An Overview of the United Explorer Card
There's nothing typical about the United Explorer Card when it comes to airline credit cards. It is loaded with premium features like a statement credit for an application fee of up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, two annual one-time lounge access, and free checked bags, easily justifying its small $95 annual charge (which is waived for the first year).
*The card rating is determined solely by the editors at TPG and is not subject to any influence from the card issuer.
In addition to the standard perks offered by airline credit cards, such as complimentary checked bags and priority boarding, the United Explorer also comes with some premium-level benefits. These include a pair of annual, one-time access passes to the United Club, a credit toward the application fee for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and outstanding travel coverage.
The information that you need to know about the card and the perks it offers is presented below.
United Explorer extends a warm welcome to the offer
If you apply for the United Explorer Card, you will receive a welcome bonus of 60,000 United MileagePlus Miles after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases within the first three months of opening an account, in addition to having the annual fee for the card waived for the first year.
According to the most recent valuations provided by TPG, those 60,000 bonus miles have a value of $660. You should familiarize yourself with United's sweet spot redemptions if you want to know how to get the most value out of these miles.
Using the United Explorer card to rack up miles.
As a cardholder, you will earn two miles for every dollar spent on dining out and hotels, in addition to earning miles for purchases made at United. On top of that, you'll get one mile for every $1 spent on anything else.
Even while the bonus for making purchases on airlines with whom the card is co-branded is fairly typical, it is a pleasant perk that the card also offers incentives on certain sorts of everyday spending, which is something that many other airline credit cards do not offer.
On the other hand, you can choose from a wide variety of various approaches to make the most of your money spent dining and staying in hotels.
Utilizing the United Explorer to redeem one's miles
You can use your MileagePlus miles to redeem travel on any of United's domestic or international routes, as well as on any of the carrier's Star Alliance or other airline partner flights.
Because United has established a dynamic pricing structure on its flights, you should anticipate a rather stable value for your miles whenever you redeem them for United awards. This is the case even though United has introduced this pricing structure. We have observed purchases of tickets for as little as 3,900 miles, however, the average starting point for domestic prizes in the economy is just 5,000 miles one-way.
You might wish to take advantage of United's Excursionist Perk to get the most bang for your buck out of your miles. Regarding this perk, we offer a comprehensive guide that covers all the information you require to understand it. In essence, it enables you to add a free flight segment to qualifying round-trip itineraries between two different locations at no additional expense. These itineraries must begin and end in different geographic areas.
In most cases, you will want to steer clear of redeeming your United miles for non-flight items, such as hotel stays or merchandise, as these types of redemptions often provide a poor value proposition.
Advantages of using United Explorer
The United Explorer Card gives both frequent and infrequent United Airlines fliers access to a diverse range of benefits, including the following:
First luggage checked at no additional cost
On United-operated flights, you and a traveling companion who is on the same reservation are each eligible to get a free first-checked bag. Because the cost of the first checked bag is typically $35 one way, this perk can save you up to $140 when traveling round-trip. To be eligible for this advantage, you must first include your MileagePlus number in your reservation and then pay for the flight with your Explorer Card. This benefit is available even if you only use the card to pay the taxes and fees associated with an award ticket.
Two one-time passes for the United Club
Each year of card membership, you will be rewarded with a pair of United Club passes good for a single visit each. These passes will be credited to your MileagePlus account. This perk alone is worth a total of $118 every year, considering that day passes at the lounge can be purchased for a total of $59 each with a boarding pass for the same day.
Access to the aircraft first
When you add your MileagePlus number to your reservation, you and any traveling companions who are on the same reservation will be upgraded to Group 2 boarding. This implies that you will board the aircraft after people seated in United Polaris, first class, and business class; but, you will board before the vast majority of other economy passengers who do not have elite status.
You won't be subject to the carry-on baggage restrictions if you purchase a basic economy ticket, so you'll want to board the plane while there's still room in the overhead bins. This perk is of particular value to individuals who travel in this far more affordable fare category.
Increased number of available awards
You will have increased access to book United award tickets — even if it's the last seat on the plane — and when you log in to your MileagePlus account, you may notice economy award seats that require fewer miles than other members who do not have the card.
Quick routes to elite status
Premier qualifying points, also known as PQPs, and Premier qualifying flights, also known as PQFs, are required to be eligible for elite status with United. You will earn 500 Premier qualifying Points (PQPs) for every $12,000 you spend on purchases with your Explorer Card (up to 1,000 PQPs in a calendar year). These PQPs can be put toward qualifying for Premier status, but only up to the Premier 1K level.
25% inflight savings
When you use your card to make purchases on United while on the flight, including Wi-Fi, food, and beverages, you will receive a discount of 25%.
What other cards do players get to choose from besides the United Explorer?
There are a few cards that can hold their own against the United Explorer, including the following:
- The United Club Infinite Card is, without a doubt, the superior credit card option for gaining admission to United lounges if you're looking for a premium United experience. This card would be a terrific addition to the wallet of any United customer who is devoted to the airline and spends a considerable amount of money with United on an annual basis. Please refer to our comprehensive analysis of the United Club Infinite for further details.
- If you are looking for a card that has more versatility: One of the most well-known travel rewards credit cards is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which awards 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through the Chase travel portal and on purchases made with Lyft. Additionally, the card awards 3 points per dollar spent on dining, certain streaming services, and online grocery store purchases (except Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel purchases, and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else. Please refer to our comprehensive analysis of the Sapphire Preferred for further details.
- If you want access to a plethora of benefits, the American Express Platinum Card® is one of the best premium travel rewards cards on the market. As a card member, you will have access to a vast network of airport lounges all over the world, earn important Membership Rewards points, and receive up to $1,500 in yearly statement credits. Please refer to our comprehensive evaluation of the Amex Platinum for further details.
- Check out our comprehensive list of the best United frequent flyer cards for other possibilities.
Read more to find out which credit card is best to use for flights with United.
Is it worthwhile to purchase the United Explorer?
The card is loaded with benefits that will enrich your trips from beginning to end, and not only when you are in the air. These benefits include free access to Global Entry, annual lounge visits, and access to the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection. The card's welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus miles, in addition to the fact that the annual fee is waived for the first year, is the icing on the cake. If you are an ardent supporter of United, you should give it a shot.
Bottom line
The United Explorer Card is not your typical airline credit card in any way, shape, or form. It's a low-cost card with a significant amount of value thanks to advantages such as a bill credit for an application fee of up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, two annual one-time lounge tickets, and free checked bags, in addition to a waiver of the annual fee for the first year.
Link to the official application for the United Explorer Card, which comes with a sign-up bonus of 60,000 bonus miles after making qualifying purchases totaling $3,000 within the first three months of creating an account and a waiver of the annual fee for the first year.