| Want to learn more about accessing US airline lounges? See my series about how to access Alaska Lounges, American Admirals Clubs, Delta Sky Clubs, and United Clubs. |
Understanding United Airlines lounge access can be quite confusing, especially with the distinction between United Clubs and United Polaris Lounges. United operates over 45 United Clubs and six United Polaris Lounges, so that’s quite a large network.
In this post, I’d like to take a comprehensive look at how United Airlines lounge access works. There are a variety of ways to access United Clubs, from buying a membership (either directly or through a credit card), to booking certain types of business class tickets, to having eligible Star Alliance elite status.
In this post:
What amenities do United Club lounges have?
I’d say United Clubs are about average as far as US airline lounges go. In my opinion they’re on par with American Admirals Clubs (maybe a little better), and not as good as Delta Sky Clubs. Conversely, United Polaris Lounges are very good, and among the best business class lounges offered by any US airline.
At United Clubs you can expect complimentary Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, free drinks and snacks, and some premium drinks available for purchase. As you’d expect, the quality does differ by lounge. Some of the newer hub lounges have things like barista coffee and showers, though that’s not a standard offering.
It’s also worth mentioning that there’s the United Club Fly concept, which is essentially a grab & go lounge alternative, for those with United Club access. For travelers with limited time, this can be a great option for grabbing a drink or snack before boarding a flight. It’s currently only available at two airports, though.
Where are United Club lounges located?
There are currently over 45 United Club locations, and you can find them all in the below chart, along with the number of locations at each airport.
Airports with United Clubs | Number of United Clubs |
|---|---|
Austin-Bergstrom (AUS) | 1 |
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) | 1 |
Boston Logan (BOS) | 1 |
Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | 5 |
Cleveland Hopkins (CLE) | 1 |
Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) | 1 |
Denver International (DEN) | 4 |
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) | 1 |
Guam International (GUM) | 1 |
Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye (HNL) | 1 |
Houston Intercontinental (IAH) | 5 |
Las Vegas International (LAS) | 1 |
Los Angeles International (LAX) | 1 |
Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP) | 1 |
New Orleans Louis Armstrong (MSY) | 1 |
New York LaGuardia (LGA) | 1 |
Newark Liberty (EWR) | 3 |
Orange County John Wayne (SNA) | 1 |
Orlando International (MCO) | 1 |
Philadelphia International (PHL) | 1 |
Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) | 1 |
Portland International (PDX) | 1 |
Raleigh-Durham (RDU) | 1 |
Washington National (DCA) | 1 |
San Antonio International (SAT) | 1 |
San Diego International (SAN) | 1 |
San Francisco International (SFO) | 3 |
Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) | 1 |
Washington Dulles (IAD) | 3 |
London Heathrow (LHR) | 1 |
Mexico City International (MEX) | 1 |
Tokyo Narita International (NRT) | 1 |
Hong Kong International (HKG) | 1 |
How can you access United Club lounges?
United Clubs are membership lounges, meaning that they’re primarily intended for members. However, there are lots of other ways to access United Clubs, including with eligible tickets, with elite status, through day passes, or in conjunction with the right credit card.
Below are all the best options for United Airlines lounge access.
Buy a United Club membership (with miles or cash)
The most obvious way to access United Clubs is to outright buy an annual membership. This can be done with miles or cash, and the cost varies based on your elite status. Below is the United Club membership cost.
MileagePlus status | Individual membership | All Access membership |
|---|---|---|
Regular member | $750 or 94,000 miles | $1,400 or 175,000 miles |
Premier Silver | $750 or 94,000 miles | $1,400 or 175,000 miles |
Premier Gold | $750 or 94,000 miles | $1,400 or 175,000 miles |
Premier Platinum | $750 or 94,000 miles | $1,300 or 163,000 miles |
Premier 1K | $750 or 94,000 miles | $1,200 or 150,000 miles |
Global Services | $750 or 94,000 miles | $1,100 or 125,000 miles |
As you can see, there are two membership types:
- A United Club individual membership allows access to United Club locations worldwide, but with no complimentary guesting privileges (though you can pay $59 per guest)
- A United Club all access membership allows access to United Club locations worldwide, plus access to eligible Star Alliance partner lounges; at United Clubs, all access members can bring two adult guests, or one adult and any dependents under 18
With this you’re paying $750 annually (for an individual membership). If you are going to buy a United Club membership, I’d highly recommend paying cash over redeeming miles. As you can see, you’re getting under 0.8 cents of value per MileagePlus mile this way, and that’s just a really bad value, as there are better uses of MileagePlus miles.
Keep in mind, you can only use United Clubs when flying same day on United Airlines or a Star Alliance partner airline. With an individual membership guests are not allowed.
Get the United Club Card
The best United Airlines credit card for lounge access is the United Club℠ Card (learn more), which includes a United Club membership for being a cardmember. This is valid for the primary cardmember, but not for any authorized users.
Regardless of your status, this is a less expensive way to get a United Club membership than paying for a membership outright, given the $695 annual fee.
The catch is that the lounge membership offered by the card is pretty quirky. As a standard, this offers somewhere between an individual membership and an all access membership, in terms of guesting privileges. Those who have an eligible card are able to bring one guest and any children under the age of 18.
If cardmembers want to unlock an all access club membership (which would allow them to bring two guests, and access partner lounges), they can do so in one of two ways:
- By having United MileagePlus Premier Gold status or above
- By spending at least $50,000 on their eligible card in a calendar year
Get the JP Morgan Reserve Card
The JP Morgan Reserve Card is an invitation-only credit card that most of us will never have access to. However, the card does offer a United Club membership, if you are someone lucky enough to get it.
Buy an Air Canada Maple Leaf Club membership
Those who have an Air Canada Maple Leaf Club membership also get United Club access. However:
- Those with a Maple Leaf Club North America Plus membership only get United Club access in North America
- You need to be flying a Star Alliance airline same day from the airport where you’re trying to access the lounge
- Your guesting privileges are limited; Maple Leaf Club members with a North America Plus membership aren’t allowed any guests, while those with a Maple Leaf Club Worldwide membership are allowed one guest
A North America Plus membership costs 495 CAD (~358 USD) per year, while a Worldwide membership costs 665 CAD (~481 USD) per year. The catch is that these memberships have been suspended for years, so people can’t actually currently buy them.
Buy a United Club pass
You can buy a United Club pass for $59 per person. These passes are valid for one person each, and are only valid for entry to United Clubs in one city, with access allowed up to three hours before a flight’s scheduled departure.
Unlike American Admirals Club day passes, you can’t use these to enter lounges at multiple airports the same day. Children under two may accompany someone accessing a United Club with a pass at no additional cost.
You can buy a United Club pass directly at the lounge, though there may sometimes be capacity controls on these. Alternatively, you can buy a United Club pass through the United app.
Like all other methods of accessing United Clubs nowadays, you also need to be traveling on United or a Star Alliance partner airline the same day.
Get United Club passes with credit cards
Some of United’s credit cards with reasonable annual fees offer United Club passes as a perk. For example, you get two United Club passes annually if you’re the primary cardmember on the following cards:
These are valid for 12 months from when they’re issued, and you can either show the passes to an agent through the United app, or you can print them from your MileagePlus account on united.com.
Note that in situations where United Clubs are at capacity, those trying to access lounges with day passes might not be admitted. Much like outright buying United Club passes, these are valid for a single visit to one location, within three hours of a flight’s scheduled departure time.
Book a United Airlines premium domestic flight
A standard domestic first class ticket won’t get you access to United Clubs. However, there are certain domestic tickets that will get you United Club access, and those are flights in markets that are Polaris branded.
Specifically, if you’re traveling business class nonstop on one of the following routes you receive United Club access on arrival and departure (though not beyond that if you’re connecting):
- Between Newark (EWR) and Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO)
- Between Newark (EWR) or Chicago (ORD) and Honolulu (HNL) or Maui (OGG)
You can’t bring any guests with you into the lounge, though. You can access no matter how you ticketed that business class flight, whether you paid cash, redeemed miles, or upgraded.
These are the only types of exclusively domestic tickets that offer United Club access. Other domestic journeys, don’t offer lounge access.
Book a United Polaris or business class ticket
If you are taking a same day United Polaris or United business class flight, you get access to United Clubs throughout your same day journey, on departure, at connecting points, and even on arrival. You can’t bring any guests with you, though.
What’s the difference between Polaris and business class for these purposes? United Polaris is the name of United’s long haul international business class product, and you’ll see the flights marketed as such. Meanwhile international flights where the forward cabin isn’t marketed as Polaris, instead have the forward cabin marketed as business class.
Polaris flights include all international transpacific and transatlantic flights, as well as flights from the United States to the following South American destinations:
- Buenos Aires
- Lima
- Rio de Janeiro
- São Paulo
- Santiago
Meanwhile United business class includes flights to the following destinations, which are also eligible for United Club access:
- Guam
- Canada
- Mexico
- Caribbean
- Central America
- Colombia
- Ecuador
Let me emphasize that while those booking “basic” United Polaris tickets can’t access United Polaris Lounges, they can still access United Clubs, so that’s an important distinction to be aware of.
Book a Star Alliance business or first class ticket
Traveling in business class or first class on a Star Alliance partner airline also potentially offers United Club access, but with more restrictions.
When traveling on a Star Alliance partner airline in business or first class you can access United Clubs, but only on departure at your international gateway.
In other words, if you fly United first class from Houston to Chicago, and then Lufthansa first class from Chicago to Frankfurt, you could only use the United Club in Chicago.
Personally I find the policy to be ridiculous, as Star Alliance is more punitive here than oneworld and SkyTeam. That’s especially true when you consider the joint ventures that United has with other carriers, where they essentially split revenue.
When eligible for access, business class passengers can’t bring any free guests, while first class passengers can bring one guest with them (who must be traveling on the same flight).
Have United MileagePlus elite status
Those who earn Star Alliance Gold status through United MileagePlus (including Premier Gold, Platinum, and 1K members) can access United Clubs during same day international travel.
Access is allowed on departure, during connections, and upon arrival, and these members can bring one guest with them. All international itineraries are eligible for this, including flights to Canada and Mexico.
Have United Global Services status
In addition to the above access perks for United MileagePlus elite members, invitation-only Global Services members can access United Clubs on entirely domestic itineraries. They aren’t allowed any guests when accessing lounges this way, though.
Have Star Alliance Gold status with an airline other than United
If you’re a Star Alliance Gold member who earns status through any program other than United MileagePlus, you can access United Clubs whenever you’re flying Star Alliance same day, even if you’re not traveling internationally.
Eligible Star Alliance Gold members can bring one guest, who must be traveling on the same flight.
Be an active duty military member
Active duty US military personnel with a military ID can use United Clubs when traveling on United within 24 hours, assuming one of the following is true:
- They are dressed in uniform
- They have leave orders
- They have rest and recuperation papers
Eligible military personnel can bring family members with gate passes or traveling on the same flight.
What about United Polaris Lounge access?
In addition to United Clubs, United Airlines also has Polaris Lounges in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington. These are among the best business class lounges run by US airlines, in my opinion, as they have beautiful decor, and offer excellent a la carte dining.
How do access requirements for United Polaris Lounges compare? United Polaris Lounge access is available to:
- Those traveling same day on a United Polaris ticket, either on departure, at a connecting airport, or on arrival, excluding those on “basic” tickets; no guests are allowed
- Those traveling same day on a first class ticket on All Nippon Airways, Lufthansa, or SWISS, though only at the international departure gateway airport; one guest is allowed
- Those traveling same day on a business class ticket on Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Lufthansa, and SWISS, though only at the international departure gateway airport; no guests are allowed
Let me emphasize that those on “basic” Polaris tickets, as well as those in long haul first or business class cabins on Star Alliance carriers other than the above can still access United Clubs, but just not United Polaris Lounges.
There’s no way to access Polaris Lounges based on status — not even if you’re a Global Services member. For more details, see my guide to United Polaris Lounges.
Bottom line
As you can see, there are a variety of ways to get United Airlines lounge access, particularly for United Clubs. You can outright buy a membership, you can buy a day pass (which you can also get as a credit card benefit), or there are lots of premium cabin tickets and elite tiers that will get you access to United Clubs.
Hopefully the above clears up everything you could want to know about United Airlines lounge access. If I missed anything, please let me know.
Like every lounge these days it feels like anyone and everyone can get in.
The hidden gate at the end of the concourse with no flight, a seat looking out to the runway, and a Farmers Fridge bowl to eat, is about the best "lounge" you can ask for in 2026.
ANA Premium Economy bookings will get you access as well! I think this could be publicized much better than it is.
American allows club access not only on the premium transcon LAX and SFO to JFK routes (comparable to United to EWR), but you also get lounge access when flying from SNA to JFK and from LAX to BOS with American. That makes a BIG difference, especially since United and American are the only two clubs at SNA. Further, United doesn't offer lie flat to EWR from SNA while American does. So from SNA you have...
American allows club access not only on the premium transcon LAX and SFO to JFK routes (comparable to United to EWR), but you also get lounge access when flying from SNA to JFK and from LAX to BOS with American. That makes a BIG difference, especially since United and American are the only two clubs at SNA. Further, United doesn't offer lie flat to EWR from SNA while American does. So from SNA you have a club and a better flight experience with American versus United. The same is true for BOS from LAX, although occasionally United will run a lie flat from there, but again, no club access. These differences make American a better value and better choice overall on these routes.
They certainly know how to empty your wallet for a relaxed hour .
Did the *A First guest policy change with the recent updates? Last November I was flying NH F and brought a guest into the Polaris lounge who was on a domestic United flight.
Yes, flew SFO-LAX-VIE with my partner recently, and they wouldn't let him into the UC in SFO by himself. I had to use my *G guest.
Absolutely ridiculous policy to have a $6k business class ticket on 016 stock and be denied entry to a f***ing United Club.
They wish you had paid $8k .
I also just want to clarify that EWR-LAX and EWR-SFO now get Polaris Lounge access on standard tickets. Basic Polaris will get United Club. Longhaul Hawaii (ORD, IAD & EWR) also get Polaris access on standard tickets and United Club on basic tickete.
@ aerodro -- Good clarification, thank you! I just added that to the post.