United Airlines changes

[simpsontruckdriver]

Yesterday, United Airlines made some big changes, according to TPG

TS

 

[buzglyd]

I know their credit cards did.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I was thinking of getting the gateway card. Am I too late to get the version that doesn't require $10k in spend for award space?

 

[callwill]

The explorer card is now $150, free the first year. 80k points after 3000 in charges Still 2 free lounge passes but with restrictions. Still free checked bag.
$10 Instacart and $5 rideshare credits each month. 100 in hotel credits.

Making the Most of the United Explorer Card - NerdWallet

This co-branded credit card offers United loyalists a slew of bonuses, free checked bags, airport lounge passes and multiple ways to earn extra miles.

www.nerdwallet.com

 

[buzglyd]

I was thinking of getting the gateway card. Am I too late to get the version that doesn't require $10k in spend for award space?

Yes because I have the Gateway and they just announced losing award space as an upgrade!

 

[mbh]

I will be cancelling my United Explorer card at its renewal date. The rise from $99 to $150 with credits I won't use makes it an easy decision for me

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Have you looked into Panorama?

We ski a lot, but just here on the hills in Ontario, both kids are now in a competitive mogul program so between their lessons and competitions we aren't able to get away in either January or February and by March break they're skied out and would prefer to go somewhere warm. But we do want to take them to ski in the mountains at some point, Tremblant and Panorama are the two we have been most interested in, mostly because of access, we could drive to Tremblant and WestJet always has affordable flights to Calgary.

Yes because I have the Gateway and they just announced losing award space as an upgrade!

Bummer. So you are not grandfathered?

I thought I heard on Flyertalk that if you downgrade from Explorer you would be grandfathered but perhaps that is wishful thinking

 

[buzglyd]

Bummer. So you are not grandfathered?

I thought I heard on Flyertalk that if you downgrade from Explorer you would be grandfathered but perhaps that is wishful thinking

No grandpa. I got an email with my awesome new "benefit" today.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Ugh. We do not have a United flight for a while so will get gateway and upgrade to explorer before we book our next flight.

 

[dioxide45]

My wife has the United Explorer card and hasn't received anything about this yet.

 

[Luanne]

My wife has the United Explorer card and hasn't received anything about this yet.

My daughter and I both got the email but my husband didn't. We all have our own accounts and cards. My husband just hasn't checked his email yet.

Since I plan on canceling my SW chase credit card I'll be fine with the increase in fee.

 

[buzglyd]

Ugh. We do not have a United flight for a while so will get gateway and upgrade to explorer before we book our next flight.

It looks like the Quest card is the better play if you fly United frequently.

 

[dlpearson]

Got the email today.

The two free day lounge passes with the card will no longer be transferrable (i.e., can't give them away to another person). The main account holder has to be present (but the 2nd pass can be used for a friend or family member as long as the cardholder is present/ accompanies them).

 

[beejaybee]

DH and I each have Explorer cards. I will be cancelling mine before November's renewal date. On our r/t CLE-LAX earlier this month we each booked basic fare for a $100 savings pp. By having the card we received free checked bag but only a personal item could be brought onto the plane. My savings was wiped out when my knee problem led me to pay for my seats. DH didn't and ironically he was assigned the aisle seat opposite mine on the flight out! Returning to CLE we were both put in middle seats in the last row, so that's when I coughed up the dough for an aisle. DH moved up to a middle seat 2 rows closer to the cockpit. As it turned out, the window seat was vacant so he moved over, declining my request that he be moved up to the middle seat next to me which was also unoccupied. We did use my UA club passes at LAX heading home.
Saving $150 will pay for regular economy in the future!

 

[elaine]

DH and I each have Explorer cards. I will be cancelling mine before November's renewal date.

I think existing Explorer cards' new fee goes into effect Jan 1, 2026, in case you wanted to keep it another year. We do use it for the lower mileage fees, so might keep ours another year.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

looks like the Quest card is the better play if you fly United frequently

I won't microanalyze them and the instacart, ride-share, united hotels are a joke to us, but a quick dive tells me Quest may be better even if you don't fly all that often.
If the free bags & the lounge passes are equal Explorer & Quest, the following 2 items more than make up the difference between the $350 & the $150, don't they?
Quest: 10,000-mile annual award flight discount
Quest: $200 annual United travel credit on each account anniversary (and upon account opening
You only have to buy one and award one UA ticket/yr for that to work. And by "1" I mean 1 one-way, not even a R/T. So one R/T covers them both?
I must be wrong, but does one R/T/yr more than cover the $200 delta between explorer & quest?

(flying out of SFO in the AMs, even the lounge passes are "blah". Terrible food & mediocre coffee in that lounge. My wife said "You can get a beer." Right. at 7 am. Can you? Who cares? we'll be in the UA JFK lounge later this yr, I think, but that isn't even actually run by UA and I read lousy things about it too.)

 

[elaine]

We've only used our UA passes 1x and it was decent. But we very rarely are at airport for hours before we need to fly or take connecting flights. And, since the Gateway appears to give free bags, the only real benefit (which can be very good) for us is the reduced mileage awards. But, it that knocks 70K to 40K x2, that's like getting a 60K bonus (flights last year).

 

[buzglyd]

I won't microanalyze them and the instacart, ride-share, united hotels are a joke to us, but a quick dive tells me Quest may be better even if you don't fly all that often.
If the free bags & the lounge passes are equal Explorer & Quest, the following 2 items more than make up the difference between the $350 & the $150, don't they?
Quest: 10,000-mile annual award flight discount
Quest: $200 annual United travel credit on each account anniversary (and upon account opening
You only have to buy one and award one UA ticket/yr for that to work. And by "1" I mean 1 one-way, not even a R/T. So one R/T covers them both?
I must be wrong, but does one R/T/yr more than cover the $200 delta between explorer & quest?

(flying out of SFO in the AMs, even the lounge passes are "blah". Terrible food & mediocre coffee in that lounge. My wife said "You can get a beer." Right. at 7 am. Can you? Who cares? we'll be in the UA JFK lounge later this yr, I think, but that isn't even actually run by UA and I read lousy things about it too.)

I don't believe the Quest card comes with lounge passes. The Quest card also has the JSX benefit which could work for me flying from Carlsbad to Scottsdale. I usually take the AA flight to PHX but it would be nice at least for one flight to land in Scottsdale.

I don't care much for the UA lounges. Way too crowded but maybe the card changes will help with that.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

It sucks that the getaway card now requires 10k spend before enhanced awards. We are United lifetime gold so already have free bags and access to lounges when traveling internationally. I was hoping to pick up this card for the ability to be eligible for upgrades on award seats.

I may opt for the United Business which looks interesting but am flying on Southwest and AK for the next few trips so will wait until I need the enhanced award and upgrade availability.

I have heard that if you pair the gateway with United Business there is some benefit but not sure what it is.

How long do you think the United travel credit lasts for - 1 year? I have a unused $25 / 2x per year from the IHG card and $75 from last year that will likely go unused. Too difficult to apply unless you pay cash for everything.

 

[buzglyd]

It sucks that the getaway card now requires 10k spend before enhanced awards. We are United lifetime gold so already have free bags and access to lounges when traveling internationally. I was hoping to pick up this card for the ability to be eligible for upgrades on award seats.

I may opt for the United Business which looks interesting but am flying on Southwest and AK for the next few trips so will wait until I need the enhanced award and upgrade availability.

I have heard that if you pair the gateway with United Business there is some benefit but not sure what it is.

How long do you think the United travel credit lasts for - 1 year? I have a unused $25 / 2x per year from the IHG card and $75 from last year that will likely go unused. Too difficult to apply unless you pay cash for everything.

I'm also Lifetime Gold but really don't fly United much anymore because of all the Alaska non stops out of San Diego. I may upgrade my Gateway to the Quest card at some point if that's possible.

 

[Luanne]

We have found the UA lounges to be better than waiting at the gate. But with the passes we can't always get in. We fly though Denver a lot and it's hit or miss whether they are full up. On our last trip both my husband and daughter were using wheelchairs (for VERY valid reasons) and the lounge personnel took pity on us. They were full but let us in. I managed to find a place for the 3 of us to sit and we were happy to be there rather than stuck at the gate.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

don't believe the Quest card comes with lounge passes

Thanks. It seemed there must be some easily quantifiable (though actual "value" depends on the beholder) difference I missed.

 

[buzglyd]

I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the new lounges that come with that card are very nice if somewhat limited. The San Diego lounge is really nice and right by the United gates.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

We have found the UA lounges to be better than waiting at the gate. But with the passes we can't always get in. We fly though Denver a lot and it's hit or miss whether they are full up.

We have also frequently found the United lounge not accepting credit card passes at SFO and other airports. This is frustrating given the value of the card is in the 2 domestic passes. We had passes go unused and got zero sympathy when we asked United for extensions for these reasons.

We use lounges often but find that Priority Pass with our Chase Cards and the Chase Sapphire Lounges are plentiful.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

We've only used our UA passes 1x and it was decent.

I'm sure the right lounge at the right time of day is at least decent. The one in SFO flying JAL to Tokyo was great. The one in Tokyo was almost as good. I think it was really a British lounge in SFO?
in SFO to Hawaii, if I could ever find a Peet's, I'd prefer that over the lounge. But, you know, SFO, have to have strange coffee shops. Peet's HQ is just across the bay, but I'm not sure I've seen one in SFO. Go to the right window and know where to look and you might see Peet's HQ from SFO