United Airlines Credit Cards: From a Solid No Fee Card to a Perk Loaded Option

Frank McBride • February 23, 2024

This is the third post in the TRO series on credit card “families” and how cardholders can choose between different types and levels of benefits and different annual fees. Over the next few weeks, Travel Rewards Optimizer posts will discuss credit card families for co-branded cards (airlines and hotel chains) as well as families of cards that generate proprietary points or cash. Previous posts have covered the Freedom/Sapphire cards offered by Chase and the Delta credit cards offered by American Express.


Today’s post will discuss four United Airlines co-branded cards offered by Chase.


  • United Gateway
  • United Explorer
  • United Quest
  • United Club Infinite


Chase United Gateway


This is an entry level card with no annual fee. It comes with a welcome bonus of 30,000 United miles after spending $1,000 within three months. Based on my own experience and what I have read elsewhere, these miles are worth about 1.5 cents each meaning the bonus would be worth about $450 – enough for a domestic round trip.


Gateway cardholders get double (2X) miles per dollar spent for local transportation, gas station, and United purchases. Other purchases earn one mile per dollar.
 
There are no benefits from the card when flying United except for a discount for in-flight purchases (drinks and snacks).


Chase United Explorer


This is the least expensive of the United cards with annual fees. The current offer for this card is that the annual fee is waived for the first year and then is $95 per year after that.


The sign-up bonus is 60,000 United miles (worth $900) after spending $3,000 within the first three months.


For miles accrual, cardholders get 2X miles for restaurant, hotel, and United purchases.


Unlike the free Gateway card, the United Explorer card confers some benefits when flying United.


  • Free checked bag
  • Priority boarding
  • Two United Club one-time passes per year


United claims the two United Club passes have a value of over $100. I think this estimate is high. However, between the free checked bags and use of these passes, a cardholder traveling with a companion can easily cover the annual fee if taking at least one United trip per year.


The Explorer card also offers a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.


For those interested in status with United, cardholders can accumulate up to 1,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) based on their spending.


Chase United Quest

 

The Quest card, the mid-tier United product, is currently offering a welcome bonus of 70,000 United miles (worth around $1050) after spending $4,000 in the first three months. The bonus offer also includes 500 PQPs to get you on your way to achieving some level of status with United. The annual fee for this card is $250.
 
The Quest card offers broader bonus categories for accumulating miles. Cardholders get 3X miles for United purchases and 2X miles for spending on dining, hotels and other travel, and streaming services.


As with the Explorer card, flight benefits include priority boarding but add a second free checked bag. However, there are no United Club passes.


There is a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.


Other benefits that have value, but require taking United flights to make use of them, include:


  • A $125 annual purchase credit for United tickets and other charges.
  • Up to 10,000-mile flight award credits each year (a sort of rebate after using United miles).


For those interested in status with United, cardholders can accumulate up to 6,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) based on their spending.


Chase United Club Infinite


The United Club Infinite card annual fee is $525, and the welcome offer is 80,000 United miles (worth about $1,200) after spending $5,000 on the card in the first three months.


Many benefits are similar to the Quest card. The key additional benefit for this card level is access to United Clubs at airports.


  • Cardholders can visit United Clubs when flying United.
  • Guest policies for holders of an authorized user (AU) card were unclear.


The card accumulates 4X points per dollar spent on United purchases and 2X points on dining and travel. However, the bonus for purchasing streaming services offered by the Quest card is not offered with this version.


Like the Quest card, the Club Infinite card offers two free checked bags and a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Rather than “priority boarding” this card offers “Premier Access” which is described as priority check-in, screening, boarding, and baggage handling where available.


The Club Infinite card comes with enhanced status with Avis and IHG as well as a $75 credit with IHG hotels and resorts.


This card offers a 10% discount on United Economy Saver Awards.


For those interested in status with United, cardholders can accumulate up to 10,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) based on their spending.

 

My conclusions


The United Gateway card can net you a free round trip domestic flight with a modest $1,000 in spending over three months. It also might be used to get a quick mileage boost for someone who is already a United MilesPlus member and would like to add miles quickly for a more expensive trip. For points accrual, I don’t know that it would have a lot of value after the first year since it does not provide many categories with spending bonuses and any points would have to be used for United flights.


The Explorer card can have clear value during the first year since the annual fee is waived and the welcome bonus is worth about $900 on United flights. On an ongoing basis, you can certainly cover the annual fee if you take advantage of the free checked bags and use the two free United Club passes.


Ms. Optimizer and I have both held United Explorer cards in the past and we now have one between us. We don’t use it much for purchases because, if we want United miles, it is much easier to accumulate Chase Ultimate Rewards points and simply transfer them at a ratio of 1:1 to our United MilesPlus account. Nonetheless, we keep the one United Explorer card on hand to get the free checked bags and access to the United Club as there is one in our home airport.


The Quest and Club Infinite cards can be good options for United loyalists (or those who live in or pass through United hubs) who fly United with some frequency. With enough travel on United, it is possible to get enough value to justify the premium annual fees. With the PQP accrual through spending, these cards are also a good option if achieving some sort of level of status with United is a priority.


United credit cards might or might not fit into a productive travel rewards plan. But when flying United is a good option for meeting travel goals, one of the cards discussed in this post might be appropriate. When we design a custom Travel Rewards Optimizer plan for you, we take your travel goals, travel habits, spending patterns, and preferences into account. We want to ensure that the cards we recommend for you can quickly generate free travel and provide relevant benefits while keeping your annual card fees in check.
 
We are ready to help you turn your routine credit card spending into the travel of your dreams.

Travel Rewards Optimizer Pre-Labor Day Wrap Up

By Frank McBride • September 4, 2026
In case you missed them, here is your "one-stop shopping" for posts from the past week. For some, recent changes with the Resy restaurant reservation platform might limit dining options when using the credit. Learn more here . Perhaps your next US domestic award flight should be booked through . . . Air France. Check out why . The Amex Platinum card might have the highest annual fee for mass marketed cards. Find out if the benefits are worth it for my household here . Hope you have a great Labor Day weekend!! We are ready to help you turn your routine credit card spending into the travel of your dreams.

Luxury Credit Card Case Study: Do the Benefits Justify the High Annual Cost?

By Frank McBride • September 3, 2026
A walk through one household's use of the Amex Platinum card

Flying “Air France” Domestically in the United States

By Frank McBride • August 28, 2026
For some domestic flights, Air France might save transferable miles

Double Check Restaurants If You Are Using American Express RESY Credits

By Frank McBride • August 27, 2026
Recent changes in the Resy reservations platform might limit use of the Amex dining credit

Chase Sapphire Preferred Changes Ratio for Transfer of Ultimate Rewards Points to World of Hyatt Points

By Frank McBride • June 25, 2026
Changes are a mixed bag but Hyatt regulars won't be happy

Travel Rewards Optimizer April / May Wrap Up

By Frank McBride • June 5, 2026
Some good news in points and miles (and one warning)

Air France / KLM Flying Blue Program Liberalizes Expiration Policy for Miles

By Frank McBride • May 29, 2026
A change in favor of airline passengers (for a change)

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card Adds More Transfer Partners

By Frank McBride • May 19, 2026
The Autograph Journey's transfer partner list grows slowly but steadily

Points and Miles Case Study: Prague, Budapest, and Malta

By Frank McBride • April 29, 2026
Points and miles free up the travel budget for pilsner, paprika, and pastizzi*

Just Say "No" to Dynamic Currency Conversion

By Frank McBride • April 23, 2026
As the summer travel season approaches, this is a friendly reminder to avoid "dynamic currency conversion" (DCC) when making credit card purchases outside of your home country. DCC gives you the option of selecting a payment amount in your home currency rather than in the local currency. Typically, when presented with a credit card reader at a shop or restaurant, the touch screen will show purchase amounts in the local currency and in US dollars (for those with American credit cards) and you have the opportunity to choose. I have been seeing these “offers” for several years now and have learned, after doing a little mental math, they are almost always a bad deal for the purchaser. When presented with a credit card reader, I always choose to pay the amount shown in local currency rather than the amount shown in US dollars. During a recent trip, I was making purchases in Euros, Hungarian Forints, and Czech Korunas. From what I could tell, the option of paying in dollars inflated the cost of the purchases around an average of five percent (5%). Once, a card reader screen acknowledged that making the purchase in dollars added an eight percent (8%) fee. Even a credit card with a foreign transaction fee (which you should avoid using when traveling abroad) would have added only three percent (3%) to the tab. Currency games aside, Visa and MasterCard offer reasonable exchange rates when you choose to pay in the local currency. Upon returning home, our credit card statements showed exchange rates that were quite close to market rates. It is reasonable and fair for the credit card issuers make a fraction of a percent here and there as they are performing a service and accepting currency risk (although very briefly). But, claiming to offer a “preferential” rate to pad their bottom line is disingenuous. Because exchange rates are reasonable, using credit cards while traveling abroad is still worthwhile for a points and miles program as long as you avoid cards with foreign transaction fees. Travel oriented cards can offer 2X and 3X spending bonuses for transportation and restaurants to give you a leg up on saving money and accumulating points or miles for your next vacation.