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Fans of United Mileage Plus miles take note: the welcome bonuses on the United Gateway, United Mileage Plus Explorer, and United Club Infinite cards all increased this week. While I wouldn’t prioritize a United card over other current opportunities for a points bonanza, those who are under 5/24 and can put the ancillary benefits to use would obviously do better to open under an increased offer.
The Offers & Key Card Details
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
30K Miles ⓘ Friend-Referral 30K miles after $1K spend in first 3 monthsNo Annual Fee This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: Expired 8/11/22: 30K after $1K spend Earning rate: 2X United ✦ 2X gas stations ✦ 2X local transit and commuting Card Info: Visa Signature issued by Chase. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Noteworthy perks: Improved economy saver award availability (only when downgraded from a card with an annual fee) ✦ No foreign exchange fees ✦ 25% back on United in-flight and Club Premium drink purchases |
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
60K miles ⓘ Friend-Referral 60K miles after $3K spend in 3 months.$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: Expired 8/11/22: 70K after $3K spend FM Mini Review: Decent perks such as enhanced access to United saver level economy awards makes this a keeper for some. Earning rate: 2X United ✦ 2X restaurants ✦ 2X on hotel stays Card Info: Visa Signature issued by Chase. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Earn up to 1,000 PQPs per year: 25 PQPs per $500 spend Noteworthy perks: ✦ Improved economy saver award availability ✦ Free first checked bag for primary cardholder and one travel companion when you pay with the card ✦ Unlocks complimentary elite upgrades on award tickets ✦ Priority boarding ✦ No foreign exchange fees ✦ 2 United Club passes per year on you anniversary ✦ One year of complimentary Dash Pass (Must activate by 12/31/24) ✦ Primary auto rental collision damage waiver ✦ Up to $100 Global Entry,TSA Pre-check or Nexus credit ✦ 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Explorer Card |
70K Miles + 500 PQPs ⓘ Friend-Referral 70K miles and 500 PQPs after $4K spend in the first 3 months $250 Annual Fee This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Earning rate: 3X United ✦ 2X restaurants including eligible delivery services ✦ 2X on all other travel ✦ 2X select streaming Card Info: Visa Signature issued by Chase. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Earn up to 6,000 PQPs per year: 25 PQPs per $500 spend Noteworthy perks: Up to $125 in statement credits for United purchases each cardmember year - terms apply ✦ Two 5K award flight rebates per cardmember year ✦ First and second checked bag free for cardholder and one companion when you purchase your tickets with the card and include your Mileage Plus number ✦ Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus reimbursement ✦ 25% back on United inflight or Club Premium drink purchases |
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
80K Miles ⓘ Affiliate 80k miles after $5k spend in first 3 months$525 Annual Fee This card is available to you if you do not have any United Club card and have not received a new Cardmember bonus for any United Club card in the past 24 months. Recent better offer: Expired 1/27/23: 100K after $5K spend FM Mini Review: While pricey, the Chase United Club Infinite Card is a great choice for those who want a United club membership and other perks like a 10% discount on saver awards. . Earning rate: ✦ 4X United ✦ 2X dining & travel Card Info: Visa Signature issued by Chase. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Earn up to 8,000 PQPs per year: 50 PQPs per $500 spend Noteworthy perks: ✦ United Club membership ✦ Unlocks complimentary elite upgrades on award tickets, including companions on the same reservation ✦ 10% discount on saver level economy awards within the continental US and Canada ✦ Up to $100 for Global Entry, TSA Precheck or Nexus fee credit ✦ Priority check-in, security screening, baggage handling, and boarding ✦ Free 1st and 2nd checked bags ✦ Hertz President's Circle Elite Status ✦ Primary auto rental collision damage waiver |
Quick Thoughts
The Gateway card isn’t something I recommend applying for — it makes a good option for a downgrade in future years to keep access to expanded award availability, but it isn’t worth tying up a 5/24 slot otherwise.
The United Mileage Plus Explorer might make sense for some who fly United enough to get good value out of the free checked bags (but who don’t fly often enough to have elite status to get them for free already) and the two annual United Club passes or for those who already have a United business card and are looking for the annual 5K bonus miles for having a business and consumer United card.
On the other hand, I think the United Quest card offers better long-term value. Thar card doesn’t currently have an increased offer, but even at its standard 80K after $5K in purchases I would be more tempted to go with the Quest if you’re not put off by investing in the first-year fee on that card. Better yet, wait for an increased offer on that card at some point.
The United Club Infinite offer is a great offer if you value United Club membership since the card’s annual fee covers that for you and you also get a six-figure bonus worth of miles after required spend. If the club lounge membership isn’t important to you, it might be worth seeing if your local Chase branch still have access to the 100K in-branch offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred. While the online version of that offer expired, it may still be available in-branch in some locations. That would give you 100K points that could be transferred to United or held until more useful with other redemptions (though keep in mind that the Sapphire cards have a different set of rules — in addition to the Chase 5/24 rule, you can not have earned a welcome bonus on a Sapphire card within the previous 48 months rather than the 24-month restriction on the United cards).
Overall, I can’t get very excited about airline credit card offers in an era of monster transferable point bonuses like the Capital One Venture X or the Resy offer on the Amex Platinum card, but I recognize that there is some utility in an airline card for those who can leverage the side benefits. If that’s you, it makes some sense to go after them while offers are increased.
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I’m not 100% sure (too lazy to dig through all the terms), but this link for United Explorer includes 10k additional miles after $6k of total spend in 6 months, and I couldn’t find it in your link:
https://www.theexplorercard.com/united-rewards-cards/explorer-card
Based on Jags comment below, I think the Infinite card is better for someone considering any of these, but thought I’d point that out.
Don’t forget you can pay the $525 annual fee with 35,000 UA miles so it’s a club membership and 65000 bonus miles, plus a fair amount of decent improvements on the card — IHG Platinum, $75 IHG Credit, 10% points saver, etc.
Thank You as in FREE AF!! I got 500k points looking for MORE..
I was going to apply for the Explorer, but seems like a no brainer to apply for the Infinite and get an extra 5k miles, plus the other perks. Granted spend is more, but not by much.