The earning scheme is average
The earning scheme at United is typical for airline cards – which is to say, it’s quite average. You get 2 miles per dollar for tickets purchased directly from United and 1 mile per dollar for everything else. United allows you to redeem miles on one-way or round-trip travel. You can also redeem miles for other travel expenses, such as hotel rooms, cruises or car rentals.
If you – like most people – always hunt for the lowest airline prices and are not loyal to United, it might take you a long time to earn enough miles for a free ticket. So, you might want to consider a general travel credit card. For example, Discover it Miles lets you earn 1.5 miles on every purchase, and lets you double all the miles you earn in the first year of card membership.
The annual fee is a little high, but might be worth it
The $95 annual fee is slightly higher than what you will pay for most other travel cards. But if you are a loyal United customer, the card might pay for itself with just a couple of uses. At the minimum, you get a decent sign-up bonus and up to two free bags for you and a companion. If you are not sure this card is for you, there is no risk, as the annual fee is waived for the first year.
Up to 45,000 bonus miles in the first year
You receive 30,000 miles after spending $1,000 in the first three months. You receive an additional 5,000 miles after making a purchase and adding an authorized user to your account in the first three months. On top of that, you get a 10,000 bonus each year that you spend $25,000 or more. Altogether that equals 45,000 potential bonus miles in the first year, which can get you a round-trip ticket to anywhere in North America (except Alaska), Central America or the Caribbean. You can also earn additional miles with dozens of United partners, such as hotels, car rentals and many more.
Flexible redemption options
United Airlines offers one of the more flexible booking policies for an airline rewards program. The United website has a user-friendly mile-redemption interface, and availability is generally not bad in the economy seating section, except for prime travel time. In addition, United is a member airline of the Star Alliance, which is the biggest airline alliance in the world. So, you can use United miles to book an award seat on 28 partner airlines.
There are some quirks, however. First, not all partner-airline award tickets can be booked online. Second, United only shows the lowest award rate, which doesn’t tell you if this is the best (“Saver”) award rate to your destination. Use this interactive award chart to know exactly what you are getting and consider changing travel dates if the rate is not the best.
If you don’t care which airline you fly on, you may be better off with a general reward credit card that allows you to choose any airline.
Primary rental coverage
The United MileagePlus Explorer card offers primary rental coverage in the U.S. (Coverage is always primary outside of the U.S.). Usually, credit cards only offer secondary coverage, which means you have to turn to your own car insurance company first if you have a loss while driving the rental car. Primary coverage means you won’t have to deal with your own car insurance in case of damage or theft.
Valuable benefits for frequent fliers
The card offers some valuable benefits for United Airlines passengers, such as a free checked bag for yourself and a companion traveling on the same reservation. Note that you must buy your ticket with the United MileagePlus Explorer card to be eligible for this benefit.
You also get two free one-time-use passes to be used at any United Club airport lounge in the world on an annual basis, and priority boarding for yourself and your companion. Domestic United Club lounges offer comfortable seating, free coffee, soft drinks, snacks and Wi-Fi. International United lounges add free alcoholic beverages and more eating options to the list.
Reasons to get it:
- You use United for most of your travel.
- You want to maximize mileage earnings.
- You want to save money on checked bags.
- You value other perks and Visa Signature benefits of the card.
How to use it:
- Always make United ticket purchases with the United MileagePlus Explorer card for 2 miles per dollar.
- Try to redeem award seats at the “Saver” level. If you book a round-trip award, you can add a free stopover along the way.
- Consider using United miles on United partner airlines, which can be a better value.
- When you rent a car in the U.S., always pay with the United MileagePlus Explorer Card to take advantage of its primary rental coverage.
The post United MileagePlus Explorer Card Review appeared first on Reviews.