United Airlines offer a broad range of credit cards for both frequent and less frequent travelers. As some cards starts at $0 annual fee which is good for occasional travels and goes up to the amount of $525 which is suitable for all the regular United flyers. The lineup of the United airline cards went through some changes to provide more value to the users and facilitate travelers to unlock the benefits. So here we have compiled the list of best United Airlines credit cards.
No matter whether you are flying for business purposes or with your family, the best United Airlines credit cards are for sure a good pick for you. Some of the cards unlock various benefits that are extremely useful when flying on United while others are good in terms of gaining valuable transferable points through reward programs. In general, the greater the fee the greater the perks and benefits you will get from the card. Below are the top picks for the best United Airlines credit cards to gain valuable transferable points.
Table of Contents
Quick Overview – Best United Airlines Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – Best overall for flexible travel rewards
- UnitedSM Explorer Card – Best Mid-tier card for United flyers
- United Quest SM Card – Best for United flyers for Miles rebate
- United Gateway SM Card – Best with no annual fee card for occasional travelers
- United Club SM Infinite Card – Best for VIP lounge access
- United SM Business Card – Best card for business travelers
Charting the Best United Airlines Credit Cards
| Best United Airlines Credit Cards | Best for | Annual Fee | Benefits |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Flexible travel rewards | $95 | 2 points per $1 on travel and dining |
| UnitedSMExplorer Card | Occasional United flyers | $95 (waived for the first year) | 2 miles per $1 on United purchases, 1.5 miles per $1 on all other purchases |
| United QuestSM Card | Frequent United flyers for miles rebate | $250 | 2 miles per $1 on United purchases, 1.5 miles per $1 on all other purchases, $125 United credit each year, 500 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening |
| United GatewaySM Card | Occasional United flyers with no annual fee | No annual fee | 1.5 miles per $1 on all purchases |
| United ClubSM Infinite Card | Frequent United flyers for VIP lounge access | $525 | 2 miles per $1 on United purchases, 1.5 miles per $1 on all other purchases, United Club membership with unlimited access, 25% back on United inflight purchases, 100 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening |
| United SM Business Card | Business travelers | $95(waived for the first year) | 2 miles per $1 on United purchases, 1.5 miles per $1 on all other purchases, 25% back on United inflight purchases |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Annual fee: $95
Reward rate: 1x-5x
Introductory Offer: 60,000 points
Regular APR: 21.49 %- 28.49%
Credit Score: Good to Excellent (690-850)
For all those who travel frequently, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a must-have card to get greater bonus points for spending on traveling. Not only traveling it can get you greater cash back on dining and purchases. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card although not a United branded card tops up the list of best United Airlines credit cards by giving super-flexible points. If you use this card you gain 5 United miles per dollar spent even on other airlines.
The points of this card are worth more when you book through Chase. In addition, the startup bonus and other high-value points are the key reasons for its preference among travelers. The annual fee is worth $95 but it stands out as a versatile option among others. It is important that the points you will earn to be redeemed strategically for travel in various loyalty programs that include Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Hyatt.
Card Details
- Get 60,000 bonus points at the start when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. In this way, you can get $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- Greater travel benefits such as 5x travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x on dining, 2x on all other travel purchases, and a total of $50 Annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit
- Benefit from 25% more value when you redeem for hotels, airfare, car rentals, and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Get complimentary access to DashPass with $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a time period of one year when activated by December 31, 2024
- Benefit from Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost luggage insurance, interruption insurance, and more with one of the best United Airlines credit cards.
| Pros | Cons |
| Greater travel rewards | Requires good to excellent credit card score |
| Flexible reward redemption | Charges an annual fee |
| Transfer partners | |
| Primary rental car coverage | |
| New cardholders get bonus offers |
UnitedSM Explorer Card
Annual fee: $0 for the first year then $95 for the upcoming years
Reward rate: 1x-2x
Introductory Offer: 60,000 miles
Regular APR: 21.74 %- 28.74%
Credit Score: Good to Excellent (690-850)
Being the preferable choice for the moderate United Flyers, this card comes with $0 annual fee for the first year. This card is in the list of best United Airlines credit cards and comes with solid ongoing rewards to facilitate a large number of travelers. Apart from the travel, if you are eager to spend on hotels and dining you can earn 2 miles per dollar on each dollar spend.
The perks of this card outweigh the overall cost as it offers free checked bags, two airport lounge pass every year and primary car rental coverage. These benefits put it in a league of its own among the all other co-branded cards with similar annual fees and fewer features in comparison with this one.
Card Details
- Get 60,000 bonus miles after you spend a total of $3000 in the first 3 months of account opening
- Easily earn 2 miles per dollar spent on United purchases, dining, and hotels
- Get up to $ 100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS free credit
- Earn 25% cashback on statement credit with one of the best United Airlines credit cards on food, drinks, and Wi-Fi onboard United-operated flights
- Get greater perks such as a free first checked bag and a total savings of $140 on the round-trip
| Pros | Cons |
| Annual fee is waived for the first year | Requires good to excellent credit card score |
| No blackout dates | Everyday Awards flights are pricier |
| Bonus categories | No 0% introductory APR offer |
| Earn unlimited miles with no cap |
United Quest SM Card
Annual fee: $250
Reward rate: 1x-3x
Introductory Offer: 60,000 bonus miles
Regular APR: 21.74 %- 28.74%
Credit Score: Good to Excellent (700- 749)
For all those who travel frequently, the United Quest SM Card is nothing less than a gem. The card comes with a greater annual fee of $250 but the perks on travel and dining compensate its amount. Although the card is on the pricier side and doesn’t fall in the budget of all but the fees can be cut to half if you use a $125 annual credit for United purchases.
Being the mid-tier option among the best United Airlines credit cards, it also offers travel protections such as primary car rental coverage and trip cancellation insurance. This card comparatively earns more miles and other cards in comparison to the basic airline card.
Card Details
- After qualifying purchases from one of the best United Airlines credit cards, earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 PQP
- Earn 3 miles per dollar spent on United purchases
- Earn 2 miles on each dollar spent on travel, dining, and selected streaming services
- Earn 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases
- Benefit from the free first and second checked bags along with saving of up to $320 on each round trip
- With one of the best United Airlines credit cards, get up to 125 United purchase credits and two 5,000-mile anniversary flight award credits every year
| Pros | Cons |
| Get $125 annual purchase from United Credit | Rewards have limited flexibility |
| Free checked bags | No lounge access |
| Auto collision damage waiver on specified rentals | Earning casual purchases only earns 1 mile per dollar |
| Bonus categories |
United Gateway SM Card
Annual fee: $0
Reward rate: 1x-2x
Introductory Offer: 20,000 miles
Regular APR: 21.74 %- 28.74%
Credit Score: Good to Excellent (700- 749)
The United Gateway SM Card offers simple and good reward rates in addition to Visa Signature benefits for all loyal United Flyers. The greatest significance of one of the best United Airlines credit cards is that it comes with an annual fee of $0. With no annual fee, this card won’t cost you anything to carry, even if you use this occasionally.
United Gateway SM Card earns the usual United Mileage Plus frequent flyer miles that are useful in terms of travel. Although the bonus is limited to 20,000 miles at the start but its good enough to give a decent head start towards the domestic roundtrip flight. In brief, this card is light on the flash as it offers travel-related insurances and rental car insurance which are nice to have in an airline card.
Card Details
- Earn a total of 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1000 on purchases
- Get 2 miles with each dollar spent on United purchases, gas stations, local transit, and commuting
- Get 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
- With one of the best United Airlines credit cards get 25 % as statement credit for food, beverage, and Wi-Fi onboard United Operated flights and Club Premium drinks when you pay through Gateway card
| Pros | Cons |
| Premium travel protections | Requires good to excellent credit score |
| Charges no annual fee | No free checked bags |
| No foreign transaction fees | Rewards have limited flexibility |
| Benefit from the expanded United Award travel availability |
United Club SM Infinite Card
Annual fee: $ 525
Reward rate: 1x-4x
Introductory Offer: 80,000 miles
Regular APR: 21.74 %- 28.74%
Credit Score: Excellent (750- 850)
The United Club SM Infinite Card is the top-tier card that can get you 4 miles per dollar earnings on United purchases. This card although on the pricier side offers the full suite of travel perks to give better value to the users. With this premium card, you can enjoy escaping the congestion of the airport terminal with exclusive access to the carrier’s premium lounges.
Being in the list of best United Airlines credit cards it provides greater rewards on United purchases along with a starting bonus of 80,000 miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Although the card is bombarded with features but the downside is that with heavy annual fees, it does not fit well with the budget of a normal credit card holder.
Card Details
- Get 80,000 bonus miles after qualifying purchases
- Get 4 miles on each dollar spent on United purchases
- With this card you get 2 miles per dollar spent on dining and travel
- Get 1 mile on each dollar spent on all the other purchases
- Leverage the ease of first and second-checked bags and additionally save up to $320 on round-trip and other premier access travel services
- Get up to 10% United Economy Saver Award Discount that is applicable within the continental U.S. and Canada
- With one of the best United Airlines credit cards you can earn 8,000 Premier qualifying points, 500 PQP with $12K spent on the purchases
| Pros | Cons |
| Higher rewards rate in the travel category | Requires excellent credit score |
| Lounge membership | High annual fees |
| No foreign transaction fees | No introductory APR offer |
| Free checked bags |
United SM Business Card
Annual fee: $0 for the first year and then an annual fee of $99 will be charged
Reward rate: 1x-2x
Introductory Offer: 50,000 miles
Regular APR: 21.74 %- 28.74%
Credit Score: Good toexcellent (690- 850)
The perks of the United SM Business Card makes it an outstanding option for all infrequent United travelers. With this card, you can easily earn 2 miles per dollar on United purchases at gas stations, local transit, commuting, gas stations, and much more. Having this card means that you can travel with ease with priority boarding and access to United Club Lounge.
With the best United Airlines credit cards, you can save your time on every flight with a free checked bag perk. This card is viable for all who run small businesses and want extra benefits without meeting the elite requirements. Moreover, the generous rewards is another reason for the preference of this card among the business class.
Card Details
- Earn a total of 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months of your account opening
- Earn 2 Mileage Plus miles per dollar spent on purchases from United ( includes food, beverages, Wi-Fi, airfare, and more)
- Earn 2 miles on each dollar spent on dining, gas stations, and office supply stores
- Earn 2 Miles on each dollar spent on commuting and local transit
- Earn 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases
| Pros | Cons |
| First checked bags for you and your companion | Requires good to excellent credit score |
| Premium Lounge membership | Has an annual fee after the first year |
| Primary rental insurance | Rewards offer limited flexibility |
| Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance |
Best American Express Credit Cards for Travel
If you are one those one want to earn greater travel rewards across other airlines then keep an eye at the best American Express credit cards for travel. Among all the options Amex Platinum is unmatched in terms of travel benefits and perks. If you want access to luxury lounge, hotel elite status and annual statement credits than this card is the preferred choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which United credit cards are suitable for you?
The choice of the best United Airlines credit cards is dependent on the circumstances of the user . If you are one of those individuals who travel frequently than the United ClubSM Infinite Card may not be the favorable choice for you. As credit cards have higher annual fees for all those who prefer United cards a reasonable amount than United Club Quest Card and United Gateway is the viable choice.
Are United Miles worth getting?
The value of points you get from United miles depend on their usage. If you redeem the points to book a flight that costs upto $ 1,000 for 5000 miles, you will be able to get 2 cents per mile. In this way , if you are able to achieve a value of 1.2 to 1.5 cents per airline mile , you can save huge amount of money while you travel frequently.
How to get the best United Airlines credit cards?
Before applying for the United Airlines credit card it is important to ask these question
1. Will the benefits outweigh the annual fee? Think of the yearly spending and make sure that you will earn enough rewards and cash back at a reasonable cost
2. Will you be able to take advantage of the card benefits? before applying think of their usefulness and sage pattern. If they add value to your life go ahead with them .
3. Is it easy to redeem the points ? for all the points that are gathered using the best United American credit cards are easy to use. And if you are not one of those who prefer United then you might prefer some other card.
