Chase launches new welcome offers on its United family of credit cards
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“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
BLUEPRINT
Updated 10:36 a.m. UTC Nov. 14, 2023
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If you’re a frequent flyer, grabbing a co-branded credit card may be an appealing option. Such cards offer a variety of benefits, including free checked bags, priority boarding and even airport lounge access. Getting an airline credit card can make even more sense when there are elevated welcome offers, since these increased bonuses only come around every so often. Now, United flyers are in luck, as Chase’s co-branded family of United credit cards are launching limited-time elevated offers, even on the no-annual-fee card. Let’s take a look.
New welcome offers on co-branded United credit cards
There are four different United credit cards featuring new offers. These run the gamut and include the top-tier version, which gives you a United Club lounge membership.
- United Gateway℠ Card * The information for the United Gateway℠ Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. : Earn 30,000 miles after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. The annual fee is $0.
- United℠ Explorer Card * The information for the United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. : Earn 60,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. The annual fee is $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- United Quest℠ Card * The information for the United Quest℠ Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. : Earn 70,000 miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. The annual fee is $250.
- United Club℠ Infinite Card * The information for the United Club℠ Infinite Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. : Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. The annual fee is $525.
These elevated offers represent a 10,000-mile bump for each card, which is especially significant on those lower-tier cards. Note that all of these offers end on January 24, 2024. They’re also subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule, which means that if you have opened five or more new credit cards within the last 24 months, Chase will not approve you for another card.
Before applying for a new card, you’ll also want to be aware that the fees and benefits vary pretty dramatically. For example, the United Gateway Card doesn’t charge an annual fee but also provides limited perks, including 25% back on inflight purchases.
However, the high-end United Club Infinite Card, which charges a $525 annual fee, also includes two free checked bags, a United Club membership, a credit of up to $100 to reimburse Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS, plus IHG elite status and more.
Although these increased benefits are nice, if you’re not a frequent flyer, they may be a little overkill for your needs. Be sure to do the math before applying to see what card makes sense for you.
United MileagePlus miles can get you far
Although United doesn’t maintain a formal award chart anymore, it’s still simple to find award flights for under 10,000 miles each way.
While you can choose to redeem your miles for domestic flights — and may absolutely choose to, especially when cash rates are high — you can also get great value from redeeming your flights for overseas flights.
For example, here’s a one-way flight from New York (EWR) to Dublin (DUB) in April 2024. A cash ticket could cost you $706 in economy.
However, that same flight could run just 26,900 miles, as you can see below.
Depending on which card you acquire, you can conceivably get thousands of dollars of value out of your welcome offer.
Final verdict
Chase’s co-branded United credit cards are offering elevated welcome bonuses until January 24, 2024. If you’ve been sitting on the fence when it comes to applying, now’s the time. Just be sure to do your research first to figure out which card best suits your needs.
*The information for the United Club℠ Infinite Card, United Gateway℠ Card, United Quest℠ Card and United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
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