The New United℠ Explorer Card Review: Big Travel Perks for Occasional United Flyers

If you’re looking to save on United flights, the $150 annual fee for The New United℠ Explorer Card could be well worth it if you make the most of its perks. The card got a refresh in March 2025, adding new statement credits, the opportunity to earn an annual award flight discount and a higher annual fee (up from $95).

Chase says the changes could bring over $800 in total value, depending on how you use them. However, while the card lets you earn miles in several everyday categories, those miles stay within United’s MileagePlus program and can’t be transferred to other airlines. So the card’s value depends largely on how loyal you are to United airlines and how easily you can redeem those miles.

The New United℠ Explorer Card is best for United loyalists who love travel perks — think free checked bags, early boarding and lounge passes — without paying a sky-high annual fee.

But if United isn’t your go-to airline, or you’re chasing more flexible rewards, you’ll likely get better value from a general travel credit card or one with more upscale perks.

Annual fee: $150

Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Rewards: 1X - 2X miles

• Earn 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
• Earn 1x mile per $1 spent on all other purchases

Intro purchase APR: N/A

APR: 20.49% - 28.99% Variable

Foreign transaction fee: $0

More than $800 worth of other benefits:

Kickstart your travel: The sign-up bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Using an approximate value of 1.3 cents per United mile — an estimation based on real-world data — the sign-up bonus is worth approximately $780.

→ Why does this sign-up bonus matter? Because travel rewards often take time to build up, a generous offer like this can give you a serious head start. For example, this sign-up bonus could cover a round-trip economy flight within the U.S. with miles to spare — or get you closer to an international adventure. Learn more about how many airline miles you need for a free flight.

Elevated rewards on everyday spending and United purchases

Earn 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays when booked with the hotel. 1x mile on all other purchases. This is a decent value for people who occasionally fly United Airlines, as the bonus categories don’t include just airfare.

→ How do I maximize these rewards? Use this card strategically for meals out, direct hotel bookings and United flights. Consider setting the card as your default for food delivery apps and travel portals.

→ Where do these rewards fall short? The rewards structure is limited, with low miles on non-bonus spending, less than many flat-rate cards such as the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card. You’re also locked into United’s MileagePlus^® program, which offers less flexibility than transferable points.

If you’re not loyal to United, or you want more flexibility in how you use your rewards, consider a general travel credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card. It earns transferable points that can be redeemed for travel through Chase or transferred to multiple airline and hotel partners — including United. This gives you more control over how and where you use your rewards.

• Checked bags

  The primary cardmember and one companion on the same reservation each receive a free checked bag on eligible United flights when you purchase your ticket using your card. This is a potential savings of $160 on a single domestic round trip for two passengers — by itself enough to justify the card’s $150 annual fee.

• United Club℠ passes

  Every year, you’ll get two single-entry passes to United Club℠. These can be used to access any participating United Club℠, as long as there is capacity. This is an annual value of over $100.

  → For lounge access on every trip, consider The New United Club℠ Card, which includes United Club℠ and Star Alliance lounge access. Its $695 annual fee is steep but could be worth it if you fly often from a United hub.

• Priority boarding

  The primary cardmember and companions traveling on the same reservation are eligible for priority boarding when the cardmember’s MileagePlus^® number is added to the reservation.

• Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Fee Credit

  Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card.

  → See the best credit cards for free Global Entry and TSA PreCheck™.

• Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount each year

  Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount after spending $20,000 each calendar year to use toward an eligible award flight.

• Premier upgrades on award tickets

  The primary cardmember who has MileagePlus^® Premier^® status and is traveling on an award ticket and one companion who is traveling on the same reservation are eligible for complimentary premier upgrades on select United and United Express operated flights, subject to availability.

• 25% back on United in-flight and Club premium drink purchases

  Get 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your card.

• Earn up to 1,000 Premier® qualifying points (PQP)

  You’ll earn 1 PQP for every $20 you spend on you card, up to 1,000 PQP in a calendar year. This can be applied toward your Premier^® status qualification.

• $0 foreign transaction fees

  This card could be ideal for international travelers because some cards charge a foreign transaction fee ranging from 1% to 3%.

• $100 United travel credit

  Earn $100 in United TravelBank cash after you spend $10,000 on you card each calendar year. You can use United TravelBank cash toward future flights on United.

• Up to $100 in United Hotels credits

  Get $50 back as a statement credit on both your first and second prepaid hotel stays purchased directly through United Hotels with your card, up to $100 each anniversary year.

• Up to $60 in credits on ride-sharing services

  Enroll to receive up to $5 back as a statement credit each month on ride-sharing services purchased with your card, up to $60 each calendar year. Yearly opt-in is required.

• Up to $50 in United travel credits on Avis or Budget purchases

  Get $25 in United TravelBank cash, up to $50 each anniversary year, for your first and second Avis or Budget car rental booked directly through cars.united.com and paid with your card.

• Up to $120 in Instacart credits

  Get a $10 Instacart credit monthly, up to $120 total each calendar year, for purchases made directly through Instacart with your card. You’ll also get a three month complimentary Instacart+ membership.

• Up to $100 in credits on JSX purchases annually

  Get up to $100 back as a statement credit each anniversary year when you book flights directly with JSX with your card.

Travel and purchase protections

The New United℠ Explorer Card provides some of the best travel and purchase protections among mid-tier cards, rivaling benefits found on popular cards — including the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card. While primary rental car insurance is often reserved for higher-fee cards, this card offers it without the premium price. Of course, if you’re after more advanced rewards, a higher-tier travel credit card might be a better fit.

Primary rental car insurance: Primary coverage up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage when you decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card.

→ See the best credit cards for car rental insurance.

Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 per day for up to three days for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing when baggage is delayed over six hours.

Lost luggage reimbursement: In the event your luggage is damaged or lost by a carrier, you can be reimbursed up to $3,000 per covered passenger.

Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 per covered traveler if your common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay. Includes expenses such as meals and lodging.

Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather or other covered situations.

You’ll also get solid purchase protection, including:

Extended warranty: Extends the manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less, up to four years from the date of purchase.

→ See the best credit card extended warranty.

Purchase protection: Covers new purchases for 120 days from the date of purchase against damage or theft up to $10,000 per item

→ Learn more about credit card purchase protection.

All of these benefits include fine print, so make sure you consult your card’s Guide to Benefits.

→ See all of the top travel credit cards.

The New United℠ Explorer Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

If you don’t primarily fly with United — or any other airline specifically — the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card may be a better fit. It offers stronger earning potential in everyday categories such as dining, online groceries and select streaming services, plus a lower $95 annual fee.

While it doesn’t come with as many credits as The New United℠ Explorer Card, you do get a $50 annual Chase Travel^SM hotel credit, which is relatively easy to use when booking through Chase’s travel portal.

The biggest difference? Flexibility. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards^® at a 1:1 ratio to over 12 airline and hotel partners, including United, giving you more options for redeeming rewards. In contrast, miles earned with The New United℠ Explorer Card are locked into the United MileagePlus program, redeemable only with United and its Star Alliance partners.

The New United℠ Explorer Card vs. The New United Quest℠ Card

For those who regularly fly United Airlines and are looking for an even nicer suite of benefits, consider The New United Quest℠ Card. With a higher $350 annual fee, it builds on The New United℠ Explorer Card’s core benefits by adding a stronger rewards rate, complimentary first and second checked bags on United-operated flights (a potential $360 in savings) and over $850 in annual partner credits. While both cards offer solid value, your decision really depends on how often you travel and how much value you’ll get from the added perks.

→ See all of the top United credit cards.

The New United℠ Explorer Card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

If you don’t travel often and want a card that still delivers value on everyday spending, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a solid pick. It has a straightforward rewards structure and earns a higher rate on general purchases than The New United℠ Explorer Card, all with a lower $95 annual fee.

You’ll also get up to $120 in credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® and can transfer Capital One miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs — though the list isn’t as extensive as what you’d get with the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card.

We use calculations to estimate the value of each card for the average cardholder, based on LendingTree and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

• Average value over two years (80% of rating): We calculate the value of rewards and perks for the average cardholder using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and an annual spend of $20,000, minus the annual fee. This value includes the card’s sign-up bonus, annual bonus (including free night certificates) and travel perks such as lounge access and travel credits. We look at the average rewards earned over two years to balance out a card’s ongoing value with its first-year value.
• Flexibility of rewards (15% of rating): We consider how easy the rewards are to use, looking at factors including expiration dates, minimum thresholds to redeem, blackout dates and the availability of flexible redemption options such as travel statement credits and cash back.
• Other features (5% of rating): We also compare a card’s benefits, such as purchase protections, travel protections and elite status benefits, against benefits from other cards.