Methods to get United Membership lounge entry: From bank cards to paid lounge memberships

Airport lounges can function oases from a busy, crowded or outdated terminal. Some lounges, like Precedence Go, belong to a membership community; others are airline-specific, just like the United Membership lounge.

If you happen to’re a loyal United Airways flyer or frequent one of many provider’s largest hubs, visiting a United Membership lounge might be already in your radar. Nonetheless, the airline lately made some main entry modifications, affecting most flyers.

So, preserve studying to seek out out extra about moving into United lounges.

Methods to entry United Membership and Polaris lounges

The Chicago-based airline provides a community of ordinary lounges, dubbed United Membership, and unique ultra-premium lounges for worldwide long-haul enterprise vacationers and Star Alliance premium cabin, often called Polaris Lounge. Lounge entry supplies vacationers with complimentary drinks, snacks and high-speed web, and choose lounges provide facilities, comparable to non-public rest areas and showers.

So, how does one acquire entry to United’s community of lounges?

Identical-day boarding move requirement

Although United introduced a number of modifications in the case of accessing its lounge community, one requirement that is not altering is that you’re going to nonetheless want a same-day boarding move. This may also be a same-day boarding move for a Star Alliance accomplice airline, like Lufthansa or Swiss.

Associated: Greatest United Airways bank cards

Paid United Membership membership

United now has two tiers of paid membership for entry to the Membership.

United Membership particular person membership

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Value: $750 or 94,000 miles

This membership provides limitless entry to all 45-plus United Membership areas for the first member solely. There aren’t any reductions out there for United Premier members. Particular person members can pay to carry friends into the lounge on a one-off foundation; you may have to pay $59 for a one-time move per visitor.

Particular person members shouldn’t have entry to Star Alliance accomplice lounges.

United Membership All Entry membership

Value: Varies relying on Premier standing

All Entry members can take pleasure in limitless United Membership entry for the first member and as much as two friends, or one grownup and two dependents underneath 18 years outdated.

This membership additionally contains entry to all Star Alliance member lounges, in addition to different choose accomplice areas. All Entry members can use any Star Alliance member carrier-owned or Star Alliance-branded lounge.

Whereas these new membership plans are already efficient for brand new sign-ups, current members who signed up earlier than March 24 will not see any modifications till their membership yr expires. Upon renewal, members should select between a person or All Entry plan (and pay the related greater charges).

Word that lifetime United Membership members have been transformed to All Entry plans.

TPG values United MileagePlus miles at 1.35 cents every, per our March 2025 valuations, so your greatest wager is to pay the annual membership payment with money as an alternative of miles.

Having an eligible cobranded United bank card may be essentially the most cost-effective technique to persistently enter the United Membership.

You will get lounge entry with the next playing cards (word that some playing cards solely provide one-time passes):

*Beginning Might 1, one-time passes can solely be utilized by the first cardholder, a licensed consumer or a visitor touring with both cardmember; moreover, passholders can solely use the move inside three hours of their scheduled flight departure.

**The data for the United Membership Enterprise Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

Word that lounge membership earned through a cobranded bank card provides a novel entry coverage that features entry for main cardmembers, one visitor and any dependents underneath 18 years outdated.

Cardmembers can unlock an All Entry membership membership (bumping up the visitor allowance to 2 folks and unlocking entry to accomplice lounges) in considered one of two methods. The primary is to earn Premier Gold standing or greater in a given yr, and the second is to spend at the very least $50,000 on eligible purchases on their cobranded card in a calendar yr.

Because the annual payment on each the United Membership Card and the United Membership Enterprise Card is $695, having a bank card to enter the lounge stays a extra enticing choice than outright shopping for a membership.

Moreover, the United Membership Card and the United Membership Enterprise Card provide 4 one-time passes yearly when cardmembers have a licensed consumer on their account and have unlocked an All Entry Membership.

If you happen to’d favor to keep away from the hefty annual payment, you possibly can go for the entry-level United Explorer Card or the United Enterprise Card, each of which embrace two single-use United Membership passes every year. Word that these day passes do not embrace visitor entry, nor can they be transferred to buddies or household who aren’t approved customers or accompanying a cardmember into the lounge.

Star Alliance Gold members who maintain standing with one other accomplice airline can use the United Membership with any same-day Star Alliance boarding move, together with throughout home United journey (once more, friends should be touring on the identical flight because the elite member).

Since Jan. 1, 2021, United’s invite-only World Providers members can take pleasure in lounge entry on all United-operated flights, together with these working solely throughout the U.S. Word that this new perk solely covers the World Providers member — you may solely have the ability to carry a visitor into the lounge with an All Entry membership, eligible cobranded bank card or when flying internationally.

Entry United lounges with Ticket kind

Premium-cabin Star Alliance vacationers may also use United Golf equipment, although the precise phrases and visitor privileges differ by ticket kind, as seen under.

• Energetic U.S. army personnel: You may have to journey with a legitimate army I.D., a same-day United boarding move and be wearing uniform, or carry your depart orders or relaxation and recuperation papers.
• Air Canada Maple Leaf Membership members: Maple Leaf Membership North America members can use any home United Membership location, whereas Maple Leaf Membership Worldwide members can use all areas worldwide and convey a visitor for every go to.
• Virgin Australia Velocity Gold, Platinum and VIP elite members: Members might go to United Golf equipment by presenting a same-day boarding move for a global United or Virgin Australia flight departing from the identical airport. You may carry one visitor in case you’re touring with United.

In fact, Star Alliance premium-cabin passengers even have entry to United’s Polaris lounges, which supply trendy furnishings, non-public spalike bathe suites and elevated culinary experiences.

Three varieties of passengers are eligible for Polaris lounge entry:

• Vacationers in United Polaris enterprise class: Out there at departure, connecting and/or arrival airports (no friends)
• Vacationers in Star Alliance top notch: Solely out there on the departure airport for a long-haul first-class flight (one visitor)
• Vacationers in Star Alliance enterprise class: Solely out there on the departure airport for a long-haul business-class flight (no friends)

United Membership Fly Entry

Along with United Golf equipment and Polaris Lounges, the provider operates a grab-and-go lounge idea known as “Membership Fly.”

The primary such area opened in Denver in November 2022, and a second one opened in Houston in early 2025. Eligible vacationers can enter Membership Fly by scanning their boarding move on the self-serve entry gate.

When you get inside, you possibly can raid the snack bar that is stocked with packaged and ready meals, and you may as well order a espresso from the barista.

Given Membership Fly’s give attention to effectivity, the entry insurance policies are a bit completely different. All vacationers eligible to enter a United Membership or Polaris Lounge can go to Membership Fly, however they can’t carry any friends. (This excludes energetic U.S. army personnel, one-time passholders and Air Canada Maple Leaf Membership members.)