United℠ Explorer Review

Overview

The United Explorer is the solid entry-level United card: for a $150 fee you get a free checked bag, priority boarding, a couple of United Club day passes, and a good welcome bonus. United is a major carrier, so the free bag and boarding perks have real everyday value if you fly them.

The miles are locked to United, but for a United flyer the recurring perks plus the welcome bonus make this an easy card to justify.

Our 3.5 out of 5 rating

Each score weighs the rewards rate, value after the annual fee, welcome offer, points flexibility, and perks, with every point valued at a flat 1 cent. This is our editorial assessment to help you compare cards, not a guarantee of approval or of the value you will get.

Rewards: how it earns

You earn bonuses on United purchases, dining, and hotels, in locked MileagePlus miles, and get a free checked bag, priority boarding, and two United Club passes a year. The free bag and boarding are the everyday draw, and the earning is fine for a mid-tier airline card.

Brand and bonus rates: beyond the everyday categories above, this card also earns:

• 9x miles on United flights booked with the card
• 3x miles on other United purchases
• 2x miles on hotel stays and dining
• 25% back on United in-flight purchases

Every point and mile above is valued at a flat 1 cent, the same honest standard we use for every card. Run your own spending through the calculator to see what this card would actually return for you.

Pros and cons

The welcome bonus

The welcome bonus is strong: up to 60,000 miles after $3,000 in three months, a solid haul and the main reason to grab the card in year one.

Is it worth the annual fee?

The $150 fee is justified for a regular United flyer: a free checked bag on a few round trips can approach the fee, and the boarding perks and lounge passes add more. If you rarely fly United, though, the fee is harder to justify.

First-year value vs ongoing value

The welcome bonus makes year one the high point: roughly $772 in value once you count the bonus, this card’s rewards, and its credits, minus the $150 fee. After that, the honest figure is about $172 a year, so judge whether it earns its keep on the ongoing number, not the first-year headline.

*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, on average spending.

Benefits and protections

Beyond the rewards, the perks and protections worth knowing about include:

• First checked bag free on United flights (primary cardmember + 1 companion)
• Priority boarding on United flights
• Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit
• No foreign transaction fees

Lounge access

This card includes airport lounge access. Here is exactly what you get, including the Priority Pass distinctions that vary by card:

• 2 United Club one-time passes each year (no membership; you cannot otherwise enter a United Club)

Statement credits

This card does not come with recurring statement credits. Its value is in the rewards rate and welcome offer.

Who should get it, and who should skip it

If you fly United and check bags, the Explorer is a sensible card, the free bag, priority boarding, and lounge passes deliver repeatable value, and the welcome bonus makes year one strong.

If United is not your airline, the locked miles and perks will not help you, and a transferable-points card is more flexible. But for United flyers, this is a good entry card.

Frequently asked questions

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