Review: United Explorer Visa Signature

/ ⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews

Credit cards for United Airlines are issued by Chase Bank. In this review, we’ll focus on the United Explorer Card, which has a small annual fee. Although a wide range of benefits are attached to the card, it should only be considered by travelers who fly United often enough to use those benefits. Infrequent fliers won’t want to keep this card longer than one or two years.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $95 annual fee (waived the first year)
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 2x points on United purchases (including tickets, in-flight food/drinks, and events)
  • 2x points on dining (including delivery)
  • 2x points on hotel stays (when booked directly with the hotel)
  • 1x points on everything else

SIGN UP BONUS

As of January 2024, you can earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending at least $3,000 in your first 3 months. This offer may end 3/13/2024, according to the card website. It’s worth $600-800 for most people and is easily enough for more than one round-trip ticket, with specifics depending on destination and time of year.

Sign-up bonuses change often for United cards, so check back later if you don’t see an offer that you like. Better offers are common if you apply through United’s app or with an in-flight offer, although it’s often a small difference. The January 2024 alternative is to earn 65,000 miles instead of 60,000.

OTHER BENEFITS OF THE UNITED EXPLORER CARD

RESTRICTIONS AND CREDIT SCORE

Recommended credit score: 670+

You must be eligible for a credit line of $5,000 or higher, as a Visa Signature card.

For all cards issued by Chase Bank, applicants are subject to the 5/24 rule. Some people may be able to get approved at 5/24 or 6/24 with co-branded cards, but YMMV and chances are low. (We’ve personally verified that the 5/24 rule can be enforced with this card.) In addition, this sign-up bonus is unavailable if you’ve received a sign-up bonus for this card within the past 24 months.

MAXIMIZING REWARDS WITH THE UNITED EXPLORER CARD

United miles are usually worth at least $0.01 each (1 CPP) or 1.1 CPP. The Points Guy values them at 1.3 to 1.45 CPP, which is high yet attainable in some circumstances. If you can redeem your miles at $0.013 each, a sign-up bonus of 60,000 miles would be worth $780. MileagePlus points don’t expire, so there isn’t any rush to use them.

Redeeming miles for flights is often the best option to maximize value. United says miles (points) can be redeemed for flights, hotels, experiences, eGift cards, merchandise, and more. The card’s annual fee can also be covered by points (as a statement credit).

You can earn bonus miles through the MileagePlus X app, MileagePlus Dining, or through partner programs. For example, bonus points when booking with Vrbo or Marriott, or a combination of discounts and bonus miles for purchasing select Norton subscriptions. United has several partnerships, including discounts for renting cars through Avis or Budget. Other limited offers may be available, such as discounted flights for 18-23 year olds (until 9/30/24).

PREMIER STATUS WITH UNITED

This credit card doesn’t include automatic status perks but may help you reach status tiers. United determines status through Premier qualifying flights (PQF – number of flights) and Premier qualifying points (PQP – money spent with United) to qualify for Premier tiers. All tiers add bonus miles earnings and other potential benefits. If you don’t fly at least a few times per year though, a casual traveler isn’t likely to gain Premier status with United.

Annual requirements increased for 2024. At minimum, you now need 12 PQF + 4,000 PQP to reach Silver status (or 4 PQF + 5,000 PQP). In 2023, this was 8 PQF + 3,000 PQP (or 3,500 PQP). If you try to get status through spending alone (PQP) then the 2024 requirements are:

  • Silver: 5,000 PQP + 4 PQF
  • Gold: 10,000 PQP + 4 PQF
  • Platinum: 15,000 PQP + 4 PQF
  • 1K: 24,000 PQP + 4 PQF

Fly 1,000,000+ miles to automatically get Lifetime Premier Gold status for yourself and a companion. Miles are earned for this based on “flight distance,” so some trips contribute more to Million Miler progress than other trips.

ALTERNATIVES TO THE UNITED EXPLORER CARD

If you don’t want to pay the annual fee, you can downgrade to the United Gateway Card after at least a year. The card doesn’t have many benefits, but it doesn’t have an annual fee, and downgrading is generally better than outright canceling a card.

United has two cards with even higher annual fees: the United Quest Card and the United Club Infinite Card. These are more niche than the United Explorer card, but if you fly United multiple times a year, you may be interested in those instead.

Decent generalist no-fee travel cards include the PenFed Pathfinder.

For cards with annual fees, the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve can be decent alternatives. Both cards are able to transfer points to your United account (among other airline and hotel brands). Sapphire cards earn more points than the United card and have more flexible redemption options. For many people, a general travel card may be better than an airline-specific card.

Other high-fee travel cards include the American Express Platinum and US Bank Altitude Reserve. Infrequent or budget-conscious travelers may prefer the Capital One Venture X for its low easy-to-offset annual fee. Any card with Priority Pass or other unlimited lounge access should be decent for travelers.

For a general-use card, any of the best everyday cards will work. You’ll want to earn at least 2% cash back on all purchases.

You may want to weigh points-earning versus perks. For example, the United Explorer card can net up to $163 in value for one trip (lounge passes and free checked bags, minus the annual fee) and earns 2x points (~2.6% cash back). If you spend $1,000 on flights and $500 on a hotel, you’re getting about $202 back for the trip via the Explorer card. If you instead had a Chase Sapphire Reserve, you’d earn $150 worth of points (at 1.5 CPP and assuming you already cover the annual fee via perks) and have Priority Pass lounge access, but you’d have an extra $140 in checked-bag fees in the same situation. In this case, the United card is a fantastic value. If you spend significantly more money though, or your typical travel situation varies, the value comparison is less certain. If you only have carry-on luggage, and don’t use United Clubs, then the Explorer card loses $56 for this example $1,500 travel plan, while the Sapphire Reserve still gets $150 back. Etc.

CONCLUSION

The United Explorer Visa Signature is a great option for anyone who will use its perks. You don’t necessarily need to be a frequent flier to benefit. However, if you don’t fly United at least once a year, or you don’t check bags for flights, this card won’t be a long-term keeper. The card mainly pays for itself through the free checked bag, priority boarding, and United Club passes. It earns fewer points than many other travel cards.

For some people, this card is 4/5 or 5/5 stars. For other people, it’s much less, and may even be of negative value. Airline and hotel cards aren’t straightforward in terms of value. Only you can know if it’s right for you. Alternatives may be better. In general though, the Explorer Visa Signature has a good suite of perks and is attractive for many travelers.

We rate the United Explorer Card 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Note: This review was last updated in January 2024. Details may have changed since then. Please do your own research where applicable, to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Or contact us directly to benefit from our personalized consulting services!

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