If you’re hoping to accrue enough points or miles to take a dream vacation in 2022, now is an excellent time to start strategizing about how you’ll achieve your goal. As is often the case, one of the most straightforward methods to accrue a substantial amount of points is through credit card sign-up bonuses.
You may earn United miles by signing up for a cobranded credit card from Chase or United, and both companies are offering lucrative sign-up bonuses on their respective credit cards. Examine each of the available options.
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United Club Infinite Card
Earn 80,000 bonus miles once you spend $5,000 on purchases during the first three months of starting your account.
The annual fee for the card is $525.
You will earn 4 miles for every dollar spent on purchases made via United, 2 miles for every dollar spent on all other travel and eating purchases, and 1 mile for every dollar spent on everything else.
Is It Worth It?
Based on the current TPG valuation of United miles at 1.13 cents a mile, the value of this incentive is $904.
When it comes to loyalty, the United Club Infinite Card is designed for frequent flyers who desire access to United Club lounges when they travel, as well as a few other features that assist to elevate the whole travel experience.
Those who possess United Club membership can take use of the benefits, which include entrance for two visitors or for one adult and dependent children under the age of 21. It also provides free first and second checked bags for the primary cardholder and one travel companion on United-operated flights, a $100 credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fees every four years, Premier Access travel services, expanded award availability, and lower average award prices for United-operated flights, among other benefits.
For the first time in 2022, United Club Infinite cards will receive complimentary IHG Rewards Platinum Elite status (worth $880 based on our estimations) as well as up to a $75 IHG statement credit, which will be available until December 31, 2018.
United Quest Card
Earn 70,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases during the first three months of creating your account.
The annual fee for the card is $250.
Earn 3 miles per dollar spent on United purchases (after deducting your $125 annual United statement credit), 2 miles per dollar spent on all other travel, eating, and certain streaming services, and 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else.
Is It Worth It?
The United Quest Card is the newest member of the group, and it offers premium amenities for a far more affordable $250 annual charge than the rest of the group. Even without factoring the ongoing advantages, the $791 sign-up bonus alone makes paying the annual cost for at least three years of card membership justifiable.
You may earn up to $125 in statement credits for United purchases, two 5,000-mile anniversary award travel credits, first and second checked baggage for free, and up to $100 in TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application credit on your card’s anniversary each year.
United Explorer Card
After you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of your account’s existence, you will receive 50,000 bonus miles.
The annual charge is $95, with the first year’s price waived.
You can earn 2 miles every dollar spent on United purchases, hotels (when booked directly with hotels), and restaurants, but only 1 mile per dollar spent on anything else.
Is It Worth It?
This sign-up bonus is valued at $565 by TPG, which isn’t bad for a card that comes with a free annual fee for the first year.
Except for the bonus, United Explorer cardholders will receive an impressive array of benefits, including a free first checked bag and priority check-in. They will also receive two complimentary United Club passes per year, a 25 percent discount on in-flight purchases (including Wi-Fi, food, and beverages), access to additional award space, and lower-priced award flights.
With $24,000 in yearly spending on the card (500 points for each of the first $12,000 in annual expenditure), you may also earn up to 1,000 elite Premier qualifying points, which can be used to upgrade your status to elite Premier. If obtaining United elite status in 2022 is something you want to do, this mid-tier card may be able to assist you in doing so without incurring a high annual fee.
United Gateway Card
Spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of your account’s existence and you’ll receive 20,000 extra miles as a welcome bonus.
The annual fee for the card is $0.
Earn 2 miles every dollar spent on United purchases, petrol, local transportation, and commuting, and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases and transactions.
Is It Worth It?
Because it has no annual charge, the United Gateway credit card is the most affordable option to get started with the United MileagePlus program. However, it might still be beneficial to those who are just getting started. You’ll also receive a 25 percent discount on in-flight United purchases, as well as up to $6,000 in trip cancellation and interruption insurance (up to $1,500 per person) if your trip is cancelled or cut short due to covered circumstances such as illness or accident.
For those who anticipate on travelling with United more than once a year, the other United credit card alternatives are likely to offer a better value for your money. The United Gateway, on the other hand, is an excellent choice for first-time cardholders seeking for their first cobranded airline card. The sign-up bonus is minimal (according to TPG’s assessments, it is worth $226), but it is similar to other no-annual-fee credit cards.
Planning Ahead With United Miles
If you’re planning a spectacular redemption in 2022, United is an excellent airline with which to accumulate points. It’s also a Chase transfer partner, which means you may earn United miles by using a variety of other credit cards. Furthermore, because the airline is a part of the Star Alliance, you will have even more possibilities for redeeming points across a wider range of carriers, including Lufthansa, Air New Zealand, and Singapore Airlines.
While United has a dynamic reward chart that might make it difficult to find good redemption discounts on specific awards, the airline does provide some valuable advantages to frequent flyers who remain loyal to the airline. United has made significant improvements to its award sales in recent years, which can result in good redemption choices starting as low as a few thousand miles per ticket, occasionally as low as a few thousand miles. Apart from that, United provides other incentives like as the United Excursionist Perk and the fact that United does not charge fuel fees on award tickets (which can easily save you hundreds of dollars).