United Explorer Card Review: Benefits, Miles, and Fees
The United Explorer Card is a United Airlines credit card for travelers who want airline-specific perks: a first checked bag benefit, priority boarding, United Club one-time passes, MileagePlus earning, and credits tied to United travel. It can be a strong fit if you fly United often enough to use those benefits, but it is not automatically the best miles credit card for every traveler.
If you are searching for a frequent flyer credit card primarily to earn flexible points across several airlines, compare this card against a transferable-points option before applying. If you already know United is your main airline, the Explorer Card's checked bag and award-travel benefits are the parts to evaluate first.
Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open
Annual Fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150
Why We Like This Card
The United Explorer Card is a fantastic choice for travelers who want to maximize their benefits and rewards when flying with United Airlines. With a reasonable annual fee and a generous sign-up bonus, this card offers excellent value for both occasional and frequent United flyers. Cardholders can earn United miles on their miles on eligible United flights and everyday spending, with 2x miles on United purchases, dining, and hotel stays.
Cardholders also enjoy priority boarding + a free checked bag on United flights and two one-time United Club℠ passes each year. The card also provides a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit (up to $120 every four years) and expands award availability for easier redemption of miles.
While this card offers tremendous value for United flyers, if this is among your first cards, we encourage you to look into cards that offer more flexible transfer partners first. Rather than siloing yourself into one airline first, by pursuing a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you earn points that can be transferred to one of Chase’s 14 different transfer partners (including United!).
Other Benefits
- Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount each year
- Earn up to 1,000 Premier qualifying points (PQP)
- The primary Cardmember who has MileagePlus® Premier® status and is traveling on an award ticket and one companion that is traveling on the same reservation are eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select United and United Express operated flights, subject to availability
- Purchases made with your Explorer Card outside the U.S. will not be subject to foreign transaction fees
- Save 10% or more on United flights booked with miles
- Up to $100 in credits on United® Hotels purchases annually
- Earn up to $60 in credits on rideshare purchases annually
- Up to $50 in United travel credits on Avis or Budget purchases annually
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
- Purchase protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year
- Up to $100 in credits on JSX purchases annually
- Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
- Up to $120 in Instacart credits
- 3-Month Complimentary Instacart+ Membership. Terms apply.
- Over $400 in partner credits each year
- Earn a $100 United travel credit after spending $10,000 on purchases with your UnitedSM Explorer Card within a calendar year
- No foreign transaction fees
Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Is the United Explorer Card worth it?
The card is most compelling when the United-specific benefits line up with trips you already take. The annual fee is $0 for the first year, then $150, so the real question is whether the checked bag benefit, United Club passes, award pricing, and annual credits replace costs you would otherwise pay.
- Strong fit: you fly United or United Express, check bags, redeem MileagePlus miles, and can use some of the annual United or partner credits.
- Weaker fit: you rarely fly United, usually travel carry-on only, or prefer credit cards with airline miles that transfer to several programs instead of earning mostly United miles.
- Best comparison set: other United Airlines credit cards if you want deeper United benefits, or flexible travel cards if you want broader redemption options.
United Explorer Card benefits that matter most
Free first checked bag on United flights
For many United flyers, the checked bag benefit is the headline feature. The primary Cardmember and one companion on the same reservation can each receive a first standard checked bag free on United-operated flights when the primary Cardmember includes their MileagePlus number and pays for the ticket with the United Explorer Card. United and Chase state this can save up to $200 per roundtrip for two travelers.
Important caveats: the free checked bag benefit applies to United- and United Express-operated flights, not codeshare partner-operated flights, and oversized, overweight, or additional bag fees can still apply. The purchase requirement is waived for eligible flights during the first 90 days after account opening.
Priority boarding and United Club passes
Explorer Cardmembers and companions on the same reservation are invited to board United-operated flights before general boarding. The card also includes two United Club one-time passes after account opening and on each account anniversary, which can be useful if your United trips include long layovers or airport time where lounge access matters.
Annual credits and award-travel perks
- Save 10% or more on United flights booked with miles; United says Premier members with eligible cardmember award pricing can save 15% or more.
- Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount after spending $20,000 in purchases each calendar year.
- Earn a $100 United TravelBank cash credit after spending $10,000 in purchases each calendar year.
- Receive up to $100 annually in United Hotels statement credits, up to $60 annually in rideshare statement credits after enrollment, up to $50 annually in United travel credit for Avis or Budget rentals, up to $100 annually in JSX credits, and up to $120 in Instacart credits each calendar year. Terms and enrollment requirements apply, and Instacart benefits are currently listed as ending 12/31/27.
- Receive up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fees charged to the card.
- Get 25% back as a statement credit on eligible United inflight food, beverage, Wi-Fi purchases, and United Club premium drink purchases made with the card.
Earning and using United miles
The current Roame card data lists a 60,000-mile welcome offer after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Always confirm the live offer and eligibility language before applying, because issuer offer terms can change.
For ongoing spend, the Explorer Card earns 9x total miles on eligible United flights, 3x miles on other eligible United purchases, 2x miles on dining purchases including eligible delivery services, and 1x mile per dollar on other purchases. United explains the 9x total on eligible United flights as MileagePlus flight earning plus card earning; Basic Economy or base-option ticket earning may differ.
United miles can be useful for United, United Express, Star Alliance, and other partner awards. The card's expanded award availability and cardmember award pricing are especially relevant if you already search United awards often. You can use Roame's award flight search to compare award availability before deciding whether a United-focused air miles credit card fits your travel patterns.
The card can also help with United Premier status progress by earning 1 Premier qualifying point (PQP) for every $20 in purchases, up to 1,000 PQP per calendar year. That is helpful for some frequent United flyers, but it is not a complete status strategy by itself.
Fees, eligibility, and caveats to check before applying
- Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150.
- Foreign transaction fees: none, according to the issuer terms for this card.
- Welcome offer eligibility: Chase states this card product is available if you do not have the card and have not received a new Cardmember bonus for this card in the past 24 months.
- Credits: several benefits require enrollment, direct booking, eligible merchants, annual or calendar-year caps, and an open account in good standing.
United Explorer Card vs. flexible miles credit cards
The Explorer Card is an airline credit card: its strongest benefits are tied to United. If this is one of your first travel cards, a flexible card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card may be a better starting point because Chase Ultimate Rewards points can transfer to multiple travel partners, including United. Choose the Explorer Card when United-specific savings are what you need; choose flexible points when optionality matters more.
United Explorer Card FAQ
