Ending Soon: United Airlines Limited-Time Co-Branded Card Welcome Offers
by Krish Patel / aviationwithkrish.com
United Airlines and Chase have teamed up to offer four co-branded credit cards that offer benefits for those who fly United. Currently, United is offering limited-time welcome offers to new card applicants that will end in a few days. If you want to rack up points and miles needed for a next vacation getaway, now is the best time to apply. Note that each of the cards are issued by Chase, so you should know that they’re subject to the 5/24 rule, meaning that you’ll be denied any of these cards if you’ve opened five or more credit card accounts across all issuers in the past 24 months.
United Club Infinite Card
Of each of United’s co-branded credit cards, the most premium one out there is the United Club Infinite Card, which includes a United Club membership. Although the card comes with a high annual fee of $525, it’s worth paying the annual fee because all of the lounge memberships available for purchase are more than the fee itself. You’ll also receive Premier Access services, including priority check-in and boarding when flying United. The card also includes complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum elite status with IHG Hotels and Resorts. Cardholders will earn 90,000 bonus MileagePlus miles after spending $5,000 in the first three months of account opening.
United Club Infinite Card Earning Rates:
● Four miles per dollar on United purchases
● Two miles per dollar on dining and all other travel
● One mile per dollar on everything else
United Quest Card
The United Quest Card isn’t a premium credit card, but includes a variety of benefits when flying the airline. The card’s $250 annual fee might make this card a good option for those who don’t want to pay off high annual fees, like the $525 fee on the United Club Infinite Card. If you want to reach the next tier of Premier elite status, this might be a good card to have because it earns up to 6,000 PQPs (Premier Qualifying Points) in a year. Cardholders will earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 PQPs after spending $4,000 in the first three months of your card membership.
United Quest Card Earning Rates:
● Four miles per dollar on hotels booked through United
● Three miles on other United purchases (after using your $125 yearly annual statement
credit)
● Two miles per dollar on dining, other travel purchases, and some streaming services
● One mile per dollar on all other purchases
United Explorer Card
The United Explorer Card is a mid-tier United Airlines credit card that includes some benefits for United travelers and comes at a lower annual fee of $95 that’s waived during the first year of your card membership. With this card, you’ll enjoy benefits such as two one-time United Club passes, a discount of 25% on inflight purchases with United, and priority boarding. Cardholders will earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months of account opening.
United Explorer Card Earning Rates:
● Four miles per dollar on hotels booked through United
● Two miles per dollar on hotels booked through that specific brand, all other United
purchases, and dining purchases
● One mile per dollar on all other purchases
United Gateway Card
With no annual fee, the United Gateway Card is the perfect option for United travelers who don’t fly the airline a whole lot, but do so on an occasional basis. It’s the entry-level card to the MileagePlus program. For cardholders, two primary benefits are a 25% discount on inflight United purchases and having access to $6,000 for four people evenly in trip cancellation, per se if someone gets injured or falls sick. If you spend $1,000 in the first three months of your card membership, you can earn 30,000 bonus miles.
United Gateway Card Earning Rate:
● Two miles per dollar on United purchases, such as tolls, taxicabs, tickets, and in-flight food and beverages
● One mile per dollar on everything else
Maximize your Purchase
Like most airlines these days, United uses dynamic pricing, making it harder to score redemptions. However, tickets sometimes start at a few thousand miles one-way. The airline offers benefits, such as the Excursionist Perk, which offers a free one-way segment to travelers on round-trip travel itineraries between two separate regions. UA also doesn’t impose fuel surcharges on award tickets, which can save you hundreds of dollars.
United is also a valuable Chase transfer partner. Ultimate Rewards points transfer to MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio. You have plenty of credit cards to choose from, including the Ultimate Rewards points cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve. The Chicago O’Hare based carrier is a member of the Star Alliance, so it’s possible to redeem miles with airlines such as Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, SWISS, Turkish Airlines, and Singapore Airlines, only to name a few. One of the best ways to redeem United miles is for a flight in Polaris Business Class, though award availability varies.
If you want to earn a limited-time bonus with one of these cards, you should consider applying soon to get closer to your next vacation getaway.