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As a popular, affordable airline with international reach, United Airlines flies 140 million people every year to destinations across six continents. United Airlines is also part of Star Alliance, one of the largest alliances in the world, making it possible to transfer to dozens of partner airlines like Air Canada, Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines.
While many United flyers join the United MileagePlus program, you can also earn United miles by using a co-branded credit card for your everyday purchases. And you can tap into perks like free checked bags, priority boarding and a statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS with a United Airlines card.
Learn which of the best United Airlines credit cards would fit your needs and lifestyle.
Top cards for United Airlines
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The New United℠ Explorer Card is a solid choice if you fly United frequently and take advantage of its list of perks, which includes annual credits in rideshare, hotel stays and car rentals purchases, Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS statement credits, two United Club one-time passes per year and other valuable benefits. Plus, new cardholders can enjoy a decent welcome bonus that includes an extra bonus if you add an authorized user (and an authorized user can help you earn miles with their purchases).
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Pros
- You have time to trial the card since there’s no annual fee for the first year.
- The card’s perks can outweigh the future annual fee.
Cons
- While you can redeem rewards with United or any Star Alliance partners, you’re still more limited than you would be with a general travel rewards card.
- Besides dining and food delivery, the card doesn’t earn much on everyday purchases.
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The New United Club℠ Card isn’t cheap with a high annual fee, but you can earn 4X miles on United purchases and 2X miles on other travel purchases, dining and food delivery. A major perk of this card is the United Club membership, which gets you into United Clubs and Star Alliance partner lounges. This is a good card for frequent United flyers who also like to travel in style.
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Pros
- You can earn a hefty welcome bonus compared to rival cards.
- You’ll get access to United Club lounges, making waits a breeze at eligible airports.
Cons
- This card’s annual fee can be hard to stomach, and you might not get your money’s worth if you’re not a frequent flyer or lounge visitor.
- The spend to earn the welcome offer may be too high for some.
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The New United℠ Business Card is a good option for small business owners and employees who fly often with the airline or Star Alliance partners. The generous welcome bonus and no annual fee for the first year make it easy to maximize from the get-go. You can also earn 2X miles at office supply stores and gas stations and on local transit and dining.
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Pros
- If you fly a lot for business, earning miles on everyday purchases like dining and office supplies can be redeemed for future travel.
- Perks like annual credits, free checked bags and lounge access can offset the annual fee after the first year free.
Cons
- You could earn a bigger welcome bonus and more miles with flexible redemption with a general business travel card.
- If you don’t take advantage of the litany of perks, then it might be difficult to offset the annual fee.
Comparing the best cards for United Airlines
| Best United Airlines cards | Best for | Annual fee | Welcome offer | Rewards | Recommended credit score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The New United℠ Explorer Card* | Typical United flyers | $0 Intro Annual fee for the First Year, then $150 |
|
2X miles on dining, hotel stays and United® purchases 1X miles on all other purchases |
670-850 |
|
The New United Club℠ Card* |
Lounge access | $695 |
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4X miles on United® purchases 2X miles on all other travel and dining 1X miles on all other purchases |
740-850 |
|
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Small businesses | $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. |
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2X miles on United® purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting 1X miles on all other purchases |
670-850 |
Airline cards typically require a good-to-excellent credit score. If you have bad or fair credit, consider our top picks for travel cards for bad credit.
How to choose a United Airlines credit card
If you’re considering a United Airlines card, you’ll want to account for factors like how often you fly United and whether you want lounge access. Here are a few to-dos when choosing a United card:
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Decide if you need a personal or a business card. Whether you travel for work or personal reasons more often can determine which type of United card to apply for. The business card has more earning potential, but may limit the expenses you can swipe for.
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Ask yourself how often you would visit a United Club airport lounge. From several day passes to a full membership, some United cards offer lounge access. If that’s a feature you want, consider how often you’ll go and the annual fee you’re willing to pay
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Look at earning rates. United cards with lower annual fees also have lower miles earning potential, especially on United purchases. Choose a card that will earn the most airline miles based on your spending habits.
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Consider pairing a United card with a Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card. Chase is the United card issuer, so if you have another card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can transfer those points over to United. If the other card has better earning rates than your United card, it’s a win-win.
How to use another Chase card to still earn United miles
Because United MileagePlus is a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner, you don’t actually have to get a United credit card to earn United miles as you spend. Instead, you can use a Chase travel credit card — potentially with better rewards rates — and transfer those points.
You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to the United MileagePlus program in increments of 1,000. Point transfers use a 1:1 ratio, so 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points turns into 1,000 United miles.
For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has the same annual fee of $95 as the United Explorer card, but earns a higher rewards rate across several everyday categories like dining (including eligible delivery services), select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs). So when you’re eating or streaming, you’ll earn more with this card than you would with the comparable United card.
What’s next?
The bottom line
If you travel often to a number of different cities and countries — for work or pleasure — and often snag seats on United or Star Alliance partners, then a United Airlines credit card might be a good fit for you. Issued by Chase, United cards come with varying rewards rates and annual fees. But keep in mind that you might earn more points on everyday purchases with one of the best Chase cards and can transfer those points for United purchases. Ultimately, the card you choose depends on the specific perks you’re looking for and how often you’ll take advantage of your rewards.
Frequently asked questions for United Airlines cards
*The information about The New United℠ Explorer Card and The New United Club℠ Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
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