The United℠ Explorer Card is one of the most valuable airline credit cards on the market.
The Explorer card allows you to book a basic economy ticket and bring both a carry-on and checked bag for free.
The card also gets you two free United Club passes each year, expanded award availability to use your points, primary rental car insurance, and trip delay insurance.
So, whether you’re a business traveler or a leisure traveler, this card is worth considering if you’re looking to save money and maximize your travel experience.
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- 2X Miles on United Purchases, Dining, and Hotel Stays
- 2 United Club One-Time Passes Per Year
- Free First Checked Bags for Two People
- Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus Credit
- 25% Savings on United In-Flight Food and Drinks
- Priority Boarding
- Primary Rental Car and Trip Delay Insurance
- $0 Intro Annual Fee, Then $95 Per Year
Welcome Bonus
The United Explorer currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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Earning Points
The United Explorer allows cardholders to earn the following points:
- 2 miles per dollar on United purchases, including flights
- 2 miles per dollar at restaurants.
- 2 miles per dollar at hotels.
- 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Annual Fee
The United Explorer has a reasonable $95 annual fee, which is waived for the first year.
This fee can be offset by the card benefits for free checked bags, two United Club passes each cardmember year, 25% in-flight savings, and priority boarding.
You can also add authorized users to the card for no extra fee.
United Explorer Benefits on United Airlines
The United Explorer offers the following benefits on United Airlines:
Free Checked Bag
You can enjoy a free checked bag for you and one travel companion on the same reservation when you use your United Business card to purchase the ticket. That’s worth $140 of savings in baggage fees for a roundtrip flight.
Priority Boarding
You and your companions on the same reservation enjoy priority boarding in Group 2. This also allows you to bypass the Basic Economy restriction on bringing a carry-on bag.
2 United Club Passes
This card offer two United Club one-time passes each year allowing you to relax in an airport lounge before your flight.
United Club lounges typically offer complimentary food and beverages, Wi-Fi access, and workstations.
Increased Awards Space
This United card gets you access to additional award availability when using your United miles to book a flight. This perk can help you save a lot of miles by booking cheaper “Saver” award space over much more expensive Everyday awards.
Award Upgrades for Premier Members
Normally United Premier members only receive complimentary upgrades on cash tickets.
But holding this card also makes Premier members eligible for upgrades when using their miles on award tickets.
25% In-Flight Savings
This card offers 25% back in the form of an account statement credit on purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi, onboard United when you pay using your card.
Earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs)
By earning Premier qualifying points (PQP), you can achieve MileagePlus Premier® status, which offers an upgraded travel experience. With your United Explorer Card, you can earn 500 PQPs for every $12,000 spent on purchases, up to a maximum of 1,000 PQPs within a calendar year.
This means you can reach elite status a lot faster through credit card spending, particularly for those who won’t able to earn elite status through flying alone.
Potential 5,000 Mile Bonus
You can unlock an annual 5,000-mile bonus by holding this card in addition to the United℠ Business Card (review).
Other Benefits and Perks
The United Explorer also offers these other benefits:
Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection Benefits
If you use your Explorer Card to make reservations through The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, you can take advantage of free guest perks such as:
- Daily breakfast for two
- Complimentary WiFi
- Exclusive benefits that differ by property, such as dining or spa credits
- Room upgrades and early check-in or late check-out (depends on location and availability)
Primary Rental Car Insurance
Primary rental car insurance covers any damage to a rental car when you pay for the rental using this card.
But you still need to maintain liability car insurance to cover damage to another person or property.
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / NEXUS Credit
This card offers a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit of up to $100 every four years.
TSA PreCheck is a membership program offering dedicated airport security lines and faster security screening (typically 5 minutes or less) at more than 200 airports across the United States and includes over 81 airlines.
Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck and expedited immigration upon arrival from an international trip back to the United States.
The NEXUS program is designed to facilitate expedited travel between the United States and Canada by providing pre-approved individuals with streamlined border clearance and enhanced security measures.
Trip Delay Insurance
This card offers trip delay insurance when you purchase your flight with this card.
This reimburses you for reasonable expenses things like hotels, food, transportation, and other necessary items.
Flights are increasingly delayed or canceled, and it is too risky to not use a card that offers free trip delay insurance.
Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburses you for non-refundable expenses if your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason such as illness, severe weather, or an accidental injury when you pay for your travel expenses with this card.
Baggage Delay Insurance
Baggage delay insurance can reimburse you for the cost of necessary personal and business items if (1) you purchased your trip with this card and (2) your bag is delayed by a common carrier like an airline, train, ferry, or cruise ship, etc.
Common reimbursable items include clothing, toiletries, and phone chargers, which can be a life-saver when you are without your bag.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Lost luggage reimbursement covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
Extended Warranty
Credit card extended warranty protection adds up to an additional year of coverage for eligible purchases on manufacturer’s warranties up to 3 years.
Coverage matches the protection provided by the original warranty so that damage or defect would have to be covered by the original warranty for extended warranty coverage.
Purchase Protection for 120 Days
Purchase protection can save you a lot of money if you bought an eligible item that is damaged or stolen within 120-days.
For example, if accidentally dropped your new phone or laptop and broke the screen, you could file a claim to get it replaced if it was purchased within the last 120 days.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Complimentary DashPash
This card offers a one-year DashPass membership for free, which includes DoorDash and Caviar, offering unlimited deliveries with free delivery fees and reduced service fees for eligible purchases The offer must be activated by December 31, 2024.
Once the free membership is over, you will be automatically enrolled in DashPass at the prevailing monthly rate.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- Two free United Club passes each year.
- The Explorer card allows you to book basic economy and still bring a carry-on bag.
- Great travel and purchase protections for a reasonable annual fee.
Cons:
- Only 2 miles per dollar on United flights.
- Free checked bag benefit requires you to use the Explorer card to pay for the flight.
Card Alternatives to the United Explorer Card
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses.
For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services, and 2x on all other travel purchases.
Cardholders will also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, a 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription when activated by December 31, 2024, and a $50 anniversary hotel statement credit.
Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans.
United Quest℠ Card
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- 3X Miles on United Airlines
- 2X Miles on Dining, Streaming, and Other Travel
- $125 Annual United Statement Credit
- Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Credit
- Two 5,000-Mile Anniversary Award Flight Credits
- Free First and Second Checked Bags
- Priority Boarding
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $250 Annual Fee
The Chase United Quest℠ Card is a travel rewards card that offers great benefits for frequent United Airlines flyers.
The Quest Card comes with several nice benefits to help offset the $250 annual fee:
$125 Credit: Each anniversary year, cardholders will receive a $125 annual United purchase statement credit that will help offset the $250 annual fee.
Up to 10,000 Miles back: Automatically get 5,000 United miles back into your account after taking a United award flight up to two times per anniversary year.
Two Free Checked Bags: Cardholders get up to two free checked bags for you and a companion on the same reservation when you purchase the flight with the Quest card.
United Club℠ Infinite Card
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- 4X Miles on United Purchases
- 2X Miles on Dining, Travel, Transit, and Rideshare
- United Club Airport Lounge Access
- IHG Platinum and Avis President’s Club Elite Status
- Free First and Second Checked Bags
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
- $525 Annual Fee
The United Club℠ Infinite Card (review) offers United Club membership for the primary cardholder if you have a same-day boarding pass for travel on United, a Star Alliance partner, or a contracted partner.
You can also bring two adults or one adult and dependent children under 21 years of age as guests.
The card also offers 4 miles per dollar spent on United purchases, 2 miles per dollar spent on travel and dining, and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Plus, you and one companion can get your first and second checked bags free on United-operated flights when you buy the tickets with your card.
Is the United Explorer Card Worth It?
The United Explorer is a good choice for those who live and breathe United Airlines. With its generous travel perks, including free checked bags and priority boarding, this card is a real treat for jet setters
The welcome bonus and the option to earn bonus miles for everyday purchases, such as dining and groceries, are other attractive features of this card. However, it’s important to note that the annual fee may not be worth it for infrequent travelers who may not be able to take full advantage of the card’s benefits.
So, if you are looking for a credit card that offers more flexibility and transferable points, the United Explorer Card may not be the best option. In that case, it may be wise to consider other credit cards that provide more versatile rewards programs, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve cards.
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- 2X Miles on United Purchases, Dining, and Hotel Stays
- 2 United Club One-Time Passes Per Year
- Free First Checked Bags for Two People
- Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus Credit
- 25% Savings on United In-Flight Food and Drinks
- Priority Boarding
- Primary Rental Car and Trip Delay Insurance
- $0 Intro Annual Fee, Then $95 Per Year
