What's ridiculous is that most of the benefits of the credit cards are redundant for a 1K anyway. The only thing you don't get is united club access on a domestic itinerary. But is that really worth $450/year? Maybe if you are a segment warrior.
Currently, I think the best card for united is the Citi Prestige. $200/year (really $450, but you get $250 off your first plane ticket purchase). Then for every dollar you spend on travel, you get thank you points worth 3.9 cents towards purchasing United tickets. When you redeem these points, you earn PQM (but not PQD) on the tickets you fly. Since I'm usually PQM limited rather than PQD, this is a much better deal for me than the miles I would earn with a chase card. (I can't usually fly award tickets without jeopardizing my 1K status.)
On top of that, the other Prestige card benefits are also great. For example, you get priority pass select with two free guests each visit. So anyplace there is a non-United priority pass lounge, you have access. The killer benefit for me is 4th night free in any hotel if you book through their concierge. That benefit alone has been worth thousands of dollars to me. (Presumably it's a loss leader they will eventually change, but it's good while it lasts.)
Another good benefit is that they'll reimburse up to $500 of meals and lodging expenses if your flight is delayed for weather reason. That's a particularly good one for United, who likes to call mechanical delays "weather."