A deluxe airline card with a pricey annual fee

United Airlines is one of the most popular airlines in the country. According to the , United was fourth in terms of domestic market share in 2023, making up about 16% of the market.

For frequent travelers who prefer to fly on United Airlines and who are part of United’s MileagePlus loyalty program, the may be a useful addition to their wallets. Although this travel credit card has a steep annual fee, it has valuable rewards and benefits that you may find justifies the cost.

• Annual fee: $525

• Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within three months of account opening.

• Rewards:

• Four miles per $1 spent on United purchases, including tickets, Economy Plus fares, inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi

• Two miles per $1 spent on all other travel purchases, including airfare, trains, local transit, cruise lines, hotels, car rentals, taxicabs, resorts, rideshare services and tolls.

• Two miles per $1 spent on dining, including meals from eligible delivery services

• One mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Annual fee

Like other premium travel rewards cards, the United Club Infinite Card has a high . Each year, you’ll have to pay $525 to continue carrying the card.

Welcome offer

With the , you can earn 80,000 bonus miles if you spend $5,000 or more on new purchases within three months of your account opening date. Depending on how you redeem those miles, the bonus offer could be worth anywhere from $720 to $1,200.

The new cardmember bonus is not available to current cardmembers of any United Club credit card, or previous United Club Infinite cardholders who received a new cardmember bonus within the past 24 months.

Intro offer

Unlike other major credit cards, the United Club Infinite Card doesn’t have an for either purchases or balance transfers, so you’ll pay the regular APR rate on all transactions.

Rewards rate

The has a more complex rewards structure than some rewards cards with flat cash back rates. With your card, you’ll earn the following rewards:

• 4x miles per $1 spent: Earn four miles per $1 spent on United purchases, including tickets, Economy Plus fares, inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi.

• 2x miles per $1 spent: You can earn two miles per $1 spent on all other travel purchases, including airfare, trains, local transit, cruise lines, hotels, car rentals, taxicabs, resorts, rideshare services and tolls.

• 2x miles per $1 spent: Earn two miles for every dollar you spend on dining, including meals from eligible delivery services.

• 1 mile per $1 spent: On every other purchase, you’ll earn one mile for every $1 you spend.

However, not all transactions will earn rewards. The following transactions are excluded from the United Club Infinite Card rewards program:

• Balance transfers

• Cash advances and other cash-like transactions

• Lottery tickets

• Casino gaming chips, race track wagers or betting transactions

• Credit card fees, including your annual fee

How to earn rewards

The United Club Infinite Card is a good fit for those who fly often on United Airlines, and you maximize your rewards by using your card to purchase your airline tickets, inflight food and beverages and internet service. On United purchases, you’ll earn four miles per $1 spent.

For other travel expenses, including hotel stays and rental cars, you’ll earn two miles for every $1 you spend, so using your card for your vacation costs can help you build rewards.

According to , a vacation for two people will typically cost about $3,800 for a week’s trip. If you spent that amount and used your United Club Infinite Card to cover the full cost of your vacation, here’s how much you could earn in rewards:

Depending on how you redeemed those rewards later, your miles could be worth anywhere from $93.60 to $156.

How to redeem rewards

You can redeem your miles by visiting United.com/MileagePlus or by calling 800-421-4655. You can choose from the following options:

• Flights

• Hotel stays

• Car rentals

• Cruises

• Gift cards

• Charitable donations

Unlike other cards, the United Club Infinite Card doesn’t have a fixed value for its miles, so the value of your rewards can fluctuate. In general, each mile you earn is worth anywhere from $0.009 to $0.015 depending on your redemption method.

Typically, redeeming your miles for flights on United Airlines or one of United’s airline partners. gives you the most value for each mile.

Additional benefits

The United Club Infinite Card has a strong rewards program, but it stands out from competitor cards because of the lengthy list of travel benefits and luxurious perks it provides:

• United Club membership lounge access: Your card provides you with free United Club membership access. You can access United Club and participating Star Alliance affiliated lounges at airports all over the world and enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks.

• Free first and second checked bags: Your first and second checked bags — for you and a companion — are free on qualifying flights.

• $100 statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry: Save time by signing up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry to breeze through security lines. Your card entitles you to a $100 statement credit every four years.

• No foreign transaction fees: The United Club Infinite Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, so you won’t pay an added fee to use the card outside of the U.S.

• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: If your trip is interrupted or canceled due to illness, severe weather or another covered reason, the card will reimburse you for up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip in non-refundable expenses.

• Baggage delay insurance: If you’re traveling and your luggage is delayed by six hours or more, the United Club Infinite Card will reimburse you up to $100 per day, for ip to three days, to purchase toiletries, clothes and other replacement items.

• Lost luggage reimbursement: If you’re traveling via a common carrier and they lose your luggage, you’re covered up to $3,000 per passenger.

• Trip delay reimbursement: If your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more, you’re covered up to $500 per ticket for meals, hotel stays and other expenses.

• Auto rental damage collision waiver: The United Club Infinite Card provides primary protection against damages or theft of a rental car, as long as you decline the rental company’s collision insurance and pay for the entire rental with your card.

• Purchase protection: New purchases are covered against damages or theft, up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year.

• Return protection: If you purchase an item and the merchant won’t take it back, you’re backed by return protection. It reimburses you up to $500 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per year.

• Extended warranty protection: Extended warranty protection extends the warranties of three years or less by one year.

• Visa Infinite Concierge: The Visa Infinite Concierge is a 24/7 service that can help you secure hard-to-get reservations, concert tickets and more.

Who is the United Club Infinite Card best for?

The is best for frequent travelers who prefer United Airlines and airport lounge access. With this card, you’ll earn four miles per $1 spent on United tickets and other purchases, and you’ll receive complimentary United Club membership at locations worldwide.

United Club Infinite Card benefits

• No foreign transaction fees: Unlike many cards, the United Club Infinite Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. That feature makes it an especially useful credit card to take with you when you travel outside of the U.S.

• Includes travel insurance: The United Club Infinite Card provides robust travel insurance protection, including coverage for rental cars and trip delays.

• Attainable new cardmember offer: Compared to some cards, which have steep spending requirements, the United Club Infinite Card’s welcome offer is more attainable. The card’s welcome offer requires you to spend at least $5,000 over three months. If you use your card for routine purchases — including groceries, utility bills, insurance payments or gas — you could easily reach that spending requirement.

United Club Infinite Card potential drawbacks

• No introductory APR: The doesn’t have a promotional APR offer for purchases or balance transfers, so you’ll always pay the normal APR for purchases, balance transfers and cash advances.

• Steep annual fee: At $525, the United Club Infinite Card has an expensive annual fee. Unless you frequently fly on United Airlines, you may not earn enough rewards or use the card’s other benefits enough to justify the fee.

• Less flexibility with rewards: When you earn your rewards, you get the most value by redeeming them for United Airlines flights or by transferring them to an airline partner. Other redemption methods, such as gift cards, will give you less value for your points.

How to make a United Club Infinite Card payment

The United Club Infinite Card is a co-branded card issued by Chase. You can make payments on the United Club Infinite Card through the Chase mobile app, sending a check in the mail or by calling customer support.

Chase Cardmember Services

P.O. Box 6294

Carol Stream, IL 60197-6294

United Club Infinite Card customer service info

Chase is well-known for its customer service. In fact, J.D. Power ranked Chase fifth out of 16 credit card issuers in its .

Alternative cards to consider

If you prefer to fly on other airlines or want a card with a lower annual fee, consider these options:

Why we like it: The has a strong rewards program and added rewards, but it has a more modest annual fee than the United Club Infinite Card; its annual fee is just $250 per year (). With this card, you’ll earn a higher rewards rate on restaurants, grocery store purchases, and flights booked directly through airlines or through AmexTravel.co, giving you more flexibility in choosing an airline.

Why we like it: At $149 a year, the has a much more modest fee than the United Club Infinite Card. You’ll earn a higher rewards rate on all Southwest purchases, rideshare services, internet or streaming services, and the card includes perks like free checked bags.

Why we like it: For those who want a more general travel rewards card, the is a standout choice. It has no annual fee, and you’ll earn a flat 1.25 miles for every $1 that you spend (five miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental car reservations booked through Capital One Travel). Plus, it has a promotional APR offer; you can enjoy 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. After that period expires, an APR of 19.99% to 29.99% applies.

This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn’t include all currently available offers.