United^℠ Explorer Card Review

Who is the United^℠ Explorer Card for?

The United Explorer card is for the avid United traveler who needs a rewards card to help them save on their travels. This card comes with 2x miles at restaurants, hotel accommodations, and United^℠ purchases. Also, the card provides 1x miles on all other purchases. This card provides you with rewards to put towards your next flight no matter the purchase. Anyone who uses United frequently and wants to earn rewards while they fly, this is the card for you. 

Additionally, the signup bonus is quite good and can help you get free or discounted flight tickets. You can get 40,000 miles after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. When you open up your account you can start earning miles instantly and the signup bonus can add on enough points to get you a free round trip flight to certain destinations. If you know you are going to spend $2,000 in the first 3 months then this card is worth it.

United also offers many travel benefits to make your vacation easy and stress-free. United ensures that you can travel faster through priority boarding and safely with many different types of insurance and warranties. This card comes with many features including entertainment and hotel benefits that can make any part of your vacation a comfortable stay. 

Rewards

Cardholders get 2x miles at restaurants, hotel accommodations, and United products which include tickets, Economy Plus^®, inflight food, beverages, and Wi-Fi. Also, you get 1x miles on all other purchases. This card can be used to earn travel rewards on all your daily purchases. Although 1x miles is a low rate, miles can still rack up fast if you use the card in your daily life. If you are a frequent United flier it will be easy to get many points and put them towards your next flight. The rewards rate is not the largest among its competitors but it is a solid rate that can still earn you cheaper flights.

Furthermore, you can get up to $100 as a statement credit for TSA PreCheck^® or Global Entry. This can help you get through security lines and customs faster. Lines for these services can be long so having these perks for free can make your travel experience much more pleasant. Also, you can get 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi onboard United-operated flights when you pay with your Explorer Card. 

Another interesting feature of the United card is its referral program. You can earn 10,000 bonus miles for each friend that gets approved for the card when you refer them. This is a unique feature that helps you earn even more points if you have friends that are looking for a travel card as well. The maximum is 50,000 miles but even if you earn 10,000 miles it can make a flight much cheaper than it would have been originally. 

Benefits

United provides many benefits to make your travel experience much better. Cardholders and one companion traveling together will each receive their first standard checked bag free. This can help free up space for you and lessen the worry about your luggage. Next, you can get priority boarding on United-operated flights prior to general boarding. This helps you settle into the plane first and also makes the boarding process much quicker and hassle-free. Also, there are no blackout dates so you can use your rewards points anytime.

Cardmembers who are MileagePlus Premier^® members and traveling on an award ticket can take advantage of complimentary premier upgrades on United flights. On top of that, you can get two United Club one-time passes. You can enjoy complimentary beverages, snacks, and amenities like workspaces, free Wi-Fi, and more. All of these benefits help you enjoy a more comfortable travel experience all at no expense. This is perfect for frequent fliers who want to take the stress out of flying. 

Insurance and Security

This card comes with many insurance features to make sure that your belongings are safe during your trip. The first being The Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver. If you decline the rental company’s insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card you could be awarded cash reimbursement for theft and collision damage. This takes the worry out of having a rental car and you can enjoy your vacation more. 

Cardholders also get insurance on their baggage. United will reimburse you for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing for baggage delays over 6 hours by up to $100 for 3 days. If you or an immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost by the carrier, you’re covered up to $3,000 per passenger. Having peace of mind about your luggage is important and this card gives you just that. The insurance on your luggage keeps you safe and takes the stress out of checking in your luggage. 

Furthermore, cardholders also receive travel insurance for any expected delays or cancellations. You can be reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares. Also, if your travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals, and lodging for up to $500 per ticket. You are covered for all possible problems that may arise when you are traveling. This can decrease unexpected out-of-pocket expenses and save you lots of money. 

Finally, The card comes with contactless pay. This makes checkout fast, easy, and secure by simply tapping to pay where you see the contactless symbol. This keeps your sensitive information more secure and also provides you a convenient payment method. 

Rates and Fees

The APR for both purchases and balance transfers is 21.24% - 28.24% Variable based on your creditworthiness. These rates are quite high so it might be better to have a strong credit score before getting this card. For cash advances, the APR is 29.74%. As a cardholder, it is important to make sure you know your credit score so that you are not paying more on interest than you should. The penalty APR goes up to 29.99% so late payments should be avoided.

This card has a balance transfer fee of 5% with a minimum of $5. Also, there is a cash advance fee of 5% with a minimum of $10 per transaction. It is important to keep track of these types of transactions so that you do not pay unnecessary fees. The annual fee is $0 for the first year and then $95 every year after that. It is important to know whether or not you will use this card to its full potential before paying the fee because you don’t want to pay unnecessary fees. 

Conclusion

The United Explorer Card is a good rewards card that is useful to United frequent fliers. The 2x miles on restaurants, hotel accommodations, and United products as well as the 1x miles on everything else helps you earn miles no matter the purchase. The card also comes with many other benefits that can make your travel experience much better. However, you must know if this card will benefit you because of the annual fee. Overall, this is a solid rewards card that comes with many benefits.