The United℠ Explorer Card packs a lot of value. Along with earning United miles on every purchase, it offers perks like free checked bags, United Club℠ one-time passes per year when primary cardmember or authorized user is traveling and access to extra saver awards that even occasional United flyers will appreciate (see rates and fees). However, as with most airline credit cards, its benefits are less useful when not flying.
Below, CNBC Select will help you decide if the United Explorer Card is right for you or if there is a better alternative for your travel style.
The United℠ Explorer Card is worth it even if you only fly with United Airlines once or twice a year because you can take advantage of two United Club℠ passes per year when the primary cardmember or authorized user is traveling and you can receive free checked bags.
- No annual fee for the first year
- Unlocks upgrades for elite members on award flights
- Two free United Club airport lounge passes every year
- Valuable United Airlines perks, such as in-flight purchase discounts and the ability to earn elite status credit through credit card spending
- First checked bag free benefit requires you to pay for the flight with the card
- United Airlines has a dynamic award chart which can limit the value and flexibility of your miles
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn up to 60,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- NEW! 9x total miles on eligible United flights and 3x miles on all other eligible United® purchases
- 2x miles on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel. 1x mile on all other purchases.
- Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $200 per roundtrip. Terms Apply. Plus, priority boarding on United® flights.
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year - over a $100 value
- Over $500 in partner credits each year
- NEW! Save 10% or more when booking flights with miles. Premier members save even more.
- Member FDIC
Welcome bonus
The United Explorer Card offers a welcome bonus of earn up to 60,000 bonus miles: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, earn 10,000 bonus miles after you add an authorized user to your account in the first 3 months your account is open.
United has a dynamic award chart so the award flight prices vary widely. Although this makes it hard to pin a specific value to United miles, experts typically value them at around 1.3 cents per mile. If you can get that value and earn the authorized user bonus, this card's welcome offer is worth over $1.040 in flights.
Benefits and perks
Anyone who flies with United or its airline partners even once a year will appreciate the United Explorer Card's benefits:
- Free checked bags: The primary cardholder and one companion traveling on the same reservation receive a free standard checked bag (when you pay for the flight with the card). This only applies to United-operated flights and you can save up to $200 per round-trip.
- Airport lounge access: Every year, you'll receive two one-time United Club℠ lounge passes (worth $59 each). It's rare for a mid-tier airline card to offer a benefit like this.
- Trusted traveler program credit: You'll receive up to $120 in application fee credit for Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck® (once every four years).
- In-flight discount: Get 25% back on in-flight food, beverage and Wi-Fi purchases. This discount also applies to premium drink purchases in United Club airport lounges.
- Priority boarding: You and any companions on the same reservation can board with Group 2.
- Earn elite credit: You'll earn 1 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) for every $20 in purchases (up to 1,000 PQP per calendar year).
Eligible purchases you make with the card are covered by a long list of travel and purchase insurance benefits, including:
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Baggage delay insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- Rental car collision coverage (primary)
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty protection
The United Explorer Card is especially valuable for frequent United flyers because it gives you access to more saver awards, which cost fewer miles. If you're a United MileagePlus elite member, having the United Explorer Card unlocks the ability to receive complimentary upgrades on award flights.
How to earn and redeem United miles
Earning
The United℠ Explorer Card earns United miles and is most lucrative for United, dining and hotel purchases. You'll earn:
- 9x total miles on eligible United flights
- 3x miles on all other eligible United® purchases
- 2X miles on dining
- 2X miles on hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- 1X miles on all other purchases
Redeeming
You can use United miles in many ways, including gift cards, car rentals, cruises, lounge access and more. However, you'll usually get the most value when you redeem United miles for award flights with United and its partner airlines.
United is a member of the Star Alliance, which is the largest airline alliance, including global carriers like Air Canada, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and more. It also partners with many non-alliance airlines like Aer Lingus, Emirates and Cape Air, so you'll have no shortage of options for redeeming your United miles for flights.
The biggest drawback is that United doesn't offer fixed redemption prices. However, you can still find deals and United occasionally runs award sales. It's not difficult to find one-way award flights to Europe for 35,000 miles or less or French Polynesia for 45,000 miles. One benefit of the United MileagePlus program is that you'll generally pay fewer fees and surcharges on award flights compared to other loyalty programs.
Rates and fees
The United Explorer Card offers new cardholders an introductory $0 annual fee for the first year, then $150. As expected from a travel card, the card also has no foreign transaction fees. There is a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.24% and a penalty of up to $40 for late and returned payments.
Card comparison
United Explorer Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) is a general travel credit card that earns flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. You can transfer Chase points at a 1:1 ratio to 14 different airlines and hotel loyalty programs including United MileagePlus and the Sapphire Preferred. It's more rewarding than the United Explorer as it earns more points for dining, online grocery purchases and select streaming services. It also earns 2X points on a wider range of travel purchases, making it a better option for earning United miles.
On the flip side, the Sapphire Preferred lacks money-saving perks like the free checked bags and airport lounge passes.
Unless you'll regularly take advantage of the United-specific benefits the Explorer card offers, the Sapphire Preferred gives you more options for the same cost.
Learn more: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
United Explorer Card vs. United Club℠ Card
If you're serious about your relationship with United, you may want a card that offers even more airline benefits. The United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees) is United's premium credit card. It has a hefty $695 annual fee, but also comes with a United Club℠ membership, which normally costs more than this card's annual fee. So if you value United Club lounge access, the United Club Card may be the cheapest option.
The United Club Card has better versions of many of the same perks you get with the United Explorer. It has a larger welcome bonus, earns more miles on United purchases and gets you the first and second checked bags for free. The Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) cap on the United Club Card is also much higher (up to 28,000 PQP per calendar year vs. 1,000 PQP per calendar year with the United Explorer), so it's more valuable for anyone who's trying to earn elite status without flying.
Learn more: The United Club℠ Card
Compare checking accounts
Is the United Explorer Card right for you?
The United℠ Explorer Card is an excellent mid-tier airline credit card. It has a reasonable annual fee and airline-specific perks that United MileagePlus members can easily extract value from. If you fly with United once or twice a year, the card's free checked bag perk alone could offset the annual fee.
On the other hand, anyone who flies exclusively or heavily with United may want more premium perks. In that case, a luxury card like the United Club℠ Card may be a better fit because it offers unlimited United Club access and elevated benefits. For anyone who is less brand loyal, a general travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card will give you more options for using rewards. Plus, you can transfer Chase points to United, so you're not missing out on an opportunity to pad your United miles balance.
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