United Credit Cards for Frequent Flyers and Travelers

If you're a frequent flyer or traveler, you're likely no stranger to the benefits of having a United credit card. United credit cards offer a range of rewards and perks that can make your travels more comfortable and convenient.

United credit cards often come with a free checked bag, which can save you up to $30 per flight. This can add up quickly, especially if you're taking multiple trips per year.

With a United credit card, you can also earn miles that can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, and other travel-related expenses. In fact, the United Explorer Card offers 40,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months.

Having a United credit card can also provide you with priority boarding, which can give you more time to settle into your seat and get comfortable before takeoff.

With a United credit card, you can earn miles on everyday purchases, not just travel expenses. You can earn miles on a selection of everyday and travel purchases with the United Explorer card, on top of the rewards you can earn as a member of United MileagePlus.

The United Explorer Card offers major travel benefits, including lounge access, in-flight perks, and protection benefits. In-flight perks include 25 percent back as a statement credit on purchases made on United flights, whether you're buying a snack or need Wi-Fi.

To maximize your United credit card, focus on frequent spending with the card and perk usage. Using perks like the 25% in-flight discount, free checked bags, and United Club passes can help offset the annual fee. By charging expenses to your card regularly, you'll earn a greater number of points, making award bookings more possible.

Here's a summary of the typical welcome bonus offers on United credit cards:

The United Airlines credit card offers a free first checked bag, which is a great perk for frequent travelers.

The card also comes with priority boarding, giving you a head start on finding a comfortable spot on the plane.

You'll also get a 25% discount on in-flight purchases, which can add up if you're a regular buyer of snacks and drinks.

The card has plenty of other benefits to offset the $95 annual fee, which kicks in after the first year's $0 intro annual fee.

This can be a valuable incentive to give the card a try, especially if you're a frequent United Airlines traveler.

The annual fee is $95, but you'll get plenty of benefits to make it worth your while.

One of the benefits is no foreign transaction fees, which can be a big plus if you travel abroad.

Just keep in mind that the APR for purchases and balance transfers is 21.24% - 28.24% Variable, depending on your creditworthiness.

You can earn miles on everyday spending with an airline credit card, like the United Explorer card, which earns miles on a selection of everyday and travel purchases.

The United Explorer card offers major travel benefits, including lounge access and in-flight perks, making traveling a little more luxurious.

Cardholders qualify for 25 percent back as a statement credit on in-flight purchases made on United flights, whether you're buying a snack or need Wi-Fi for your trip.

To maximize your United credit card, you'll want to continue frequent spending with the card and use perks like the 25% in-flight discount, free checked bags, and United Club passes to offset the annual fee.

Here are some of the key perks of the United Explorer card:

These perks can help you save money and make traveling more enjoyable, especially when you're flying with United Airlines.

The United℠ Explorer Card offers a range of travel protections that can help save you money and give you peace of mind if your travel doesn't go as planned.

You can get reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip if your trip is canceled for certain reasons.

Baggage delay coverage kicks in if your luggage is delayed for six or more hours, covering essential purchases you have to make.

If your trip is delayed or your luggage is lost, you can get a reimbursement up to a certain amount per passenger.

The United℠ Explorer Card provides primary auto rental collision damage waiver coverage, which means you don't need to purchase additional insurance from the car rental agency.

You must charge the entire cost of the rental to your card and decline any collision coverage offered by the car rental agency.

The card's travel insurance protections also include lost luggage reimbursement, trip delay reimbursement, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card is a solid choice for those looking for airline rewards. It has a great welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.

This card edges out the United Explorer Card in everyday value, offering 2X miles at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. Plus, you get a first checked bag free on delta flights for you and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation.

One thing to keep in mind is that you'll need to spend $10,000 each year to earn the $200 Delta flight credit, which is a bit more than the United Explorer Card.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great option for those who want flexibility in their travel rewards. It earns an unlimited 2X miles on all eligible purchases.

This means you can rack up miles on your everyday expenses like groceries and gas, as well as on your travel bookings. You can also earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

The Venture Card's high flat rate on all purchases makes it easier to earn rewards, especially compared to cards that only offer bonus categories. Just be aware that it lacks specific airline perks like free checked bags.

Overall, the Venture Card is a good choice for occasional and frequent flyers who aren't tied to one airline.

The United℠ Explorer Card is a great option for travelers who want to earn rewards without breaking the bank. After the first year, the annual fee is $95, which is a valuable incentive to give the card a try.

You'll save money on foreign transactions, which can add up quickly. The card doesn't charge fees for foreign transactions, which is a huge plus for international travelers.

The APR for both purchases and balance transfers is typical for a travel rewards card, ranging from 21.24% - 28.24% Variable, depending on your creditworthiness. This means you'll need to be mindful of your balance and make timely payments to avoid interest charges.

The cost of TSA PreCheck can be a bit of a sticker shock, but there are ways to offset the expense. You can receive a statement credit of up to $120 every four years that reimburses the application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.

The United℠ Explorer Card offers this benefit, allowing you to charge the application fee to your card and receive the credit.

The United Explorer Card's rates and fees are worth understanding before you apply. The annual fee is $95, but it's waived for the first year, which is a valuable incentive to give the card a try.

The card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, which can save you $30 for every $1,000 you spend outside the U.S. This is a significant perk for frequent international travelers.

The APR for purchases and balance transfers is typically 21.24% - 28.24% Variable, depending on your creditworthiness. This is standard for a travel rewards card.

If you need to transfer a balance, you'll pay the greater of $5 or 5 percent of the total transaction. This is a higher balance transfer fee compared to other cards, and you won't get a 0 percent intro APR offer.

Here's a quick rundown of the United Explorer Card's fees:

You can earn miles with every purchase made with the United Explorer card, and there are some purchases that get you even more miles. You'll earn 2X miles on United purchases, restaurant purchases, eligible delivery services, and hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel.

All other purchases earn 1 mile per dollar, which is still a great way to rack up those miles. I've found that earning miles on everyday purchases like dining and hotel stays adds up quickly.

To redeem your miles, you can book award flights on any dates without restrictions as long as seats are available. This is a huge perk, and I've used it to book some amazing flights over the years.

Earning miles with the United Explorer card is a breeze. You'll earn 2X miles on purchases like United flights and incidentals, restaurant purchases, eligible delivery services, and hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel.

For example, if you book a hotel room directly with the hotel, you'll earn 2X miles on that purchase. This can add up quickly, especially if you're a frequent traveler.

You'll also earn 2X miles on restaurant purchases, which is a nice perk for foodies. And with eligible delivery services like Grubhub and DoorDash, you can earn miles on takeout and delivery orders.

All other purchases made with the United Explorer card earn 1 mile per dollar. This is still a great earning rate, especially considering the flexibility to redeem miles for flights, hotel stays, and more.

Here are some specific purchases that earn 2X miles:

You can use your United℠ Explorer Card before it arrives, thanks to Chase's "Spend Instantly" feature.

This feature allows you to add your card to your digital wallet through the Chase mobile app.

With this feature, you can start earning rewards and making purchases right away, even before your physical card arrives.

If you're not a loyal United Airlines customer, there are other travel credit cards that might be a better fit.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months, and it offers benefits like 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.

This card also earns 3x on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries, and 2x on all other travel purchases. The annual fee is $95.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is another option, offering 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, and 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

It also comes with a welcome offer of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. The annual fee is $95.

Here's a comparison of these two cards:

The United Club℠ Infinite Card is an excellent choice for those who frequently fly with United Airlines, offering unlimited access to United Club airport lounges for a lower annual fee than purchasing a separate lounge membership.

With an annual fee of less than the cost of a lounge membership, this card is a great value for frequent flyers. Earn 60,000 bonus points to get you started.

United miles are worth 1.35 cents each, making the 60,000 bonus points worth $1,215, which is higher than usual offers on this card.

The United Club Infinite card offers a range of benefits, including free checked bags for the primary cardholder and one travel companion on United-operated flights, saving up to $360 per round trip.

You can also enjoy an up to $120 TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or Nexus application fee credit every four years, Premier Access travel services, and expanded award availability.

Cardholders also receive complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status, adding to the card's value.

For those who fly United Airlines, even occasionally, the United℠ Explorer Card can be easily worth its annual fee of $95, which includes perks like a free checked bag on United flights and priority boarding.

The United℠ Explorer Card offers decent earning rates for United Airlines, dining, and hotel purchases, but you can do better with other cards on everyday spending.

Ultimately, the United℠ Explorer Card is one you get for its perks, not its earning potential, making it a great choice for frequent United flyers.