United Explorer Credit Card Review Of 2024

The Explorer card, a mid-tier option among United credit cards, nicely packages several benefits of interest to United flyers. However, the specific type of customers who should get this card fall in the Venn diagram of flying United often enough to extract value from the included benefits, but not so much that you’ll get the same perks for free through elite status.

For travelers who find themselves in that group, the card’s benefits are legitimately valuable. Cardholders will receive priority boarding, free checked bags and food and beverage discounts onboard (Premier members are also eligible for complimentary upgrades on award flights). Two, one-time United Club Lounge passes each year round out the airline’s perks.

Altogether, these benefits can make the card a great value for someone flying with United a few times per year. However, the United℠ Explorer Card falls short when it comes to earning miles. At 2 miles per dollar on dining including eligible delivery services, hotel stays and United® purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases, the card is lackluster at best. In fact, it’s outearned by the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card without the limitations of staying loyal to a single airline.

The United℠ Explorer Card is a logical choice for those who regularly fly on United Airlines and its partners. In addition to a welcome bonus the card offers:

• Earn 2 miles per dollar on dining including eligible delivery services, hotel stays and United® purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases
• A free checked bag for you and one traveling companion when flying United and you use your card to purchase your tickets
• Two one-time United Club passes on your account anniversary
• 25% off in-flight United purchases when you pay with your card
• Primary car rental insurance
• Up to $100 statement credit for either the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee

Earning Rewards

The card earns 2 miles per dollar on dining including eligible delivery services, hotel stays and United® purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Although it’s not the best rate out there, this is still a decent return if you can utilize the card’s other benefits or don’t have another credit card offering bonus points in these areas.

The United℠ Explorer Card also comes with a welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.

Redeeming Rewards

Though United’s rewards program is based on a dynamic model, the card’s welcome bonus could be enough for an economy class round-trip flight to destinations like the Caribbean, Central America or Colombia. Your bonus miles can be combined with miles transferred from other programs, including Chase Ultimate Rewards®, or miles already accumulated on United for travel farther afield or in premium cabins.

United’s network of StarAlliance partners provides an extensive global airline network that allows you to turn your miles into flights around the world. United never adds a fuel surcharge to the cost of award tickets, leaving you to only pay the taxes and fees. It’s best to book award tickets in advance to ensure the best availability and lowest award prices.

Rewards Potential

Based on government data, a family in the 70th percentile of wage-earning households in the U.S. makes about $118,438  per year, with $39,337 in purchases that can be reasonably charged to credit cards. This sample household spends around $770  per year on air travel. Assuming flights are via United, putting these charges on the United MileagePlus Explorer card would earn 1,540  miles.

The card earns extra miles per dollar on dining and at hotels, categories in which the average household spends $4,622  and $2,858 , respectively. Combined, these two categories could yield an additional 14,960  miles each year.

If our sample household puts $31,087  in additional expenses on the card each year, earning 31,087 miles, their annual earnings would total 47,587 miles each year. This is in addition to the first-year welcome bonus and on top of the other perks the card offers when flying United.

On top of miles from regular spend and the welcome bonus, the United Explorer Card adds a suite of card benefits that make this card a great choice for even occasional United flyers.

• First checked bag free. The Explorer card offers the first checked bag free for both the cardholder and one companion on United flights when you pay for your flight with the card. The first bag offer applies to any United flight worldwide, including award travel. On United itineraries that already entitle the passenger to a checked bag (like long-haul routes), the card does not provide an additional bag.
• Two one-time United Club passes. This perk comes with your new card and on your anniversary every year thereafter. These passes normally cost $59 each, so this benefit alone could be worth the annual fee. United publishes a full list of United Club locations on its website.
• Expanded award availability. Get exclusive award access and lower prices available to only United cardholders and elites. This can help you stretch your miles a little further.
• Earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQP). The primary cardmember will earn 25 Premier qualifying points (PQP) for every $500 in net purchases (including purchases made by authorized users) up to a maximum of 1,000 PQP in a calendar year. PQP will apply toward Premier status tiers.
• 25% off in-flight purchases. This includes Wi-Fi, food and drink on United Airlines flights.
• Priority boarding. Get priority boarding at the beginning of the Economy group.
• Free upgrades for MileagePlus Premier members. For those with this status, the Explorer card will provide free upgrades when booking a United-operated award ticket, including with your newly earned bonus miles. However, cardholders on award tickets are prioritized after all paid fare classes.
• Visa Signature benefits. As a Visa Signature card, you’ll also get perks including primary auto rental insurance, baggage and trip delay insurance, trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance and purchase protections.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 21.99% - 28.99% Variable
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
• Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: $0

United℠ Explorer Card vs. United Club℠ Infinite Card

The Explorer card is the middle tier of United’s co-branded offerings with Chase. The next tier up is the United Club℠ Infinite Card, which comes with a steep $525 annual fee but much richer benefits.

Where the United Explorer grants two lounge passes per year, the United Club Infinite offers an annual membership to the primary cardholder and eligible travel companions allowing unlimited visits. It earns 4 miles per dollar on United® purchases, 2 miles per dollar on all other travel, on dining including eligible delivery services and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.

Frequent travelers who feel they could maximize the United Club membership should consider stepping up to this card. Those who travel less frequently or through airports where United does not have a lounge might be better off with the United Explorer. United publishes a full list of United Club locations on its website.

United℠ Explorer Card vs. AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®*

Just as United and American Airlines compete for passengers to fill their planes, their co-branded credit cards compete for the top position in consumer wallets. American’s AAdvantage program offers cards through Citi, but its partnership with Barclays, and the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®*, has some advantages over what the United Explorer offers.

The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®* comes with an annual fee of $99 that is not waived for the first year like the Explorer. However, its spending requirement for the welcome bonus is lower than the Explorer for the same amount of miles: 50,000 bonus miles after your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days of account opening. This American Airlines card also offers the first bag free for up to four companions on the same reservation, where the United Explorer only offers one. You can also earn a free companion certificate good for one guest at $99 (plus taxes and fees) if you spend $20,000 on purchases and your account remains open for 45 days after your anniversary date.

Consumers who fly American more often than United might be better off with the Barclays Aviator Red, which offers some stronger perks for a nearly identical annual fee. American’s offering through Citi, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®*, offers similar benefits to the Aviator Red and might also be worth considering.

United℠ Explorer Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Many of Chase’s premium cards earn Ultimate Rewards® points, which are freely transferable to a number of airlines, including United. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card carries a $95 annual fee similar to the United Explorer and earns 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.

The Sapphire Preferred also offers primary rental car insurance coverage. However, there is no fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. The greater flexibility in redeeming points, including transferring them to various airlines, hotels, or even redeeming for cash, might make the Sapphire Preferred a better choice for those who don’t need the United-specific perks like free checked bags and lounge passes.

If you are a regular United flyer who does not already have Premier status, the free checked bag perk alone could justify the card’s annual fee. Even a couple who flies United once per year might find the card worthwhile for this benefit plus the two one-time United Club passes. The card’s host of other benefits, from bonus miles to beverages and TSA PreCheck to priority boarding, only sweeten the deal. However, if you’re not willing to pledge allegiance to just one airline program, it’s worth considering a card that offers more flexible rewards before applying for this one.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors, including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points or miles
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards