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Our take: The United℠ Explorer Card charges a modest annual fee, it’s true. But if you fly United even somewhat frequently, we think this benefit-packed airline card will elevate your experience.
United℠ Explorer Card
Intro bonus
Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open| Annual fee | $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $95) |
| Regular APR | 21.99%–28.99% variable APR |
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Rewards Rates
- 2x2x miles on dining (including eligible delivery services), hotel stays, and United® purchases (including tickets, inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi, Economy Plus® and more)
- 1x1x miles on all other purchases
- United perks: 25% back on in-flight purchases checked bag benefit, expanded Saver award ticket availability
- Travel perks: TSA/Global Entry credit, trip cancellation and interruption protection
- Foreign transaction fee: None
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Pros
- Free first checked bag benefit
- Expanded award availability on United Saver flights
- No foreign transaction fee
Cons
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $95) annual fee
- Subject to Chase 5/24 rule
Übersicht
Cardholders can score a host of convenient United benefits and earn modest rewards with the United Explorer Card. While you’ll have to pay $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $95) for the card, perks like getting the first checked bag for free for both you and one companion can be worth far more than the annual fee. For example, if you checked just four prepaid bags for free over a year, you could save $120, which is worth more than the annual fee.
The perks outweigh the annual fee with the Explorer, but the rewards are modest, not spectacular. However, you can still earn a solid welcome bonus and use your rewards, MileagePlus miles widely.
United℠ Explorer Card: MileagePlus Miles
With the United Explorer, you’ll earn a slightly higher rewards rate on United purchases, dining out, and hotel stays. Cardholders earn 2X miles on United purchases (including tickets, inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi, Economy Plus® and more), dining, and hotel accommodations booked directly through the hotel. You can earn 1x miles on all other purchases.
You can also score a hefty welcome bonus with the Explorer. You’ll earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
How to redeem United℠ Explorer Card MileagePlus Miles
One valuable perk of having a United credit card is expanded Saver availability for award flights on United. This means that you have more choices at a lower cost when you want to redeem your miles. Expanded availability can be the difference between redeeming and not being able to redeem your miles. We recommend holding on to the Explorer or another United card long-term if you plan to earn MileagePlus miles.
You can use your MileagePlus miles to book United flights. United has ditched its award chart so prices will vary widely based on availability. Domestic flights start around 10,000 miles one way in economy and go up from there. You can occasionally find saver flights to Europe from 30,000 miles one way in economy or 60,000 in business class.
You can also use United MileagePlus miles to fly partner airlines. United is a member of the Star Alliance program, which is a network of member airlines including Air Canada, Avianca, Lufthansa, and more. So if you want to use your miles to book flights with an airline that’s not United, you can do so with 26 other member airlines. Flights on partners are priced a bit higher than similar flights on United, but with a wider selection you can find some good deals.
Other options exist for redemption, but they are sub-par compared to using MileagePlus miles for flights.
United℠ Explorer Card rates and fees
- Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $95)
- Purchase APR: 21.99%–28.99% variable APR
- Foreign transaction fee: None
Additional benefits
- Free first checked bag. When you use the Explorer card to book a flight, you (and one companion) are eligible to receive their first checked bag for free, up to a $35 value per person, if you’re traveling on the same reservation.
- Priority boarding. Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United ClubSM with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
- DashPass Subscription. You can get a one-year complimentary DashPass membership if you activate by December 31, 2024.
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS statement credit. Get a statement credit of up to $100 every four years to cover the application fee of either Nexus, Global Entry, or TSA PreCheck®.
- Upgrades on award tickets. If you have MileagePlus® Premier® status and are traveling on an award ticket, you’re eligible for complimentary premier upgrades on select United flights. Companions flying on the same reservation are also eligible.
- 25% back on United inflight purchases. Receive 25% back in the form of a statement on food and beverage purchases, Wi-Fi on United flights, and Club premium drinks when you pay with your card.
- Baggage Delay Insurance. If your luggage is delayed more than six hours, you may be eligible for reimbursement for essential purchases up to $100 a day for three days.
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement. If you or an immediate family member have luggage that’s damaged or lost by the airline, you may be eligible for insurance up to $3,000 per passenger.
- Airline lounge passes. Every anniversary year, receive two United Club one-time passes.
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance. If your trip is canceled due to weather or other select situations, you may be eligible for up to $1,500 of reimbursements per person and $6,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares.
- Trip Delay Reimbursement. If travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family could be covered for expenses up to $500 per ticket.
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver. By declining the rental company’s collision insurance and using your card when booking a rental car, you’ll receive coverage for theft or collision damage of your rental vehicle.
Credit cards similar to United℠ Explorer Card
If you’re not a United loyalist, there are many non-airline travel credit cards with similar annual fees and welcome bonuses but better rewards and more flexibility when it comes to redeeming those rewards. Some popular travel credit cards include the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card vs. United℠ Explorer Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a $95 annual fee card that offers a reliable 2x miles on every purchase. And right now, you can earn a very generous welcome offer: 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year - that's equal to $1,000 in travel.
While you won’t get airline-specific rewards with the Venture Rewards, you’ll still get handy travel benefits like a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit and protections like the auto rental collision damage waiver and travel accident insurance. Plus, you can redeem your miles for any travel purchase, to book travel through Capital One or transfer them to one of more than 15 travel loyalty partners. Aeroplan is a Capital One partner that you can use if you want to redeem miles to fly on United.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. United℠ Explorer Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is another $95 annual card option that offers more reward redemption flexibility, a solid welcome offer, and more lucrative rewards.
With the Sapphire Preferred cardholders earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit), 2x points on travel purchases, 3x points on dining, online grocery purchases, select streaming services, and 1x points on other purchases. And when you sign up for the card, you’re eligible to earn a 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening..
One of the major selling points of the card is the boosted redemption value you get when redeeming your rewards through the Chase Ultimate Reward Portal—points are worth 25% more, so if you want to redeem 50,000 points, that’s worth $625 worth of travel. You can also transfer to United MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio, which means you could reasonably earn more MileagePlus miles from the Sapphire Preferred card than from similar spending on the Explorer card.
Is the United℠ Explorer Card right for you?
The United Explorer Card is best for United Loyalists who want basic flight benefits and to get the most bang for their miles when it comes time to redeem. These cardholders will get the most use out of benefits like priority boarding, the first free checked bag, and even the Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS statement credit.
You can get a decent welcome bonus on this card, but don’t sign up for it based on the rewards—the max miles rate is 2X miles on select United, dining, and hotel purchases. Keep it in the back of your wallet for the perks and put your spending on a more lucrative travel card.
Frequently asked questions
Is the United℠ Explorer Card hard to get?
The United Explorer card may be hard to get for some cardholders, as you’ll likely need at least a good FICO score or better to qualify.
Does the United℠ Explorer Card waive the annual fee?
For the first year, the $95 annual fee is waived. But, if you’re not sure you’ll get enough use from the card to justify that annual fee once it kicks in, consider an option from our list of best credit cards instead.
What does the United℠ Explorer Card get you?
With the United Explorer Card, you get TSA PreCheck or Global Entry statement credit, a free first checked bag for you and a companion, priority boarding, two United-Club passes annually, 25% back on select United inflight purchases, and protections like trip delay reimbursement and baggage delay insurance.
Fortune Recommends™ has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Fortune Recommends™ and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.
About the contributors
Trina Paul covers all subjects related to personal finance, from bank deposit products and credit cards, to investing. Her bylines can also be found at CNBC Select and the Skimm. She graduated from Swarthmore College with a degree in economics.
EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE: The advice, opinions, or rankings contained in this article are solely those of the Fortune Recommends™ editorial team. This content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of our affiliate partners or other third parties.