Air travel used to be seen as a luxury, but those days are long gone. If flying was ever fun and convenient, it’s not anymore. My last flight from California, a trip to visit family, was plagued with delays and inconveniences. It was a good thing the flight was delayed; otherwise, I might have missed the flight due to an hour-long security line.
While airlines continue to reduce benefits for customers, like free meals, pillows, and checked bags, they are paying more attention to their most frequent fliers and customers of their branded credit cards. Airlines who partner with credit card issuers are willing to give certain customers a little bit more than everyone else. A good example of this is the United MileagePlus® Explorer Card, which offers consumers enough bonus miles for a free flight right away.
Note: With the merger of Continental Airlines and United Airlines complete as of March 2012, the Continental OnePass Plus and OnePass Presidential Plus cards have been eliminated for new customers. The United MileagePlus Explorer Card offers the same benefits that the OnePass Plus card offered previously.
All new cardholders of the United MileagePlus Explorer Card will receive 25,000 bonus miles after making one purchase. Then, new customers will earn 5,000 additional miles after adding an authorized cardholder to the account. Every year a cardholder spends $25,000, Chase will add 10,000 more miles. In total, up to 40,000 bonus miles are available the first year and 10,000 bonus miles are available every additional year. Miles never expire and there is never a cap to the number of miles customers can earn. Every dollar spent on the United MileagePlus Explorer Card earns miles, and if a cardholder purchases a United or Continental flight with the card, Chase rewards the customer with double miles.
United offers in-flight and flight-related rewards to its credit card customers in addition to the miles. All United MileagePlus Explorer Card members will have the following perks:
- The first bag per ticket can be checked for free on flights operated by United, up to a $50 savings per person.
- You’ll be invited to board your flight ahead of general boarding with priority boarding.
- You will receive two passes to visit the United Club every year.
- You’ll have exclusive access to purchase once-a-lifetime experiences from Inside Access from Chase.
- The card comes with travel protection benefits.
A quick glance at the “Inside Access” program shows that it offers the opportunity to buy tickets to events such as an evening on Broadway including a show, an opportunity to meet the cast, and dinner at Sardi’s. This event is $200 per person — not a bad deal considering a ticket for a show can easily cost that much on its own.
When using a credit card, it’s important to know the pricing details. The United MileagePlus Explorer Card offers a 15.24% variable APR on both purchases and balance transfers. There is a $95 fee associated with this card, but that fee is waived for the first year, so new customers have time to test drive the bonus miles and overall offer.
The United MileagePlus Explorer Card is a brand new offer and it comes in as one of the best airline miles credit cards available today. Considering that United has merged with Continental, this card allows its members to travel on two airlines with benefits rather than just one. To take advantage of 25,000 bonus miles right away, consider applying for the United MileagePlus Explorer Card.
If you’re a current cardholder, feel free to share your thoughts about the card’s benefits and customer service, as well as your experience with United Airlines, in the comments area of this article.
Updated May 10, 2012 and originally published July 22, 2011. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
Rank: Platinum
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I just searched a flight to the south. Continential was less expensive than United, but the flights were the same. Reading in this article that they have merged makes sense to me now.
I may look into this card.
“While airlines continue to reduce benefits for customers, like free meals, pillows, and checked bags, they are paying more attention to their most frequent fliers and customers of their branded credit cards.” – seems like the only way to get decent treatment and/or value on a flight anymore is to use their credit cards, which creates another income stream for the airlines through interest and fees. And yet they’re still charging customers to check a bag or use a pillow…
very true. it is amazing to be how much air travel has “changed” since i took my first trips as a child a few decades ago. fees. fees. and more fees. for everything.
I suppose from the corporation’s point of view, it makes good business sense. For me, I look into other alternatives to travel at times. Trains are OK and a bit more relaxing than planes. The stop overs in NYC are not fun though.
I was promised 50,000 miles on first use as a Premier Executive member. They have refused to give me the 50,000 miles. They only gave me 25,000. People be aware of this problem. They refuse to even read the email where it was promised to me.
That is the thanks I get for flying United for years.
I had the United Plus Visa Card (platinum) which cost $140- a year. It initially came with a 5,000 mile eqm bonus sign up and an additional 5,000 eqm/pqm for the first $5,000- purchase of United.com or United tickets. It has also a 5,000 eqm/pqm bonus if your purchase more than $35,000- during the whole year. It also added a free companion fare each year.
Without notice United/ Chase Visa United. did away with the EQM /PQM program without notice. In fact I once had a letter that nothing will change.
They are now trying to have me convert to the Explorer Card which perks I do not need as I am a 1K person but not for long.