In this article, we take a look at the main ways you can access United’s extensive network of airport lounges – including the classic United Club, United Polaris Lounges and the new grab-and-go United Club Fly.
Whether it be with frequent flyer status, a benefit packing credit card or an annual membership, find out all the details of how to access a United Lounge in 2024 below…
- The different types of United Lounge and where they are located
- Access a United Club with a one-time pass
- Access a United Club with an annual membership
- Get a discount on annual membership as a MileagePlus Premier Platinum or 1K member
- Get a membership with the United Club Infinite credit card
- Fly in a premium cabin on an international flight or with a Star Alliance partner
- Special access for U.S. military personnel
The different types of United Lounge and where they are located
United has not one, nor two, but three types of lounge, which are:
- United Club
- United Polaris Lounge
- United Club Fly
United Club is the most prominent type of lounge, and it’s also the lounge that one-time passes, annual membership, and select co-branded MileagePlus credit cards will get you access to.
Depending on the size of the club, the kind of facilities you should expect are either a full-service or self-service bar, light snacks and a buffet, various seating options and Wi-Fi.
United is undergoing a big overhaul of its United Club network and eight new locations have opened over the last two years. Some of United’s biggest hubs have more than one Club, with Houston boasting five locations and Washington Dulles accounting for four United Club locations.
The largest United Club is planned for Terminal B in Houston, with around 50% more seating than older Club locations that are still to be upgraded.
At 35,000 square feet, the largest United Club currently in the network is in Terminal B at Denver, which also features the airline’s first-ever grab-and-go concept – called United Club Fly. Located near Gate B60 in Denver International Airport, the lounge offers a variety of drinks, hot beverages, fresh food and snacks to be taken with you.
Finally, United Polaris Lounges are the airline’s exclusive lounge offering which are designed for premium cabin passengers on some of United’s longest international flights. United Polaris Lounges feature additional amenities, including:
- Shower facilities with Therabody products
- Semi-private rest areas
- A full buffet selection and sit-down private dining spaces.
Here’s the full list of every type of United lounge throughout the carrier’s network:
| United Club | Location | Hours of operation |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta (ATL) | North Terminal, Concourse T, between Gates 11 and 12 | 4:45 a.m. – 7:45 p.m. daily |
| Austin (AUS) | West Concourse, Mezzanine Level, across from Gate 22 | 4:30 a.m. – 7:15 p.m daily |
| Boston (BOS) | Terminal B, Level 3, near Gate 24 | 4:30 a.m. – 8:45 p.m. daily |
| Chicago (ORD) | Terminal 1, Concourse B, near Gate B18 | 5:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily |
| Terminal 1, Concourse B, near Gate B6 | 5:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. daily | |
| Terminal 1, Concourse C, near Gate C10 | 5:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. daily | |
| Terminal 2, Concourse F, across from Gate F9 | 5:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. daily | |
| Cleveland (CLE) | Main Terminal, Concourse C, between Gates C14 and C16 | M, W, F, Sun: 5:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Tues, Thurs, Sat: 5:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. |
| Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) | Terminal E, between Gates E6 and E7 | 4:30 a.m. – 7:45 p.m. daily |
| Denver (DEN) | Concourse A West, near Gate A25 | 5:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. daily |
| Concourse B West, near Gate B32 | Temporarily closed | |
| Concourse B East, near Gate B44 | Hours: 5:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. daily | |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | Terminal 1, next to the escalators near Gate C1 | 5:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily |
| Guam (GUM) | Concourse level East, between Gates 10 and 12 | 4:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. daily |
| Hong Kong (HKG) | West Concourse, Airside, Level Temporarily closed 7, Room 7W504 (Take the escalator located just before Gate 61) | Temporarily closed |
| Honolulu (HNL) | Diamond Head Concourse, Level 3, above Gates G2 and G3 | 6:00am-11:00pm daily |
| Houston (IAH) | Terminal E, between Gates E11 and E12 | 5:30 a.m. – 9:15 p.m. daily |
| Terminal C, South Concourse, toward Gate C33 | 5:30 a.m. – 9:15 p.m. daily | |
| Terminal B, South Mezzanine, above the United Express ticket counter | 5:30 a.m. – 9:15 p.m. daily | |
| Terminal A, North Concourse, across from Gate A9 | 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. | |
| Terminal C, near Gate C1 | 5:30 a.m. – 9:15 p.m. daily | |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | Terminal 3, Concourse D, between Gates 33 and 35 | 4:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. daily |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | Terminal 7, next to Gate 71A | 4:30 a.m. – 12:15 a.m. daily |
| London Heathrow (LHR) | Terminal 2, across from Gate B46 | 5:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily |
| Mexico City (MEX) | Terminal 1, after duty-free, 2nd level, Hall H | 4:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. daily |
| Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) | Concourse E, between Gates E6 and E8 | 5:00 a.m. – 07:15 p.m. daily |
| New Orleans (MSY) | Concourse C, near Gate C7 | 4:00 a.m. – 7:15 p.m. daily |
| Newark (EWR) | Mezzanine level, near gate C123 | 5:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. daily |
| Terminal C, Upper Level, near Gate C74 | 5:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. daily | |
| Terminal A, Upper level, near Gate A27 | 5:00 a.m. – 9:15 p.m. daily | |
| La Guardia (LGA) | Terminal B, Level 3, near the entrance of Gates 40-59 | Sunday to Friday: 5:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Saturday: 5:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m |
| Orange County (SNA) | Main Terminal, across from Gate 9 | 5:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. daily |
| Orlando (MCO) | Concourse B, near Gate 43 | 5:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily |
| Portland (PDX) | Concourse E, across from Gate E-3 | 4:30am to 7:30pm |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | Level 2, between Concourses C and D | 5:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. daily |
| Phoenix (PHX) | Terminal 3, close to Gate E3 | 5:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. daily |
| Raleigh/Durham (RDU) | Terminal 2, across from Gates D1 and D3 | 5:00 a.m. – 07:30 p.m. daily |
| San Antonio (SAT) | Terminal B, between Gates B3 and B5 | 4:30 a.m. -6:30 p.m. Sun-Frid and 4:30 a.m. -5:15 p.m. on Sat |
| San Diego (SAN) | Terminal 2 West, Mezzanine Level above Sunset Cove, between Gates 47 and 48 | 5:15 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily |
| San Francisco (SFO) | International Terminal, Boarding Area G, between Gates G6 and G9 | 7:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. daily |
| Terminal 3, Boarding Area F, Rotunda, near Gate F11 | 5:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. daily | |
| Terminal 3, Boarding Area E, near Gate E4 | 5:45 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. daily | |
| Seattle (SEA) | Concourse A, across from Gate A10 on the mezzanine level | 4:15 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily |
| Tokyo Narita (NRT) | Airside, Satellite 3 | 8:45am – 8:45pm |
| Washington DC (DCA) | Terminal B, opposite Gate 11 | 5:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. daily |
| Washington Dulles (IAD) | Midfield Terminal, Concourse C, near Gate C4 | 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. daily |
| Midfield Terminal, Concourse C, near Gate C7 | 5:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily | |
| Midfield Terminal, Concourse D, near Gate D8 | 5:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily | |
| Midfield Terminal, Concourse C, near Gate C17 | 5:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily |
| Polaris Lounge | Location | Hours of operation |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago O’Hare | Concourse C, near Gate C18 | 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. daily |
| Houston | Terminal E, between the United Club location and Gate E12 | 5:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. |
| Los Angeles | Terminal 7, between Gates 73 and 75A | 6:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. daily |
| Newark | Terminal C, following security screening between Gates C102 and C120 | 5:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. daily |
| San Francisco | International Terminal, across from the security checkpoint for Boarding Area G | 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. daily |
| Washington Dulles | Midfield Terminal, Concourse C, near Gate C17 | 5:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily |
| United Club Fly | Location | Hours of operation |
|---|---|---|
| Denver | Concourse B East, near Gate B60 | 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily |
Access a United Club with a one-time pass
For the occasional traveler who doesn’t want or need a credit card which grants access to an airport lounge and doesn’t travel enough to warrant splashing out on an annual lounge membership, then a one-time pass could be the best option to access a United Club.
After all, spending time hanging out at the gate isn’t fun, and the outrageous pricing at many airport concessions means you could end up saving money just in food and drink costs.
Unlike Delta which scrapped single-visit passes to relieve its chronic lounge overcrowding issues, United does still offer the option for a one-time pass.
| Access | Cost | Number of travelers |
|---|---|---|
| Single United Club | $59 | One |
A United Club one-time pass costs $59 per person and grants access to a single United Club. Therefore, if there are a few people in your travel party costs could quickly mount up. Also, be aware that if you’ve got a connection, the one-time pass won’t grant you access to more than one United Club location.
You can quickly purchase a one-time pass in the United mobile app, but access is still subject to space availability. Once purchased, you have up to a year to use the pass.
Remember, you actually need to be flying with United or another Star Alliance airline on the same day to access a United Club with a one-time pass.
Access a United Club with an annual membership
For the more frequent traveler who regularly flies with United, an annual United Club membership could be a cost-effective way to access an airport lounge.
| MileagePlus membership level | Cost | Number of travelers |
|---|---|---|
| General Member – Premier Gold | $650 or 85,000 miles | One adult and dependent children under 21 or up to two guests |
| Premier Platinum | $600 or 80,000 miles | |
| Premier 1K | $550 or 75,000 miles |
An annual membership costs $650 or 85,000 miles for general members of the MileagePlus program, as well as Premier Silver and Premier Gold members. The very rough way of working this out is if you’re going to want to access a United Club more than 11 times per year, then an annual membership is going to start making a lot of sense.
There is a tiered discount for elite Premier Platinum and Premier 1K members.
- Premier Platinum members get a $50 or 5,000-mile discount
- and Premier 1K members get a $100 or 10,000-mile discount
Members and their guests will need a same-day boarding pass to access a United Club with the annual membership, but there’s no limit to how many clubs you can access in a day, and the United Club membership terms and conditions don’t stipulate a time limit on how long you can remain in a United Club.
Get a discount on annual membership as a MileagePlus Premier Platinum or 1K member
United Airlines doesn’t even automatically bestow lounge access to some of its most loyal frequent flyers, but elite members can receive a discount on annual United Club membership.
United MileagePlus has four published tiers of elite status:
- Premier Silver
- Premier Gold
- Premier Platinum
- Premier 1K
An annual discount for United Club membership, however, is only afforded to Premier Platinum and Premier 1K members.
| Premier Status | Discount | Annual membership cost |
|---|---|---|
| Premier Platinum | $50 | $600 |
| Premier 1K | $100 | $550 |
To achieve Premier Platinum status, you’ll need to complete at least 36 ‘Premier Qualifying Flights’ and earn a minimum of 12,000 ‘Premier Qualifying Points’ within a year or complete four flights on United / United Express metal and earn 15,000 PQP.
Premier 1K status requires at least 54 PQF and 18,000 PQP or four flights on United / United Express metal and at least 24,000 PQP.
In other words, for the average traveler, earning Premier Platinum or Premier 1K status for what is only a modest discount isn’t probably the most realistic way to achieve United Club membership.
Get a membership with the United Club Infinite credit card
For an annual fee of $595, the United Club Infinite Card comes with United Club annual membership – yes, that’s right, a credit card which comes with additional benefits built-in also includes United Club membership for a smaller annual fee than a United Club membership.
In addition to United Club membership, the card also offers:
- Two free checked bags per trip
- 4x miles on United purchases
- 2x miles on dining and other travel purchases
- Premier Access travel services
- Up to $100 credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS
- Up to 25% back on inflight food and drink purchases
You’ll also earn 8,000 Premier qualifying points on every $12,000 spent on the card, and you save 10% on United Economy Saver Awards.
This is the only personal co-branded United credit card which also offers United Club access, although small business owners also have the option of the United Club Business Card which has an even smaller annual fee of just $450.
Fly in a premium cabin on an international flight or with a Star Alliance partner
Of course, like other U.S. airlines, United doesn’t routinely offer lounge access for passengers traveling in a premium cabin on a domestic flight but there is one important exception. When travelling in United Business on a transcontinental flight (i.e., in Business Class on a widebody aircraft), then, you get access to a United Club at both the departure and arrival airport.
Otherwise, access to the Club Club is restricted to premium cabin passengers traveling on international flights only:
- United First on flights to and from Canada
- United Polaris business class for any long-haul international flight
- United Business for international flights (and transcontinental flights)
Passengers are granted access to the United Club at both the departure and arrival airport, as well as any connecting airport.
As a member airline of the Star Alliance, United also extends lounge access benefits to premium cabin passengers traveling with other Star Alliance carriers:
- First Class on an international flight
- Business Class on an international flight
Passengers traveling with a Star Alliance partner airline are only granted access at the departure airport.
Finally, United Premium Plus passengers don’t get complimentary access to the United Club, but you can buy a discounted United Club trip pass before the trip or a normal one-time pass on the day of the flight.
| Cabin | Route | Access permitted |
|---|---|---|
| United Polaris Business Class | Long-haul international flight | Departure, connecting and arrival airports |
| United Business Class | International or transcontinental flight. | Departure, connecting and arrival airports |
| United First | Flights to and from Canada | Departure, connecting and arrival airport |
| First Class on Star Alliance partner airline | Any international flight | Departure airport only |
| Business Class on Star Alliance partner airline | Any international flight | Departure airport only |
United Club access for Star Alliance Gold elite members
Frequent flyers with other Star Alliance airlines who have acquired the equivalent of Star Alliance Gold Status are also permitted to enter a United Club when traveling on an international flight, regardless of cabin.
Examples of the equivalent of Star Alliance Gold Status include:
- Air Canada – Aeroplan 50K and above
- Lufthansa – Senator status and above
- Turkish Airlines – Elite status and above
- Singapore Airlines – KrisFlyer Elite Gold and above
Star Alliance Gold Status passengers are permitted to guest one person into the lounge with them, so long as they are on the same flight.
United Polaris Business Class
As United’s most exclusive network of lounges, access to United’s Polaris Lounge is strictly controlled, and there’s no credit card or membership which will get you in.
That being said, you don’t just have to be traveling in United Polaris Business Class to get through the door.
Access is reserved for the following passengers:
| Cabin class | Lounges permitted into | Guests allowed |
|---|---|---|
| United Polaris business class | Departure, connecting and arrival airports | No guests permitted |
| First class on a Star Alliance airline | Departure airport only | One guest |
| Business class on a Star Alliance airline | Departure airport only | No guests permitted |
United Polaris is sold as Business Class on trans-Pacific or trans-Atlantic flights, as well as international flights to Buenos Aires, Lima, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Santiago.
Special access for U.S. military personnel
Finally, United allows access to its United Club network for Active-duty military members under the following three circumstances:
- When dressed in uniform
- Or in possession of leave papers
- Or with rest and recuperation papers
Active military members don’t have to be in possession of a same-day boarding pass but instead a boarding pass for a United or United Express flight within 24 hours.
