Please be advised that this site includes affiliate links that pay commission and referral links that provide other forms of benefits such miles or points. Should you apply for a credit card and get approved through the links that were provided by this website, it is understood that some form of compensation will be made to the website owner. You can read the full advertiser disclosure here. All information related to credit cards has been collected independently by MileMoa.com and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuers of credit cards discussed here. While the offers mentioned below are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
Updated 06.05.2023
As of June 1, United airline mileage redemptions went up significantly. I've summarized them in the article below, so you might want to check it out.
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Updated 08.20.2022
The current offer for the Personal Card is 50,000 miles. Make no mistake.
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Updated 04.19.2022
There's been a post on the message boards that there are signs that something is about to change with United Airlines' dynamic pricing. It sounds like mileage redemptions may be going up, so it's worth a read if you have time.
https://www.milemoa.com/bbs/board/9235930
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You've been waiting for the United personal card deal to pop up, right?
The 70,000-mile offer, arguably our best offer ever, started today.
In today's post, we've summarized the pros and cons of this offer.
Table of Contents
1. Card offer basics
Let's start with the basics of card offers.
1) Sign-up bonus up to 70,000 miles
First up is the all-important signup bonus of up to 70,000 miles.
- If you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months of card issuance, you'll get 60,000 miles first.
- If you spend an additional $3,000 within 6 months, counting from the time the card was issued, you'll get an additional 10,000 miles.
That is, 70,000 miles for $6,000 in total spendfor example.
We'd love for you to be able to set it and forget it within the first three months, but if that's not possible for you, I think it's important to remember that you must make the first $3,000 within the first three months.
2) Annual fee waived for the first year
The card has a waived annual fee for the first year. Starting in the second year, it's $95.
3) Two (2) one-time United Club lounge access passes
If you're approved for the card, you'll receive two one-time access passes to United Club lounges.
It used to come in the mail, but now it automatically shows up in your United account. Card wins are credited to the year they are earned. Immediately upon approval You'll receive two, and then two more at each annual renewal.
4) Up to $100 credit toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck application (once every 4 years)
It's a perk that comes with just about every card with an annual fee these days, right?
When you apply for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus and pay the application fee with this card, you'll get up to $100 back in credit.
| United℠ Explorer Card | |
|---|---|
| Basic features | 50,000 miles after 3 months of $3000 spend. |
| Annual fee | No annual fee for the first year ($95 starting in the second year) |
| Shortcuts | English card information page (available at the linked affiliate site) |
2. Mage Corps Essentials
In addition to the above benefits, there are many additional benefits, such as primary rental car collision damage waiver, trip delay reimbursement, and more.
However, the card itself isn't exactly a blowout, as it's pretty much everything you'd expect from a card with a $100 annual fee.
What makes this card a must-have for the Magic Circle is that it gives you access to an extra mileage seat called XN This is because
Before I explain the usefulness of XN, I think I should start by explaining the concept of booking class / fare class.
Booking class / fare classEven for the same economy ticket, there are huge price differences depending on the validity period, changeability, etc. and these differences are usually labeled with alphabets. That is, Y is full-fare economy, B is flexible economy, and so on. It also depends on the airline, and sometimes the lowest booking classes don't earn miles. Unless it's a low-cost airline, once you're in the cabin, you're in the same cabin (although this is starting to change, especially with US airlines, and you may have to pay for carry-on luggage if you buy a cheap ticket).
You get the idea.
When you get on the plane, it's the same economy seat, but it's priced differently based on the terms of purchase, and the prices are labeled with alphabets: booking class, fare class.
In the real world, airlines assign separate fare class codes to mileage seats.
For United Airlines,
- The default fare class for Business Mile seats is I
- The default fare class for an Economy Mile seat is X
- And United is giving the code XN to economy extra mileage seats that only elite members have access to.
To make an analogy, XN is like a convenience store owner who sells Pokémon buns and saves a few to give away to his regulars. This should be enough to understand.
But luckily, if you're a United partner cardholder, you have access to the XN fare class.
Having access to this XN fare literally makes a huge difference.
Here's an example.
June 25, San Fran-Incheon UA 893, nonstop, family of 3 is about to board.
Having a UA card gives you access to XN seats, so you can ticket for 3.5k miles per person.
See the phrase "Exclusively available to you as a MileagePlus Cardmember"?
In this case, 3 tickets = 10.5k miles.
However, if you don't have a card, you won't be able to access X. On this day, X seats are sold out and only YN is available, which is the normal fare.
So in this case, we need 80,000 miles per person, and 3 people = 240,000 miles.
It's the exact same flight, the exact same seat. That's a difference of 13.5k miles between having a card and not having a card.
Because,
- If your family is traveling to Korea during peak season, a United partner card is still a must-have.
- This is especially true if you've been focusing on Chase UR points to earn miles.
You know that United is also free to do third-party ticketing, right?
There's no requirement that you have to be the one traveling to take advantage of the XN benefits - you just need to ticket from the main cardholder's mileage account, so I think this could be useful if it's just your family traveling.
3. Precautions
There are a few caveats to this offer as well.
1) XN takes 1-2 weeks to become visible
First of all, you won't see the XN spot as soon as you get your card, it takes 1-2 weeks.
That's why if you're looking into ticketing this summer, you'd better hurry.
2) Will XN functionality ever be removed?
According to the terms, Chase and United can end this offer at any time. However, since it's been around for nearly a decade, my personal guess is that it will continue, but it's worth remembering as a disclaimer anyway.
3) The UA card is a Chase-issued card, so you'll need to be careful on 5/24.
This card is a Chase-issued card, so it counts 5/24 when you apply for the card, and because it's a personal card, it counts 5/24 after you're approved.
In other words, it's a YY card when it comes to 5/24.
So if you're not over 5/24 yet, but you're 4/24 and you can only afford one card, you might want to think about whether this is the best card for you, or if there are other cards that might be better.
4) You've received the same card in the past
For those who have received this card in the past, it is our understanding that if you do not currently have this same card, you can apply for a new card and earn the sign-up bonus as long as it has been 24 months since you received the sign-up bonus.
The important thing is that it's 24 months from when the card was issued, not 24 months from when you received the sign-up bonus.
I think it's important to remember this.
Let's wrap up today's post.
It's not easy to get a mileage chart to South Korea these days.
Of all the airlines, United has the most seats for miles, and it also has the most No fuel surcharges. It's the better of the two.
Having a UA card is a great way to maximize the many benefits of UA miles, so if you're thinking about UA ticketing, this is a great opportunity to give it serious consideration.
If you already have a UA Explorer card, you may be eligible for a sign-up bonus when you sign up for another type of card.
| United Card | |
|---|---|
| Basic features | Cardholders have access to XN fare classes, making it relatively easy to secure a seat when redeeming United miles |
| Business cards | United℠ Business Credit Card Currently running a limited-time offer for 100,000 miles |
| Personal cards | United℠ Explorer Card |
| Personal cards | United Quest℠ Card |
| Personal cards | United Club℠ Infinite Card |
English 
Korean
214 Comments. Leave new
I've been waiting for the @unitedunited offer, thanks for the quick info🙏.
Good luck.
I created a personal card in May last year.
Can I do business with you? I'm worried about being a jerk;;;
Business has an ink sister
If you already have the ink, I don't think you'll have any problems getting it approved, but I can't predict approval, so please understand that.
Is there any chance that this card could be issued to someone who doesn't have a credit score yet (has one Amex) when they apply?
Do you have an Amex card as your primary cardholder? If you have a social number, I think you could give it a shot, but of course you won't know if you're approved until you apply for the card.
Thanks for the great information as always!
Does this mean that you can get Globalist just by spending on the Business Hyatt card? If it's 5 nights for $10k, does that mean I need to spend $120k to hit 60 nights to get to globalist tier?
And if I achieve it at the beginning of the year, will I be able to use the globalist benefits for the rest of the year and the following year?
I apologize for asking so many questions.
1. That's right. If you're a big spender, you'll be able to achieve the Global List with just your card spend.
2. the timing of the achievement is of course best at the beginning of the year. For example, if you achieve it now, your globalist will be valid until February 2024, because as you said, it will be valid for the rest of the year + the next year + the next February after that.
Thank you so much for your answer, it makes perfect sense, have a good night!
We're glad you found this helpful.
Oh, and one more question, if I apply for this card now,...will I get the nights for my spends...on the calendar once I'm done with my spends?
So when you move on to next year, you're back to square one with all those nights, right?
QN 60 nights for globalists is reset at the turn of the year.
However, I understand that you get 5 nights QN when you spend $10,000 on the card.
For example, if you spend $10,000 on November 30 and get 5 nights, then spend $8,000 in December and get 5 nights.
If you spend $2,000 the following January, you'll get 5 nights when your January statement comes out.
The new 5 nights will be QNs that you earn in the new reset year. Hope this helps.
Dallaschoi !
I understood correctly ^^ Thank you for your detailed answer.
Thank you. I got United Mermaid from your link.
Congrats on the mermaid and thanks for the link.
Thank you.
I received a mermaid (approval email about 10 seconds after the pending message popped up) from the link you gave me earlier.
Congratulations on the approval and thanks for using the link.
Thank you.
I applied yesterday with your link and was frustrated when I got it,
Surprise approval by email this morning!!! Have a great day~ 🙂 Thank you!
Congratulations on your approval. Thank you for using the link as well.
Wow... I've been thinking about whether or not to apply for this card for a week while looking at your old posts, and I did it this morning, so the timing was perfect 😵 I could have gotten in trouble for doing it early!!! Thanks for always providing good information quickly!
You're in luck, congratulations.
Hello~!
I wanted to open the right card, so I was doing some research.
Can I redeem 2 UNITED lounge passes on Asiana?
I don't know much about it, so this may be a very ignorant question.
My husband has 2 Asiana tickets and we are a family of 4.
Thank you~!
I understand that for a one-time pass, you can only use it in United lounges.
Okay, now that I think about it, I guess I should since I'll be ticketing united.
Thank you for answering my ignorant questions~!
I'm considering getting this card because I live in an area where I don't fly United much.
I have about 300,000 URs, and I'm thinking of sending them to UA to ticket a family trip to Europe.
Is the European side ( UK, Spain, Rome ) XN deduction also good? Thank you.
If you have a date in mind, I'll do a search and see what I can find.
I randomly looked at Newark-Barcelona on 6/5 and it shows a one-way for 30,000 miles with the card, but 41,700 miles without. It's not the same extreme difference as Korea, but it's a difference nonetheless.
It's currently 4/24, but I don't have an airline-related card! Is it a good option to run a card?! I'm worried because I plan to go for about 2 months a month soon, and I'm planning to go there, but I mainly use an American card... I looked it up, and it looks like there is no foreign transaction fee, but I'm not sure whether to make it when I come back at the end of June or now.
If you don't already have a spending card, I think it's okay to create one now for use in Korea, but you'll have to make the final decision.
hello..
I've been eyeing this for a while, and I'm posting because I'm curious.
I only visit Korea once every three to four years and don't travel abroad that much.
However, I love traveling with my family every year, so I spend at least 5 days in hotels in the US.
Which of these cards is right for me?
Is the Hyatt Hotel Personal Card ending on April 11 still good?
And I'm wondering, I'm going to Korea this time and I'm going to spend quite a bit of money, so I'm thinking of applying for a card, but what cards do you have that have no fees for overseas spending?
The cards I have now are a Chase card that's over 3 years old, an Amex card that's over a year old, and an IHG card.
Sorry for the dumb question.
And thank you...
1. if you're a frequent hotel guest, the Hyatt Business Card is fine, or you can use the new IHG Business CardI, Chase Bonvoy Boundless Cardis fine.
I think it really comes down to which hotel chain is best suited to your destination and travel patterns. Hyatt doesn't have a lot of hotels, but they have a lot of high-end properties. Bonvoy is dominated by its own hotels. This is especially true in Korea.
The IHG Business card is also on promotion, and the Chase Personal Bonvoy Boundless card is also on promotion, so I don't think you'll go wrong with either card.
2. In terms of foreign transaction fees, I think it's safe to say that almost all of the cards with annual fees these days don't have foreign transaction fees over 90%. Of course, there may be exceptions for each card, so it's worth checking the fee details of your Chase and Amex cards.
Thanks for the great article! Do you think XN will work for Asiana tickets with UA points? I'm worried because I've heard so much about United being bad.
XN is an offer that only applies to United Airlines flights. It is not available on partner airlines such as Asiana.
I'm thinking of traveling from Chicago to Calgary, Canada in August and UA seems to be the cheapest for a non-stop flight. I don't have a UA card and was wondering how much is the difference between the basic pair and the xn pair.
Let me know your preferred date and I'll do a search to see if it makes a difference.
I'm looking for a flight ticket from Pilona Newark to Cancun in early December and I'm thinking about applying for the card because united airlines has it. Is this xn? benefit only for regular Economy? Is premium Economy the same value as xn? Actually, I don't know the difference between the two, but somehow I feel like I shouldn't buy basic Economy.
1. Basic Economy is the same seat as Economy, but with different benefits such as carry-on baggage, seat assignment, etc.
United Premium Plus, which is called Premium Economy on other airlines, is a different seat altogether. It's not quite business, but the seats are a bit wider and you have more freedom to move around in the back of the chair.
http://view.ceros.com/united/premiumplus/p/1
2. It is my understanding that XN is only for regular economy mile seats.
Can I use UA miles to purchase Economy Smartiums on an Asiana (OZ) Economy ticket? (Asiana's website says no, not for codeshare customers, and that ticket holders with tickets from other airlines can only purchase on-site at the airport for flights within 48 hours of boarding).
If you booked with UA miles, you would be a "ticket holder on a ticket issued by another airline" as you wrote, so I'm guessing you'd have to buy on-site at the airport.
Thanks for the great article.
Also, I have UA-CHASE now, but it's been 4 years since I got the welcome bonus, so I'm thinking of churning it for the first time in a long time, but shouldn't I show the same card within a month like Saf or Sari?
And if I'm going to Korea and I want to use the card, will my spending still be credited if I use it in Korea?
1. I understand that the amount spent in Korea is also counted as spending.
2. Mr. Borcher gave a very detailed answer, so be sure to check it out.
https://www.milemoa.com/bbs/board/9216224
I have an IAD-SAN 11/11 card and I don't have it, can I have the miles deducted?? I'm really torn on whether to make it or not.
I searched IAD-SAN for 2 people and it doesn't seem to make a difference for non-stop flights, but for one change there are itineraries available for 12,500 if you have a credit card, see the image below.
https://www.milemoa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IAD-SAN-X.jpg
https://www.milemoa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IAD-SAN-XN.jpg
I have both a personal and a business Chase credit card. Should I apply for the personal or business card first? I am currently a sole proprietor, but I am preparing to form a corporation in the next month or so.
I'm asking about the United card...
Chase has a "second card you apply for in 30 days is a business card, reject" rule, which means that if you've already opened one Chase card [personal or business] within 30 days, the next business card you apply for will be rejected.
So if you want to create both a personal and a business card, you'll probably want to create a business card first.
https://www.milemoa.com/faq-chase-524/
Thank you for your response
https://www.milemoa.com/credit/united-business/
I'm going to go in here and apply through the site. I'm going to apply for business first.
Thank you!
I was approved for the Business United Card today, thank you.
Congratulations on the approval and thanks for the link.
ㅎㅎ 지난달에 마모님 링크크로 5만일때 신청해서 스팬딩 중 있는데... 20일차로 이런...
I did learn from Mamo in another post though xn and opened it... Thanks as always.. 🙂 .
I need to open my Hyatt Biz Card 11 days in advance, thanks for the reminder
I see, Chase used to offer bonus matching, so I think it's worth sending them a secure message to see if they're willing to take the low-hanging fruit.
I'm currently collecting LifeMiles with Citi, but if I get this United card... won't they be combined with LifeMiles? Sorry for the ignorant question, I'm so new at this...
I'm saving up for a trip to Korea this winter or next summer with LifeMiles, so it doesn't make sense to use this United to cover any shortfall in points, right? Just a question.... ㅜ
You can transfer transferable points to partner airlines, but you can't combine miles once they've been transferred to an airline.
I guess you could combine them in a way where you'd have one ticket with Life Miles and one with United.
Does Xn mean I'm not eligible for a Business seat? Economy
I wonder if it's an onee
Answer. My understanding is that XN is only available on United flights, in economy.
I got the UA Biz card a month ago, and I'm applying for the personal card (closed 3 years ago), shouldn't there be a problem with getting the bonus since they are two different products?
I understand there's no problem.
I know it's hard to make a simple comparison, but do you think the united 70k offer vs the sapphire 80k offer looks better? I'm currently 4/24 and looking to get a chase card, so I'm really hoping for the sapphire deal, but the united deal looks good..lol Thanks!
Ahhh... That's a tough one, because Sharp has the advantage of being able to transfer to Hyatt, so I have the option to utilize points, and the United card has XN access, but the downside is that the miles are tied to UA.
Business card If you can, get a United business card and make it a Sharp personal, which is probably the best way to go.
Sapphire is a little better... I can't make a business card, so I'll have to wait a little longer for the Sapphire deal... Thanks for the answer!
You've received a Linktigo mermaid.
I created Aeroplan last month, so I thought maybe it wouldn't work, but luckily it did.
Thanks for the great card introduction.
Congrats on the mermaid and thanks for the link.
Thank you for the good information^^.
I got it from the link you shared.
Congrats on the mermaid and thanks for the link.
Hi MileMom. Thanks to you, I managed to get 4 cards (Discover, Amex Hilton, Chase Sapphire, Chase IHG) as soon as I got my SSN in the second half of last year, so I was able to manage my credit well. So I have 1 card left until Chase 5/24, yay!!! Can you please tell me whether it's better to apply for Aeroplan or this card? (I applied for Sapphire after 4 months in the US, and I already applied for 4 cards, so I don't know if I'll be approved again... but I'll give it a try)
If my goal is to fly economy to Korea or Europe, I'd go with the United card. If my goal is to fly business to Europe or Korea, I'd go with the Aeroplan card, using the upgrade to Aeroplan elite status within a year of card issuance.
I'd like to apply for the Aeroplan card for business travel when I go to visit my parents in Korea this summer or this winter, but I'm really worried because a lot of people on this board (and others) say that you should have at least one United card.
I'm dying to get rid of my Asiana card and get an airline card.
On the other hand, I had a plan to make a sharp and convert the points on my Freedom to book a United Airlines ticket...so what's better?
United Card vs Sharp What do you recommend?
I had a similar question above and answered it.
For Sharp, it's a plus that I can transfer to Hyatt, so I have the option to use my points, and for United, it's a plus that I have XN access, but the downside is that my miles are tied to UA.
So if you have a business card, I think it would be best to make the United card a business version and the Sharp personal if you can.
I guess there's no downside to Sharp lol
Thank you for your response
The only downside to the Sharp is that you don't get access to United's XN fares, but that's solved by getting a UA business card.
I tried to create a new card, but there seems to be no NONSTOP for LAX-ICN flights... lol
There is only one nonstop United flight, San Fran-Incheon, and you can fly Asiana LAX-ICN nonstop with United miles, but in this case, having the card doesn't mean you get more seats or one.
However, the fuel surcharges on Asiana flights with Asiana miles are exorbitant these days, and the upside of using United miles is that there are no fuel surcharges. I'd say that's a savings of $300-400 per person roundtrip.
Stay well informed
This time, I opened it with the United Card Mamaw link.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for using the link.
I applied & got the P2 from your link! Thank you~ I'm thinking of getting one as I have some spending money, but is it okay to get two cards? I don't have any other airline cards at the moment.
Thanks for the link. I don't see a problem with that since different applicants are creating their own cards anyway.
I've had this card for 3 years, do I have to cancel it and wait 24 months to be reapproved again?
No, it says that you can get the sign-up bonus if 24 months have passed since you received the sign-up bonus and you don't currently have the same card. If you've had the card for 3 years, I'm guessing 24 months has passed, and if so, you can apply for the sign-up bonus about a week after you product change to another card, or 3-4 weeks if you cancel.
I was issued in December 2019 and canceled my card in December 2020, but I received the sign-up bonus in January 2020. Can I get the bonus churning now?
In terms of time, this shouldn't be a problem.
Currently, I don't have any chase credit cards and I have Amex hilton and Amex gold AU with a credit limit of 5,000 and a credit score of 710. I went to the link you provided and applied for the United card, but I was not approved right away and it says in review. Is it because I don't have any chase credit card history... Will I be rejected? Please advise.
It's best to be patient, sometimes it can take a day or two to get approved.
I'm in a similar situation and was wondering if you were eventually approved.
Thanks for the great information as always^^.
This time I opened it with the United card momma's link and got mermaided lol
Congrats on the mermaid and thanks for the link.
Ex In review...ㅠㅠ
I got a missed call, and they said they needed more information, so I checked and was approved.
I already have a Saf, but I came to Korea for a while, so I put my google voice number in the application, but I wonder if there was an issue. When I proceeded by phone, I also needed an authentication code, so when I told the number, I couldn't send the authentication code. Fortunately, it was wifi-calling, so I was able to receive it with that, so it was approved right away. I think I should proceed with the carrier's phone number from next time. I leave it for your reference.
Congratulations on the approval and thanks for sharing your story.
I live in Dallas and visit Korea with my family about once a year. I have AA for direct flights, so I usually fly AA a lot, but in this case, is it better to apply for the citi AA card? Or is the united partnership card better? If the united partnership card is better, can you recommend it because there are so many types? I don't know what is good. My last credit card was around May 2021.
1. If you can visit Korea in the off-season from Dallas, AA miles are a great way to get there. I have a Barclays personal and business card, and Citi also has a personal and business card, so even one after the other can add up to quite a few miles.
2. If you say it's a peak season departure rather than off-peak, United might be able to help. However, you'll have to make sure it's at least a one-stop, including a San Fran connection, and that the itinerary isn't great.
3. The best UA card is the Explorer card, which has no annual fee for the first year, but some say it's better to get a business card if you can.
Thank you citi AAI'm going to apply:)
I applied with my Milemoanim link and was approved.
It said I was a review too, but when I called, they asked me what my current mortgage payment was as additional information and approved me.
Congratulations on the approval and thanks for the link.
Thank you so much. I applied for Business Explorer using your link and was told it would take 7-10 days to review, but it was approved right away by email. I just started a small business and applied for the business version of Owna Business, but I can see XN flights on it, right?
It takes 1-2 weeks for your account to be linked, but I know it's possible.
If you see XN in the future, we'd appreciate an update, thank you.
I've been living in a cave for a while and am just now coming out. Thanks for introducing me to some great cards. Mamo is always working hard~! I will use your link soon.
We're glad you found the information helpful.
Thank you. Sari, I only have flats, but I've never had an airline credit card before. I applied using your link!
Thanks for using the link.
Hi, I'm looking to fly LA-Korea this July/August on miles, but it seems like mileage tickets are already hard to come by... Do you think I'll be able to get a seat on XN?
I'm not sure how many people you're looking for, but it looks like there are some Asiana economy seats available for LA-Incheon after mid-July.
Of course, if you're traveling in early to mid-August, it's going to be tough for XN as everyone is trying to get in. I don't think I'll be able to get a seat until after August 20th.
Yes, thanks for the confirmation! Luckily there are still spots available for August with Korean Air miles~!
I applied for the United card with the link above and am waiting for approval.
I booked two people yesterday for LAX -> ICN 38500 miles on July 6, but I'm wondering if there's a better deal on XN? If so, I'll cancel and do it again lol.
For 38,500 miles, I'm guessing you're booking on Asiana, and I can't think of anything better than a direct Asiana flight.
It was the right time for churning, so I used Mamo's link for the first time in a long time and succeeded in churning. I'm defended!
Congratulations on your defense. And thanks for using the link.
The business card is 7.5k miles for $5000 for 3 months, so that's a good deal, right?
The previous offer was a tiered bonus. It was like spend $15,000, get another $7.50, and so on. So I think the current offer is fine if you know you can easily meet the spend.
It's been a long time since I've mermaided with United Business, thank you. I'll try to churn my personal card before the end of the deal, since I got the bonus in 2017 and downgraded to Gateway in July last year.
Congratulations, mermaid.
MamoNam Hello, thank you for your good articles. I got Quest Ina with your link in April last year and used it well for a year. I haven't closed it yet and will close it when the annual fee comes out. If I still have the Quest Guard, can I open this United card and get the signup bonus?
I have one more question.
Is it true that if I close a Chase card (United Sapphire Marriott, etc.) after a year because of the annual fee, I can reopen it 24 months after the signup bonus?
Thank you as always.
1. I know it's possible because they are different cards.
2. United is 24 months from signup and is calculated on a per card basis. Sapphire, however, is considered part of the Sapphire family and is 48 months instead of 24 months. Marriot is more complicated and you also have to consider the relevance of cards issued by Amex.
I've organized the checklist into a flowchart, so you can see We think you'll find this helpful.
Thank you for your response, Mamo. I followed your link.
I'm flying Unite 35K to Korea in the summer, all thanks to you and Milemoa.
Oh, ticketing for 35K is not easy these days, you did well.
Congrats on the mermaid and thanks for the link.
This was the first airline card I ever had. My wife and I got two of them and took our first family trip to New York, so I have a lot of memories, but somehow I just applied for a second one today after 6+ years. I also caught a mermaid that I haven't seen in a long time, and the green checkmark that pops up right after I catch a yellowtail is amazing. I'm going to get another one in a month or so when I can afford to spend more, but hopefully this deal will still be around. Thank you.
Congratulations, mermaid.
I don't know if you can create a personal referral link as soon as you get the card (Chase is a bit slow), but it's worth checking back often and creating a personal link for your wife. Sometimes the official offer goes down, but the referral offer is still valid.
Thanks for the advice. I never thought about writing a personal referral, but now I won't have to. I'll give it a try the next time I have a similar opportunity. I didn't wait to apply because I knew I could use the two spending cards while preparing for my summer trip. I was approved as soon as I finished the application. I'll make sure to save up and use them wisely.
Great job, congratulations on your approval!
I went to your link and applied, but I got the message below.
We'll let you know our decision in writing as soon as we can, and if you're approved, you'll receive your card in 7 to 10 business days.
I need to call and try it. ㅠㅠ
Good luck.
I got an Approval emoji today, thank you.
Congratulations. We have approved your request for a Chase credit card.
You'll receive your new card and welcome kit in the mail in 3 to 5 business days.
Thanks for choosing Chase. We look forward to serving you.
Congratulations.
Under the benefits, it says that the first checked bag is free, so does this mean that I can send 2 + 1 free checked baggage for a total of 3 pieces of luggage, which is usually offered on international flights?
Thank you
Oh, no, it's only if you don't have a free baggage benefit, so for international travel, it's not applicable.
"Cardmembers who are already exempt from other checked baggage service charges will not receive an additional free standard checked bag."
For more information, follow this link.
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/baggage/chasebag.html
I have Quest United, so I can still apply, right?
Yes. I know it's possible. Because United counts each card.
Is it possible to get a Sharp card and a United card at the same time to get the signup bonus?
Or do I have to choose one or the other since they are from the same chase?
Thank you!
You can create both.
However, you can use up to two personal cards within a 30-day period, so it's worth remembering that.
Yes, thank you!
was 1/24 and
After applying on 5/8(Sun) We need to review your request a little longer. We will let you know of our decision as soon as possible. I was worried because the message popped up.
I didn't get an approval email on Monday afternoon, 5/9, but I did get an email with the subject line Paperless enrollment confirmation, so I checked my Chase account and saw that I had an account. Thanks for the information.
Congratulations on your approval.
I mermaided with your link! ㅋ ㅋ
I was just wondering, usually with offers like this, do you get 60k miles for signing up for another card after spending $3000 or do you get 10k more after spending $6000? I'm single so I don't have that much to spend lol.
Congratulations on the approval and thanks for the link.
I know you usually fill it up, but if you don't spend a lot, you might want to consider the opportunity cost of an extra $3,000 to get another card, and maybe ditch the 10,000 points and get another card.
I was approved for the card and received it in the mail today, but it looks like they just issued me a new mileage plus member number. Is there any way to link it to my existing mileage plus account? Or do I just have to create a new one? This is getting complicated.
I think you can contact United and ask them to merge the new account into your existing account and then contact Chase afterward.
Thanks for the great information as always. Many years ago I created a card with your link (+24 months of bonus) and then downgraded it to a card with no annual fee after a year? In this case, if I recreate the Explore card this time, will it be recognized as a new card and I will get the bonus? If so, I'd like to recreate it again to save up for travel points.
I know it's possible under the terms (although everything is at your own risk). Good luck.
I'm in with your link, thank you for the great information!
Congrats on the mermaid and thanks for the link.
Thanks for the affiliate link!
Congrats on the mermaid and thanks for the link.
hello. I've had the chase sharp card for almost a year now thanks to milemoa, and I'm thinking of downgrading it because I'm not earning as many points as I thought I would. I got the chase freedom unlimited earlier this year, is it possible to transfer the card to the freedom flex or this united explorer? Or would it be better for my credit to just keep the sharp for another year and cancel it?
1. I understand that it takes a year to make a product change / downgrade.
2. if you want Freedom unlimited, you should be able to have duplicates. I know the Freedom Flex is a Mastercard, so the card number changes.
3. I understand that it is not possible to change to United Explorer.
4. Given your long-term relationship with the card company, I'd recommend keeping it for at least two years (and it's a matter of personal preference), but I don't think you need to keep a card for two years unnecessarily if you don't need it. However, you should keep it for one year.
Thanks for the info! I currently have the chase freedom and chase saphaire preferred, and I'm looking to create a united explore.
I have a question,
I'm going to use the United card mainly for flights from New York to Korea, but according to the article, there are no direct flights between United and Korea, and there is a benefit of reducing the fuel cost by ticketing Asiana as a partner airline. Since the Chase Sharp card and United card benefits seem to overlap a bit, is it a good idea to cancel the Sharp after getting the United card and keep the United card (it's been issued for 3-4 years)?
If not, would it be a bad idea to keep the Chase Sharp but cancel the United Explorer a year (or two) after getting it?
1. the benefits of the United card are, as you said, 1) saving fuel surcharges on Asiana tickets and 2) access to XN seats on United flights (assuming XN seats are available, of course).
2. While it's not official, the XN seat access benefit is also currently available on the no annual fee United partner cards. Assuming it's still available, I'm guessing that you could downgrade to a no annual fee card after a year of using the United Explorer card and still get the main benefit.
3. whether or not it stays sharp seems to depend on how often you plan to transfer UR points to partners like Hyatt or United.
Downgrade after a year, thank you!
I signed up with your link and received my card today 🙂 Thank you so much!
Congratulations on the approval and thanks for using the link.
Mamo, is it 35k round trip from San Francisco to Incheon at XN fare per person? Or is it one way?
This is per person one way in economy. Roundtrip would be great, but even 35K is a great deal these days if you can find a seat ;);
How are you? I currently have 5 credit cards with Chase: Freedom, Freedom Sister, old IHG, Marriott, and Sharp. I've heard a lot about the 5/24 and understand it, but I was wondering if I should apply for this United card since I have 5 credit cards with Chase? I ask because I'm wondering if Chase has a limit on the number of personal credit cards or something.
There's no set number of cards with Chase - I have 10, and I know some of you have more than that.
https://www.milemoa.com/bbs/board/9272089
I used the link and got a P2 mermaid effortlessly, thanks for the great material.
Congrats on the mermaid and thanks for the link.
It's been a while since I've seen your link, so thank you for your always informative posts!
Congrats on the mermaid and thanks for the link.
I'm a complete newbie and have a question. I live in Dallas and my family of 3 goes to Korea about once a year, and I currently have about 150,000 Asiana miles, which have about 2 years left to use up first, but when I book with Asiana miles, if I have a United card, I don't get fuel surcharges, right? If so, I think it would be better to get the AA card. Thanks
As a general rule, fuel surcharges apply when you redeem Asiana Miles. However, some airlines may not have fuel surcharges, in which case you can use Asiana Miles to fly on other airlines.
Of course, with air travel being as difficult as it is these days, this is not a good idea.
Like someone asked above, I (unknowingly) had a card with a $95 annual fee and then downgraded to a 20-year no annual fee card and had it for a while, but today I applied for the explorer and got it. Thank you!
But even if I have a card without annual fee (is it gateway...), do I see xn fare? I'm looking at JFK - ICN for June 12 next year, but I don't see xn. I only see x unless it's a saver award.
1. congrats on the mermaid and thanks for the link.
2. I understand that there are cards with no annual fee.
Hi, if I use my Explorer card to find XN tickets, pay with miles, and then downgrade to GATEWAY after a while, will I still be able to fly?
I'd like to think that the 99% will be fine, but I can't say that the 100% will be.
Hi. I always get a lot of information from this place.
I thought I got a targeted offer from Chase (60,000 miles after 3 months of $3000 spend) via email, so I applied for the card, but I got a 30-day review email. Should I just leave it at that?
Yes. I think you should wait.
Hello, I've always been helpful, but this is my first time writing.
2023,June 4 from Chicago to Incheon, can you tell me if there is a better option?
I'm wondering if it's better to open it as a business card just for the XN, or if I should convert the points since I currently have 300,000 Chase UR.
What options have you found?
I can't find it and I don't currently have a UA card.
I was wondering if I should open my UA card for that reason, because you said that if I look for seats with XN, I will get better seats. There is no direct flight between Chicago and Incheon, but if it doesn't make a difference if I look with XN, I won't open my UA card.
Right now, it looks like XN won't be a variable until around 6/4.
The current availability is a one-stop Chicago-Taipei-Incheon, with a two-hour layover in Taipei, and it's 38,500 miles one-way in economy. I would definitely grab this one.
Yes, thank you for waking up!
Hi, I went to your link today and got explorer mermaid.
Thanks for always sharing good information.
Have a great day!
Congrats on the mermaid and thanks for the link.
Hi. I'm commenting because I've been studying and have a question for the first time.
I know this is a long time ago, but I was wondering if this offer is still valid.
I rode to the linked place and found that
It just looks like if I spend $3,000 in 3 months, I get 60,000 miles.
Is the 10,000 miles for spending an extra $3,000 offer over?
The offer for 60,000 miles also says 25 days, so I'm in a hurry.
Also, I was wondering if there is an XN ticket for this, but I don't see it, so I was wondering if you could check it out.
I'm looking at a ticket from SFO->OGG on Saturday, September 30th.
I'm only seeing 37.1K tickets one way...
I wonder if there will be a lower mileage ticket with XN status if they ever make a United card.
Thank you.
I don't see 9/30, then 10/2 and 10/3 on XN for 1.5k miles each way.
Thank you so much!!!
I'm looking at traveling to Korea this summer, and I have a couple questions as I've had my United card for 2 days and am looking for mileage seats.
- I know the X class will be available 1-2 weeks after the card is approved, but I see the X class with saver award 38500 miles, are the X and XN classes different? If it's the same, I'll book now, if not, I'll wait until the XN class is available.
- Can I cancel/change a reservation made with miles at any time? If there is no penalty, I would book the seat I see, then cancel and rebook if something better comes up later.
Thank you~!
1. If you see X, it's a good idea to grab it now. If you don't see an X, you might see an XN, but it's not guaranteed to appear.
2. Yes. Starting this year, we've eliminated cancellation and change fees, so you can plan ahead.
Is free baggage only available to cardholders when redeeming for international (Canada-South Korea) miles?
Basically, the cardholder must be ticketed and included in the same reservation as the cardholder. It is my understanding that this is not the case if the cardholder is not traveling.
For more information, see the UA page.
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/baggage/chasebag.html
I've heard that the above is only for domestic flights and that international flights have free baggage when redeeming miles, but I'm not sure.
For the Canada-South Korea route, you can check your free baggage allowance here.
https://www.united.com/en/us/baggage-calculator/any-flights
I don't know why I didn't make United until now, but it's strange that I didn't make it. Maybe it was because of the pressure to make stopovers because I was in the southeast. The day has finally come when I have to use United with UR after dumping Korean Air. I opened United for the first time today with the Business card. I was going to wait for a 6-month 20,000-spending 15,000 offer, but it seems impossible with our spending, so I just did the current offer of 75,000. I applied using the link, and for the first time in 13 years, in review popped up, what should I call... while looking for a phone number, but I got an approval email. This is not a mermaid, I think there was a word for it... Anyway, I'll take it well and prepare for my next trip to Korea. Thank you for always good information.
It's often called a defense because it's approved after it's left unattended.
Congratulations on the approval and thanks for using the link.
Hello, I'm a MileagePlus Explorer and I recently booked an XN Hidden Honey ticket for domestic US, but I'm not sure if the baggage is free or not, so I'm writing to see if you know anything about it. I know that the first baggage is free for MileagePlus Explorers, including companions, but when I look at the baggage policy before payment, it says that I need to pay $30$. Some people have received reimbursement, but everyone seems to have paid directly with the card... Do you know anything about the baggage policy after ticketing miles?
For UA, I understand that you have to use the card to pay taxes to get the free baggage benefit.
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/baggage/chasebag.html
If you've already paid with a different card, I'm sure you can ask for a favor by showing the physical card at the airport.
I'm planning a trip to EWR LHR in November and was thinking of applying for the United Quest card to get the baggage waiver. Do you have a referral link or code for me? Or can I just go directly to the card in this thread and apply? Thanks as always for the great info.
We apologize for the delay in responding. I have responded to your message.
I got the Chase United Explorer MileagePlus through a mom refurb and used it well with no annual fee for the first year.
However, after the second year, as expected, it charged me $95, so I called 1-800-888-8756 behind the card to see if they would close it unless I waived it, and they told me that they could not waive the $95, but that they would credit my 6250 miles and give me the $95 back for another year.
Is UA 6250 miles better than $95?
1. cancel (I just received a Chase sapphire mermaid for my capitalization and am using it well)
2. 6250 miles and one more year.
In buymiles homepage, 6000miles = $214.46 tecpo, but it's not the same.
Help me Mamo!!!
I've had the Chase United Explorer MileagePlus card for over 15 years with no other cards, and now I want to utilize my miles... I applied for the Sapphire Preferred. I was thinking of closing the 15+ year old card, but an acquaintance told me that it might be worse to close something that old, is that correct?
Yes. I think you should ask to downgrade to the no annual fee version instead of canceling.
I have a one-way domestic ticket for September on my Explorer card, but I'm considering downgrading it because of the annual fee. If I downgrade or cancel the card before traveling, will I lose the free baggage benefit? Or do I only need to have the card at the time of ticketing? I'm not sure if I'll be flying United domestically often in the future, my most recent flight was in 2015 haha.
Looking at the terms, it seems like you need to be a card member at the time of boarding.
"The traveler must be a Cardmember at the time of check-in in order to be eligible for free checked bags."
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I just finished issuing my card today and I can't see XN yet.
Is it possible to see the mileage difference from SJC or SFO to DTW and back?
The date is 2024/02/- any week Friday - Sunday!
For more information, see this article.
https://www.milemoa.com/united-check-xn/
Hi, I have a question for you. My husband signed me up as an authorized user and we both have United cards. In this case, if I open a new, identical card in my name, will I not be eligible for the sign-up bonus? If so, how do I get the sign-up bonus?
For Chase, it's my understanding that whether you have an AU card or not has no bearing on the signup bonus, so you should be able to go ahead and apply, but if you want to be sure, you might want to cancel the AU card and then apply.
Hello MileMoa. I opened the card in November 2021 and received the sign-up bonus, but I'm not using the miles or the card much, so I'm thinking of canceling or downgrading because I'm paying my 3rd annual fee this month and I don't want to keep it, but I'm very ignorant about miles, so I'd like to ask you some questions! 1) If I downgrade and reapply in early 2024 to get the sign-up bonus, will these bonus points be added to my account? 2) If I cancel, will the miles I have disappear as well?
1. Since UA miles are automatically transferred from your card account to your UA account each month, your miles will likely be added up automatically, assuming you entered the same UA number when you applied for the card.
Miles already transferred will be subject to UA's rules; miles not yet transferred will be forfeited upon card cancellation.
Thank you so much for your answer, it helped me a lot 🙂 .
Hi. I'm writing again because I have another question. When I got the card in 2021, I received the first 60,000 points after spending $3,000 in 3 months and then another 10,000 points after spending another $3,000 within 6 months. My question is when I can reapply for the card and get the sign-up bonus, is it 24 months from when I received the bonus for the first 3 months or when I received the bonus for the additional spending within 6 months?
Oh, I'm not sure about this one, but to be on the safe side, I'd probably base it on the 6-month bonus date.
Yes, thanks for sharing your thoughts!!!
hello.
You said my united club lounge access will be delivered as soon as my card is approved,
I was approved immediately and the card number showed up in my Chase account,
I don't see the card in my united account and I don't see the lounge access.
Is something wrong?
I made a bonvoy card and filled in the spandex, but I didn't get the accommodation ticket, so I'm still inquiring about it.
I was wondering if there was something wrong with this card too.
I don't know right away, but... I think it's available two weeks after it opens. I think there might be a kebake.
In the text, I wrote "immediately upon card approval" in the sense that you can get the card immediately in the year you apply for the card, not when you renew it a year later, but I think it could be misunderstood as "immediately upon application/approval".
We apologize for the inaccurate wording. We will correct the text.
hello. My wife and I each have our own United account, and I'm the only one with a United card, so I only see XN on my United account. If I add her as an AU, will she see XN on her United account as well?
AU accounts don't have the option to add a membership number, so I know it's not possible.
Oh, I see. Thanks for the answer
The XN seats I used as an example were 3.5k miles per person for a Korean one way ticket, right? Not a round trip? I got a total of 80k miles from signup bonuses and additional bonuses, but the Korean one way ticket is 50k miles, so it's really ambiguous... round trip 티켓사기위한 round trip 티켓사기위해 2만마일을 달러로 사는 것은 말도 안되는 가격이고 ^^;; 50만마일로 one way사고 나머지 돌아오는 티켓을 달러로 내자니 이것도 좋은 아이디어가 아닌 것 같아요. (왕복: 1200불, 편도:1000불...) 8만마일이 정말 애매운 마일이네요... I thought I'd use it for xn seats when I go to Korea later, but it's become a card that's not even a do-or-die card. I wonder if it's right to keep it while paying nearly $100 a year?
1. In June 2023, the mileage redemption rate increased dramatically, jumping from 35,000 miles to 50,000 miles for a one-way ticket between Korea and the US in economy.
https://www.milemoa.com/united-devaluation-2023/
2. If you downgrade to a card with no annual fee, you will still be able to use XN (we don't know for how long), so you may want to downgrade when the annual fee comes due.
3. plus, with the 1:1 conversion of Chase UR points to UA miles, it's probably a good idea to load up on miles for a round-trip ticket.
I finally got your answer, thank you^^ I have an additional question.
Answer 2 - What are the no annual fee card options I can downgrade to? While keeping my United points...
Answer to #3- I have 80,000 miles on united, if I converted 20,000 Chase UR points to UA miles, would that add up to 100,000 total miles on united, and could I buy a 100,000 mile roundtrip ticket to Korea that way?
1. There is a United card with no annual fee. It's called the United Gateway Card.
2. correct. If you can convert URs to UA, they will count towards your existing UA miles. Whether or not you can get a round-trip ticket for 100,000 miles depends on the mileage redemption, so it's hard to say 100%.
Hello~!
I'm trying to open a United Explore card.
Maybe open it, get the sign-up bonus, and downgrade to the United Gateway card after two years,
If I wait a few days and apply for a new United Club Ultimate card, will I get the sign-up bonus again?
For the United Club card, it looks like the family rule applies, meaning the terms say that if you have a United personal card of any kind, you won't be approved for the card. So it looks like you'll have to close the Explorer card completely to get the United Club sign-up bonus.
"This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of any United ClubSM credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of any United Club credit card who received a new Cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months."
Hello~!
I just opened the United Explore card and want to get the 60,000 point sign-up bonus... I'm going to use the sign-up bonus on the Explore... and then apply for the Ultimate card and get the sign-up bonus... is that possible?
If possible... should I upgrade from the Explore card to the Ultimate card? Or should I downgrade to Gateway and reapply for Ultimate a few days later...
I'm so curious that I'm leaving a question....Thank you~~!
As I answered above, it seems like the best way to go right now is to 1) get the Explorer card first and get it signed up, 2) keep it for 2 years and then cancel it, or cancel it after 1 year, and 3) then apply for a new Club card 2 years after the first card is signed up.