7 Best Benefits of United Airlines Credit Cards
All four United cards earn rewards you can redeem for travel, and the more you're willing to pay, the more perks and benefits you'll get.
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United Airlines offers four co-branded consumer credit cards with annual fees that vary. (The airline also offers small-business credit cards, not covered here.)
All four of the consumer 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 New United℠ Explorer Card: $0 intro for the first year, then $150 annual fee.
The New United Quest℠ Card: $350 annual fee.
The New United Club℠ Card: $695 annual fee.
Each card offers different perks with terms that apply. Here are the seven best benefits you'll find on United Airlines credit cards.
NerdWallet values United miles at 1.2 cents each. This is a baseline value, drawn from real-world data on hundreds of economy routes, not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 1.2 cents or more in value from your United miles.
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:
Debut Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Debut Offer: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Debut Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Debut Offer: Earn 95,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
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.
5 miles per $1 spent on hotel stays purchased through United Hotels.
2 miles per $1 spent on 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.
5 miles per $1 spent on hotel stays purchased through Renowned Hotels and Resorts.
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: A $200 United travel credit after account opening and on each account anniversary.
5 miles per $1 spent on hotel stays purchased through renowned Hotels and Resorts.
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.
2. Convenient perks you can use at the airport
Baggage, boarding, lounge benefits and more
The New United Gateway℠ Card does not offer early boarding or access to the airline's United Club airport lounges, but the cards with annual fees do. What makes The New United Gateway℠ Card unique among other $0-annual-fee airline cards, however, is that it provides a chance to earn free checked bags (if you spend enough).
The higher the annual fee on a card, the more perks you can expect. Benefits that can be used at the airport with United credit cards range from free checked bags, priority boarding and airport lounge access to statement credits for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fees, among others. Terms apply.
3. More money-saving travel perks
As a $0-annual-fee card, The New United Gateway℠ Card doesn’t offer a lengthy list of perks like other United cards do. The better perks on those more expensive United cards are the ones that are easily available to cardholders and do not require a spending amount to earn.
United credit cards with annual fees typically offer rideshare credits, a more general travel credit of some sort, credits toward Avis or Budget purchases, and an Instacart+ membership for a certain window of time, to name a few, depending on the card. Terms apply.
4. No foreign transaction fees
United Airlines credit cards make for good travel companions abroad. That's because they run on the Visa payment network, meaning they'll be widely accepted, and also because they don't add a foreign transaction fee on international purchases.
5. Travel protections
The United cards also come with an array of protections and benefits that can be handy when traveling.
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 The New United Gateway℠ Card is secondary to your personal insurance.)
6. Statement credit on United in-flight purchases
Get 25% back as a statement credit on food, beverages, Wi-Fi purchases and United Club premium drink purchases made with a United Airlines credit card.
7. 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.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2025:
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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