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United Airlines is the third-largest airline in the US with over 4,000 daily flights to more than 300 cities. It’s also my primary carrier of choice since I live in Chicago (and lived close to Newark Liberty when Continental was in business).
United Fleet
As of October 2023, United operates a fleet with 924 aircraft. These planes have the oldest average age (16.3 years) of any US carrier. It flies a mix of Boeing and Airbus aircraft on its mainline flights with United Express flights operated by Bombardier and Embraer planes (these are operated by partner airlines including Air Wisconsin, CommuteAir, GoJet, Mesa Airlines, Republic Airways, and SkyWest Airlines).
Here is the breakdown of the mainline aircraft:
- Airbus A319-100: 81 in service
- Airbus A320-200: 92 in service. This is one of my favorite planes with lots of legroom for seat 1B.
- Airbus A321neo: 1 in service
- Boeing 737-700: 40 in service. These are either from Continental or purchased from Copa some years ago. I try to avoid them when I can as I have found them to frequently have maintenance issues.
- Boeing 737-800: 141 in service
- Boeing 737-900: 12 in service
- Boeing 737-900ER: 136 in service
- Boeing 737 MAX 8: 67 in service
- Boeing 737 MAX 9: 79 in service
- Boeing 757-200: 40 in service. These used to be flown by Continental for transcontinental flights as well as those to some Western European destinations like Dublin and Stockholm.
- Boeing 757-300: 21 in service
- Boeing 767-300ER: 37 in service
- Boeing 767-400ER: 16 in service
- Boeing 777-200: 19 in service
- Boeing 777-200ER: 55 in service
- Boeing 777-300ER: 22 in service
- Boeing 787-8: 12 in service
- Boeing 787-9: 38 in service. This plane, like the 787-8 and 787-10, is a Dreamliner. I find the cabins to be more comfortable than others and arrive feeling less dried out and more refreshed.
- Boeing 787-10: 21 in service
United has ordered more Airbus A321Neo, as well as A321XLR, A350-900, and Boeing 737 MAX 10 with deliveries starting in 2024.
United Hubs
The company is headquartered in Chicago and has hubs in eight cities, including:
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Guam’s Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM)
- Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Classes of Service
United offers up to four classes of service on a given flight. This varies by aircraft type and market. These include:
- United First®: Domestic flights offer First class in most markets (all mainline flights have a premium cabin). It includes a larger seat as well as complimentary food and drinks. Flights to Canada also offer this class of service.
- United Polaris®: Longhaul international flights in business class are marketed as Polaris®. These flights include Polaris® lounge access, a lie-flat seat, bedding, an amenity kit, multi-course meals, and entertainment.
- United Business: This is essentially the same as United First® but marketed as Business on flights to Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico.
- Premium Economy℠: The seats are similar to those found in United First®, but this class of service is found on longhaul flights. It is United’s most recent addition and has rolled out to many of the markets where Polaris® can be found. It offers extra legroom, meals, and free alcoholic beverages (on international flights).
- EconomyPlus®: This class offers the same seats and service as Economy®, but these seats offer extra legroom. They can be found in the first few rows of the coach cabin as well as the emergency exit rows.
- Economy®: This is your standard coach seating and service. Some routes offer seatback video and others offer entertainment through the United app. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are provided depending on the route.
- Basic Economy: These tickets are no frills and don’t include things you might expect to get with any airfare. Seats are not preassigned, you are limited to a personal item (no rollaboards), and there are no changes or cancellations allowed.
Baggage Fees
I choose to never check bags as I don’t have the patience to wait most times. Checked bag fees start at $40 for the first bag (or $35 if you prepay online) and vary depending upon the route and number of bags being checked. United℠ Explorer Card holders, Star Alliance Gold members, and United Premier members all get the first bag free. Additional baggage fees vary by status level. Weight limits can be seen above.
Boarding
If you’re new to flying United, you’ll notice that the boarding might seem confusing. Gate areas can be crowded and the lines only indicate Group 1 and Group 2. United has five pre-boarding groups as well as six boarding groups. It becomes second nature after a few flights but in the beginning you might wonder where you fit in with the crowd that is likely spread around the gate area.
Here is United’s current pre-boarding and boarding process:
- Customers with disabilities or needing extra time down the jetway
- Unaccompanied minors
- Active duty military members
- Global Services®
- Families traveling with children under the age of two
- Premier 1K®
- Group 1: United Polaris®, United First®, United Business®, Premier Platinum, Premier Gold, Star Alliance Gold
- Group 2: Premier Silver, Star Alliance Silver, Chase United cardholders, passengers who paid for Premier Access
- Group 3: Window seats, exit row seats, non-rev passengers
- Group 4: Middle seats (this used to be middle and aisle seats)
- Group 5: Aisle seats (this used to be Basic Economy passengers)
- Group 6: Basic Economy passengers (this used to be Group 5)
United Clubs℠
United operates lounges at all of its hubs and many cities both in the US and internationally. Access is granted to Global Services® members, passengers with memberships (purchased annually), one-time pass holders (earned from the United℠ Explorer Card), premium cabin passengers on international (when a Polaris® lounge is not available) or select transcontinental flights (EWR-SFO, EWR-LAX, SFO-EWR, and LAX-EWR), Star Alliance Gold members in any class of service, United Premier Gold and higher when flying internationally in any class of service, Air Canada Maple Leaf™ Club members, Virgin Australia Velocity Gold, Platinum, and VIP members, as well as active US military. Allowed guests vary by access type.
A same-day boarding pass is required to enter the United Club℠.
United Clubs℠ can be found in many cities, including:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): North Terminal, Concourse T, Between Gates 11 and 12
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS): West Concourse, Mezzanine Level, Across From Gate 22
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS): Terminal B, Level 3, Near Gate 24
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD): Terminal 1, Concourse B, Near Gate B18 | Terminal 1, Concourse B, Near Gate B6 | Terminal 1, Concourse C, Near Gate C10 | Terminal 2, Concourse E, Near Gate E7 | Terminal 2, Concourse F, Across from Gate F9
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE): Main Terminal, Concourse C, Between Gates C14 and C16
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): Terminal E, Between Gates E6 and E7
- Denver International Airport (DEN): Concourse B West, Near Gate B32 | United Club Pop-up Location, Near Gate B59 | Concourse B East, Near Gate B44 | Concourse B East, Near Gate B60 (United Club Fly With Grab-and-Go Snacks)
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL): Terminal 1, Next to the Escalators Near Gate C1
- Guam’s Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM): Concourse Level East, Between Gates 10 and 12
- Hong Kong International Airport (HKG): West Concourse, Airside, Level Temporarily Closed 7, Room 7W504 (Take the Escalator Located Before Gate 61)
- Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL): Diamond Head Concourse, Level 3, Above Gates G2 and G3
- Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH): Terminal E, Between Gates E11 and E12 | Terminal C, South Concourse, Toward Gate C33 | Terminal B, South Mezzanine, Above the United Express Ticket Counter | Terminal A, North Concourse, Across From Gate A9 | Terminal C, Near Gate C1
- Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS): Terminal 3, Concourse D, Between Gates 33 and 35
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): Terminal 7, Next to Gate 71A
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR): Terminal 2, Across From Gate B46
- Mexico City International Airport(MEX): Airside, Mezzanine Level, Terminal 1 Near Gate H
- Minneapolis- St. Paul International Airport (MSP): Concourse E, Between Gates E6 and E8
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY): Concourse C, Near Gate C7
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR): Mezzanine Level, Near gate C123 | Terminal C, Upper Level, Near Gate C74 | Terminal A, Upper Level, Near Gate A27 | Terminal C, Following Security Screening Between Gates C102 and C120
- New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA): Terminal B, Level 3, Near the Entrance of Gates 40-59
- Orange County’s John Wayne Airport (SNA): Main Terminal, Across From Gate 9
- Orlando International Airport (MCO): Concourse B, Near Gate 43
- Portland International Airport (PDX): Concourse E, Across From Gate E3
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL): Level 2, Between Concourses C and D
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): Terminal 3, Close to Gate E3
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU): Terminal 2, Across From Gates D1 and D3
- San Antonio International Airport (SAT): Terminal B, Between Gates B3 and B5
- San Diego International Airport (SAN): Terminal 2 West, Mezzanine Level Above Sunset Cove, Between Gates 47 and 48
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO): International Terminal, Boarding Area G, Between Gates G6 and G9 | Terminal 3, Boarding Area F, Rotunda, Near Gate F11 | Terminal 3, Boarding Area E, Near Gate E4
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA): Concourse A, Across from Gate A10 on the Mezzanine Level
- Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT): Airside, Satellite 3
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): Terminal B, Opposite Gate 11
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD): Midfield Terminal, Concourse C, Near Gate C7 | Midfield Terminal, Concourse C, Near Gate C17 | Midfield Terminal, Concourse D, Near Gate D8
United Polaris®
In 2016, United changed its international business class to its current offering: Polaris®. The company spent over 12,000 hours researching how to provide passengers with the best experience from lounge to landing. When it launched, it set the bar high with lounges that were the best in the US, great bedding and new lie-flat seats onboard, as well as extensive multi-course menus. Covid and cutbacks have changed the quality of the lounges and especially the food onboard. Some of the meals served over the past two years would be better suited for a prison cafeteria than a premium cabin, but United is making efforts to get back to where Polaris® started with a solid business-class product.
One of my favorite parts of Polaris® is the bedding. In partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue, United offers a large pillow, a cooling gel pillow, a duvet, and a day blanket. Mattress pads are available upon request. Pajamas are provided on flights over 12 hours (slippers are available on most Polaris® flights).
As mentioned above, the food has seen its decline through many cuts. What started with wine flights and dessert carts was reduced to little more than frozen TV dinners and packaged junk food. Luckily, United is starting to turn this around.
United Polaris® Lounges
Some of the nicest US lounges belong to United. Polaris® passengers are entitled to lounge access when departing, connecting, or arriving on a flight marketed as Polaris®. This includes flights to Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and some of South America (longer-haul flights like those to Brazil and Argentina).
Polaris® lounges can be found in the following United hubs:
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
These lounges offer lovely shower suites to refresh before or after a long flight, sit-down dining (try the burger), and a decent buffet of hot and cold items. Seating is comfortable and ample. The bar offers a nice selection of cocktails and wine. My recommendation is to eat before your flight and enjoy your time on board watching movies, working, or sleeping.
MileagePlus®
United’s frequent flyer program is called MileagePlus®. When you fly on paid tickets with United Airlines and its partners, you earn MileagePlus® miles. These can be redeemed for free tickets. In addition to miles earned from flying, you can get them from purchases made with one of Chase’s co-branded credit cards, through United’s shopping portal, and a host of other ways. Elite members get specific benefits at each level ranging from priority boarding to free checked baggage to upgrades on certain routes. The higher the level, the juicier the perks become. Miles from flying are earned based on the price of the ticket with bonuses given to each Premier level. There are four published levels plus an invitation-only level called Global Services®.
Earning status is based on taking a number of flights to earn PQF (Premier qualifying flights) as well as PQP (Premier qualifying point) or just based on PQP but at higher thresholds. Basically, how much you’re spending on tickets is the most important factor in gaining and maintaining status. Only airfare counts towards PQP (no taxes or fees). A minimum of four United operated flights is also required for any status.
Global Services®
As mentioned above, Global Services® is invitation only and reserved for United’s highest spenders. Qualification is not published and generally it is believed that a minimum of $50,000 spent per year is required (remember, it’s only the airfare and not taxes or carrier-imposed fees that count here). I was lucky to be Global Services® (GS) for several years (I lost it in 2023). The biggest benefits to me were the dedicated lobbies in most of the hubs for speedier check-in and security, pre-boarding before other elites and first class, as well as the ability to use United’s upgrade currency (PlusPoints) to upgrade family and friends from a separate pool of available upgrade seats (PN class).
Premier Benefits by Tier
Each tier offers additional benefits from the one before it. Global Services® earns PlusPoints and miles at the same levels as Premier 1K®.
Lifetime Premier Status
I hold lifetime status with United for flying over one million miles. With this achievement, my status and that of my spouse will never drop below Premier Gold. I’m currently Premier 1K®, so he also enjoys that status.
I’m working my way to two million miles on United and should hit that in the next few years. After that, I figure it will take me a little less than a decade to move up each remaining level. Lifetime miles are earned based on the actual mileage flown. This only counts for United and United Express flights.
Star Alliance Benefits
The sweet spots with United status come at Gold and above where you also receive Star Alliance Gold benefits. These grant access to Star Alliance member lounges, priority boarding and baggage, as well as some other benefits that vary slightly depending on the carrier.
Some of the nicest lounges I have been to came from having Star Alliance Gold status. When a flight is oversold, it can sometimes make the difference in getting picked for an operational upgrade and getting to fly business or first class.
Complimentary Upgrades
Upgrades on United Airlines come in several forms and the routes where they apply vary.
Complimentary Premier Upgrades are free for elite members and begin processing starting at 120 hours before a flight for GS down through boarding of a flight for all elites (ranked by status). They are available within the continental US (except for flights between Newark and Los Angeles and Newark and San Francisco (and the reverse), West Coast to Hawaii flights, flights to Alaska, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and between Guam and Micronesia.
Mileage Upgrades
United miles can be used to upgrade your seats.
If you’ve booked a ticket in O, Y, or B class, you won’t be charged a co-pay, but most other fare classes will require a cash payment in addition to the miles being deducted. Premier members are exempt from these co-pays.
PlusPoints
United’s instrument-supported upgrades are called PlusPoints. These can be used for any United flight with varying amounts of points needed depending on the route and cabin that is being upgraded from 10 to 80 points per flight. PlusPoints are earned when you hit Platinum (40) and 1K® (280 more). After qualifying for 1K®, 20 additional PlusPoints are granted for every 2,000 PQP earned with no caps.
There is a lot of flexibility with PlusPoints and travelers can select to upgrade one direction, roundtrip, or open jaw trips. PlusPoints can be applied online, with the app, or by calling United. The PZ fare bucket must be open in order to clear instantly with PlusPoints (for all elites except Global Services®, which clears into the PN fare bucket). If an upgrade is not available when the PlusPoints are applied, the passenger is added to a waitlist that is sorted by status, fare class, and time added. PlusPoints can be gifted to other travelers and I frequently use them to upgrade family and friends.
Chase & United Credit Cards
Other than flying, earning miles with a credit card is a great way to quickly build your balance (especially with lucrative bonuses for getting the cards). Chase offers four personal and two business cards that earn United MileagePlus® miles with each purchase. These include:
United Gateway℠ Card
This is the entry-level United card with no annual fee. It offers the following benefits:
- 2 miles per $1 spent on United Airlines, gas stations, and local transit/commuting
- 1 mile per $1 spent on anything else
- A 25% statement credit on purchases made onboard (think Wi-Fi or snacks)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
United℠ Explorer Card
This is the best card for regular United flyers and one of the two United cards I hold. The annual fee is waived the first year, then $95 and it offers:
- 2 miles per $1 spent on United Airlines, restaurants, hotels (booked directly through the hotel)
- 1 mile per $1 spent on anything else
- Upgrades on award tickets for Premier® members (a benefit not offered to anyone else other than GS members)
- A free checked bag on every flight
- A 25% statement credit on purchases made onboard (think Wi-Fi or snacks)
- A Global Entry, TSA PreCheck,® or NEXUS fee credit — up to $120
- No foreign transaction fees
- Two United Club℠ passes (annually)
- Priority boarding
United Quest℠ Card
This is the best card for frequent United flyers and the other United card I hold. Its annual fee is $250 and it offers:
- 3 miles per $1 spent on United Airlines
- 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel, restaurants, and select streaming services
- 1 mile per $1 spent on anything else
- $125 annual United purchase credit
- Up to two 5,000-mile anniversary award flight credits
- Free first and second checked bags on every flight
- A 25% statement credit on purchases made onboard (think Wi-Fi or snacks)
- A Global Entry, TSA PreCheck,® or NEXUS fee credit — up to $120
- No foreign transaction fees
- Priority boarding
United Club℠ Infinite Card
This is the best card for heavy United flyers who want access to the United Club℠. Its annual fee is $525 and it offers:
- 4 miles per $1 spent on United Airlines
- 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel and restaurants
- 1 mile per $1 spent on anything else
- A United Club℠ membership
- Premier access® travel services
- Upgrades on award tickets for Premier® members (a benefit not offered to anyone else other than GS members)
- The ability to earn up to 10,000 Premier qualifying points (PQP) each year; 25 PQP for every $500 you spend on qualifying purchases
- Free first and second checked bags on every flight
- A 25% statement credit on purchases made onboard (think Wi-Fi or snacks)
- A Global Entry, TSA PreCheck,® or NEXUS fee credit — up to $120
- No foreign transaction fees
- Priority boarding
- Avis President’s Club®
- IHG Rewards Platinum Elite status
- $75 IHG Credit
United℠ Business Card
This is the best card for infrequent United flyers who want to earn United miles from business purchases. Its annual fee is $99 and it offers:
- 2 miles per $1 spent on United Airlines, restaurants, gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting
- 1 mile per $1 spent on anything else
- 5,000 anniversary miles each year (if you also have a personal United Chase credit card)
- A free checked bag on every flight
- A 25% statement credit on purchases made onboard (think Wi-Fi or snacks)
- Two United Club℠ passes (annually)
- $100 annual United travel credit
- Upgrades on award tickets for Premier® members (a benefit not offered to anyone else other than GS members)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Priority boarding
United Club℠ Business Card
- 2 miles per $1 spent on United Airlines
- 1.5 miles per $1 spent on anything else
- A United Club℠ membership
- Free first and second checked bags on every flight
- Premier access® travel services
- A 25% statement credit on purchases made onboard (think Wi-Fi or snacks)
- Avis President’s Club®
- Upgrades on award tickets for Premier® members (a benefit not offered to anyone else other than GS members)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Priority boarding
