Best United Airlines credit cards of April 2024

As one of the largest airlines in the world, United Airlines is a popular choice among travelers worldwide. The airline offers flights to more than 300 destinations across six continents. United is also a founding member of the Star Alliance network, expanding the airline’s reach through alliance partner flights. Choosing the best United credit card for your travel needs can help you score nearly free travel and can make your flights more convenient too.

Chase offers six co-branded United credit cards—four United personal cards and two United Airlines business credit cards. There are also general travel rewards cards that earn points cardholders can transfer to United. Whether you’re a United loyalist or want the flexibility to fly them along with other airlines, there’s probably a card that’s right for you.

Overview of the best United Airlines credit cards in April 2024

Best overall: United^SM Explorer Card

The United^SM Explorer Card offers a useful package of United benefits with a manageable annual fee that is waived in year one. In our assessment, the Explorer offers the best overall value of any of the personal United cards when you weigh the fee against the benefits cardholders enjoy.

Why we like this card: The United Explorer Card is a mid-level card perfect for anyone who flies United Airlines at least a couple of times a year. It offers considerable airline perks to offset its annual fee, which is $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $95). 

Cardholders and one travel companion receive their first checked bag free on eligible United flights. That’s potentially a savings of up to $140 per round-trip flight. This card also comes with two one-time United Club passes at account opening and each card anniversary—it’s rare to find lounge access on a card with a sub-$395 annual fee, so this benefit alone is worth more than the Explorer’s annual fee cost. 

If you’d like to breeze through airport security more quickly, the United Explorer comes with a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS application fee credit up to $100. Other United-specific benefits include priority boarding, discounts on select in-flight and United Club purchases and complimentary Premier upgrades on eligible United award flights. 

Check out our full review of the United Explorer Card. 

Best for frequent flyers: United Quest℠ Card

The United Quest℠ Card offers expanded airline and travel benefits for individuals who frequently fly United throughout the year. The annual fee means this card won’t be for everyone, but for some travelers, the Quest will be the sweet spot between the Explorer and Club Infinite cards.

Why we like this card: If United is your preferred airline, the United Quest Card is worth a look. The $250 annual fee is a significant jump from entry-level and mid-tier United cards, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the added cost. In addition to a large bonus offer, the card earns an above-average rewards rate on United spending and solid rewards on other categories including other travel, transit, and dining. 

The Quest also features expanded baggage benefits, with the first and second checked bags free for cardholders and a companion. 

And, the United Quest provides a credit of up to $125 on eligible United purchases each card anniversary. You’ll also enjoy up to 10,000 miles in award flight credits annually on eligible United flights booked with miles. The benefit is available up to 5,000 miles twice a year. 

The United Quest Card offers similar benefits to other United cards, such as priority boarding, award upgrades, and in-flight and United Club discounts. You’ll also receive a credit of up to $100 to cover an application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS.

If you’re a regular United flyer, the Quest card offers enough first-year and ongoing value to more than offset its heftier annual fee.

Check out our full review of the United Quest card.

Best for United Club access: United Club℠ Infinite Card

The United Club℠ Infinite Card provides a bevy of United perks, including year-round access to  United Club airport lounges worldwide. If you need extensive United benefits and you’re willing to pay for them, this card will be a faithful travel companion.  

United Club℠ Infinite Card

Intro bonus

Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual fee	$525
Regular APR	21.99%–28.99% variable

Why we like this card: The United Club Infinite Card is the airline’s premium co-branded credit card. It comes with all of the United-specific and general travel features you might expect, like free checked bags, priority boarding, discounts on in-flight and United Club purchases and a credit to reimburse Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS. The card also features a huge welcome bonus offer and an impressive 4X miles per dollar bonus rate on United purchases.  

As the card name suggests, the crown jewel benefit of the United Club Infinite Card is a United Club membership, valued at up to $650 annually. The airline operates more than 45 United Club locations. Plus, with qualifying flights, you may have access to additional United Polaris and partner lounges. While waiting for your flight, enjoy free food and snacks, high-speed internet access and other amenities. 

The United Club Infinite Card offers additional benefits like Premier Access travel services (speeding you through check-in, security and more, where available), IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status, and Avis President’s Club status (enrollment required). 

It also includes a laundry list of travel and purchase protections to enhance the card’s value, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, primary rental car insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, and return protection, Plus, enjoy 24/7 access to Visa Infinite® Concierge Services for help with dinner reservations, travel planning and more.

The United Club Infinite has a $525 annual fee. Provided you utilize card benefits, including lounge visits each time you fly United, the Club Infinite Card is probably worth the high cost.

Check out our full review of the United Club Infinite Card.

Best for no annual fee: United Gateway℠ Card

The United Gateway℠ Card offers basic travel benefits with no annual fee for the occasional flyer. It can’t measure up to its big siblings in terms of perks, but for someone who isn’t sure they’d get enough value to justify paying $95 or more per year, this card is likely the best option.

Why we like this card: It’s hard to justify having an airline card if you’re not sure how often you’ll fly, especially on a specific airline. The United Gateway Card provides a solution, providing a way to earn airline miles without the investment of an annual fee. 

The Gateway card offers minimal United benefits, unfortunately—25% back on United in-flight and Club premium drink purchases and access to United card events. It’s the lone United card without a free checked bag. Still, the card has decent value for travelers with benefits like secondary rental car insurance, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and no foreign transaction fees.  

Like other select Chase cards, the United Gateway Card comes with a complimentary one-year DashPass through a DoorDash partnership (must activate by 12/31/24). And, while intro APR offers aren’t common with airline or travel cards, there’s one available with the Gateway. Cardholders receive a 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months from account opening (after that, 21.99%–28.99% variable applies). 

Check out our full review of the United Gateway Card.

Best for general travel rewards: Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card offers flexibility and card benefits useful for any traveler regardless of your favorite airline. You won’t get airline-specific perks like a free checked bag, but the ability to use your points with multiple airlines and hotel chains might outweigh that consideration. 

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

Intro bonus

60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual fee	$95
Regular APR	21.49%–28.49% variable

Why we like this card: Few rewards cards come as highly touted as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. As a general travel rewards card, it doesn’t come with United-specific benefits, like free checked bags or priority boarding. Its value lies in its flexibility. 

You’ll earn 5X on eligible travel booked through Chase and 2X on travel booked directly. These rates make the Sapphire Preferred competitive with what you’d earn using a United co-branded card, and you get rewards that aren’t restricted to the United MileagePlus loyalty program.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns flexible rewards through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. This versatile rewards program allows cardholders to redeem points in several ways. Points are worth 1 cent each if redeemed for cash back and 25% more when redeemed for travel bookings through Chase Travel℠, including available United flights. 

Another way to use Chase Sapphire Preferred for United flights is to transfer your points to the card issuer’s 14 airline and hotel partner programs, including United MileagePlus. Chase points transfer to partners at a 1:1 rate, making it easy to calculate how many points you need to transfer for specific award United flights. 

As a flexible travel rewards card, you’re not tied to a specific airline or even type of travel. As your travel habits and needs change, so can the way you use your points. Cardholders also have access to a host of travel and consumer protections for only a $95 annual fee.

Check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

How do United credit cards work?

United Airlines credit cards are co-branded cards available through a partnership between United Airlines and Chase. Currently, four personal and two business United cards are available. All six co-branded cards earn airline miles for use within United MileagePlus, the airline’s loyalty rewards program.

United cards earn bonus miles on United Airlines purchases and other spending categories. Bonus rates vary between cards, with the highest rates generally reserved for premium United cards. 

United miles do not expire, which means you can use them as you earn them or save up for bigger redemptions. Generally, the best redemption value is booking award flights with United and partner airlines, but you can redeem miles in other ways with United, including seat and cabin upgrades, bag fees, TSA PreCheck fees, in-flight Wi-Fi and even a United Club membership. 

Of course, you can redeem miles outside of the United umbrella to book hotels, rental cars and cruises, gift cards, merchandise and Apple products. 

Most United credit cards come with at least one free checked bag, 25% back on select in-flight and United Club purchases and no foreign transaction fees.

Who should get a United Airlines credit card?

Because United Airlines cards are co-branded cards, they are best for individuals who either prefer to fly United or plan on flying with the airline at least a couple of times per year. All United cards come with at least some travel and consumer benefits and protections, but the real draw of United Airlines cards are airline-specific rewards and perks. 

If you don’t fly on United often, a co-branded airline card with your preferred airline or a general travel rewards card may be a better fit. 

How to choose the best credit card for United Airlines

The best United Airlines card will be the one that offers the best combination of benefits and perks to fit your travel needs at an annual fee you can afford. Chase offers a range of card types to fit various types of travelers, from entry-level cards to ones with luxury benefits. 

Start by determining what you want to get out of a United card. Is your goal to earn the most rewards on your spending or access elite United benefits? If so, United’s mid- to top-tier cards would fit the bill. If your goal is to access basic airline benefits or earn enough rewards to book a few award flights each year, almost any of the United cards would work. 

United Airlines card annual fees range from $0 to $525. Determine how much you’re willing to spend to have a United card and whether the card’s rewards and benefits justify the cost.

How to maximize your United credit card

Ideally, maximizing your United Airlines credit card starts with using it for your daily purchases, and especially on United tickets and other United purchases. Here are some other ways to get the most out of your United card: 

• Earn the welcome bonus: Plan ahead when applying for a new card so you know you can spend enough to meet the requirements to earn the card’s welcome bonus offer. This is the quickest way to rack up points for award flights.
• Use the card’s perks: United cards feature a host of airline and travel perks. Ensure you’re using the card to its fullest potential by using its benefits each year you own the card. For example, if you know you’ll need to check a bag, pay for your flight with one of the United cards (such as the Explorer) with a free checked bag perk. 
• Choose your redemptions wisely: Value is of course in the eye of the beholder. But certain redemptions, like award flights, offer the most value compared to say, using your miles to buy merchandise. United uses dynamic pricing for award flights, so the amount of miles needed to book a flight varies considerably. If you can be flexible about where you’re traveling and when, you can likely get outsized value by booking award travel.  

Is a United card worth it?

United Cards are a great tool if you’re an occasional to frequent traveler on this popular air carrier. That said, credit cards are generally only worth having if you take advantage of the included benefits. Some United cards feature credits and discounts, which are factored in when setting annual fees. If you’re not claiming these benefits regularly, you may have a difficult time getting enough value from these United cards to offset the fee. 

Frequently asked questions

Do United miles expire?

United MileagePlus miles never never expire. Depending on the redemption and the number of points needed, you can use them immediately or save them for a future trip. 

Can you have more than one United Airlines credit card? 

You can have more than one United credit card as long as you’re approved. Chase does not restrict cardholders from having more than one United card, but you are still subject to other Chase guidelines, like the unwritten 5/24 rule (you’ll be rejected when applying for a Chase credit card if you’ve opened five or more credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months). 

Having more than one United card could be beneficial, especially if you’re a small business owner who can pair a personal and business card together—but beware ending up with redundant benefits and bonus spending categories. 

How many United miles do you need for a free award flight? 

United Airlines switched from an award chart to dynamic pricing in 2019. Award pricing varies considerably based on availability. United Airlines miles are generally valued at around 1 cent per mile but can be worth more depending on the redemption. 

Which credit card points transfer to United Airlines?

Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Bilt Rewards both transfer to United MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio. You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to United, but at a 3:1 ratio.  

Do you get a free checked bag with a United credit card?

All United Airlines co-branded credit cards, except the United Gateway Card, come with at least one free checked bag on eligible United flights. 

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Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.