United Explorer Card overview
The United℠ Explorer Card is not your common airline bank card. It is filled with premium perks akin to an up-to-$100 World Entry or TSA PreCheck software payment assertion credit score, two annual one-time lounge passes and free checked luggage — simply justifying its modest $95 annual payment (which is waived for the primary yr). Card score*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
*Card score relies on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.
Other than the standard airline bank card perks like free checked luggage and precedence boarding, the United Explorer gives some premium-level advantages, together with a pair of annual one-time United Membership passes, a World Entry or TSA PreCheck software payment credit score and glorious journey protections.
Here is what it’s worthwhile to know in regards to the card and its advantages.
The beneficial credit score rating for the United Explorer is at the least 670, nevertheless it’s not extraordinary to be authorized with a decrease rating.
United Explorer professionals and cons
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
United Explorer welcome supply
New candidates for the United Explorer Card will earn a welcome bonus of fifty,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months after account opening. The annual payment is waived for the primary yr; after that, cardholders can pay $95 annually.
These 50,000 bonus miles are price $650, primarily based on TPG’s October 2024 valuations.
When you’re questioning how one can get essentially the most worth out of those miles, learn up on United candy spot redemptions. New cardholders can even get an extra 5,000 bonus miles after including a licensed person to their account inside the first three months of account opening.
United Explorer advantages
The United Explorer Card gives mixture of perks for each frequent and occasional United flyers:
Every day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Every day e-newsletter
Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
Free first checked bag
Get your first checked bag free on United-operated flights for you and one companion on the identical reservation. A primary checked bag normally prices $40 every approach, so this profit can prevent as a lot as $160 round-trip.
You need to embody your MileagePlus quantity in your reservation and pay for the flight with the Explorer Card to obtain this profit — which incorporates simply utilizing the cardboard for taxes and costs on an award ticket. When you full your flight within the first 90 days of account opening, the requirement to buy your ticket together with your United Explorer card is waived.
Two one-time United Membership passes
Obtain a pair of one-time United Membership passes deposited into your MileagePlus account annually of card membership. This profit alone is price $118 per yr, as day passes on the lounge price $59 every with a same-day boarding move.
One TPG reader finds that the United Explorer Card is nicely price it for these first two advantages alone:
“When you carry a companion and so they verify their bag each methods you have greater than exceeded the annual payment earlier than you even think about the truth that you additionally get 2 United Membership one time passes annually.” — Naveen Krishnamurthy through Fb
Observe: Reader-submitted responses haven’t been edited, reviewed or authorized by the issuers nor mirror TPG’s opinions of those playing cards.
TPG bank cards author Olivia Mittak additionally finds nice worth within the United Membership passes this card supplies; so long as she flies with United, a Star Alliance airline or one other United accomplice airline twice a yr, she will be able to get optimistic worth out of the annual payment.
If getting free checked luggage and a pair of United Membership passes would elevate your journey expertise with the airline, this card holds loads of worth.
Precedence boarding
If you embody your MileagePlus quantity, you and your companions touring on the identical reservation will get Group 2 boarding. This implies you board after Premier 1K, Premier Platinum, Premier Gold and Star Alliance Gold members and people seated in United Polaris, top quality and enterprise class, however earlier than many of the different passengers in economic system with out elite standing.
That is particularly helpful for many who purchase fundamental economic system tickets. You will even be excluded from the carry-on baggage restrictions, so you’ll want to get on the airplane whereas overhead house is accessible.
Expanded award availability
As a cardholder, you will have further entry to e book United award tickets — even when it is the final seat on the airplane — and might even see economic system award seats requiring fewer miles whenever you log in to your MileagePlus account than members with out the cardboard.
Elite standing shortcuts
United elite standing qualification relies on Premier qualifying factors (PQPs) and Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs). You will earn 25 PQPs for each $500 you spend on purchases together with your Explorer Card (as much as 1,000 PQPs in a calendar yr) that may be utilized towards your Premier standing qualification — however solely as much as the Premier 1K degree.
25% inflight financial savings
Obtain 25% off inflight United purchases when utilizing your card, together with on Wi-Fi, meals and drinks.
DoorDash
Get complimentary DashPass for one yr to obtain limitless deliveries by DoorDash and Caviar with $0 supply charges and decrease service charges on eligible orders. You need to enroll by Dec. 31 to obtain this profit.
Incomes miles with the United Explorer
As a cardholder, you will earn 7 miles per greenback on United flights and 4 miles per greenback on United Motels in case you are a MileagePlus member.
You will additionally earn 2 miles per greenback on all different United purchases, different resort stays and eating, plus 1 mile per greenback on every little thing else.
Whereas the bonus for cobranded airline purchases is fairly customary, it is good that the cardboard additionally gives bonuses on sure forms of on a regular basis spending, which many different airline playing cards do not present.
Nevertheless, there are numerous different choices to higher maximize your eating and resort spending.
Associated: My high 3 picks for the most effective cobranded resort bank card
Redeeming miles with the United Explorer
You’ll be able to redeem your MileagePlus miles throughout United’s huge community of home and worldwide routes in addition to on the service’s Star Alliance and different airline companions.
United makes use of a dynamic pricing construction by itself flights, so the worth of your miles will differ when redeeming for United awards. Home awards in economic system usually begin at simply 5,000 miles one-way, however we have seen gross sales with tickets as little as 3,900 miles.
Associated: How you can unlock further award availability with United Airways
To squeeze even extra worth out of your miles, you may need to make the most of United’s Excursionist Perk. Principally, it permits you to add a free flight phase to qualifying round-trip itineraries between two totally different areas at no further price.
I like to recommend avoiding non-flight redemptions together with your United miles, akin to resort stays or merchandise, as they have an inclination to supply a poor worth proposition.
Which playing cards compete with the United Explorer?
There are a variety of playing cards which might be aggressive with the United Explorer:
- If you need a premium United expertise: The United Membership℠ Infinite Card is the best card for United lounge entry — bar none. For any loyal United flyer who spends important cash with the airline annually, this card would make an incredible addition to your pockets. To be taught extra, learn our full assessment of the United Membership Infinite.
- If you need a extra all-around card: The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card is among the best-known journey rewards bank cards, providing 5 factors per greenback on journey booked by Chase Journey℠ and on Lyft purchases (Lyft by March 2025), 3 factors per greenback on eating, choose streaming companies and on-line grocery retailer purchases (excluding Goal, Walmart and wholesale golf equipment), 2 factors per greenback on all different journey purchases and 1 level per greenback on every little thing else. To be taught extra, learn our full assessment of the Sapphire Most well-liked.
- If you need tons of perks: The Platinum Card® from American Specific is among the high premium journey rewards playing cards. As a cardmember, you will earn helpful Membership Rewards factors, quite a few annual assertion credit and entry to an intensive community of airport lounges worldwide. For extra info, learn our full assessment of the Amex Platinum.
For extra choices, try our full listing of the greatest United journey playing cards and the greatest airline playing cards.
Associated: Is the United Membership Infinite Card annual payment price it?
Is the United Explorer price it?
Between a payment credit score for World Entry/TSA PreCheck, annual lounge visits and a free first checked bag, the cardboard is jam-packed with perks that may improve your journeys from begin to end — not simply whenever you’re within the air. So long as you fly with United or their companions at the least a couple of times a yr, I like to recommend making use of for the United Explorer.
Backside line
The United Explorer card is not your run-of-the-mill airline bank card. With advantages like an up-to-$100 World Entry or TSA PreCheck software payment assertion credit score, two annual one-time lounge passes and free checked luggage, plus a waived annual payment for the primary yr, it is a low-cost card with appreciable worth.
Apply right here: United Explorer Card
Associated: United Quest Card assessment
-Abstract-Background-SOURCE-Apple.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1 "Finest iPad to Purchase (and Some to Keep away from) in 2024")
