The United Club℠ Infinite Card stands out as United’s most premium personal credit card offering extensive United Club lounge access and elite-style benefits. The card provides excellent value for loyal United travelers through its lounge access, free checked bags, and bonus miles on United purchases.
This credit card review will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
Welcome Bonus of the United Club Infinite
The United Club Card currently offers the following welcome bonus: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months; plus 5,000 bonus miles after you add an authorized user in the first 3 months.
The bonus comes with some important restrictions to keep in mind. Chase’s standard 5/24 rule applies, meaning if you’ve opened five or more credit cards across all banks in the past 24 months, you likely won’t be approved.
Additionally, you can’t receive this bonus if you currently have any United Club credit card, or if you’ve earned a welcome bonus on any United Club card in the past 24 months.
Earning Miles with the United Club Infinite
The United Club Card earns extra miles in several categories including:
While this card offers one of the highest returns on airline spending among co-branded cards, you can earn better rewards on general travel and dining with transferable points cards.
You can earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) to help you earn elite status. This card earns 1 PQP for every $15 you spend (up to 15,000 PQPs in a calendar year) makes this an excellent card for chasing United elite status through spending.
The 4x on United purchases combined with the PQP earning potential makes it compelling for frequent United flyers who spend heavily with the airline, but the broader bonus categories aren’t competitive enough to make this a strong everyday spending card.
Most travelers would be better off pairing this with a flexible rewards card that earns transferable points for non-United purchases to maximize their return.
Annual Fee of the United Club Infinite
The United Club Infinite Card carries a $525 annual fee, but you’ll receive a United Club membership that normally costs $650 per year for non-elite members, making this fee easier to justify. Additional valuable benefits include a free first and second checked bag, Premier Access travel services, and up to 4x miles on United purchases.
United Club Infinite Benefits
The United Club Visa Infinite offers the following great benefits: United Club Membership: This great benefit provides unlimited access to United Club locations and participating Star Alliance lounges worldwide for the primary cardholder and up to two adult companions (or one adult and dependent children under 21). When purchased separately, this membership can be worth up to $650 per year. It offers a comfortable retreat with amenities like complimentary snacks, beverages, and Wi-Fi in airports. Two Free Checked Bags: The primary cardmember and one companion traveling on the same reservation will each receive two free checked bags when traveling on a United Airlines flight (a savings of up to $360 per roundtrip). However, you need to purchase the flight using this card to receive the free checked bags benefit, unlike other airline credit cards. Premier Access: Skip the lines with Premier Access, giving you priority check-in, security lanes, boarding, and baggage handling. In-Flight Savings: Get 25% back in the form of an account statement credit on purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi, onboard United when you pay using your card. Award Discount: The United Club card allows the primary cardholder to book United Economy Saver Awards within the continental U.S. and Canada for 10% fewer miles. Expanded Award Availability: Cardholders get access to additional MileagePlus award space on United flights, including both expanded saver level award availability and last-seat access to United’s standard awards. This benefit increases the chances of finding award seats, especially on popular routes or during peak travel times. Upgrades on Award Tickets: MileagePlus Premier members receive complimentary upgrades on award tickets, extending their upgrade privileges to flights booked with miles. Uniquely, this card also allows upgrades for a companion traveling on the same reservation, enhancing the travel experience for both the cardholder and their travel partner. IHG Platinum Status: The primary cardholder receives IHG Platinum elite status. The benefits of IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status include space available room upgrades, 60% points bonus, late checkout, and a welcome amenity. Avis President’s Club: The primary cardholder also receives Avis President’s Club status. The benefits of Avis President’s Club include a free 2-car class upgrade when reserving a midsize or above (if available), and guaranteed availability of up to a full-size car with a confirmed reservation at least 24 hours in advance. No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose. Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / Nexus Credit: Receive an application fee credit of up to $120 every four years for either TSA PreCheck (expedited airport security), Global Entry (expedited airport security and customs), or NEXUS (expedited crossing between the US and Canada)for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®. These trusted traveler programs can save you time and hassle at the airport. Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first. Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: This protection reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel before departure or cut your trip short due to covered situations like severe illness or weather events. Coverage activates when you pay for your trip with the card, but it’s important to note that reimbursement only applies for specific covered reasons rather than any cancellation. Primary Rental Car Insurance: When you rent a car and pay with this card, you’ll receive comprehensive coverage including damage and theft protection. Simply decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and charge the entire rental to your card to activate coverage. This insurance covers damage, theft, and valid loss-of-use charges worldwide. Baggage Delay Insurance: Missing luggage doesn’t have to derail your trip – this coverage steps in to reimburse you for essential purchases when your checked bags are delayed by airlines, trains, or other carriers. You can grab the necessities you need, from a fresh outfit to personal care items, while waiting for your bags to arrive. Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card. 120-Day Purchase Protection: Get 120 days of protection against damage, theft, and even loss of your purchases – one of the longest windows available. This premium coverage automatically applies when you pay with your card. Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans. Return Protection allows cardholders to receive a refund for purchased items within a certain timeframe for items that merchants may not accept for return.
Travel Benefits
Purchase Benefits
Redeeming Miles with United Club Infinite
United MileagePlus offers numerous opportunities to redeem miles for flights on United and its extensive network of Star Alliance and other airline partners. Here are some of the best ways to use United miles: For international travel, business and first class award tickets often provide excellent value. You can fly Lufthansa first class from the U.S. to Europe for 121,000 miles one-way, experiencing one of the most sought-after premium cabins. United’s own Polaris business class to Europe starts at 80,000 miles one-way, featuring lie-flat seats with direct aisle access. United’s Excursionist Perk allows you to add a free one-way segment within a single region on round-trip international itineraries, effectively giving you a free stopover. This can be creatively used to visit multiple destinations on one award ticket. Short-haul flights under 800 miles outside the U.S. can be booked for just 8,800 miles in economy, making United miles useful for intra-region travel in places like Europe or Africa. Within the U.S., domestic flights can sometimes be found for as low as 5,000 miles one-way with United’s dynamic pricing. For long-haul travel, you can book business class to Africa on Star Alliance partners like Ethiopian Airlines or South African Airways for 88,000 miles one-way. ANA’s excellent business class to Japan, featuring “The Room” seats on some aircraft, starts at 110,000 miles. United miles can also get you to hard-to-reach places like the Galápagos Islands, with economy flights from Ecuador starting at just 8,800 miles one-way on Avianca. Caribbean destinations can be reached from 13,200 miles round-trip in economy from the U.S. Remember that United doesn’t pass on fuel surcharges for partner awards, keeping out-of-pocket costs low. While redemption rates may not always be the absolute lowest, the ease of booking online and access to extensive Star Alliance inventory make United MileagePlus a valuable program for award travelers.
Pros and Cons
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of this card:
Pros:
Premium Lounge Access: Full United Club membership for you and two guests or one guest and dependent children, which normally costs $650 per year – significantly more than the card’s annual fee.
Strong Earning Rate: Best-in-class 4x miles on United purchases, plus 2x on travel and dining, making it one of the highest-earning airline cards available.
Comprehensive Travel Protection: Includes trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay coverage, primary car rental insurance, and other premium travel benefits.
Generous Baggage Benefits: Free first and second checked bags for both the primary cardholder and a companion, potentially saving up hundreds on each trip.
Cons:
High Annual Fee: $525 annual fee may be difficult to justify if you don’t regularly use United Clubs or fly United frequently.
Limited Value for Elite Members: Several card benefits, like priority boarding and checked bags, overlap with elite status benefits, reducing the card’s value for frequent United flyers.
Travel-Focused Benefits: Most valuable perks are United-specific, making this card less practical for those who fly multiple airlines or travel infrequently.
Card Alternatives to the United Club Card
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
United℠ Explorer Card
The United℠ Explorer Card (review) delivers premium travel benefits without the premium price tag, making it ideal if you fly United just a few times yearly. You’ll enjoy practical perks like free checked bags and priority boarding alongside monthly credits for ride-sharing and grocery delivery that provide value throughout the year. Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Earning Miles: 2x miles on United Airlines purchases, dining (including eligible delivery services), hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel; 1x miles on all other purchases. Card Benefits: Free first checked bag for you and one companion, 2 United Club one-time passes each year, $120 Instacart credit, $100 JSX credit, $60 ridesharing credit, $100 United Hotels credit, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee credit, 25% back on United inflight and Club premium drink purchases, no foreign transaction fees, travel insurance (primary rental car, trip delay, trip cancellation, lost luggage, and baggage delay), purchase protection, and extended warranty.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (review) offers premium travel benefits including lounge access, hotel elite status, and multiple statement credits that can offset its $795 annual fee. With bonus earnings on travel and dining purchases plus the ability to transfer points to 14 airline and hotel partners, this card delivers strong value for frequent travelers who can maximize its benefits. Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full Earning Rewards: 10x points on Hotels (excluding The Edit) and car rentals and 5x points on flights through Chase Travel after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 10x points on Chase Dining purchases with Ultimate Rewards; 3x points on dining at restaurants, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out; 3x points on other travel after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 1x points on other eligible spending. Card Benefits: $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass airport lounge membership with unlimited visits, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee credit of up to $120 every four years, no foreign transaction fees, travel insurance (primary rental car, trip delay, trip cancellation, travel accident, lost luggage, and baggage delay), purchase protection, return protection, and extended warranty. Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, IHG, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic.
American Express Platinum Card®
American Express Platinum Card® (review) offers the most comprehensive airport lounge network available, giving you access to premium Centurion Lounges plus thousands of other lounges worldwide. You can easily offset the card’s large annual fee through generous credits for Uber, hotels, digital entertainment, Resy dining, and lifestyle brands like lululemon. Earning Points: 5x on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel®, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year; 5x points on on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com; 1x points on all other purchases. Card Benefits: Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, AeroMexico, Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Choice Privileges, Delta, Emirates, Etihad, Air France – KLM Flying Blue, Hawaiian Airlines, Hilton, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore KrisFlyer, and Virgin Atlantic.
Is the United Club Infinite Card Worth It?
The United Club Card is a no-brainer if you’re a frequent United flyer who values airport lounge access, as the included United Club membership actually costs more than the card’s annual fee when purchased separately.
You’ll earn an impressive 4x miles on United purchases, plus bonus miles on travel and dining, making this one of the most rewarding airline cards for everyday spending.
Beyond lounge access, you’ll get premium perks like free first and second checked bags, priority boarding, and security lane access that can make your travel experience much more comfortable.
The card’s current welcome bonus offers significant value toward future travel, though you’ll need an excellent credit score to qualify.
While the $525 annual fee might seem steep at first glance, the combination of the United Club membership, travel perks, and strong earning rates makes this card well worth it for United loyalists who fly several times per year.
Learn How to Apply: United Club℠ Infinite Card.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
