Right now, the welcome offers on two of our favorite United credit cards have increased. If you’ve been waiting to get some United MileagePlus miles, the time is NOW!

 

United Explorer Credit Card

I would say that one of the cards I always recommend is the United Explorer Credit Card. A few times a year, Chase offers an increased sign-up bonus of 60,000 miles. For a limited time, you can get 60,000 miles after meeting the minimum spend of $3,000 in the first three months. If you do not currently have this card and have not received a welcome offer on it in the past 24 months, you can even re-apply for it. Just make sure you are under 5/24.  I definitely need to cancel mine and re-apply as I have had it for a long time.

 

Travel Benefits

Enjoy TSA PreCheck or Global Entry for free when you purchase them with your United Explorer Credit Card. They cost $78 and $100 respectively. You will get a credit for one once every four years with your credit card. You will also get 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.

The primary cardholder and a companion will receive one free checked bag when the ticket is paid for with the United Explorer Card. This usually costs $35 per bag, so you could save $140 per round-trip with this feature when you use your card.

Each cardholder receives two United Airlines Lounge passes per year with the card. It is no secret that I love airport lounges—talk about making an airport visit nicer!  Each pass is worth $50, so that is a $100 perk.

United Explorer cardmembers also get priority boarding. I love this feature. It is so nice to board before general boarding and settle in early. If I take carry-on luggage only, I can be confident there will be enough overhead space for my bag.

Annual Fee

The annual fee is $95, which is waived for the first year. When you add on the cost of perks like TSA PreCheck ($78), free bags ($140 per trip for 2), and lounge passes ($100), then you are $318 ahead with this card. I personally think it’s amazing you can get so many great benefits with this card and avoid paying an annual fee the first year. If you don’t find the benefits worth the fee for year two, you can downgrade to the no-annual-fee United card.

 

United Quest Credit Card

This credit card also has an increased sign-up bonus, and the good news is that you can hold both of these United cards at the same time. For those of us that live near a United hub, that is really helpful.

This is a great card, too, for those who fly United. We find a lot of great deals to Europe on United, so we have all applied for this card at one time. The annual fee is a little steep at $250, but you get a $125 annual United purchase credit, free first and second checked bags (for the main cardholder + one companion), priority boarding, up to $100 for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, and two 5,000-mile anniversary award flight credits.

 

Bottom Line

If you have been thinking about getting one of the United credit cards, now is the time! Not only will you get more miles, but you will also get some great benefits. Whether you use those miles for domestic travel or splurge on some business class seats, it is worth it. Travel hacking is all about putting regular spending on a credit card that will offer you a great experience! Talk about a win-win!