United Airlines frequent flyers will see sweeping changes to the carrier’s co-branded MileagePlus credit cards starting in 2025, as United and Chase roll out richer travel credits, status-boosting perks and award discounts across the refreshed lineup while also lifting annual fees on several popular cards.
New United MileagePlus Card Lineup Rolls Out
Chase and United Airlines have introduced what they describe as a “brand-new” United family of cards, a refresh that significantly reshapes how MileagePlus members can earn and redeem rewards when they pay for travel and everyday purchases. The changes, which began taking effect in March 2025, apply to both new and existing cardholders and touch nearly every major consumer MileagePlus card, from the no-fee United Gateway Card to the premium United Club products.
At the center of the overhaul is a push to bundle more usable, clearly defined value into each card. United and Chase now highlight total annual value estimates that run from more than 800 dollars on the mid-tier United Explorer Card to around 2,000 dollars on the top-end United Club cards, assuming cardholders fully tap into the expanded credits, discounts and travel benefits.
The trade-off for that higher advertised value is a step up in annual fees on several cards. United and Chase are betting that frequent flyers who concentrate their travel with the airline will be willing to pay more each year if they receive a mix of statement credits, status boosts and award discounts that can be used on trips they were already planning to take.
For United loyalists, the new structure marks one of the most significant updates to the MileagePlus card ecosystem in years, integrating card spending more tightly with elite status qualification and offering new ways to reduce the cost of award travel to more than 360 destinations worldwide.
Higher Fees, Bigger Credits for the Explorer Card
The United Explorer Card, a popular entry point for many MileagePlus members, is seeing some of the most visible changes. The annual fee is rising from 95 dollars to 150 dollars, though it remains waived for the first year for new applicants. Existing cardholders keep their current fee until their renewal date on or after January 1, 2026, but gain access to the new set of benefits earlier, giving them extra time to decide whether the higher fee aligns with their travel plans.
In exchange, Explorer cardmembers receive a suite of new credits aimed at offsetting the increased cost. Flyers can now earn a 100 dollar United travel credit after meeting annual spending thresholds, along with up to 100 dollars in statement credits on prepaid hotel bookings made through United Hotels and up to 50 dollars each year in TravelBank credits tied to car rentals with Avis or Budget. A new rideshare credit of up to 60 dollars per year adds value for travelers heading to and from the airport.
Explorer also gains a 10,000-mile discount on award flights when cardmembers hit qualifying spend levels in a calendar year. For frequent United flyers who book multiple award tickets annually, that recurring discount has the potential to rival or exceed the card’s membership fee on its own, especially on long-haul itineraries where award prices can be substantial.
Core benefits that helped make Explorer a mainstay in many travelers’ wallets remain in place. Cardholders still receive two United Club passes each year, priority boarding, and a free first checked bag for themselves and one companion on the same reservation when tickets are purchased with the card, as well as a credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS every four years.
Quest Card Targets Status Seekers and Comfort Upgrades
Positioned above Explorer, the United Quest Card has been recast as a tool for flyers who want a more comfortable, benefits-rich experience and a faster route to MileagePlus Premier status. With an annual fee of 350 dollars and an estimated value of more than 1,000 dollars a year, the card now leans heavily on annual credits and status-related perks.
Among the headline additions is a 200 dollar annual United travel credit, issued in TravelBank cash that can be applied to flights or other eligible United purchases. Quest cardmembers also receive expanded rideshare credits, with up to 100 dollars in statement credits each year for qualifying trips, plus increased United travel credits tied to car rentals through Avis and Budget.
For frequent flyers chasing status, the Quest Card offers a jumpstart on Premier qualification. Starting in 2026, cardmembers earn 1,000 bonus Premier qualifying points each program year simply for holding the card, and they can accumulate additional PQPs through spending at a rate of 1 PQP per 20 dollars, up to a higher annual cap than before. Heavy spenders can now generate enough PQPs through card use to reach Premier Platinum, one of United’s more meaningful elite tiers for upgrades and fee waivers.
Comfort in the cabin also receives a boost. The refreshed Quest Card grants two global Economy Plus upgrade certificates, giving cardmembers the option to move into extra-legroom seating on eligible flights. Combined with the card’s 10,000-mile award flight discount and enhanced hotel and Instacart credits, the new structure is designed to appeal to travelers who value both on-board comfort and ongoing savings on recurring travel costs.
Premium United Club Cards Add Value and Status Earning Power
At the top of the portfolio, the United Club cards are being repositioned as high-value tools for frequent international travelers and road warriors who spend substantial time in airports. The headline figure is an estimated total annual value that can reach about 2,000 dollars, though that assumes full use of the cards’ many credits and benefits.
The annual fee on the primary United Club Card is rising sharply, landing in the upper tier of airline credit card pricing. In return, cardmembers continue to receive full United Club membership and access to Star Alliance lounges, along with new annual award flight discounts that can total up to 20,000 miles when spending requirements are met. For flyers regularly redeeming for long-haul premium-cabin awards, those discounts can be especially lucrative.
New or expanded credits on the Club cards cover several categories. Cardmembers can earn higher annual credits on prepaid hotel stays booked through partner portals, increased rideshare credits with monthly statement allotments, and more generous TravelBank credits for car rentals with Avis and Budget. Additional credits are available for charter flight bookings through select partners, and a complimentary Instacart+ membership is paired with hundreds of dollars in grocery delivery credits through 2027, reflecting a broader trend across the premium card market.
Perhaps most notable for frequent flyers is the enhanced path to elite status. The United Club Card now earns PQPs more quickly than other cards, at a rate of 1 PQP per 15 dollars of spending, and the annual maximum has nearly doubled compared with previous years. Starting in 2026, cardmembers can capture up to 1,500 PQPs automatically each year, then add to that total through ongoing spend, making it possible to earn Premier 1K status primarily through a combination of flying and card use.
No-Fee Gateway Card Gains Checked Bags and Award Savings
While much of the attention has focused on rising fees at the mid and premium levels, United and Chase have also adjusted the no-annual-fee United Gateway Card to make it more appealing to cost-conscious travelers who still want a direct connection to MileagePlus. The entry-level card is retaining its zero-dollar annual fee but now offers targeted travel benefits that previously were reserved for higher tiers.
The most notable addition is a checked-bag benefit, a perk rarely found on no-fee airline credit cards. Gateway cardmembers can now earn two free checked bags each year after meeting specific spending thresholds. While the benefit is capped and not as expansive as the unlimited first checked bag perk offered on Explorer and higher cards, it can meaningfully reduce out-of-pocket costs for occasional travelers who still check luggage on one or two trips annually.
Gateway also picks up new ways to save on award bookings. Cardmembers can qualify for discounts on certain award flights, effectively reducing the number of miles needed for select itineraries. Combined with miles that never expire and no blackout dates on United-operated award tickets, the card aims to provide a modest but tangible edge for casual United flyers who are not ready to commit to an annual fee.
United and Chase are positioning Gateway as a starter option within the refreshed portfolio, giving new MileagePlus members a way to begin earning rewards and experience some core travel perks before potentially graduating to Explorer, Quest or Club products as their flying patterns evolve.
A Growing Web of Travel, Rideshare and Delivery Credits
Across the United MileagePlus card family, the 2025 refresh leans heavily into a pattern seen across the credit card industry: larger menus of narrowly targeted statement credits in categories like rideshare, hotel bookings and grocery delivery. Instead of a single broad travel credit, United cards now feature multiple smaller credits that must be used with specific partners or booking channels.
Explorer cardmembers, for example, can earn rideshare credits of up to 60 dollars per year, while Quest cardholders receive up to 100 dollars and Club cardmembers up to 150 dollars, often delivered as monthly statement credits that encourage regular use. Similar tiered structures apply to hotel credits booked through United or cooperating travel portals, with caps increasing in lockstep with annual fees.
United has also partnered with Instacart to add grocery delivery benefits across several cards. Explorer, Quest and Club products now include complimentary trial or full Instacart+ memberships and annual Instacart credits that can range from roughly 120 dollars on mid-tier cards to around 240 dollars on the top premium products. These partnerships align United’s card portfolio with shifting consumer habits, recognizing that many travelers rely on delivery services both before and after trips.
For cardholders, the proliferation of credits increases potential savings but also adds complexity. Maximizing value now requires tracking monthly and annual credit buckets, remembering to book hotels and rental cars through designated platforms, and timing purchases to align with credit reset dates. For frequent flyers already embedded in United’s ecosystem, that effort may be worthwhile, but occasional travelers may find it more difficult to extract the full advertised value.
Faster Paths to Premier Status Through Card Spending
Beyond direct travel savings, the refreshed MileagePlus card benefits deepen the link between card spending and elite status, a key concern for United’s most loyal customers. In parallel with higher Premier qualification requirements for 2025 and beyond, the airline and Chase have substantially increased the number of PQPs that can be earned through co-branded cards.
Most consumer MileagePlus cards now earn 1 PQP for every 20 dollars in net purchases, with the top-tier United Club Card offering a more favorable rate of 1 PQP per 15 dollars. At the same time, annual PQP caps have roughly doubled on several products, allowing heavy spenders to generate a meaningful portion of their status qualification through card use rather than flights alone.
The Quest and Club cards also add annual PQP bonuses beginning in 2026, providing automatic status progress at the start of each program year. That structure is designed to keep the cards “sticky” in cardmembers’ wallets, rewarding ongoing loyalty to United even during periods when flyers may temporarily travel less but continue to put everyday purchases on their MileagePlus card.
For United, the strategy may help manage the growing ranks of elite members by encouraging deeper engagement from passengers willing to concentrate both their flying and card spending with the airline. For MileagePlus members, the key question will be whether the expanded PQP earning potential is enough to justify higher fees and the effort required to unlock the full slate of benefits.
What the Changes Mean for Frequent United Flyers
For travelers who regularly fly United and are comfortable organizing their spending around a single airline, the new MileagePlus card benefits present a chance to extract more value from both trips and daily purchases. Richer travel credits, bigger award discounts and faster status earning all tilt in favor of cardmembers who already plan several United trips each year and routinely check bags, book hotels and rent cars.
Mid-tier travelers may find the Explorer or Quest cards especially appealing, as those products balance rising annual fees with a mix of lounge access, baggage fee savings, travel credits and status-boosting perks. The no-fee Gateway card offers a light introduction to the program, while the premium Club cards aim squarely at business travelers and long-haul flyers who place a premium on airport lounges and top-tier status benefits.
However, the refreshed structure also underscores a growing divide between frequent and occasional flyers. Many of the richest perks require specific spending thresholds or regular use of partner services, and cardholders who do not travel often or prefer greater flexibility may find it challenging to use every credit before it expires. For some, a more general-purpose travel rewards card could still offer better overall value.
As the new benefits and higher annual fees phase in for existing cardmembers through 2025 and into early 2026, United flyers will have time to assess how the refreshed MileagePlus cards fit their own travel habits. For those deeply invested in the airline’s network and loyalty program, the new lineup promises more ways than ever to turn card spending into real-world travel advantages.