If you are planning a dream getaway soon, now is a great time to determine your earning strategy and rack up those points and miles. As usual, one of the easiest ways to amass a large chunk of rewards is through credit card welcome bonuses.
United loyalists are in luck because Chase and United have teamed up to offer valuable welcome offers across their cobranded credit cards.
These welcome bonuses can go a long way toward making that dream vacation a reality. And right now, several United cards are offering elevated bonuses to help you get even more value.
Let’s look at each card to see which makes the most sense for your wallet.
United Club Infinite Card
The United Club℠ Infinite Card is the top-tier United card, offering a range of perks for hardcore United loyalists.
Welcome bonus: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on qualifying purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee: $525
Earning rate: Earn 4 miles per dollar on United purchases, 2 miles on dining and all other travel and 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
Is it worth it?
According to TPG’s November 2024 valuations, United miles are worth 1.35 cents each, making these bonus points worth $1,215. This is higher than the usual offers we’ve seen on this card, so it’s worth looking into.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
The United Club Infinite is made for loyal United flyers who want access to United Club lounges when they travel — along with a few additional benefits that help upgrade the traveling experience.
Cardholders can enjoy their first and second checked bag free for the primary cardholder and one travel companion on United-operated flights (savings of up to $360 per round trip), an up to $120 TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Nexus application fee credit every four years, Premier Access® travel services, expanded award availability and lower than average award prices, among other benefits.
United Club Infinite cardholders enjoy complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status.
To learn more, read our full review of the United Club Infinite card.
Apply here: United Club Infinite Card
United Quest Card
The United Quest℠ Card is an upper-mid-range card for frequent United flyers who don’t want to pay the United Club Infinite’s steep annual fee.
Welcome bonus: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee: $250
Earning rate: Earn 4 miles per dollar on hotels booked through United, 3 miles on all other United purchases (after your $125 annual United statement credit), 2 miles on dining, all other travel and select streaming services and 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
Is it worth it?
The United Quest card offers premium perks for a reasonable $250 annual fee. The welcome bonus points alone are worth $945, according to TPG’s November 2024 valuations, which can justify paying the annual fee for over three years of card membership — well before considering the ongoing benefits.
We’ve seen higher bonuses on this card, but this is still a good offer to take advantage of if you need those miles soon.
Cardholders receive up to $125 in statement credits each account anniversary year for United purchases, two 5,000-mile anniversary award flight credits after redeeming their miles for a United flight, first and second checked bags free and an up-to-$120 TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Nexus application fee credit every four years.
To learn more, read our full review of the United Quest card.
Apply here: United Quest Card
United Explorer Card
The United℠ Explorer Card is a great option for those who want to enjoy extra United benefits at a reasonable cost.
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
Earning rate: Earn 4 miles per dollar on hotels booked through United, 2 miles on all other United purchases, hotels (booked directly) and dining and 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
Is it worth it?
According to TPG’s November 2024 valuations, this welcome bonus is worth $810, which is pretty good for a card with a $0 intro annual fee in the first year. Again, it’s not quite the best offer we’ve seen on this card, but it’s close.
Aside from the welcome bonus, United Explorer cardholders will receive a nice roundup of benefits: free first checked bag, priority boarding, two one-time United Club passes each year, a 25% discount on inflight United purchases, access to additional award space and less expensive award flights.
You can also earn up to 1,000 PQPs (25 PQPs for every $500 spent on purchases with the card). If achieving United elite status is on your list this year, this mid-tier card could help you earn status without charging a steep annual fee.
Finally, like the Infinite card and United Gateway℠ Card, you’ll get an up-to-$120 TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Nexus application fee credit.
To learn more, read our full review of the United Explorer card.
Apply here: United Explorer Card
United Gateway Card
With no annual fee, the United Gateway℠ Card is a great option for those who occasionally fly with United but not often enough to get meaningful value from one of the higher-tier United cards.
Welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in the first three months of account opening. Plus, enjoy 0% introductory purchase APR during the first 12 months. After that, a variable APR of 21.49% – 28.49% applies.
Annual fee: $0
Earning rate: Earn 2 miles per dollar on United purchases, gas, local transit and commuting and 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
Is it worth it?
The United Gateway Card is the entry-level card into the United MileagePlus program, charging no annual fee. However, it can still provide value to beginners.
The welcome bonus is modest compared to the other United cards ($405 in value, according to TPG’s November 2024 valuations), but it is a step above many other no-annual-fee cards.
In addition to the solid rewards rate, you’ll get a 25% discount on inflight United purchases and have access to up to $6,000 in trip cancellation and interruption insurance (up to $1,500 per person) if your trip is canceled or cut short by covered reasons like sickness or injury.
If you fly with United multiple times yearly, you’ll likely get better value from the other United card options. But for beginners looking for their first cobranded airline card, the United Gateway is a solid option.
To learn more, read our full review of the United Gateway card.
Apply here: United Gateway Card
United Business Card
If you own a small business and want to stock up on some United miles, opening the United℠ Business Card is a great way to do so.
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99
Earning rate: Earn 2 miles per dollar on United purchases, dining, gas stations, local transit, commuting and office supply stores, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
Is it worth it?
The United Business card offers solid perks to small-business owners, freelancers and those with side gigs. This card’s welcome offer is worth $1,013, according to TPG’s November 2024 valuations.
Cardholders receive their first checked bag free, priority boarding, two one-time United Club passes each year, a 25% discount on inflight United purchases and a $100 United travel statement credit after seven eligible United purchases of $100 or more with the United Business Card within an account anniversary year.
If you fly with United at least twice a year, the card’s many benefits help make it valuable enough to offset the ongoing $99 annual fee.
To learn more, check out our full review of the United Business card.
Apply here: United Business Card
United Club Business Card
If you’re a small-business owner and you want to get premium perks with United, the United Club℠ Business Card is a great option for you.
Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 1,000 PQPs after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee: $450
Earning rate: Earn 2 miles per dollar on United purchases and 1.5 miles per dollar on everything else.
Is it worth it?
The United Club Business Card offers solid perks to small-business owners who fly frequently with United.
Cardholders enjoy United Club membership, including access for two guests. The welcome offer on this card is worth $675, according to TPG’s November 2024 valuations.
In addition, cardholders also receive the first and second checked bag free for the primary cardholder and one travel companion on United-operated flights (a savings of up to $320 per round trip), Premier Access travel services, a 25% discount on inflight United and United Club purchases and a wide range of travel and purchase protections.
Cardholders can also receive up to 1,000 PQPs annually, earning 25 PQPs for every $500 spent on purchases.
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.
Learn more: United Business Card vs. the United Club Business Card
How to maximize United MileagePlus miles
While United’s dynamic award chart can make it harder to score redemption deals on some awards, the airline does offer some solid benefits for loyal flyers.
United has improved its award sales in the past couple of years, which can provide excellent redemption options, sometimes starting at just a few thousand miles per ticket.
The airline offers other benefits as well, such as the Excursionist Perk and the fact that United doesn’t impose fuel surcharges on award tickets (which can easily save you hundreds of dollars).
It’s also a Chase transfer partner, which can help you earn United miles across multiple credit cards. The airline’s Star Alliance membership means you have even more options for redeeming miles across airlines, including Lufthansa, Air New Zealand and Turkish Airlines.
By taking advantage of low-cost domestic award tickets (such as flying from Houston to Orlando for as little as 3,500 miles) and free stopovers with the Excursionist Perk, you can stretch the miles you earn with your credit cards to help you plan your upcoming trips.
Or, go big and start saving miles toward a fancy United Polaris business-class award.
Bottom line
With these United welcome bonuses available, you can get closer to your next trip. But remember: Since Chase issues these cards, they will be subject to the issuer’s 5/24 rule. If you have opened five or more accounts in the past 24 months, you may have difficulty being approved for these cards.
To learn more about how to use your United miles, check out our guide to maximizing the United MileagePlus program.
Related: Best United Airlines credit cards
