United Explorer
The welcome offer, the bag and boarding benefits, every partner credit and its catch, the insurance, and whether the $150 fee pays for itself.
Points Atelier may earn from partner links. Ratings never depend on it.
Airline cards · Chase
Welcome offer
Up to 80,000 miles
Annual fee
$0 the first year, then $150
70,000 bonus miles after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 more after adding an authorized user in the same period. Not available to current cardholders or anyone who received this card’s bonus in the past 24 months.
Foreign transaction fees: NoneRewards: United MileagePlus miles
The Atelier Take
If United is the home airline, it earns its keep on the first checked bag.
Who it suits
Anyone who flies United a few times a year and checks a bag.
Who should skip it
Travelers who rarely fly United, or who only carry on: the partner credits alone take too much effort to justify the fee.
Every credit, and the catch
Chase puts the partner credits above $500 a year, but each is tied to one brand or booking channel.
United Hotels credit
Up to $100 a year
Prepaid stays booked directly through United Hotels only. A single $100 stay gets $50, not $100.
Instacart credit
Up to $120 a year
Purchases made directly through Instacart, only in months with an active Instacart+ membership.
JSX credit
Up to $100 a year
Flights bought directly from JSX, a semi-private carrier with a limited network.
Rideshare credit
Up to $60 a year
Rideshare purchases paid with the card.
Avis or Budget credit
Up to $50 a year
Paid as United travel credit, on rentals booked through mileageplustravel.united.com.
United travel credit
$100
Only after $10,000 of spending in the calendar year.
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS
Up to $120 every 4 years
What it earns
Rewards: United MileagePlus miles.
9x
Eligible United flights
6x as a MileagePlus member plus 3x from the card; less on Basic Economy
3x
Other United purchases
2x
Hotels booked directly
2x
Dining, including eligible delivery
1x
Everything else
TPG values United miles at 1.2¢ each. United prices most awards dynamically, so value varies by route and date; partner awards on Star Alliance airlines are often the better use.
United benefits
Free first checked bag
For the cardholder and one companion on the same reservation; Chase puts the saving at up to $200 per round trip.
Group 2 boarding
For the cardholder and companions on the same reservation.
United Club passes
Two one-time passes a year.
Award discounts
10% or more off award flights booked with miles, and a 10,000-mile award discount after $20,000 of spending a year.
Premier qualifying points
1 PQP per $20 spent, up to 1,000 PQP a year.
25% back in flight
On food, drinks and Wi-Fi on United flights and premium drinks in United Clubs.
Premier upgrades on award tickets
Cardholders with Premier status, and one companion on the same reservation, can receive complimentary Premier upgrades on award tickets, subject to availability.
Will the $150 fee pay off?
Enter what would go on this card. The result values points at TPG’s valuation, adds the credits that would actually be used and, in year one, the welcome offer, then sets the total against a no-fee card that pays 2% back on everything.
1 · Spending on this card
Example figures are filled in; replace them with real ones.
United flights and other United purchasesCard miles only; the 6x as a MileagePlus member comes with any card and is left out
3x
Hotels booked directly
2x
DiningIncluding eligible delivery
2x
Groceries
1x
Gas
1x
Everything else
1x
2 · Credits that would be used
Tick only what would be used anyway, at full value.
3 · Assumptions
The result
The fee is $0 in year one and $150 after. Not counted: Group 2 boarding, 10% or more off award flights, Premier qualifying points and the insurance.
Insurance and protections
Chase lists these on the card’s page; the car rental cover is primary. Pay for the trip or purchase with the card to be covered.
Auto rental coverage
Primary cover up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage on most rentals, when the rental company’s cover is declined.
Trip cancellation and interruption
Up to $1,500 per traveler and $6,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable fares.
Trip delay
Up to $500 per traveler when a trip is delayed more than 12 hours or needs an overnight stay.
Lost luggage
Up to $3,000 per traveler for lost, damaged or stolen bags.
Baggage delay
Up to $100 a day for 3 days for essentials when bags are delayed more than 6 hours.
Purchase protection
Damage or theft within 120 days of purchase, up to $10,000 per item.
Extended warranty
Adds one year to U.S. manufacturer warranties of three years or less.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The free first bag pays for the fee in one round trip for two
- Discounted United award flights
- First-year fee waived
- Primary car rental cover and strong purchase protection
Cons
- Partner credits take tracking and suit few people fully
- MileagePlus miles are valued at about 1.2¢
- Little reason to keep for non-United flyers
Card terms change often and some offers are personalized; the issuer’s page is the final word.