HKG)
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport – Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL)
George Bush Intercontinental Airport – Houston, Texas (IAH)
Harry Reid International Airport – Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS)
Los Angeles International Airport – Los Angeles, California (LAX)
Heathrow Airport – London, Great Britain (LHR)
Mexico City International Airport / Benito Juarez International Airport – Mexico City, Mexico (MEX)
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport – Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota (MSP)
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport – New Orleans, Louisiana (MSY)
Newark Liberty International Airport – Newark, New Jersey (EWR)
LaGuardia Airport – New York, New York (LGA)
John Wayne Airport – Orange County, California (SNA)
Orlando International Airport – Orlando, Florida (MCO)
Portland International Airport – Portland, Oregon (PDX)
Philadelphia International Airport – Philadelphia, PA (PHL)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport – Phoenix, Arizona (PHX)
Raleigh-Durham International Airport – Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina (RDU)
San Antonio International Airport – San Antonio, Texas (SAT)
San Diego International Airport – San Diego, California (SAN)
San Francisco International Airport – San Francisco, California (SFO)
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport – Seattle, Washington (SEA)
Narita International Airport – Tokyo, Japan (NRT)
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport – Washington, D.C. (DCA)
Dulles International Airport – Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Several airports, like O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Denver International Airport (DEN), have more than one United Club location.

How can you get into a United Club lounge?

There are several ways you can gain access to a United Club. Entry into the United lounge requires a same-day boarding pass and a valid membership or one-day pass.

United Club Membership

Anyone can purchase a United Club Membership, which is active for one calendar year. United Club Memberships can be purchased with cash (credit card) or with miles. Regular MileagePlus members, Premier Silver, and Premier Gold members can buy a United Club Membership for $650 or 85,000 miles. A Membership for Premier Platinum members costs $600 or 80,000 miles, and Premier 1K members can obtain a membership by paying $550 or 75,000 miles.

United Club Infinite Credit Card

United Club Infinite Credit Cardholders get a United Club Membership as part of the $525 annual fee. So if you were planning to purchase a United Club Membership and don’t have this credit card, you should consider opening the card because the $525 annual fee is less than the cost of purchasing a membership, regardless of your United status. If your home airport is a United hub that has at least one United lounge, it’s well worth the investment for the lounge access alone.

United Club Business Card

Similar to the United Club Infinite card, anyone who holds the United Club Business card receives a United Club Membership as part of the card benefits. The annual fee for the United Club Business card is $450, which is less than the cost of a membership alone.

Active Duty Military

Active Duty Military members can get United lounge access if they meet the following requirements. First, they must be traveling on a United or United Express flight within 24 hours and have the appropriate boarding pass. Active duty members must show their valid military ID to access the lounge. They also must be dressed in uniform and show leave orders or rest & recuperation papers.

Military members may be allowed to bring family members traveling with them into the lounge depending on the discretion and capacity of the lounge.

Business or First Class Tickets

If you are flying business class or first class (United Polaris) on United Airlines, you’ll have the ability to enter United Club lounges. This also applies to when you are flying business class on a Star Alliance partner, you can access United Clubs.

United Premier Gold or Star Alliance Gold Status

If you have United Premier Gold status or Star Alliance Gold status, you can access a United Club lounge when flying intertionally on United or on a partner airline.

United Club Day Pass

Can you buy a United Club one-time pass? Yes, you can buy a day pass to United Clubs.

How much does a United Club day pass cost? As of writing this post, a United Club pass costs $59 for a single use for one person.

Where can you buy a United Club pass? You can purchase a one-time pass in person or on the United MileagePlus app.

Can you use a United Club one-time pass at any lounge? Yes and no. Hypothetically, you can use a one-time pass at any lounge. During many of our airport visits, however, we’ve noticed signs outside the United Clubs stating they were not accepting one-time passes at that time. This frequently happens during busy travel times and at larger airports.

Can you bring guests into the United lounge?

It depends on how you’re accessing the lounge. Those with a United Club Membership can bring two adult guests into the lounge or one adult guest and all dependents under 21 years of age with them.

If you are using a one-time pass, you can only bring individuals under 2 years of age into the club with no extra charge.

Do you need to fly United to use a United Club?

No, you don’t need to be flying United, but you must have a same-day ticket on United or a Star Alliance partner airline to access the United Club. You cannot enter if you’re flying on non-Star Alliance airlines like American Airlines, even if you have a United Club Membership.

What is the food and drink like in a United Club?

Every United Club offers some sort of food and drink, but the type varies by airport and lounge. For most locations, the United website says they serve “light snacks”.

As frequent fliers on United, we’ve been through a number of United Clubs and seen a variety of food options. For breakfast offerings, we’ve seen eggs, sausage, tomato & artichoke frittatas, and breakfast sandwiches on a croissant. United also may offer granola, yogurt, oatmeal, fruit, and a variety of bread/muffins for toasting. Some lounges we’ve been to for early flights also have a few types of cereal offered.

Lunch could look like make your own tacos (we’ve seen this a few places), pasta, roasted potatoes / other roasted vegetables, different types of soup, mezze bowls, pre-made sandwiches, and / or a salad bar. The quality, variety, and taste of this food depends on the location.

In terms of beverages, there’s a range based on the location. There’s always a station to get water, often with lemon or cucumber added to it. The majority of the lounges also have a station for coffee and/or tea. Some have fancier machines that make lattes while others just have black coffee that you can add cream and sugar to. Most of the United Club lounges we’ve visited have Coca-Cola mix machines.

United Club lounges do serve alcohol. Complimentary beer, wine, and well drinks are typically available to guests. Some locations may also offer premium beverages for an additional charge.

What amenities are in a United Club?

So. What’s included in United Club access?

United Club lounges offer a range of amenities designed to enhance comfort and convenience during your travel experience. In addition to a selection of complimentary food and drinks, Wi-Fi is available in the clubs. The lounges feature a variety of seating options, from wide, comfortable chairs to ergonomic workstations, all with plenty of power outlets for your devices.

For those needing privacy, some locations provide dedicated phone rooms, perfect for taking calls or handling virtual meetings. The bathrooms are well-maintained, and it’s nice to not have to wait in line like you frequently do in the regular airport bathrooms.

You’ll also find real-time flight information displayed, as well as magazines and newspapers to browse while you relax. Some lounges may offer TVs with news and entertainment channels.

For those needing assistance before departure, there are United staff on-site to answer any questions or to help with flight issues.

Conclusion

United Club lounges provide a premium and relaxing environment for travelers looking to escape the chaos of busy airports. With a variety of amenities like comfortable seating, complimentary food and beverages, Wi-Fi, and even dedicated phone rooms, these lounges are designed to make your travel experience more enjoyable and stress-free.

Whether you’re a frequent flyer with a membership, traveling on business or first class, or simply looking to purchase a one-time pass, there are multiple ways to access these lounges. If you frequently fly out of a United hub, consider adding one of their club access cards to your wallet as the benefits (in club access alone) more than pay for the cost of the annual fee.