United Airlines Credit Cards: Rewards And Benefits - United Airlines offers an array of branded credit cards, from a $0-annual-fee version for occasional travelers to a $525-a-year club card that gives regular flyers unlimited airport lounge access and free checked bags. Some United flyers might even be better off with a card that doesn't carry the United brand. In general, the higher the fee, the more benefits and perks you'll get from the card. Below, you'll find our picks for different types of travel, followed by a guide to choosing the right United credit card for you.
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The United℠ Explorer Card provides excellent value at a reasonable cost, even for those who fly only a couple of times a year. The free checked bags alone can make up for the annual fee, and in a rare perk for a card in its class, it gives you a taste of the airport lounge life.
Pros
The rewards you earn on spending aren't over the top: You cap out at 2 miles per dollar spent with United, at restaurants and on certain hotel accommodations. But it has the most extensive perks of any airline card in its class, including a free checked bag for you and a companion, two one-time lounge passes each year, a Global Entry or TSA Precheck statement credit every four years, primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, priority boarding and more. You start out with a great bonus offer, too.
Cons
Comparable cards from other airlines provide a free checked bag for more people traveling on your reservation.
The United℠ Business Card is a practical, helpful travel companion for business travelers. With benefits that closely track those of the consumer Explorer card, plus a few extras, it can easily pay for itself even with occasional travel.
Pros
You earn 2 miles per dollar spent with United as well as at restaurants, gas stations and office supply stores, and on commuting and transit expenses; other spending earns 1 mile per dollar. There's a good bonus offer, a checked bag benefit, two one-time lounge passes each year, priority boarding, the chance to earn a United travel credit if you fly often enough and more.
Cons
The free checked-bag benefit is limited to you and just one other person on your reservation, which might be an issue if your business has you traveling in groups. Other airlines' cards offer a broader benefit. Unlike several consumer United cards, this card doesn't reimburse the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
The four United Airlines consumer credit cards from Chase include a basic card with no annual fee, a premium card with a high-end price tag and two in-between cards with varying in-between fees. All four cards earn MileagePlus miles on spending, which you can redeem for free flights, seat upgrades, lounge passes and more.
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The higher the annual fee, the more you'll get. Consider how often you fly and how much you'll use the perks. Here's a quick summary of how they stack up:
United
Gateway℠ Card |
United℠
Explorer Card |
United
Quest℠ Card |
United
Club℠ Infinite Card |
ANNUAL FEE |
|||
$0. |
$0
intro for the first year, then $95. |
$250. |
$525. |
BONUS OFFER FOR NEW CARDHOLDERS |
|||
Limited-time
offer: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the
first 3 months your account is open. Plus, 0% intro APR for 12 months from
account opening on purchases. Learn more. |
Limited-time
offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the
first 3 months your account is open. |
Limited-time
offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you
spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. |
Limited-time
offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the
first 3 months from account opening. |
FREE CHECKED BAGS |
|||
None. |
First
checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation. |
First
and second checked bags free for you and one companion on your reservation. |
First
and second checked bags free for you and one companion on your reservation. |
REWARDS ON SPENDING WITH UNITED
AIRLINES |
|||
2
miles per $1. |
2
miles per $1. |
3
miles per $1. |
4
miles per $1. |
REWARDS ON OTHER SPENDING |
|||
•
2 miles per $1 at gas stations. •
2 miles per $1 on local transit and commuting. •
1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. |
•
2 miles per $1 at restaurants. •
2 miles per $1 on hotels (when booked directly with the hotel). •
1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. |
•
2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel (including other airlines, hotels,
car rentals and more). •
2 miles per $1 on dining (including takeout and delivery). •
2 miles per $1 on select streaming services. •
1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. |
•
2 miles per $1 on all other travel. •
2 miles per $1 on dining. •
1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. |
AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS |
|||
None. |
2
United Club one-time passes each year. |
None. |
Annual
membership to all United Club locations, plus select Star Alliance lounges. |
CREDIT FOR TSA PRECHECK, GLOBAL
ENTRY OR NEXUS |
|||
None. |
Up
to $100 every four years. |
Up
to $100 every four years. |
Up
to $100 every four years. |
Don't count a card out just because it has an annual fee — even a high one. The more you pay, the more you'll usually get in terms of the miles you earn and the perks you'll enjoy.
For example, regular travelers can save enough on checked bag fees to more than makeup for the annual fee on the United℠ Explorer Card. (More on this below.) If you’re a heavy traveler who eats several meals a month at the airport, you could eat for free in the airport lounges that the United Club℠ Infinite Card gives you access to and come out on top despite the high annual fee.
The United Quest℠ Card offers more United-specific perks that can effectively reduce the $250 annual fee. When you use the card to make eligible United charges, you'll get up to $125 back in statement credits each year. Plus, when you redeem United miles, you’ll get 5,000 miles back on eligible United flights — up to two times every anniversary year.
Airlines Ticket Policy values United miles at 1.2 cents each. That means those 5,000 miles you could get as a rebate for holding the card are worth roughly $50, with the potential to earn back about $100 in United travel.
That said, you’ll have to weigh how much you’ll use the extras to see if it makes sense for you.
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The United Club℠ Infinite Card earns 4 miles per dollar spent on United purchases, which is twice as much as you get with the United℠ Explorer Card or the United Gateway℠ Card. If you spent $5,000 in a year on United airfare, you would earn 20,000 miles with the United Club℠ Infinite Card, compared with 10,000 miles on the other cards.
None of the cards offer standout earnings in other categories — 2 miles per dollar is the best you'll do.
If you spend a good chunk of change eating out, the United℠ Explorer Card and the United Club℠ Infinite Card cards will earn 2X on dining. But if you drive a lot, the 2X on gas from the United Gateway℠ Card can help fill up your MileagePlus account. And only the United Quest℠ Card offers 2X on streaming services.
Bag fees can add up, but three of the four United cards can save regular travelers a tidy sum. Put it this way: If you have the United℠ Explorer Card, a round-trip flight with a companion will completely cover the cost of the annual fee.
The potential savings go even higher with the United Club℠ Infinite Card and United Quest℠ Card: These cards cover the fees for the first and second checked bags for you and one travel companion.
The United Gateway℠ Card doesn't offer free checked bags.
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If you like having time to settle into your seat and get dibs on the overhead compartments, this perk will appeal to you. Holders of the United℠ Explorer Card and United Quest℠ Card (and any companions traveling with them) are eligible for priority boarding on United flights.
The United Club℠ Infinite Card kicks the red carpet treatment up a notch. Not only will cardholders get priority boarding on United flights, but they’ll also get priority check-in, security screening and baggage handling.
The United℠ Explorer Card, United Quest℠ Card and the United Club℠ Infinite Card also give a credit of up to $100 every four years for Global Entry or TSA Precheck — services designed to make your travel experience smoother and faster at security checkpoints.
If you’re only a casual United flyer, you probably won’t get enough value from the United Club℠ Infinite Card to make it worth the high fee.
If you're a loyal United flyer but don't value all the bells and whistles that come with the United Club℠ Infinite Card, the United Quest℠ Card is a strong contender. And if you'll use the $125 United statement credit and two 5,000-mile anniversary award flight credits, the $250 annual fee can be effectively reduced to just $25.
For most people, though, the choice comes down to the United Gateway℠ Card and the United℠ Explorer Card. If you check bags on your United flights a couple of times a year, your baggage savings will likely outweigh the annual fee. And the United℠ Explorer Card gives a better sign-up bonus to help your MileagePlus balance take flight.
If you don’t check bags, aren’t excited about the two United Club passes and just want a no-cost way to earn miles, the United Gateway℠ Card could be a better choice.
It's also worth considering whether a more flexible travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card works better for your travel style. When you earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can transfer them to United or use them for hotel stays, rental cars, vacation packages and more.
For more information, call Airlines Ticket Policy at +1-888-474-0163.