WineCountryUA

All we have for now is the banner headline announcing a future fee increase, appears the text body is still reflecting today's prices.

sanfran8080

Kacee

Did Chase raise their annual fee last time United raised membership rates? And if so, were existing cardholders grandfathered?

WineCountryUA

Yes

No

worldwidedreamer

SS255

To my recollection (and I am happy to be proven wrong if my memory is not clear):

The Presidential Plus card cost $375 in 2008, when I got it. In 2010, after the merger was announced but before it was official, CO raised their membership prices. (I bought my Lifetime membership during the short window after the new rates were announced but before they went into effect.) They also raised the annual cost of the Presidential Plus card from $375 to $395 somewhere in that timeline, but existing cardholders were grandfathered in at the $375 rate. (I don't know what United's annual rates were for the RCC.) When the United Club Card was introduced shortly thereafter, I believe it was at the $395 rate.

A few years ago, United improved the food offerings at the UC. They rolled it out over a period of many months. Then they announced that due to the better food offerings, they were increasing the membership rates. I cannot recall if the United Club card fee increased to $450 at that time, or if there was some gap. Once the fee increased, nobody was grandfathered in at the $375 or $395 rates.

Then Jeff Smisek'd the showers. Then Scott Kirby arrived.

Cuts to the UC's followed -- particularly in hubs where UA has no competition.

Then United revoked access unless flying on a same-day ticket. Then they announced that a same-day ticket on United or a partner would be required.

Then they jacked up the annual membership fee, only without announcing that it was due to better offerings (because the food offerings are only better at LAX and to a lesser degree at ORD).

My Spidey Sense (in keeping with the new safety video and amenity kit theme) tells me that Chase will be increasing the annual fee for the Club Card when the next deal gets negotiated. And the food offerings will not improve.

scubadu

Certainly, you could be correct. However, it's worth noting that both AA and Delta upped the fee for annual paid memberships, but did NOT raise the annual fee for the credit card. It's possible that the airlines are finding the profit "sharing" from credit cardholders is more beneficial/lucrative than the straight-up paid membership holders and thus they are actively trying to incent that behavior.

Regards

WineCountryUA

as covered in https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...ug-2017-a.html

nova08

I'm in the PHL UA club now on Friday afternoon. It is by no means crowded but I've heard at least 10 people look for or ask for the wifi password. Presumably indicating that they are not club members...On AC flights, connecting to UA int'l flights, or day passes.

I'd like to see further upgrades to the food/drink offerings. I'll probably keep for another year or so to blow through miles and then get rid of the membership.

Dr_wanderlust

I get my UC via the JPMR card so it will be interesting to see if the price hike impacts this.

Kacee

Free potato chips at SFO rotunda today! I take back everything I said about crappy food.

Steve M

Raising the club membership rate while keeping the club credit card fee the same makes the club credit card all the more better of a value!

mr8

This is what I've been thinking as well! Perhaps they earn something like $700 from each Chase club card, and by offering the card at a 'discount' of $450/yr, they can force more people to switch to the chase card as well as earn more from their inelastic business travelers who will continue to pay at the increased rate.

sanfran8080

onthesam

What would whomever you correspond with at Chase know at this point?