Our review
Is the United Explorer Card worth it?
Absolutely! The United℠ Explorer Card is an excellent option for travelers who regularly choose United Airlines for their journeys. With a reasonable annual fee and a slew of easily maximizable benefits tailored for United loyalists, the United Explorer Card is a simple, yet rewarding tool to help enhance your travel experience.
On the other hand, if you fly very regularly, you may find more value in a premium card with annual travel credits and more than two airport lounge passes per year.
What we like
Two United Club℠ lounge passes
Arguably the best perk offered by the United Explorer card is its two United Club lounge passes annually. While many credit cards with airport lounge access offer unlimited access, they also come with high annual fees. And if you aren’t a huge traveler, unlimited access may not mean much. On the other hand, the two passes of the Explorer card are easily utilized. United Club passes typically cost $59 apiece, so this benefit in itself covers more than the annual fee in value. Plus, unwinding before a flight is invaluable, especially during long layovers.
2X miles on dining and hotels
One of our favorite features of the United Explorer Card is its ability to earn 2X miles on dining and hotels booked directly, in addition to United purchases. This is a fantastic benefit for those who enjoy treating themselves to a nice meal or planning weekend getaways. The ability to rack up miles quickly means that your everyday spending can translate into solid travel rewards. Plus, it’s a nice touch for those who want to feel like they’re being rewarded for not just flying but also for enjoying life’s little pleasures.
Free checked bag
Checking bags can be expensive. Imagine walking into the airport knowing that your first one is free. That’s exactly what the United Explorer Card offers, saving you up to $160 on round-trip flights for you and a companion. Not having to worry about baggage fees means you can focus on enjoying your trip rather than fretting over extra costs.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Credit
Let’s face it: airport security can be a hassle. The United Explorer Card can alleviate some of that stress by providing a fee credit for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®. This benefit allows you to breeze through security, making the travel process smoother and more enjoyable. Saving even a little bit of time can be a huge deal, especially during busy travel seasons.
What we don’t like
Only two airport lounge passes
While the two free United Club passes are one of the primary draws of the United℠ Explorer Card, two passes may not be enough if you fly a lot. United Club passes typically cost $59 each, so it could get pricey quickly if you run out of passes and want to chill at the United Club during your layover.
You also don’t get complimentary guest passes, so if you have a traveling companion with you, you can either give them one of your two annual passes, buy a pass when you get there, or leave them to fend for themselves in the airport while you enjoy the United Club. (We don’t recommend the last option if you want to stay in good graces with your traveling companion!)
Little value outside of United
Since this is a United co-branded card, this isn’t altogether surprising, but the Explorer’s value is lacking outside of United. It comes with United-centric benefits like airport lounge passes, priority boarding benefits, free checked bags, etc., and it even comes with a fee credit for NEXUS, Global Entry, or TSA PreCheck, but it ends there.
Earning miles is a bit more flexible, with solid rewards on dining and eligible hotels, but to get any real value when redeeming rewards, your options are limited. If you’re a United enthusiast through and through, this may not be an issue. However, if you prefer flexibility when redeeming your rewards, you may want to keep looking.
Who is the United Explorer Card best for?
The United Explorer Card is best for people who prefer to fly with United Airlines and do so at least a couple of times per year. One of the main benefits of the card is the 2 free United Club lounge passes per year (usually $59 per pass), so if those can be utilized they more than make up for the low annual fee of this card. However, if your travels often take you on different airlines or prefer more redemption options, you might want to consider other credit cards with more flexibility.
Rewards
Welcome bonus
New United Explorer cardholders can earn a welcome bonus of 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after opening their account. United miles are worth around 1.2 cents apiece, so this offer is worth approximately $600.
▶︎ See more: Best credit card sign-up bonuses
Earning miles
With the United Explorer Card, you can earn:
- 2X miles on eligible United Airlines flights
- 2X miles on in-flight purchases on United flights
- 2X miles on United Club purchases
- 2X miles on hotels you book directly
- 2X miles on dining at restaurants
- 1X miles on everything else
Redeeming miles
You can use your MileagePlus miles to access a variety of travel and shopping benefits. Additionally, United cards are a part of the Chase Pay Yourself Back program, which provides even more redemption options.
There are several ways to use your balance:
- Book a United Airlines flight
- Pay for a meal at a participating airport restaurant (Houston Intercontinental and Newark Liberty only)
- Purchase a United Club membership
- Buy in-flight Wi-Fi
- Purchase a seat upgrade
- Shop via MileagePlus Merchandise Awards
- Buy a magazine or newspaper subscription
- Purchase digital gift cards
- Buy an iPhone, an iPad or another eligible Apple product
Booking United award flights is usually the most valuable use of your miles. As long as you make sure you’re getting at least 1.2 cents per mile in value, you’re getting a pretty good deal.
How much are United Miles worth?
We value United Miles at 1.2 cents apiece, meaning anything less than that is not the best use of your miles.
To see whether you’re getting a good value when redeeming your miles for flights, take the cash value of the ticket, subtract the amount of taxes they want to charge you if you’d be paying with miles, and divide that by the number of miles required for the flight.
For example, if it says a ticket costs either $160 or 18,000 miles + $16 in fees, here’s how much that would be worth:
($160 - $16) / 18,000 = .008, or 0.8 cents per mile.
That would not be a good use of your miles, since they’d be worth less than 1.2 cents apiece.
On the other hand, if that same ticket costs either $160 or 10,000 miles + $16 in fees:
($160 - $16) / 10,000 = .0144, or 1.4 cents per mile.
That would be a very good use of your miles since they’d be worth more than the 1.2-cent standard valuation.
Benefits
United benefits
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United Club lounge passes. For every year you maintain your membership, you’ll get two United Club airport lounge passes. If you need to grab a bite or take a break from large crowds, use a pass to get into the United Club. Passes sell for $59 each, so you can earn back your annual fee just by using this benefit.
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Free checked bag. As a cardholder, you’re entitled to a free checked bag on every United Airlines flight. If you add an authorized user to your card, they also get a free checked bag as long as they’re traveling with you on the same reservation. They can’t use the benefit if they’re traveling alone. Avoiding baggage fees may save you as much as $160 per trip.
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Priority boarding. This airline credit card allows you to board United flights before general boarding begins. Once you’re at the airport, listen for the gate agent to announce your boarding group.
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25% off in-flight purchases. After you board your flight, treat yourself to an alcoholic beverage or a premium snack. The United Explorer Card gives you 25% back on all in-flight purchases. You’ll also get 25% back on purchases made at the United Club.
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Free upgrades for MileagePlus Premier. If you reach MileagePlus Premier status, you’ll qualify for free upgrades to Economy Plus.
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Earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQP). To reach MileagePlus Premier status, you need to earn Premier Qualifying Points, better known as PQPs. The Premier membership has four levels: Silver, Gold, Platinum and 1K. You’re eligible for the Silver level once you’ve earned 5,000 PQPs or a combination of 4,000 PQPs and 12 Premier Qualifying Flights. As a United Explorer cardholder, you earn PQPs faster than MileagePlus members without the United Explorer Card.
Other travel benefits
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Statement credit for Nexus, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Nexus, Global Entry and TSA PreCheck all make it a little easier to get through airport security. If you use your United Explorer Card to apply for one of these programs, you’ll receive a statement credit to cover the application fee. You’re eligible for one credit every four years.
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Concierge services. The United Explorer Card gives you access to concierges who can help you make reservations or find the best attractions at your destination. Concierge benefits are available anywhere in the world.
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No foreign transaction fees. United Explorer is a card with no foreign transaction fees, so it’s an ideal card for traveling internationally— you can swipe it freely overseas without worrying about incurring additional charges on your purchases.
▶︎ See our picks: Best credit cards for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck
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Purchase protection. As a cardholder, you’re entitled to 120 days of purchase protection on all eligible purchases. To use this benefit, you must use your United Explorer Card to purchase the item. Purchase protection tops out at $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per calendar year.
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Extended warranty protection. If you buy an eligible item with a manufacturer warranty of three years or less, you’ll receive an additional 12 months of warranty coverage.
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Zero fraud liability. If someone uses your card without authorization, you won’t be liable for their purchases.
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Fraud alerts. Visa is always on the lookout for fraudulent activity. If one of its systems detects suspicious activity on your account, you’ll receive an alert right away.
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Emergency card replacement. If you lose your card, you don’t have to wait for weeks to get a replacement. If you’re in the United States or Canada, you’ll receive a new card within 24 hours. Otherwise, you’ll receive it within one business day.
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Emergency cash. In the event of an emergency, Visa may provide you with up to $1,000 in cash within 24 hours, provided you’re traveling within the United States or Canada. If you’re in another country, it takes one business day to receive the money.
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Charge disputes. If a merchant charges you in error, Visa will freeze the charge while it investigates.
Travel protections
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Primary car rental coverage. As a cardholder, you’re entitled to complimentary car rental coverage when you use your United Explorer Card to cover the entire cost of the rental. What makes this benefit unique is that you get primary coverage rather than secondary coverage. If you have primary coverage, you don’t have to exhaust your other benefits before the insurance company reimburses the rental company.
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Trip cancellation. Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for your prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if you have to cancel a trip before it begins. For example, if you come down with a serious illness 10 days before you’re set to fly to Italy, you may be able to use your trip cancellation benefits to get your money back. You’re limited to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip in benefits.
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Trip interruption. This type of insurance reimburses you for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if you have to return home earlier than planned. For example, if you have to leave Italy three days into your trip due to the death of an immediate family member, your trip interruption insurance should cover you. This benefit has a limit of $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip.
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Trip delay insurance. If you’re delayed while traveling via common carrier, you may be eligible for reimbursement of up to $500 worth of expenses related to the delay. For example, if a flight delay forces you to stay overseas for an extra night, your insurance may reimburse you for additional meals, transportation fees and hotel costs. Note that the delay must last for at least 12 hours before your benefits kick in. A common carrier is an airline, bus company, railway, ferry line or cruise line that provides transportation services to the public.
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Baggage delay insurance. If you’re traveling via common carrier, you’re also entitled to up to $100 per day (three days max) for baggage delays lasting 6 hours or more. Baggage delay insurance reimburses you for essential purchases, such as clothing and toiletries.
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Travel accident insurance. The United Explorer Card comes with $500,000 in accidental death and dismemberment coverage. To access this coverage, you must use your card to pay for your common carrier transportation.
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Lost luggage insurance. If a carrier loses or damages your luggage, you’re entitled to up to $3,000. This benefit also applies to your immediate family members.
▶︎ Learn more: Chase travel insurance
The fine print
Fees
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Annual fee: $95 (waived for first year)
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Balance transfer fee: $5 or 5% of the transfer amount, whichever is greater
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Cash advance fee: $10 or 5% of the transaction amount, whichever is greater
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Foreign transaction fee: $0 (no foreign transaction fees)
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Late payment: Up to $40
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Returned payment: Up to $40
Interest rates
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Regular APR: 21.49% to 28.49% variable
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Purchase intro APR: N/A
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Balance transfer intro APR: N/A
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Balance transfer APR: 21.49% to 28.49% variable
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Cash advance APR: 29.74% variable
Credit limit
The United Explorer Card has a minimum limit of $5,000, but some users have limits exceeding $20,000. Your credit limit depends on your income, credit profile and other factors.
Drawbacks
Only 2 airport lounge passes
While the 2 free United Club passes are one of the primary draws of the United℠ Explorer Card, 2 passes may not be enough if you fly a lot. United Club passes typically cost $59 each, so it could get pricey quickly if you run out of passes and want to chill at the United Club during your layover.
You also don’t get complimentary guest passes, so if you have a traveling companion with you, you can either give them one of your two annual passes, buy a pass when you get there, or leave them to fend for themselves in the airport while you enjoy the United Club. (We don’t recommend the last option if you want to stay in good graces with your traveling companion!)
Little value outside of United
Since this is a United co-branded card, this isn’t altogether surprising, but the Explorer’s value is lacking outside of United. It comes with United-centric benefits like airport lounge passes, priority boarding benefits, free checked bags, etc., and it even comes with a fee credit for NEXUS, Global Entry, or TSA PreCheck, but it ends there.
Earning miles is a bit more flexible, with solid rewards on dining and eligible hotels, but to get any real value when redeeming rewards, your options are limited. If you’re a United enthusiast through and through, this may not be an issue. However, if you prefer flexibility when redeeming your rewards, you may want to keep looking.
How United℠ Explorer compares
United℠ Explorer Card vs. United Club℠ Infinite Card
The United Club℠ Infinite Card comes with luxury travel benefits, so it costs more than the United Explorer Card. You get double the miles on United purchases, along with a free United Club membership. The Club Infinite Card has an annual fee of $525, but the United Club membership is worth $650, making it worth the investment if you plan on frequenting this airport lounge.
United℠ Explorer Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Compared to the United Explorer Card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has much more to offer the seasoned traveler. It also has a $95 annual fee, but Sapphire Preferred’s benefits are more impressive. With this card, you get a $50 hotel credit, $200 in partnership benefits, 5X points on hotels and car rentals booked through Chase, 3X points on dining purchases and more. If your loyalty doesn’t lie with United specifically, a general travel card like the Sapphire Preferred may be more up your alley.
Bottom line
Should you get the United℠ Explorer Card?
If you book several United flights each year, don’t mind having limited redemption options, and can utilize the 2 free annual United Club passes, it may be worth getting the United Explorer Card. If you fly a lot, consider looking at a higher-tier option like the United Club℠ Infinite Card. If you prefer flexible rewards, consider looking at a general travel card or a different airline card instead.
