Earn Up To 90,000 Miles

United Airlines offers four co-branded credit cards designed for personal use: the United Club℠ Infinite Card, the United Quest℠ Card, the United℠ Explorer Card and the United Gateway℠ Card. Whether you’re seeking premium benefits like airport lounge access or more simple perks like free checked bags and discounts on in-flight purchases, there’s an option for you.

Depending on which United card you choose, you can earn a welcome bonus of up to 90,000 bonus miles, which is a great way to save on upcoming flights. Here, we break down the welcome bonuses on the United cards, and how you can redeem United miles for outstanding travel experiences.

Don’t miss: Best credit cards for United Airlines flyers

Bonus offer: Limited-time Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

CNBC Select’s take: This is one of the higher public welcome offers we’ve seen for the United Club Infinite Card, and especially generous for an airline credit card. If you value United miles at a minimum of one cent each the 90,000-mile welcome bonus is worth about $900 towards airfare — however, it’s easy to get even more value from your miles.

The card comes with a long list of benefits, including:

• Access to United Club (and participating Star Alliance™ affiliate) airport lounges
• Free first and second checked bag when flying on United ($35 value on first bag, $45 value on second bag each way, per person)
• Up to $120 credit to enroll in NEXUS, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
• 25% back on in-flight purchases, as a statement credit
• Save 10% on United economy saver award flights when flying within the continental U.S. and Canada
• Earn up to 10,000 Premier qualifying points (PQPs) towards United elite status per year. You’ll earn 25 PQPs for every $500 you spend on purchases. Starting in 2025, you can earn up to 15,000 PQPs per year at a rate of one PQP per $15 spent.
• Premier Access travel services (priority check-in, expedited security, boarding and baggage handling)
• Complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status
• Additional hotel benefits such as daily breakfast for two, room upgrades (based on availability), early check-in and late check-out (based on availability) and a special amenity worth $100 when you stay at properties within Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
• Comprehensive travel insurance including trip cancellation/interruption, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement and rental car coverage
• Visa Infinite concierge services

The card comes with a steep $525 annual fee, but if you can take advantage of the benefits you can come ahead. The main perk of the card is the United Club lounge access, which if you were to buy directly from United, is $550 to $650 (price depends on your level of United elite status).

Learn more: United Club℠ Infinite Card

Bonus offer: Limited-time Offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. the first three months of account opening.

CNBC Select’s take: The United Quest℠ Card is a solid travel credit card that gives cardholders great benefits, including annual United Airlines statement credits and up to two anniversary award flight credits every year.

Here are some of the benefits you receive with this card:

• Annual United Airlines statement credit of up to $125 each anniversary to reimburse you for United purchases made that year
• Two 5,000-mile anniversary award flight credits (up to twice a year), which puts 5,000 United miles back in your account when you book award flights with United or United Express
• Free first and second checked bag when flying on United (up to $40 value on first bag, up to $50 value on second bag each way, per person)
• Up to $120 credit to enroll in NEXUS, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
• Priority boarding for the cardholder and their companions
• Premier seat upgrades on award tickets
• 25% back on in-flight purchases, as a statement credit
• Earn up to 6,000 Premier qualifying points (PQPs) towards United elite status per year. You’ll earn 25 PQPs for every $500 you spend on purchases. Starting in 2025, you can earn up to 9,000 PQPs per year at a rate of one PQP per $20 spent.
• Additional hotel benefits such as daily breakfast for two, room upgrades (based on availability), early check-in and late check-out (based on availability) and a special amenity worth $100 when you stay at properties within Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
• Comprehensive travel insurance including trip cancellation/interruption, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement and rental car coverage
• Visa Signature concierge services

Learn more: United Quest℠ Card

Bonus offer: Limited-time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

CNBC Select’s take: The United℠ Explorer Card is a good option for occasional travelers who want luxury benefits without paying the high annual fee of a premium credit card. It’s one of the few low-cost airline travel cards that come with some lounge access and a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS application fee credit.

The card comes with a host of benefits, such as:

• Free first checked bag when flying on United – a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip (terms apply) for you and a companion (when you pay using the card).
• Two United Club one-time passes each year
• Priority boarding for the cardholder and their companions
• Expanded access to United economy saver award flights
• 25% back on in-flight purchases, as a statement credit
• Earn up to 1,000 Premier qualifying points (PQPs) towards United elite status per year. You’ll earn 25 PQPs for every $500 you spend on purchases
• Additional hotel benefits such as daily breakfast for two, room upgrades (based on availability), early check-in and late check-out (based on availability) and a special amenity worth $100 when you stay at properties within Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
• Comprehensive travel insurance including trip cancellation/interruption, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement and rental car coverage
• No foreign transaction fees
• Visa Signature concierge services

The two United Club one-time passes alone are worth over $100 per year, making it easy to offset the card’s modest $95 annual fee. Even better, the annual fee is waived for the first year.

Learn more: United℠ Explorer Card

Bonus offer: Limited-time Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

CNBC Select’s take: The United Gateway℠ Card is ideal for those who want to earn United miles on common everyday expenses without paying an annual fee. If you value United miles at a minimum of one cent each the welcome bonus is worth $200 towards airfare, but it’s possible to get even more value.

Cardholders receive a decent variety of travel and everyday benefits, including:

• 25% back on in-flight purchases, as a statement credit
• No foreign transaction fees
• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty protection
• Roadside dispatch
• Auto rental collision damage waiver (secondary)
• Travel and emergency assistance services
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Visa Signature concierge services

Learn more: United Gateway℠ Card

For instance, you can use them to book flights within the U.S. in economy class for as little as 6,000 miles one-way. Plus, most co-branded United cards provide expanded award availability on these routes. If you want to venture a little further from home, flights to Caribbean destinations generally start around 17,500 miles in economy and 35,000 miles in first class.

To get even greater value, consider redeeming them for long-haul business class flights, such as to Europe or Asia, which can sometimes start as low as 60,000 or 70,000 miles one-way, respectively.

What’s great about United miles is that they never expire and that you can use them to book any available seat on a United flight, even if it’s the last seat on the plane. Just note that the closer to departure you book, the more expensive the award will be.

If you’re an occasional traveler and don’t want to be tied to United, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is worth considering. The Chase Ultimate Rewards® points you earn with this card transfer at a 1:1 ratio to over a dozen airline and hotel partners, including United MileagePlus, making the Sapphire Preferred comparable or even superior to United’s co-branded cards in several spending categories. It also earns 2X points on all other travel and 5X points on travel booked through Chase Travel^SM (including United airfare and other airlines). And you’ll earn 3X points on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.

The Credit One Bank® Wander® American Express® Card is great if you have fair or average credit, offering generous rewards on travel, dining and gas purchases. You’ll get 10X points when you book eligible hotels and rental cars through the Credit One Bank travel site (5X at booking and an additional 5X upon completion). Plus, it earns 5X points on flights, dining, and gas. 

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