The only airline credit card in our wallets

If you’ve read up on travel hacking, many sites provide a list of best credit cards in order of how to open them. And one thing you’ll notice is that airline (and hotel) credit cards are rarely on those lists. There certainly is value in opening cards with flexible points currency that you can transfer to a variety of partners. In fact, that’s how we started our travel hacking journey in 2017 by opening the Chase Sapphire. In 2022, when we started focusing more on the sign-up bonus earnings, we added a certain airline credit card to our portfolios.

Here’s which card and why.

The card we chose

We fly out of O’Hare International Airport, a hub for United airlines. As such, we fly United more often than not because of all the options, particularly for domestic flights. In fact, I’ve been a United MileagePlus member since the year I was born (thanks to my dad). United has so many domestic options as well as international options, so we were intrigued by the possibilities.

We each decided to open the United Explorer Card, which at the time had a 60,000 mile sign-up bonus. Spending $3,000 in 3 months was feasible based on our expenses, so P2 opened the card, hit the SUB, and then referred me. P2 got 10,000 miles for referring me, adding a total of 70,000 miles to his United MileagePlus account. I earned 60,000 total. We knew that we would use these miles, so we didn’t have any concern about having points or miles with a provider we wouldn’t use.

Card Benefits

The United Explorer Card does come with a $95 annual fee. The card earns 2 miles per dollar on United purchases as well as 2 miles per dollar on dining and hotel accommodations. For all other purchases, the card earns 1 mile per dollar. Not terrible earning, but not better than any accrual we don’t already get from the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

There are a few additional benefits that make the card worth it. Each cardholder gets two United Club passes every year. United puts the value of those passes over $100. So, doing the math, if you use both passes, you’re already ahead of the $95 annual fee.

The primary cardholder and a companion traveling on the same reservation also receive their first checked bag free (a value of $35 per person) when making the ticket purchase with the card. If you’re someone who frequently checks a bag, the $95 annual fee is inconsequential compared to the savings on checked bags. The card also gives a $100 credit to Global Entry, TSA Precheck, or Nexus.

Having the card can also make earning status easier. United Explorer cardholders can earn up to 1,000 PQPs towards status each year ($500 spend on the card earns 25 PQP). It’s not the fastest way to get status, but if you’re working on the sign-up bonus of $3,000, you’ll earn 150 PQPs just by hitting the SUB alone.

United credit cardholders also give you expanded access to Saver Awards for economy-class flights. You’ll see “Special Member Pricing” when this is available on United.com.

The last but possibly overlooked benefit is purchases through the MileagePlus X app. When you buy gift cards for things you’re already using, you’ll earn a 25% mile bonus just for having the card, even if you don’t use it on the purchase.

Is an airline credit card right for me?

There’s no right or wrong answer. It honestly depends on how you travel and your goals! If you’re like us and are 95% loyal to one airline (and basically 100% loyal on domestic travel), it certainly can be! Consider the amount that you will use that provider against the cost of having the card.

For the United Airline credit card, you can get the sign-up bonus once every 24 months. Because of the value for us, we’re considering re-opening the card once our 24-month waiting period ends this year.

Questions? Let us know!