The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly has laid out his case for keeping the United Club Card in his wallet, and his argument hinges on a simple bit of maths: an individual United Club membership costs at least $750 a year, while the card that bundles lounge access with a stack of other perks costs $695. If you'd buy lounge access anyway, the card effectively pays for itself before you count anything else.
The headline perk is a full United Club membership, including entry for one adult guest and dependent children under 18. For anyone stuck through a long layover or a delay at a hub like Chicago O'Hare or Newark, having somewhere quiet to eat, work and decompress is a genuine upgrade to the trip, not just a points-earning nicety.
Beyond the lounges, cardholders get Premier Access airport services, a free first and second checked bag for themselves and one companion on the same reservation (when booking requirements are met), and discounts of at least 10% on eligible United award flights. Cardholders also see extra saver award availability — which, under United's dynamic pricing model, can mean paying notably fewer miles for the exact same seat.
The welcome offer adds to the appeal. New cardmembers can earn up to 100,000 bonus miles: 90,000 after spending $5,000 in the first three months, plus 10,000 for adding an authorised user in that window. TPG's November 2026 valuations put United miles at 1.2 cents each, so that's up to $1,200 in potential travel value. With the right availability, 90,000 miles could cover a one-way Polaris business-class ticket between the US and Asia.
Kelly's own example shows how far the miles can stretch. He booked a nonstop Polaris business-class flight from Newark to Johannesburg for 240,000 miles plus just $5.60 in taxes — a seat that would have cost roughly $7,000 in cash, working out to about 2.9 cents per mile, more than double TPG's valuation. And MileagePlus miles aren't limited to United metal: they can be redeemed on Star Alliance partners including Lufthansa, ANA and Singapore Airlines.
The honest caveat: this card is not for occasional United flyers. If you fly the airline once or twice a year, the fee is hard to justify, and TPG points to United's $350-annual-fee card as the better fit for lighter users who still want travel perks and award-booking benefits. Award prices fluctuate under dynamic pricing, so flexibility with dates matters if you're chasing good redemptions.
For frequent United flyers who would otherwise buy lounge access, check bags and value cheaper award bookings, the benefits stack up quickly against that $695 fee — and with the current welcome offer live, Kelly argues now is a sensible moment to consider it.
The Points Guy
