United℠ Explorer Card Review: Enjoy Big Rewards and Useful Perks

If you’re a United loyalist who flies regularly but not enough to earn Premier status, the United Gateway℠ Card is an excellent choice. The same is true if you only fly once a year and choose this airline because you live near a United hub. The card offers a generous intro bonus, elite status access and valuable perks. While it comes with a $95 annual fee after the first year, the premium features — like lounge passes, trusted traveller program credits and free checked bags — make it worth the cost.

Note that lounge access is limited to two visits per year. If you want more, consider the pricier United Club Infinite Card. However, for most United flyers, the benefits of the United Explorer Card are tough to beat.

The United℠ Explorer Card is an obvious choice for most folks flying United. You’ll earn 2X miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays, plus a 60,000-mile intro bonus after spending $3,000 in the first three months.

While the card has a $95 annual fee starting in the second year, the benefits easily outweigh the cost. You get two United Club passes every year — a rare perk at this price point — along with free checked bags, priority boarding and a $120 credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.

If you need more than two lounge visits per year, consider the United Club℠ Infinite Card, though it comes with a $525 annual fee. The United Quest℠ Card is another option for frequent United flyers, offering more significant rewards and travel credits but no lounge access. But for most people, the United Explorer Card is the one to get.

Each purchase made with the United℠ Explorer Card earns MileagePlus miles, with more miles earned from travel-related purchases. Here’s a breakdown of the miles you earn:

• 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays
• 1x mile on all other purchases.

You can redeem miles for airline tickets, seat upgrades, car rentals, hotel stays, gift cards and more. You can get the best value from your miles (1.25 cents per mile) by redeeming for award flights and seat upgrades from United and Star Alliance partners.

The United℠ Explorer Card allows you to earn Premier qualifying points (PQP) toward United's elite program, MileagePlus. You'll receive 25 PQP for every $500 spent on purchases, up to a maximum of 1,000 PQPs per calendar year.

This can help you work toward elite status, which includes perks like seat upgrades and mileage bonuses. However, the PQPs earned from spending alone aren't enough to reach Premier Silver (the lowest status), which requires 5,000 PQPs. You’ll need to earn PQPs by flying with United to get the necessary points.

The United℠ Explorer Card is packed with valuable benefits for frequent United flyers, including the following highlights:

Lounge access: With this card, you receive two United Club one-time passes annually, valued at $59 per pass. These passes allow you to escape busy gate areas, offering complimentary snacks, drinks and Wi-Fi at over 45 United Club locations. The inclusion of these passes is a rare perk for a card in this price range. Even the more expensive United Quest lacks this perk.

Generous intro bonus: The card lets you earn 60,000 United MileagePlus Miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months.

Free checked bag and priority boarding: The primary cardholder and one companion enjoy a free checked bag on United-operated flights, a savings of $40 per bag. Additionally, the card offers priority boarding for you and your travel companions, allowing you to board before the general crowd. This perk helps you settle in sooner and increases your chances of securing overhead bin space for your carry-on.

Travel and purchase insurance: This card offers essential travel and purchase protections for peace of mind. You get primary coverage for rental cars, reimbursement for delayed or lost baggage and protection if your trip is canceled or interrupted. Additionally, your purchases are covered against damage or theft, and the manufacturer’s warranty is extended on eligible items.

Trusted traveller programs credit: Receive up to $120 as a statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS every four years.

Before committing to the United Explorer Card, consider whether its perks align with your travel habits and if the following drawbacks are manageable:

Annual fee: The card starts with a $0 annual fee for the first year but increases to $95 afterward. This fee might not be worth it for occasional United flyers. If you don’t fly often, the United Gateway℠ Card could be a better fit since it has no annual fee.

Inflexible rewards: The miles you earn with this card are best used for United and Star Alliance flights or seat upgrades. While United’s award availability is decent, it may not always align with your preferred travel dates or destinations. If you want more flexibility in how you redeem rewards, a general travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card might be a better option.

Limited lounge access: You get two one-time United Club passes each year, which might not be enough if you need frequent lounge access. The United Club℠ Infinite Card could be a better choice for unlimited lounge access.

We break down how the United℠ Explorer Card stacks up against United's other co-branded options so you can choose the best fit for your needs.

Pairing the United Explorer Card with a no-annual-fee cash back card can be a smart strategy to boost your rewards.

We evaluated the United Explorer Card against 20 other airline cards, focusing on several key factors, each weighted as follows in our rankings:

• Expected Value for the Traveler (40%): Assesses the net value of rewards and perks minus annual fees for someone who travels two to three times per year and has higher-than-average spending.
• Airline Reach (20%): Evaluates the number of destinations served by the airline, crucial for gauging the card's usefulness for frequent flyers.
• Offer ROI (15%): Examines the return on investment from the card’s introductory bonus offers.
• Airline Rewards Rate (10%): Measures the rewards earned on airline purchases for those who vacation two to three times annually.
• Foreign Transaction Fees (5%): Rates the card’s fees for international purchases, with a 5 indicating no fees.
• Issuer Satisfaction (5%): Based on J.D. Power's study, this score reflects overall satisfaction with the card issuer.
• Credit Accessibility (5%): Rates the ease of obtaining the card based on credit score requirements, with a 5 indicating broad accessibility.