If you travel frequently with United Airlines, the UnitedSM Explorer Card from Chase will reward you for doing so! This card comes with all of the terrific benefits that will give you a better travel experience with the fantastic features it carries!
To start off, upon approval, new cardmembers can earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Update 11/21/24: For limited time, you can earn 60k bonus miles (up from 50k) after meeting the requirements.
| Ink Business Preferred® Card 90K Points after $8,000 spend within first 3 months | Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card $750 Bonus after $6,000 spend within 3 months |
| Capital One Venture X Business 150K Miles after $30,000 spend within 3 months | Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Up to $750 Bonus: Earn $350 after $3,000 spend in the first 3 months and an additional $400 with $6,000 spend in the first 6 months. |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card 60K Points after $4,000 spend within 3 months. | Chase Freedom FlexSM $200 Bonus after $500 spend within 3 months |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express 80K Points after $8,000 spend within 6 months. Terms Apply. | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card 75K Points after $4,000 spend within 3 months |
| American Express® Gold Card 60K Points after $6,000 spend within 6 months. | Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy --- on up to $20,000 in the first year! |
| Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express $250 Welcome Offer after $3,000 eligible spend within 6 months. Terms Apply. | Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express $200 Welcome Offer after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms Apply. |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card 60K Points after $4,000 spend within 3 months. | Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card $200 Bonus after $500 spend within 3 months |
Compare this card to the business version and the premium version.
Chase United Explorer Card Summary
| Bonus Available | Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. |
| Ongoing Rewards/Benefits | 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays.
1x mile on all other purchases Free checked bag on United flights for you and 1 companion on the same reservation. 25% back on inflight food, beverages and WiFi. Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club with 2 one-time passes each year |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | No |
| Annual Fee | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 |
United Explorer Card Bonus Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
What are MileagePlus Points Worth?
Similar to other airline-branded credit cards, the value you get from your miles will depend on how you use them. The value of one MileagePlus mile ranges from $0.005 to $0.021.
However, the average value of each MileagePlus mile at around $0.014.
You can redeem your MileagePlus miles for:
- Flights and upgrades (United Airlines and Star Alliance partners)
- Travel (hotel stays, car rentals, cruises)
- Enhanced travel (United Club membership, WiFi, etc.)
- Dining
- Merchandise
- Gift cards
- Experiences
- Subscriptions (magazines and newspapers)
- Donations
To get the most value out of your points, we recommend you use them for flights and seat upgrades on United and Star Alliance partners. All other options will more than likely devalue your points to less than $0.01.
Also, your MileagePlus points don’t expire as long as your account stays open.
See list of Star Alliance member airlines.
United Explorer Card Top Features
Lounge access. Cardholders are entitled to 2 United Club passes annually. Each pass grants you admission where you can relax and enjoy complimentary beverages, snacks, WiFi, work spaces and more. The value of this benefit is $59 per pass, so 2 passes already covers the card’s annual fee.
Free checked bags. The primary Cardmember and one companion traveling on the same reservation will each receive their first standard checked bag free (up to $40 value, each way, per person). When you fly United Airlines, your first checked bag – plus one companion’s – are free. If you take one round-trip with a friend, you’ll save enough to cover the card’s annual cost. That’s a very generous perk for an airline-branded credit card.
Priority boarding. This perk allows you to board the plane first and give you ample overhead bin space for your hand luggage. To unlock this feature, you must add your MileagePlus number to your reservation.
Inflight discounts. Enjoy food, beverages and WiFi on board United-operated flights and get 25% back as statement credit. Just make sure you pay with your United Explorer card.
This Nexus perk covers your application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Get up to $120 in statement credit every four years.
You can earn and use MileagePlus miles on more than 35 airlines worldwide.
Make purchases abroad without worrying about foreign transaction fees with the United Explorer Card.
United Explorer Card Benefits
- Earn unlimited miles that don’t expire
- Miles don’t expire as long as your credit card account remains open. Plus, there is no limit to the number of miles you can earn.
- Use miles for award travel on United
- Choose the award type that suits your needs. One-way Saver Award travel starts as low as 12,500 miles within the continental U.S. and Canada.
- No blackout dates
- As the primary Cardmember, you will also enjoy expanded award availability when you use miles to book any United-operated flight, any time, at the applicable Everyday Award level – with no restrictions or blackout dates. For more information, please visit united.com/awards .
- More ways to use miles
- You can use miles to book award travel on Star Alliance™ and other partner airlines. Or use them to enhance your travel with upgrades, inflight Wi-Fi, hotel stays and car rentals. Miles can also be used for merchandise, gift cards and once-in-a-lifetime events. To learn more, please visit united.com/usemiles offsite link icon.
- Premier upgrades on award tickets
- The primary Cardmember who is also a MileagePlus Premier® member and traveling on an award ticket can take advantage of Complimentary Premier Upgrades on United-operated flights (when available).
Travel & Purchase Protection Benefits
You can be reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares, if your trip is canceled or cut short by covered situations like sickness or injury.**
Reimburses you for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing for baggage delays over 6 hours by passenger carrier up to $100 a day for 3 days.**
If you or an immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost by the carrier, you’re covered up to $3,000 per passenger.**
If your common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.**
Decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your Card.
Coverage is primary and provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the U.S. and abroad.**
Covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year.**
Extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less.**
** These benefits are available when you use your Card. Restrictions, limitations and exclusions apply. Most benefits are underwritten by unaffiliated insurance companies who are solely responsible for the administration and claims. There are specific time limits and documentation requirements. Once your account is opened we will send you a Guide to Benefits, which includes a full explanation of coverage.
Bottom Line
The UnitedSM Explorer Card is great for those who prefer flying with United Airlines! and check bags on United flights.
You will find the United Explorer Card to be very beneficial to whom flies frequently with United – so why not be rewarded for it?
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The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone.
Called United Chase credit card to provide me end of year documents for IRS in excel or csv formats on 1/3/2019. They refused to provide it to me in those formats and said that I have to manually do so by entering from PDF to Excel. Nice job, Chase! After me requesting it for IRS purposes they dropped the call. End of story. This is how Chase treats their customers and make the end-of-year process smooth.
Hi Carrie,
Thanks for catching that! It has been updated!
where’s the signup url?
Signed up for the Chase United Explorer Visa card. When I tried to use my club passes at the United Club at O’Hare airport in Chicago I was told they do not accept passes at the Chicago United Club lounge. THATS MISLEADING ADVERTISING BECAUSE NO WHERE IN THEIR ADS DID IT STATE THAT THE 2 passes I would receive were not valid in Chicago.
I got my card on July 7/2016 and I cancelled it on the same day when I called in for activation, I found out that they charged me $95 annual fee upfront without even using the card. I was told the promotional card I applied did not waive the first year annual fee. I told them they should put in a large print to remind potential customer about the Annual fee upfront. Yet some of my friends insisted that their card had the first annual fee waived with the same promotion. I was so upset that I cancel my card right away. READ THE FINE PRINT!!!
I opened this card on August 2011 and closed it on August 2012. If I reapply for this card again, will I qualify for the promotional miles?
Hi I applied for the United MileagePlus card in August 2011 and received 30k bonus miles. Card was cancelled/closed in August 2012. If I reapply for this card will I still qualify for the current promotion? Does anyone have any success in getting this card approved for a SECOND time and still received the bonus miles? What are some tips/tricks in doing so? I am aware that the fine print states that promo is for new customer with new account. Thanks
I don’t see why not. Give it a try.
I had Continental card which was converted into United card. Recently I closed United card (about 20 days ago). Do you think if I’ll be able to get this promotion?
Thanks,
Andrey
Signed up Jan 12, got the bonus miles and booked a round trip ticket for the mother in law from Florida to Hawaii for 40k miles…even though it says Hawaii is restricted. $1100.00 value
Just booked round trip tickets for my wife and I to Kauai from Oahu which cost 20k miles, but somehow we only got 10k miles deducted, then went on united.com and even booked our rental car using miles, 2700 a day is all.
Just hit the 25k mark today and got our 10,000 bonus miles…might Island hop again with that:)
We use this card like our debit card for EVERYTHING, then just pay it off each month in full…
If your scared about the 95.00 yearly fee you can just use your earned miles to pay that fee also, but that will cost you 11k miles…
So in 7 months of the card it has saved us $1700.00 all and all not a bad card.
I applied and had an additional user at signup.
Do I need to add an extra extra additional person on top of that to get the extra 5k?
Looked like a good deal but they can’t seem to get the priority boarding correct. I am cancelling this card and going to the sapphire card.
No problem. We have more bonuses on our list on top.
Just signed up. Thanks.
Nice deal. Can’t wait to get the miles to get the free flight. Sweeetttttttt!!!!