United Club Infinite Card review 2024: A premium airline card for those who want unlimited United Club lounge access

---

The United Club Infinite Card is tailor-made for the frequent United flyer who places a premium on their airport experience and is willing to pay for it. Read more in our full United Club Infinite card review.

---

United Club℠ Infinite Card * The information for the United Club℠ Infinite Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. basics

• Annual fee: $525.
• Welcome bonus: 90,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Rewards: 4 miles per $1 at United, 2 miles per $1 on all other travel, dining including eligible delivery services and 1 mile on all other purchases.
• APR: 21.99% to 28.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.
• Other perks and benefits: Complimentary United Club lounge access, first and second checked bags free, up to $100 application fee statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS and up to 10,000 Premier qualifying points (PQPs) in a calendar year based on your annual spending.
• Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? Not currently available online; in branch or direct mail only.
• Recommended credit score: Excellent.

United Club Infinite Card review

For United Airlines travelers who value airport lounge access and elite status, the United Club Infinite Card is the ideal choice. It includes complimentary United Club airport lounge membership, which on its own starts at $650 annually. United Club lounge access allows you and your eligible travel companions to enter the lounge when flying United or a Star Alliance airline partner (we’ll explain more about eligibility below). With this card, you’ll earn 4 miles per $1 at United, 2 miles per $1 on all other travel, dining including eligible delivery services and 1 mile on all other purchases, plus earn up to 10,000 Premier qualifying points (PQPs) toward Premier status each year based on card spending. 

The card also comes with an array of benefits, including free first and second checked bags for you and a travel companion, Premier Access travel services, IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status and more. While there are numerous benefits that United passengers enjoy, this card has a $525 annual fee that makes it best suited for frequent travelers seeking a less expensive way to access the United Club lounge than just buying the membership outright.

Pros

• United Club membership included: United travelers do not have to buy a separate membership or day pass to access the United Club airport lounges. 
• Spending earns Premier status credits: You’ll earn 25 PQPs toward Premier status for every $500 you spend. Cardholders can earn up to a maximum of 10,000 PQPs per calendar year.
• Benefits when flying United: With your United Club Infinite Card, you’ll receive Premier Access services, which includes priority check-in, security screening, boarding and baggage handling privileges (where available). Additionally, you’ll get the first and second checked bags for free and a 25% discount in the form of a statement credit on United in-flight purchases.

Cons

• High annual fee: This card charges an annual fee of $525, which could be too high for some travelers, although it’s still lower than the United Club membership — which can cost up to $650 annually.
• No annual travel credits: Many high-end travel credit cards include annual travel credits that help to cover the card’s annual fee. This card does not include similar credits.
• Benefits available to limited travel companions: Other airline credit cards offer free checked bags and other benefits to up to eight travel companions. This card limits free checked bags to one travel companion and airport lounge access is limited to two adult guests or one adult and dependent children under 21 years of age.

United Club Infinite Card rewards

Upon approval for the United Club Infinite Card, you’re eligible for a welcome bonus of 90,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. 

The card earns 4 miles per $1 at United, 2 miles per $1 on all other travel, dining including eligible delivery services and 1 mile on all other purchases. Plus, you can earn up to a maximum of 10,000 PQPs toward Premier status every calendar year through eligible spending on the card.

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has around $29,525 in annual expenses that can be charged to a credit card. Here’s how our sample household’s rewards could break down:

Using the average household spending, the cardholder in this example earns a grand total of 43,735 United Mileage Plus miles annually. Assuming an average redemption value of 1.5 cents per mile, you’ll earn approximately $656 worth of travel each year — depending on how you redeem your rewards.

The best use for United MileagePlus members to redeem their miles is for flights on United or its airline alliance partners, but there are other options as well. Miles can be redeemed for upgrades, hotel reservations, shopping, gift cards, experiences and more. Generally, the redemption options with the highest values are booking premium cabin international flights or during peak travel periods.

To get the most value from your United miles, consider these options:

• United flight award deals. United publishes a list of featured awards that offer discounted prices between eligible cities on select dates. A sample flight shows Chicago to San Francisco for just 13,500 miles on May 10, 2024.
• Excursionist perk. This perk includes a free one-way award within select multi-city itineraries. The catch is that travel must end in the same region it originates. For example, at the time of writing you can book a flight from Chicago to London and Paris to Chicago for 30,000 miles for each flight. You can use the Excursionist perk to book a free one-way award flight from London to Paris to connect the two legs of your trip.
• Saver awards. These flights offer discounted award pricing compared to the standard cost of an award ticket. For example, you can fly from Chicago to London for 40,000 miles on a Saver Award, versus the standard price of 70,000 miles.

United Club Infinite Card perks

The perks of the United Club Infinite Card are what make paying its premium annual fee worthwhile. Make sure that you take advantage of these benefits to get the most from your credit card.

United Club membership

The main benefit of the United Club Infinite Card is the complimentary United Club airport lounge membership. It provides complimentary entrance to the United Club lounge for the primary cardholder and eligible travel companions whenever they’re flying United, United Express or a Star Alliance partner airline. This membership can cost up to $650 or 85,000 miles per year.

Earn Premier status credits

The United Club Infinite Card earns 25 PQPs (up to 10,000 PQPs per calendar year) for every $500 spent on purchases with the card. That’s enough PQPs for Premier Silver status on its own or Premier Gold with qualifying flight activity. These PQP credits also combine with your PQPs earned from paid flights and other activities to achieve higher levels of Premier status.

Benefits when flying United Airlines

On United and United Express-operated flights, you’ll enjoy Premier Access travel services. Premier Access includes priority check-in, security screening, boarding and baggage handling (where available). 

Additionally, you’ll get the first and second checked bag for free for you and one travel companion. United charges up to $35 for the first bag and up to $45 for the second, so this is a savings of up to $320 per round-trip flight. The card also provides a 25% discount (issued as a statement credit) on in-flight food, beverages and WiFi purchases on United and United Express-operated flights and on premium drinks inside the United Club lounge.

Reimbursement for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS

When you apply for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS using your United Club Infinite Card, you’ll be reimbursed with a statement credit of up to $100 for the application fee once every four years. These membership programs expedite your travels by providing access to dedicated security lanes. This benefit covers the application fees for yourself or anyone else that you pay for.

Travel protections

When booking travel with the United Club Infinite Card, you’ll automatically receive several travel protections to guard your trip. These protections include trip cancellation or interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement and trip delay reimbursement. It also provides primary rental car protection when you decline the rental car company’s collision damage waiver.

Purchase protections

Your everyday purchases also receive protection when using this card to pay. It provides purchase protection for up to 120 days against damage or theft (up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year). Plus, it includes return protection in case the store won’t take back your item within 90 days (up to $500 per item and $1,000 per year). All eligible purchases also extend the manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on warranties that are three years or less.

10% Discount on award tickets

When you book an award ticket on United with your miles, you’ll save 10% on United Economy Saver flights within the continental U.S. and Canada. This benefit extends the life of your miles by reducing the number of miles needed to book a ticket. (Available for the primary cardholder only).

Premier upgrades on award tickets

For United travelers with Premier status, you’re eligible for complimentary upgrades on award tickets. This benefit is available to the cardholder and one companion traveling United or United Express-operated flights on the same itinerary.

IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status

The United Club Infinite Card includes IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status when you link your accounts. Platinum Elite status comes with many benefits, including complimentary room upgrades and late check-out (as available).

Avis President’s Club

As a United Club Infinite cardholder, enjoy premium benefits with Avis President’s Club upon enrollment. Register for this benefit and receive complimentary two-car class upgrades, guaranteed car availability, expedited rental service and more.

Missing features

The United Club Infinite Card has numerous features that make it worthwhile for many travelers. However, when comparing it against other premium travel credit cards, it is missing features that we’d like to see.

Annual travel credits

Many premium travel cards include annual travel credits that reduce the net cost of the card’s annual fee. Some cards, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, offer general travel statement credits that cover any travel expense. While others, like The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, rates & fees), offer statement credits that focus on airline incidental fees, like checked bags, upgrades and other charges. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Priority Pass membership

Access to the United Club lounges is an attractive benefit, but there are only around 45 United Club locations. While you can also visit Star Alliance-affiliated lounges, there are more than 1,500 Priority Pass lounges around the world. This benefit is a common feature among premium travel credit cards. Additionally, cardholders can only access the United Club and Star Alliance lounges when flying United or a partner airline. With Priority Pass, you can fly any airline and be eligible for one of their lounges with membership. Enrollment is required.

How the United Club Infinite Card compares to other travel cards

United Club Infinite Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is an excellent general travel card that earns flexible Ultimate Rewards® points. These points can be used to book travel, get cash back, buy gift cards and more. They also transfer to more than a dozen airline and hotel partners, including United, on a 1:1 basis. This enables travelers to use their miles for United flights or opt to use their earnings for other airlines or hotels.

The Sapphire Preferred also offers a slew of travel benefits and purchase protections while also earning 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. While the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card doesn’t offer airport lounge access, it has a more reasonable $95 annual fee, which can be more appealing to occasional travelers.

Bigger isn’t always better: Here’s why the Chase Sapphire Preferred can be worth the $95 annual fee

United Club Infinite Card vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express

The American Express Platinum Card (terms apply, rates & fees) is a luxury travel card that earns 5 Membership Rewards® points per $1 for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year, 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per $1 on other purchases. The card comes with a long list of annual statement credits worth over $1,500 in Platinum value plus complimentary Priority Pass Select lounge access, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

American Express also has its own Global Lounge Collection®, providing access to eligible airport lounges around the world. Its $695 annual fee is higher than the United Club Infinite Card, but it has numerous ways to reduce the net cost if you take advantage of the annual statement credits and other perks. Ultimately, the Amex Platinum has more widespread airport lounge access than the United Club Infinite Card — but that access doesn’t include the United Club lounge.

our partner

Ad

Blueprint receives compensation from our partners for featured offers, which impacts how and where the placement is displayed.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Partner Offer

Rates & fees / Terms apply

Apply Now

On American Express’s secure website

Welcome bonus

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

Earn 80,000 points

Annual fee

$695

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit score

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

(700 – 749) Good, Excellent

Earn 5 Membership Rewards® Points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and on flights booked directly with airlines or AMEX travel. The airline benefit is limited to the first $500K in purchases per calendar year. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on other eligible purchases.

Editor’s take

Pros

• Over $1,500 in travel and entertainment credits can offset the annual fee.
• Comprehensive lounge access benefit.
• Generous travel and purchase protections.

Cons

• High annual fee and spending requirements.
• Amex’s once-per-lifetime rule limits welcome bonus eligibility.
• Annual statement credits have limited use.

The Platinum Card® from American Express is packed with unparalleled luxury travel perks. Cardmembers have access to a wide range of airport lounges, mid-tier hotel elite status and a comprehensive set of travel protections.

Card details

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
• $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
• $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
• Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 year period for TSA PreCheck® application fee for a 5-year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck® official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

United Club Infinite Card vs. United℠ Explorer Card * The information for the United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

For occasional United travelers, the United Explorer Card might be a better fit. Although it doesn’t include a United Club membership, it does provide free first checked bags for you and a companion, priority boarding and other perks when traveling on United. Plus it includes two United Club one-time passes after account opening and on each anniversary year, as well as Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select United- and United Express-operated flights for primary cardholders (who have Premier status and are traveling on an award ticket) and one companion traveling on the same reservation. 

The card earns 2 miles per $1 on dining including eligible delivery services, hotel stays and United purchases and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases and has a much more palatable annual fee of $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. If you think you’ll need more than two passes a year to the United Club lounge, you can buy additional one-time passes for $59 per person, which is still significantly less expensive than the cost to own the United Club Infinite Card.

Is the United Club Infinite Card worth it?

The United Club Infinite Card is a premium airline credit card loaded with benefits. It is the ideal credit card for frequent United travelers who want to earn Premier status and unlimited access to the United Club lounge. 

It offers robust miles on United purchases and solid returns on dining and other travel purchases, too. The card also comes with numerous perks when traveling on United and travel protections. Although high, the card’s annual fee is still less than buying a United Club membership outright. But if you only fly United a handful of times a year, another card will likely suit your needs better and offer you greater flexibility at the airport. 

The United Club Infinite Card is right for you if:

• You want unlimited access to the United Club lounge.
• You want a pathway via spending to Premier elite status with the airline.
• You typically fly United and stay at IHG hotels and can benefit from the combined perks this card offers.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Does the United Club Infinite Card give you Premier status?

The United Club Infinite Card does not provide automatic MileagePlus Premier status, but you can earn it based on your annual spending. You’ll earn 25 PQPs for every $500 you spend on purchases with the card, up to a maximum of 10,000 PQPs in a calendar year.

What's the difference between United Club and United Club Infinite?

United Club is the name of the airline’s exclusive airport lounge. Normally, passengers gain entrance through an annual membership, a one-time pass or eligible tickets. United Club Infinite is the airline’s premium credit card that includes a complimentary United Club membership that is good for as long as you hold the card.

Does the United Club Infinite Card give you United Club access?

Yes, one of the primary benefits of the United Club Infinite Card is the complimentary United Club airport lounge membership. This benefit provides complimentary access to the United Club lounge for the cardholder and eligible travel companions when flying with United and Star Alliance airlines.

Do you get priority boarding with the United Club Infinite Card?

Yes, United Club Infinite cardholders receive Premier Access travel services, which grants priority boarding with Group 2 as well as designated check-in lines, priority security lanes and priority baggage handling (where available) when flying on United- and United Express-operated flights.

^{For rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.}