United℠ Explorer vs Delta SkyMiles® Gold
Side-by-side comparison
| United℠ Explorer | Delta SkyMiles® Gold | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $150 | $150 |
| Welcome offer | Up to 60,000 bonus miles | |
| Dining | 2x | 2x |
| Groceries | 1x | 2x |
| Gas | 1x | 1x |
| Travel | 1x | 1x |
| Streaming | 1x | 1x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $322 | $382 |
| Points type | Locked to United MileagePlus | Locked to Delta SkyMiles |
| Network | Visa | Amex |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified July 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | United℠ Explorer | Delta SkyMiles® Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Up to 60,000 bonus miles | Up to 90,000 SkyMiles |
| To earn it | $3,000 in 3 months | $5,000 in 6 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $772 | $1,332 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $172 | $432 |
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold wins on both fronts: it comes out ahead in year one on the welcome offer and stays ahead every year after. Short term or long, it is the stronger pick on the numbers.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | United℠ Explorer | Delta SkyMiles® Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | Yes — United Club | None |
| Annual credits | None | ~$200/yr (2 credits) |
| Points & redemptions | Locked to a single program | Locked to a single program |
On perks and redemptions, only the United℠ Explorer gets you into airport lounges; the Delta SkyMiles® Gold carries the heavier credit stack (about $200 a year). Weigh those against the fee, since credits and lounge access only count if you will actually use them.
Transfer partners and point value
Neither card earns transferable points, so redemptions are cash-back or fixed portal value on both, roughly a cent per point. There is no airline or hotel transfer angle to separate them.
These are near-mirror-image cards, same fee, same core benefits, different airlines, so this is really a proxy for United vs Delta in your life.
Both lock your miles to their airline and both make flying it cheaper with a free bag and early boarding. The Explorer leans slightly more travel-perk (lounge passes, Global Entry), the Gold slightly more everyday (2x groceries, a Delta credit). But the deciding factor is simple: which airline dominates your flying.
Pros and cons
- Free first checked bag and priority boarding on United
- Two United Club one-time passes a year and a Global Entry credit
- Expanded United award availability
- Good if United is your main airline
- Only useful if you fly United
- 1x on groceries and everyday spend
- Miles locked to United
- Free first checked bag and priority boarding on Delta
- 2x on Delta, dining, AND U.S. supermarkets
- A Delta flight credit to offset the fee
- Good if Delta is your main airline
- Only useful if you fly Delta
- No lounge passes or Global Entry credit
- Miles locked to Delta
Where each one wins
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Airline | Depends | The Explorer earns United miles; the Gold earns Delta SkyMiles. |
| Free checked bag | Tie | Both include a free first bag and priority boarding. |
| Lounge passes | Explorer | Two United Club passes; the Gold has none. |
| Everyday earning | Delta Gold | Adds 2x groceries. |
| Global Entry credit | Explorer | Included; the Gold has none. |
| Annual fee | Tie | Both $150. |
The verdict
There’s no universal winner here, because the right card is the one for the airline you fly. If United serves your home airport and routes, the Explorer makes United cheaper and adds a couple of lounge passes and a Global Entry credit for good measure. If Delta is your airline, the Gold does the same job and earns a bit more on groceries.
The mistake would be picking one for a small perk difference and then flying the other airline, an airline card’s benefits only pay off when you fly that carrier. So start with the network: check which of United or Delta actually flies where you go, then take the matching card. If you split evenly between them, a flexible transferable-points card may serve you better than either co-brand.