Best United Airlines Credit Cards in December 2024

United co-branded cards offer varying perks specific to the airline, like inflight discounts, credits, lounge access and priority boarding. The higher the annual fee, the more travel perks are generally included, with the United Club℠ Infinite Card offering the most luxury benefits.

Other travel cards on our list come with travel perks not associated with the airline. For example, The Platinum Card^® from American Express comes with perks like elite hotel status, a large assortment of credits, extensive lounge access, discounts and other benefits.

No credit cards offer United Premier elite status — though some can help you earn elite status on United. You can earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) on several United credit cards.

You can earn 25 premier points for every $500 in card spending, up to the PQP limit.

The United℠ Explorer Card lets you earn up to 1,000 PQP per calendar year. Meanwhile, cardholders of the United Quest℠ Card can earn up to 6,000 PQP per calendar year, and United Club Infinite cardholders can earn up to 10,000 PQP per calendar year.

Here’s how many PQPs and PQFs it takes to earn one of the Premier status levels:

To earn one of the Premier status levels, you’ll need to take at least four United or United Express flights in addition to meeting the PQP and PQF requirements.

United credit cards typically offer a sign-up bonus of some kind, but the bonuses vary in terms of their value and the minimum spending requirements to earn them. You don’t necessarily want to go for the biggest bonus — that might lead you to spend more than you normally would.

Our top pick, the United℠ Explorer Card, features a generous sign-up bonus with an attainable spending requirement and an affordable annual fee.

When looking at bonuses, make sure you can meet the minimum spending requirement with regular spending and bills, and that you don’t have to buy things you don’t need to reach the threshold.

The right card depends on how often you want to visit airport lounges and how much you travel through an airport with a United Club lounge. Both the United℠ Explorer Card and United℠ Business Card offer two one-time United Club passes after you open your account, and after each card anniversary.

For lounge access outside of the United Club network, you’ll want to opt for the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® or The Platinum Card^® from American Express, as both offer access to extensive airport lounge networks.

If you like to check your bags, a United co-branded credit card can save you money. Both the United℠ Explorer Card and United℠ Business Card offer a free checked bag for the primary cardholder and one companion when flying on United. If you often check more than one bag, you might want to opt for another card, like the United Quest℠ Card or the United Club℠ Infinite Card, as they each offer up to two free checked bags each time you fly United.

Many Chase United co-branded credit cards offer cardholders priority boarding on United. For example, the United℠ Explorer Card and United℠ Business Card both offer priority boarding privileges for the primary cardholder and any companion on the same reservation. Meanwhile, the United Club℠ Infinite Card offers full Premier Access benefits — which include priority check-in, security, boarding and baggage handling.

Travel credits can help offset a high annual fee. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® offers an easy-to-use travel credit each year. The Platinum Card^® from American Express offers an airline fee credit, but it only applies to airline incidental fees (like baggage fees) with the airline you choose at the beginning of the year.

The only United co-branded credit card that offers a travel credit is the United℠ Business Card . You can earn an annual United travel credit if you make seven or more United flight purchases of at least $100 that year.

Chase credit cards offer some of the best travel protections of any card issuer, but you need to use the right card to pay for your travel.

You’ll get some or all of the following travel protections on most cards featured in this roundup:

• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Auto rental collision damage waiver

Check the terms of each card before you apply — for example, the United Gateway℠ Card doesn’t offer any of these protections.

If you almost always fly United, or on one of their partner airlines, you might prefer to earn United miles directly. In that case, the co-branded United credit cards offer some solid earning rates and sign-up bonuses. However, if you want more flexibility, you’ll want to consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve^®.

Both Chase Sapphire cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which can be transferred to United MileagePlus or 14 other airline and hotel partners. You can also use the points to purchase travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal, where they can be redeemed at a rate of 1.25 cents per point for the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or 1.5 cents per point for the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®.

Many of the best credit cards for United Airlines reimburse the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. So, you may want to choose one of these cards if you don’t already have one of these time-saving memberships:

• United℠ Explorer Card
• United Club℠ Infinite Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve^®
• The Platinum Card^® from American Express (enrollment required)

Most United co-branded cards also offer 25% back on in-flight purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi. If you make a lot of onboard purchases with United, these savings can really add up.

You can earn United miles by making purchases with your co-branded credit card or by providing your MileagePlus number when you make a reservation for a United flight or partner airline flight. Once you’ve earned miles, you can use them for award flights, upgrades, other travel expenses, shopping, gift cards or experiences.

The best United credit card depends on your spending habits and travel preferences. However, we’d suggest the United℠ Explorer Card for most travelers who often fly United, but aren’t avid travelers. Cardholder perks include getting your first checked bag for free, priority boarding and two one-time United Club passes each year. You’ll earn 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays. 1x mile on all other purchases. Plus, the United℠ Explorer Card offers a competitive sign-up bonus.

A United credit card may be worth having if you are an occasional or frequent traveler with the airline. With several cards available, there are options to fit almost anyone who flies United or wants to earn miles redeemable for flights. If you don’t fly United or your preferred airport doesn’t offer United flights, you may be better off getting a flexible travel rewards card or a co-branded card with your preferred airline.

The United Club℠ Infinite Card comes with a full United Club membership, while the United℠ Explorer Card and United℠ Business Card feature two one-time United Club passes after each cardholder anniversary.

Many United credit cards offer travel protections like baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and auto rental collision damage waiver.

United miles don’t count toward elite status, only Premier Qualifying Points and Premier Qualifying Flights help you earn Premier status. However, many United credit cards offer the opportunity to earn up to 1,000 to 10,000 PQPs, depending on the card. Requirements and limits vary by credit card.

There are United co-branded credit cards that reimburse the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Some of our favorite United cards include this perk, such as the United℠ Explorer Card and the United Club℠ Infinite Card.