6 Best Benefits of United Airlines Credit Cards

United Airlines offers four co-branded credit cards with annual fees that vary.

All four cards earn MileagePlus miles, which you can redeem toward free flights or seat upgrades on United. And the more you pay, the more you get in terms of perks.

The four cards include:

• The United Gateway℠ Card: $0.

• The United℠ Explorer Card: $0 intro for the first year, then $95 annual fee.

• The United Quest℠ Card: $250 annual fee.

• The United Club℠ Infinite Card: $525 annual fee.

Top United credit card benefits

1. Solid ongoing rewards rates and welcome offers

Each United credit card gives you extra rewards on spending with the airline itself:

United Gateway℠ Card

• Welcome bonus: Limited-time offer: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. Learn more.

• 2 miles per $1 spent on United Airlines purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 spent at gas stations.

• 2 miles per $1 spent on local transit and commuting.

• 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

United℠ Explorer Card

• Welcome bonus: Limited-time offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

• 2 miles per $1 spent on eligible United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants.

• 2 miles per $1 spent on hotel purchases directly from the hotel.

• 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

United Quest℠ Card

• Welcome bonus: Limited-time offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

• 3 miles per $1 spent on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel, dining and select streaming services.

• 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

• Anniversary rewards: On your first anniversary, get up to a $125 United purchase credit and 5,000 miles back in your MileagePlus® account after you take a United or United Express-operated flight booked with your miles (up to two times every anniversary year).

United Club℠ Infinite Card

• Welcome bonus: Limited-time offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

• 4 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel and dining.

• 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best airline credit cards

2. Convenient perks you can use at the airport

Baggage, boarding, lounge benefits and more

The United Gateway℠ Card does not offer free checked bags, early boarding or access to the airline's United Club airport lounges, but the cards with annual fees do.

United℠ Explorer Card

• First checked bag free for the primary cardholder and a companion traveling on the same reservation.

• Up to $100 in statement credit for a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee every four years when charged with the card.

• Priority boarding.

• Two free airport lounge passes each year. Day passes cost $59 apiece, so this benefit is worth $118 a year.

United Quest℠ Card

• A $125 annual United travel purchase credit.

• Two free checked bags apiece for the primary cardholder and a companion traveling on the same reservation.

• Up to $100 in statement credit for a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee every four years when charged with the card.

• Priority boarding.

United Club℠ Infinite Card

• Two free checked bags apiece for the primary cardholder and a companion traveling on the same reservation.

• Up to $100 in statement credit for a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee every four years when charged with the card.

• Priority boarding.

• Unlimited lounge access. A stand-alone lounge membership costs $650 a year.

• 10% United Economy Saver Award discount within the continental U.S. and Canada.

» SEE: Best credit cards for Star Alliance airlines

3. No foreign transaction fees

United's credit cards also come with an array of protections and benefits that can be handy when traveling.

United Airlines credit cards are a great travel companion abroad since they don't add a foreign exchange surcharge on your spending.

» MORE: Best no-foreign-transaction-fee credit cards

4. 25% back on United in-flight purchases

Get 25% back as a statement credit on food, beverages and Wi-Fi purchases made with a United Airlines credit card.

» Learn more: Is the United Quest℠ Card worth its annual fee?

5. Travel protections

• Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance. If your trip is canceled or cut short by covered situations like sickness or injury, you can get reimbursed.

• Auto rental collision damage waiver. Decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your United card and receive primary coverage for theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad. Coverage in the U.S. on the United Gateway℠ Card is secondary to your personal insurance.

6. No blackout dates

United cardholders don’t have to worry about blackout dates when using miles to book a flight. Miles can be applied to any United-operated flight for any travel date as long as there is availability. Award bookings may have limited availability based on capacity controls.