The best credit cards for United Airlines flyers in October 2024.

If you fly United Airlines occasionally or are a Premier 1K member, it may be beneficial to obtain a United credit card. United cards offer perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding, and access to the United Club, all while helping you accumulate valuable miles that can be used to fly almost anywhere in the world.

CNBC Select has evaluated the top credit cards for United flyers, taking into account rewards, travel benefits, and fees. Our methodology provides more details on how we arrived at this list.

Best for earning rewards

This credit card is perfect for anyone seeking a versatile rewards card that can help accumulate United miles.

The Sapphire Preferred card offers standout benefits, including the ability to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to United Mileage Plus at a 1:1 ratio, making it a strong contender in many categories. Additionally, it earns 2X points on travel and 5X points on travel booked through Chase TravelSM, as well as 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries.

Best for occasional United flyers

If you're looking for a more comfortable travel experience without paying a high annual fee, the United℠ Explorer Card is a great fit.

The United Explorer card offers a free first checked bag on United flights, saving you up to $160 per roundtrip (terms apply) for you and a companion, as well as two free one-time United Club airport lounge passes annually (worth $59 each) for your anniversary.

Best for United Club access

The United Club℠ Infinite Card is a great choice for anyone seeking unlimited access to United lounges, as its annual fee is more affordable than a United Club membership.

The United Club Infinite Card offers a United Club membership that allows for unlimited lounge visits for you and two guests (or one adult and dependent children under 21) for an annual fee of up to $650, based on your United elite status level.

Best for frequent United flyers

If you are a United loyalist and not interested in United Club access, the United Quest℠ Card is a suitable option.

Earn up to $125 in purchase credits annually and up to 10,000 miles in award flight credit per year with the United Quest Card. Terms apply.

Best for businesses

Small business owners who want extra benefits while flying with United will value the perks of the United℠ Business Card.

If you possess a United Business Card and a personal United card, you will receive 5,000 bonus miles annually, two free United Club one-time passes each year, and one free checked bag on United flights for you and a companion when you pay for the flight with your card.

Best for no annual fee

The United Gateway℠ Card is a great option for those who don't travel enough to justify an annual fee, as it still offers useful perks.

The United card offers 25% cashback on in-flight food, beverage, and Wi-Fi purchases, as well as United Club premium drink purchases. Additionally, the card provides a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months from account opening, followed by a variable APR of 21.49% to 28.49%.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The United miles can be earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, making it a great option for both beginners and experienced travelers.

Rewards

5X points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
5X points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025
Earning 5X points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150+ (max earning of 25,000 points through March 31, 2025)
3X points per dollar on dining
Online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs) offer 3X points.
3X points per dollar on select streaming services
2X points per dollar on all other travel purchases
1X points per dollar on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn $750 in travel value and up to $300 in statement credits on travel purchases with Chase.

Annual fee

$95

Notable perks

You'll receive a 10% increase in points for every card anniversary, based on your previous year's spending, and can also redeem up to $50 in Chase Travel Hotel credit for hotels booked through Chase Travel℠.

The card offers a range of insurance benefits, including primary rental car insurance, trip delay reimbursement, purchase protection, extended warranty protection, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and more.

United℠ Explorer Card

For frequent United flyers, the United℠ Explorer Card is a valuable investment.

Rewards

2X miles per dollar spent on United purchases
2X miles per dollar spent dining, including eligible delivery services
2X miles per dollar spent on hotel stays
1X miles per dollar spent on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

After opening an account, spend $3,000 in the first three months to earn 50,000 bonus miles.

Annual fee

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95

Notable perks

When traveling with United, you can save up to $360 per roundtrip on checked bags, get priority boarding, and earn 25% back on eligible inflight and United Club premium drink purchases. Additionally, you can earn up to 1,000 Premier qualifying points (PQP) every calendar year by spending $500 on the card.

The card offers no foreign transaction fees and up to $100 in Global Entry®, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck® application fee credits (terms apply).

United Club℠ Infinite Card

The United Club℠ Infinite Card is a great choice for those looking to regularly relax in a United lounge.

Rewards

4X miles per dollar spent on United® purchases
2X miles per dollar spent on all other travel purchases
2X miles per dollar spent on dining, including eligible delivery services
1X miles per dollar spent on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

After opening an account, spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months to earn 80,000 bonus miles.

Annual fee

$525

Notable perks

This card offers a range of premium benefits, including United Club membership, two free checked bags per person on United flights when paying with the card (terms apply), and Premier Access, which provides priority check-in, boarding, baggage handling, and security screening when available.

Earning elite status on United without flying is possible through spending on the card. You can earn up to 10,000 PQP annually (25 PQP for every $500 spent), which can be used for award flights. Additionally, you receive 10% off United flights within the continental U.S. and Canada when using the card to pay for Global Entry®, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck® application, you can receive up to $100 in fee credit.

United Quest℠ Card

The United Quest℠ Card offers numerous advantages at a lower cost compared to other United cards featuring premium benefits.

Rewards

3X miles per dollar spent on United® purchases
2X miles per dollar spent on dining, including eligible delivery services
2X miles per dollar spent on select streaming services
2X miles per dollar spent on all other travel
1X miles per dollar spent on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

After opening an account and spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months, you will earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points.

Annual fee

$250

Notable perks

The United Quest Card is an excellent way to enhance your United elite status. Besides the PQPs you receive from the intro bonus, you will earn 25 PQPs for every $500 you spend on the card (up to 6,000 PQP per year).

The annual fee of the card is justified due to its other benefits, including up to $100 in Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS application fee credit, up to $125 in purchase credits for United purchases, and up to 10,000 miles in award flight credits annually (5,000 miles back for up to two United award flights each account anniversary year).

United℠ Business Card

The United℠ Business Card is a good fit for business travelers who frequently fly with United, as it has a low annual fee and valuable benefits.

Rewards

2X miles per dollar spent on United® purchases
2X miles per dollar spent on dining, including eligible delivery services
2X miles per dollar spent at gas stations
2X miles per dollar spent at office supply stores
2X miles per dollar spent on local transit and commuting
1X miles per dollar spent on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

After opening an account, spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months to earn 75,000 bonus miles.

Annual fee

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $99

Notable perks

United Business Card provides free employee cards, priority boarding, and a free checked bag for you and a companion on United flights when you pay for the flight with the card. Additionally, you can earn a $100 United travel credit annually after making seven United purchases of $100 or more.

Individuals possessing both a United personal credit card and a United Business Card receive a 5,000-mile bonus annually. Additionally, they can earn up to 1,000 PQP per calendar year (25 PQP for every $500 spent) and receive two one-time United Club passes each year.

United Gateway℠ Card

The United Gateway℠ Card is a low-cost card that comes with a competitive intro-APR offer.

Rewards

2X miles per dollar spent on United® purchases
2X miles per dollar spent at gas stations
2X miles per dollar spent on local transit and commuting
1X miles per dollar spent on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

After opening an account, spend $1,000 on purchases within the first three months to earn 20,000 bonus miles.

Annual fee

Notable perks

The Gateway Card offers no foreign transaction fees and a range of valuable protections, including purchase protection, extended warranty protection, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, and car rental coverage. Additionally, you'll receive 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Gateway Card.

What are United MileagePlus miles worth?

The value of United MileagePlus miles can vary depending on how they are redeemed, with experts typically valuing them at around 1.3 cents per point.

When using United miles for shopping redemptions, including gift cards and merchandise, you can expect to receive less than one cent per mile in value, sometimes even less than 0.5 cents per mile. However, when using United miles to pay for United Club membership, in-flight Wi-Fi, or a TSA PreCheck application, you can expect a value closer to 0.7 to one cent per point.

One of the best ways to use miles is to redeem them for award flights with United Airlines or its partner airlines, such as those in the Star Alliance network.

How to maximize United MileagePlus miles

To maximize the value of your United miles, you should use them to book flights. Unlike other airlines, United does not have a fixed award chart, so the cost of a particular route varies based on the day and time of the flight. However, one benefit of the United MilePlus program is that it does not charge award fuel surcharges, which means the taxes and fees you pay for award flights are lower than other Star Alliance programs.

Book award flights

Saver awards are United's cheapest awards, and booking them can help stretch your miles further. However, availability for these awards can be limited. United cardholders have an advantage in accessing more saver award seats, which can improve the value of their miles.

One can book domestic economy saver awards for as low as 5,000 to 15,000 miles one-way per person. International economy saver awards to regions such as Europe, Oceania and Asia usually cost between 30,000 to 55,000 miles per person each way.

To maximize your miles, consider saving enough to book an international business-class saver award. These awards can cost thousands of dollars but only require 88,000 to 110,000 miles each way per person. For instance, at the time of writing, you can book a one-way one-stop SWISS business-class flight from Newark to Zurich for 88,000 United miles plus $5.60 in taxes. The cash price for this same flight is $3,148, which is a value of 3.57 cents per mile.

Take advantage of the excursionist perk

Eligible awards on United allow for a free one-way flight through the Excursionist Perk. To qualify, the flight must start and end in the same region and take place in a different region than the trip's starting point. The Excursionist Perk flight must also be in the same cabin/award tier or lower than the preceding flight.

You could book a round-trip flight from New York to Europe, arriving in Paris and returning from London, with a one-way flight from Paris to London included in the Excursionist Perk program at no additional cost if eligible.

Pros and cons of United credit cards

Why trust CNBC Select?

Our mission at CNBC Select is to deliver top-notch service journalism and in-depth consumer advice to our readers, enabling them to make well-informed decisions when it comes to their finances. Each credit card review we publish is the result of thorough reporting by our team of expert writers and editors, who possess extensive knowledge of credit card products. At CNBC Select, we are committed to maintaining our journalistic standards and ethics, even when it comes to earning a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links. Our methodology outlines the process we use to select the best credit cards available in the United States.

Our methodology

Over 250 major credit cards from FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions were analyzed by CNBC Select to determine the best value for United flyers in the U.S.

We evaluated each card based on various aspects, including rewards, annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fees, and foreign transaction fees. Additionally, we examined any extra benefits (e.g., travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection, and travel insurance), the application process (e.g., whether a credit pull or minimum credit score is required), and the ease of redeeming points (e.g., whether rewards are tied to a specific brand or transferable to partners, and how they can be redeemed for cash back). We also took into account CNBC Select audience data, such as demographics and engagement with our content and tools.

We utilized Esri's consumer spending data forecasts to determine where U.S. consumers spend the most money, such as on dining and travel, to help us determine the most valuable bonus categories for our rewards program. Additionally, we considered the transferability and cash-back redemption options when determining the value of points or miles.

We prioritized cards that offer United miles or transferable rewards, as well as unique perks for United travel when selecting the top United cards.

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