Airline credit cards weren’t always super exciting, especially when compared to other, more flexible card options. Many airline cards earned just one mile per dollar on most purchases and didn’t provide many incentives to keep them around beyond the initial bonus. But — things have changed.
While it is still true that some airline credit cards are simply better than others, there are several that are now quite compelling, including several from United Airlines.
If you fly United at least once or twice a year, you should strongly consider having someone in your family get a United credit card in order to make your experience both more comfortable and more affordable.
With cards ranging from no annual fee to one with a $525 annual fee, there are many options if you decide to add a United card to your wallet. But regardless of which card you decide is the best match for you, here’s why you may want at least one United credit card in your family.
Available United credit cards
| Card | welcome bonus | annual fee | unique perks |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Gateway℠ Card | Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open. | $0 |
|
| United℠ Explorer Card | Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.
|
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 |
|
| United Quest℠ Card | Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open. | $250 |
|
| United Club℠ Infinite Card | Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. | $525 |
|
| United℠ Business Card | Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open. | $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 |
|
| United Club Business Card | Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 1,000 Premier qualifying points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open. | $450 |
|
The information for the United Club Business has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
But the bonus miles are just the beginning. Here are four other reasons why someone in your family needs a United credit card.
Discounted award tickets
Last year we booked a simple Houston to New York City award flight on United for my mom. United wanted 20,000 miles for the flight when we searched for awards from my mom’s MileagePlus account. On a whim, I checked availability from my dad’s account and it was just 12,500 miles for the exact same flight. The reason?
He had the United Explorer Card and my mom did not have a United card.
Those with United elite status, or even just a simple United credit card, are given access to cheaper United awards that non-cardholders simply can’t access. Even in the modern era of United’s dynamic award pricing, you can save on some awards by having elite status — and then save again by having a United credit card.
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In our tests, those with a United card or elite status saved an average of close to 2,000 miles per flight.
Here is a recent search from Houston (IAH) to Orange County (SNA). On the date searched, there was availability on nonstop flights starting for 13,500 miles each way when signed in as a United cardholder.
That same flight was priced at 5,000 more miles one-way when not signed in.
Obviously, that’s a very small sample set, but here’s a look at more results from our United award availability tests conducted shortly after the program switched to dynamic pricing. Those results are older at this point, but in our experience, the general pattern holds even if the exact numbers have evolved.
In our real-life situation, we simply used my dad’s United miles to book the flight to save 5,000 miles, but if he was running low on miles, an option would have been to transfer points from my mom’s Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to my dad’s United account to book the awards since he is both a household member and authorized user.
Related: United made big changes to earning elite status
Free checked bags and priority boarding — even on basic economy
Basic Economy tickets are usually the cheapest available when using cash, but they are also the most restrictive tickets. Thankfully, many United credit cards can make your Basic Economy experience much less restrictive if you are on a United-operated flight with your United MileagePlus number on the reservation and you’ve used your United credit card to pay for the ticket.
If you use your United credit card to purchase a Basic Economy ticket, you still get:
- One carry-on bag for you and each of your travel companions traveling on the same reservation. Those without a United card or elite status only get an included personal item, like a purse or small backpack.
- Priority boarding in Group 2 for you and your travel companions traveling on the same reservation. Otherwise, you’d be in the last group to board.
- When you book your tickets for those United cards that typically provide that benefit, the first checked bag is free for you and one travel companion traveling on the same reservation.
Those elements make United’s Basic Economy a little less basic and a little more tolerable.
Save money on United
If you ever spend money while onboard a United flight, a United credit card is a must-have. They all provide 25% back as a statement credit for onboard purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on United flights. Wi-Fi on most flights costs $8 for MileagePlus members (and $10 for non-members), but if you have an eligible United credit card, it’s just $6 out of pocket, as 25% comes back via a statement credit.
If multiple family members are all in need of in-flight connectivity or buy-on-board snacks or drinks, then obviously, the perks of having a United credit card multiply.
Related: Complete guide to United WiFi
Additionally, with the United Business Card, you can earn a $100 United travel credit after purchasing seven flights each card member year (flights must be $100 or more in value). The United Quest card offers an annual $125 statement credit towards United flights.
Make travel more comfortable
The first two or three reasons are more than enough to make a United credit card a must for those who fly the carrier, but these cards do a few more things, too.
At each account anniversary with the United Explorer Card or United Business Card, you get two one-time passes to the United Club, which can be a way to get a light meal and a drink before a United flight without opening your wallet. Remember, there are even taco bars at some clubs.
Related: Inside the world’s best United Clubs
The cards also cover your application fee for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck once every four years. This may sound a little ho-hum, as it is a perk offered by many travel credit cards, but families can have lots of people in them who need these fees paid, so the odds are good a family can put this perk to use.
Related: Saving $400 on Global Entry renewals thanks to credit cards
Of course, if you have a United Infinite Card or the United Business Club Card, then you and two guests, or your immediate family members, get access to the United Club network when flying United or Star Alliance partners.
Bottom line
At a minimum, one person in a family that travels on United even a couple of times per year should have a United credit card. You’ll save miles on award tickets, can save money on flights and checked bags and may even be able to get yourself into United Clubs to relax before or between flights.
And if you are wondering if it is worth having more than one United card, know that my family has three at the moment, as they all have different, complimentary benefits. But first things first, if you don’t have at least one United card in your family’s wallet, now is a good time to rectify that situation with the increased welcome bonuses available.
