If you take a look at My Wallet there is one card in there that doesn’t exactly make sense. The card that just doesn’t seem to fit is the United MileagePlus Explorer card from Chase. I say this because if you’ve read much of this blog you realize that I almost never fly United. I have nothing against United, but when I started flying More often years ago I picked American and never looked back.
Even though I don’t fly with United, I’ve long believed that the United MileagePlus Explorer card is a good card to have. To me, it’s one of the few cards that I think is worth keeping open in perpetuity. I say this because, all other benefits aside, the card comes with two Untied Club passes annually. United sells day passes for $59 each which means you’re getting at least $118 of value from the card each year. Considering the card comes with a $95 annual fee, you’re coming out ahead each year from this benefit alone.
The card also currently comes with a few other benefits such as Priority Boarding and Free First Checked Bag which makes this card appealing to those without United elite status (such as myself). It’s those benefits, plus the club passes, that make the card worth keeping.
Well, the other day I received a piece of mail which informed me that the card is getting even more lucrative. Effective 6/1/18 the United MileagePlus Explorer card will come with a few additional benefits which only further help me justify the $95 annual fee.
United Introduces Improved MileagePlus Explorer Card Benefits
When I checked my mail I found just another standard credit card mailer. Although I suspect most people throw these away instantly, I always open them to see what they have to say. After all, you never know when you’re going to read about something you otherwise didn’t know.
From the front of the envelope it wasn’t exactly clear what would be inside. For all I knew Chase was adjusting my APR or making some minor changes to the cardholder agreement. However, when I opened the envelope I discovered that my sockdrawer United MileagePlus Explorer card was about to get a little more rewarding.
Upon opening the envelope I found the above documents. The page on the left thanked me for my loyalty and explained how United was excited to introduce a few changes to my credit card. This page went on to explain that only the benefits of the card are changing. I can continue to not use my card as I have been and my account number, credit line, interest rate, and payment due date won’t change.
After reading the first page I was intrigued, so I turned the page and found another flyer which fully depicted the changes to the card that would become effective on 6/1/18.
United MileagePlus Explorer Card Benefit Changes
The second page of the mailer provided a handy chart of exactly what changes were coming to the existing MileagePlus Explorer credit card.
At first glance the updated benefits are mostly positive. Chase and United are adding the following:
- 2X United miles per $1 spent at restaurants
- 2X United miles per $1 spent on hotel accommodations (when purchased directly with the hotel)
- 25% back (in the form of a statement credit) on eligible in-flight purchases
- TSA PreCheck / Global Entry fee credit – up to $100 (reimbursable every 4 years)
While those changes are positive, there are also a few benefits that the card is losing. Current card holders can say goodbye to the following benefits:
- 10,000 bonus miles after spending $25,000 each year
- Price Protection and Return Protection are no longer available
- Trip Cancelation/Interruption Insurance benefit is being reduced significantly
What Do I Make Of These Changes?
Overall, I’m mostly unaffected by these changes. This card is not a daily driver for me. It’s a card that I keep open because of the Untied Club Passes, Priority Boarding, Free Checked Bag, and improved Award Flight Availability. I wouldn’t use this card a restaurants or hotels so earning an extra point on that spend doesn’t really matter to me. Likewise, I rarely fly United so I don’t see much value in the 25% rebate on in-flight purchases.
While I don’t exactly care about the 2X points categories, I do appreciate carrying another card that pays for TSA PreCheck / Global Entry. Although I already have PreCheck I always enjoy paying for a friend’s application with an eligible credit. After all, why make them pay for something that I essentially get for free. Also, as with other Chase cards, that credit reloads ever 4 years while other cards reload every 5.
With that, I’m sure there are several people who are more affected by these changes. People who use this card as their primary card should get a lot of additional value from the expanded 2X points categories. Additionally, those who fly United often probably won’t hate saving 25% on in-flight WiFi and/or drinks.
However, those who use this card often are also impacted quite negatively. The loss of price/return protection, reduction in trip insurance, and loss of 10,000 bonus miles is pretty significant and worth paying attention to.
Final Thoughts
Overall, these changes are essentially a non-event for me. Existing card holders are getting slightly better points earning opportunities and losing a few other rarely used benefits. These changes are definitely not significant enough to justify opening the card or closing it for that matter.
If you are considering opening the card, please hold off until chase and United re-introduce the lucrative 70,000 point sign-up bonus seen earlier in the year.
