United Airlines is making big increases to United Club membership prices. The airline is also raising the annual fee for co-branded MileagePlus credit cards while introducing new cardholder perks.
United currently charges a standard rate of $650 or 85,000 MileagePlus points for an annual United Club membership. The membership allows for members to enter with their family, or with up to two adult guests.
But in a letter to be sent to customers, the airline is announcing a two-tiered membership structure. Individual memberships, which don’t include guest privileges, will cost $750 or 94,000 points. All Access memberships, which maintain the current guest allowance, will cost $1,400 or 175,000 points.
Existing United Club members will keep their current membership benefits until the annual membership expires.
The pricing overhaul is geared toward addressing lounge overcrowding, which has become a bigger problem post-pandemic, as premium travel and airline credit card acquisition has surged.
United is also raising fees for the Chase bank MileagePlus credit cards. The Explorer Card will now cost $150 annually, rather $95. New Explorer Card perks include $5 per month in rideshare credits, up to $100 in credits for lodging booked through United Hotels and up to $50 in flight credits for Avis and Budget rentals through cars.united.com.
The United Quest Card annal fee is increasing from $250 to $350 and the United Club Card fee is jumping from $525 to $695.
Both of those cards also have new perks, such as loyalty status point accruals for purchases, rideshare credits and flight credits.
All the updated fees are active for oncoming cardholders. Existing cardholders will receive the new perks now, while the renewal increases will go into effect on Explorer Card after Jan. 1 and for the other cards after Aug. 1.
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