United Explorer Card Review: Is It Worth the Annual Fee?

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The United Explorer card is a fantastic tool for leveling up your travel game, offering perks similar to those enjoyed by frequent flyers with status. While I’m not one to chase airline status myself, this card provides a convenient way to access valuable benefits without the hassle. Though there are some restrictions on using the perks, it’s an excellent choice for occasional flyers with United or other Star Alliance airlines.

United Explorer Card

Annual Fee

$95 per year (fee waived for the first year)

Sign Up Benefits

There’s currently an increased sign up bonus. With it, you will earn 60,000 United MileagePlus Miles after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases in the first three months of opening an account, plus the annual fee is waived for the first year.

If you’ve signed up for several new credit cards in the last two years, this card is subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule (to learn more about it, check out this list of 8 commonly heard questions about the 5/24 rule).

You must also not be a current cardholder or have received a new card member bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months.

The bonus on this card ranges from 35,000 to 70,000 points. If you’re a United MileagePlus member, you could always look for targeted offers by mail, email or when booking (or almost booking) a ticket on United. I like to check the U.S. Credit Card Guide to see what the best current offer is for a card and if that’s historically a low, average or high offer.

Spending Bonus Categories

The United MileagePlus Explorer card earns 2X points for airline tickets purchased from United and on the following purchases made from United: seat upgrades; Economy Plus^®; inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi; baggage service charges or other United fees. You also earn 2x points for charges at restaurants, food delivery services, and hotel stays purchased directly from the hotel. The card earns one point per dollar for all other purchases.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

As you would hope a card used on United flights worldwide would, the United MileagePlus Explorer card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.

Priority Boarding

The primary cardmember and companions on the same reservation will be invited to board United-operated flights before general boarding, after MileagePlus Premier members, customers with Premier Access and travelers requiring special assistance.

According to the United boarding process, Explorer cardholders board with Group 2, along with Star Alliance Silver members. Although advanced boarding sounds appealing, there are still at least eight other groups that board before Group 2. This even includes if you book a basic economy ticket.

United Club Passes

Take some time to relax before your flight with two United Club one-time passes. These passes will be deposited into your MileagePlus account after account opening and each year for your Cardmember anniversary. Enjoy complimentary beverages, snacks, and amenities like workspaces, free Wi-Fi and more.

You could use these passes to spend some time at the United Club at Orlando Airport. While the club is basic, the staff can help you during irregular operations.

United Club customers, including members and their guests, and one-time pass holders must provide a same-day boarding pass for travel on United, Star Alliance or a contracted partner to enter all United Club locations.

United Club locations may limit entry based on capacity constraints. I have experienced this at Newark, Orlando, and San Francisco airports. Just because you have a pass doesn’t guarantee club access.

Bonus earnings on purchases through the MileagePlus X app

The app works by buying a virtual gift card for the store you want to shop at. You can read the basics here.  The bonus is that primary cardholders of the Chase United MileagePlus card get a 25% bonus on points earned through the app. This could add up if you are a power user, which I am not.

Free First Checked Bag

Here’s where United manages to lower the bar. Let’s look at the free bag policy with the United MileagePlus Explorer card:

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) on United-operated flights when the primary Cardmember includes their United MileagePlus^® number in their reservation and purchases their tickets from United with their card (this purchase requirement is waived for flights during the 90 days from account opening)

So, the cardholder and one person on the same reservation can get a free bag. To get these benefits, you need to pay for your ticket with your MileagePlus Explorer card. This means that to get the free checked bag benefit, you will have to give up the better trip delay and lost baggage insurance you would get if you paid with a card like the Sapphire Reserve.

This policy is more restrictive than competitors like American, Delta, or Alaska, where multiple companions (up to 4 or more) are included without requiring the card for payment. JetBlue also requires card payment but extends the benefit to up to three companions.

As much as I don’t like United’s restrictions on the benefits of their MileagePlus Explorer card, they also offer some benefits that make the card appealing.

Earn Premier qualifying points (PQP)

If you are trying to earn MileagePlus Premier status, you can give yourself a boost by earning PQP with the Explorer card. You’ll earn 25 PQP for every $500 you spend on purchases with your Explorer Card  (up to 1,000 PQP in a calendar year) that can be applied toward your Premier status qualification up to the Premier 1K^® level. Visit united.com/premier for details about earning Premier status.

25% In-Flight Savings

Cardmembers receive 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi onboard United-operated flights when you pay with your Explorer Card. You will also receive a 25% credit for premium drink purchases at United Clubs.

Global Entry, TSA Pre✓, or NEXUS Credit

You will get a statement credit of up to $120 once every four years to reimburse the application fee for either program when the fee is charged to the Explorer card. This is one of the only cards with a NEXUS payment as a reimbursable expense.

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your Card. The primary coverage provides reimbursement up to the vehicle’s actual cash value for theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the U.S. and abroad.

This PRIMARY coverage is a HUGE benefit and something most other cards don’t offer. Primary coverage means you don’t have to report the damage to a rental car to your insurance company, so if you get into an accident, the card will cover you. For a while, this was one of the only cards to offer this coverage, although now you can get the same coverage from the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards. This was the one reason I kept my United MileagePlus Explorer card.

Travel Coverages 

• Baggage Delay (6 hours) – $100/day x 3 days
• Lost Luggage –  $3,000
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption – $1,500 per person and $6,000 trip
• Trip Delay  (12 hours or overnight) – $500 per ticket

Purchase Protections

• Purchase protection (120 days)  – $10,000 per claim, $50,000 per year
• Extended Warranty – Additional warranty for 1 year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less.

Use of Miles on Partner Airlines

While you can use your miles to book flights on United, you can also use miles to book award travel on Star Alliance and other partner airlines. This is the way that I’ve used most of my United miles. I booked us on Thai Airways business class from Australia to Japan with a stopover in Bangkok for 40,000 miles each. Sharon appreciated all the legroom we had on that flight.

Another redemption with United MileagePlus was to get two tickets from Orlando to London (via Dublin) on Aer Lingus. This flight cost 70,000 miles each, and this time, I was the one who appreciated the legroom.

We also used miles to pay for a short hop from Frankfurt to Salzburg on Lufthansa. We found Saver space for 8,000 miles each, which is better than the almost $200 per ticket they wanted for the flight.

Expanded Award Availability

This is an often-overlooked perk of having this card.

As long as tickets are still available for sale for the applicable cabin on any United-operated flight, MileagePlus members can use miles to book award travel on such flight.

Having this card can give you access to flights that are otherwise unavailable with points when you search for award seats using your United miles. However, the award pricing is higher for these tickets. If cash prices are too high, then using some miles to get that “gotta-have-it” ticket can be a great option.

Final Thoughts

The United Explorer Card offers a range of benefits that align with other co-branded airline credit cards, such as preferred boarding (even for basic economy tickets) and a free checked bag for the cardholder and one companion on the same reservation, as long as the ticket is paid with the card.

While the card provides valuable perks like primary rental car collision insurance and access to United’s extensive Star Alliance network, it comes with some limitations. For example, the free checked bag benefit is more restrictive than those offered by competitors like American, Delta, and Alaska, which extend the benefit to multiple companions without requiring card payment.

The two United Club lounge passes are a nice touch, offering a place to relax before your flight. However, United lounges, while generally nice, can often be crowded, and access may be blocked with passes from credit cards, especially during peak travel times. If you’re looking for a more exclusive experience, you may find this frustrating.

Additionally, the card gives you extra access to award seats on United flights, but be mindful that these can sometimes come at a higher price.

Overall, the United Explorer Card is a solid choice for occasional United or Star Alliance travelers, especially if you value the convenience of perks like priority boarding and a free checked bag. However, if you prioritize trip protections or exclusive lounge access, you may want to consider a higher-tier card.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary