United just announced a negative change to the rules for accessing its United Clubs. This change impacts everyone, including one-time passes.

United Clubs now charge more for their memberships

Effective immediately, there are now two tiers of United Club membership:

• An individual membership that grants access just to United Clubs and does not allow guests for $750 or 94,000 United miles.
• An “All Access” membership that grants access to United Clubs and Star Alliance partner lounges, with up to two guests or a guest and dependent children.

The “All Access” membership cost varies depending on elite status:

• The base price is $1,400 or 175,000 United miles.
• Platinum members pay $1,300 or 163,000 United miles.
• 1K members pay $1,200 or 150,000 United miles.
• Global Services members pay $1,000 or 125,000 United miles.

Previously, the price of the full membership was between $550 and $650, depending on elite status. In other words, the price of full membership has more than doubled for everyone except Global Services members. Ouch.

Their credit card access rules are changing

Go figure that United wants its cardholders to start spending more money to unlock features that previously were offered up front.

First of all, the annual fee on the United Club credit card is increasing from $525 to $695. There are some new ‘coupon book’ type credits that are now included on the card that attempt to make up the massive $170 added fee. But the real reason you have this card is for the access to United Clubs.

United Club primary cardmembers previously were able to bring two guests or a spouse and dependent children into the lounge. Now that has been reduced to just one guest and dependent children. Also gone are the Star Alliance lounges you previously could visit.

Cardmembers can unlock that extra guest by spending $50,000 on their United Club credit card in a year. Doing so would also confer the ‘All Access’ status and give members the ability to go to Star Alliance lounges.

Pretty clearly, the incentive is to have members move to credit cards to gain access. The more on credit cards, the more likely people will spend on those cards.

One-time passes now have a three-hour limit

As if the paid membership changes weren’t enough, United also impacted the one-time passes. Previously, you could use these passes at any time during the day prior to your flight. Now these passes can only be used starting three hours before your departure. There is no change to those on connecting itineraries looking to use the lounge at their connection point–there is no three-hour restriction there.

The three-hour limit does not impact any other guests accessing United Clubs (at least, not yet).

Of course, this all assumes that you could get into the lounge with these one-time passes. It’s not atypical to see that famous banner up to turn these guests away.

The sad state of United Clubs: A recent look at SFO

I think it’s fair to try to keep things in perspective. When we talk about United attempting to make its clubs more exclusive, it’s reasonable to also take a look at what the lounge is currently like.

We recently stopped by the one of the United Clubs at SFO (by the F gates). I’ll talk about it more in its own post, but as a preview, we found it very crowded. Perhaps the crowding would ease up a bit after the new rules take effect, but as it was, we could only find two seats between the four of us. There seemed to constantly be other passengers walking around, looking for spots to open up.

There wasn’t much available food-wise either. Hot items were limited to eggs, dried-up biscuits, or sausage. It was rather unappealing and we ended up passing on it.

I wouldn’t be all that opposed to having an increased fee for United Clubs if it came with a commitment to offer something in exchange. Perhaps more variety, better quality–something–to give the draw that an improvement is on the way for the extra money spent. But there was no such promise, which makes me wonder about that premium investment United claims it’s making.

United Clubs might be easier to access by earning Star Alliance Gold status

United Airlines offers complimentary access to its United Clubs for Star Alliance Gold members earned in other loyalty programs when flying any route on United. That’s more generous than what they offer their own Star Gold members, who only get access to clubs on international journeys. By upping the cost and requirements of those paying for club memberships, they risk customers turning away from United MileagePlus and spending their money with alliance partners.

Star Alliance Gold allows for the member plus one guest to enter United Clubs when departing on a same-day Star Alliance carrier.

Easier options to earn Star Alliance Gold status:

• Aegean: First, you must fly Aegean twice and earn 12,000 tier miles to qualify for Star Silver. Then fly Aegean four times and earn 24,000 tier miles in a year, which is reduced to just 12,000 tier miles a year to renew.
• Air Canada: Can be done with a combination of credit card spend ($50,000) on their co-brand Chase card, and flying enough to earn 35K status.
• Copa Airlines: Earn 40,000 qualifying miles and fly Copa four times in a year.
• EgyptAir: Earn 60,000 elite miles quickly by creating a pool and letting others give you their elite miles (useful for families that travel together).
• Turkish Airlines: Earn 40,000 status miles in a year to earn Star Gold for two years, or as few as 45,000 status miles in two years to renew.

While there’s no perfect solution for those who purely spend on credit cards, if you fly United enough to earn status with a foreign program and want easier access to United Clubs, you might want to consider earning elsewhere.

Suggested reading:

• Why You Need to Collect United Miles
• United Club Fly Denver: Better than the Average United Club
• Stop Thinking of Points as Free