Is United credit card worth it

[rapmarks]

I have been getting by with a carry on, I don’t travel much, I am wondering if it is worth it I have a two hour layover when I travel to Florida later this month, and the lounge is nice but I only do one round trip a year. I , might do an extra trip this year but travel agent says since she books flight through cruise line I won’t get privileges such as free bag.

 

[PigsDad]

If you don't travel with them often and don't check a bag, I don't think you will get value from the card given the annual fee.

Kurt

 

[jp10558]

I almost always travel United now, because of using Newark as my departure hub. I don't think any of the airline cards are worth it - the miles are "worthless" and the annual fee would pay for checking a bag too, so unless you're booking direct and a bunch of flights, it won't really be worth it IMO.

IDK the rest of what you're doing, but for now the Amex Aspire Hilton card gives the $50 credit quarterly on the United Travel Bank, so you could just use one of those credits for checking a bag usually. If you keep topping off the travel bank you could have $200 a year for checked bag fees, and get all the other Hilton benefits without another card or annual fee.

In fact just for checked bag fees, I'd look at any cards travel bennies to see if they'd cover the checked bags dollar cost. I think the Chase Sapphire Reserve would also provide something like $300 a year in travel credit which again would cover multiple checked bags easily.

 

[Luanne]

For us a United card is worth it. Besides the two lounge passes each year we get one bag free, and it covers the cost of Global Entry or TSA Precheck renewal. We usually accumulate enough miles through flights and purchases so that we can get first class tickets for our trips to Maui each year.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

1 checked bag one time = $40. CC AF = $95. If you have Chase card you can get into Priority Pass lounges.

I would just pay the fee unless you have 2 bags. Or use other card as described above.

 

[Luanne]

I should have added that through my Chase United card I periodically get offers to boost the number of miles I earn. For example for the past 3 months I am getting triple miles for restaurant purchases. I also signed up for a bonus 12,500 miles if I charged $12,500 over the last 3 months. I had several large purchases so I will be getting those bonus miles as well. These seem to be targeted promotions as I tried to sign my husband up on his card for one of them and it said he wasn't eligible.

 

[Luanne]

1 checked bag one time = $40. CC AF = $95. If you have Chase card you can get into Priority Pass lounges.

I would just pay the fee unless you have 2 bags. Or use other card as described above.

The free bag applies to you and everyone else on your itinerary.

By Priority Pass lounges do you mean the United Club lounges? Even with our two passes per year, if the lounge is crowded they will close it to everyone except their premier card holders, the Uninted ClubSM Infinite Card. At $525/year that is more than I want to pay for the benefits I would get.

​

 

[1Kflyerguy]

1 checked bag one time = $40. CC AF = $95. If you have Chase card you can get into Priority Pass lounges.

I would just pay the fee unless you have 2 bags. Or use other card as described above.

Wouldnt a round trip be $40 each way, so total of $80 for the trip? Thats much closer to the $95 fee.

I like the lounges, and used to have a membership, not not traveling enough to justify that anymore. Recently many of the lounges have been so crowded they limit the guests, and be careful about placing too much value on a couple of potential visits per year

 

[jp10558]

The free bag applies to you and everyone else on your itinerary.

I don't think that's true - every time I read the fine print on the cards it's the cardholder and maybe a second person. If it got me free checked bags for 3-4 people that I often fly with, or better, everyone I buy the tickets for, that'd be worth something. But it's limited to 2 people I think. I'm used to benefits that work with everyone in my party - and that seems the most worthwhile to me. IDK.

 

[Luanne]

I don't think that's true - every time I read the fine print on the cards it's the cardholder and maybe a second person. If it got me free checked bags for 3-4 people that I often fly with, or better, everyone I buy the tickets for, that'd be worth something. But it's limited to 2 people I think. I'm used to benefits that work with everyone in my party - and that seems the most worthwhile to me. IDK.

You are correct. The free bag is just for you and one additional passenger. Since there are usually only two of us flying I've never really noticed how many people this covered.

Jet Blue Barclays credit card offers free checked bag for you and up to 3 additional passengers.

 

[PigsDad]

I don't think that's true - every time I read the fine print on the cards it's the cardholder and maybe a second person. If it got me free checked bags for 3-4 people that I often fly with, or better, everyone I buy the tickets for, that'd be worth something. But it's limited to 2 people I think. I'm used to benefits that work with everyone in my party - and that seems the most worthwhile to me. IDK.

Yes, it is limited to the cardholder plus one other person traveling on the same itinerary. It does not apply when the primary cardholder is not traveling. For example, our United Visa was in my wife's name and if I was flying alone, I did not get a free bag even though I have a card, but am not the primary cardholder.

Kurt

 

[callwill]

You are correct. The free bag is just for you and one additional passenger. Since there are usually only two of us flying I've never really noticed how many people this covered.

United explorer card: "Free first checked bag for you and one companion when you use your card to book a United flight". Need to book the tix together.
Card is free the first year and if you hit it right you may get 60 or 70k miles along with the two lounge passes. The next years renewal is 95. I would be canceling at that point and having my wife get the card before we need it next.

 

[Luanne]

United explorer card: "Free first checked bag for you and one companion when you use your card to book a United flight". Need to book the tix together.
Card is free the first year and if you hit it right you may get 60 or 70k miles along with the two lounge passes. The next years renewal is 95. I would be canceling at that point and having my wife get the card before we need it next.

Yes I did double check and posted the correct information. As I said the card is worth it for us. In fact my husband has a card and so do I.

 

[b2bailey]

I just received mine in the mail!
Couldn't resist 60,000 free miles.
Just have to spend $3,000 before end of year.
Maintenance Fees should do the trick.

 

[callwill]

Will those free lounge passes get you into the united polaris club lounges? I ask as we will be flying back from the west coast in december on a red eye with a 3 hr layover in DC.

 

[vacation dreaming]

Will those free lounge passes get you into the united polaris club lounges? I ask as we will be flying back from the west coast in december on a red eye with a 3 hr layover in DC.

Free passes do not work for Polaris lounges.

 

[Luanne]

Free passes do not work for Polaris lounges.

No they don't. Only way I know to get into a Polaris lounge is to be business class on an international United flight. But those lounges sure are nice.

From United:

You can visit a Polaris lounge only if you are: Flying United Polaris business class on a long-haul international flight. Flying international business or first class on a Star Alliance partner airline.

 

[slip]

Ot was definitely worth it for us when we lived in Wisconsin and came to Hawaii a few times a year and some other flights too. Now that we are here, we use our Hawaiian miles more but we'll keep the United card at least a few more years to see of its worth it for us.

 

[sponger76]

Will those free lounge passes get you into the united polaris club lounges? I ask as we will be flying back from the west coast in december on a red eye with a 3 hr layover in DC.

Only a longhaul international business/first class ticket will get you into a Polaris lounge.

 

[Luanne]

Only a Polaris ticket will get you into a Polaris lounge.

Only a long haul international business class Polaris ticket will get you into a Polaris lounge. We have flown Polaris business class from OGG to SFO will no access to the lounge.

 

[sponger76]

Only a long haul international business class Polaris ticket will get you into a Polaris lounge. We have flown Polaris business class from OGG to SFO will no access to the lounge.

Yes, I thought about it and amended my post.

 

[elaine]

the free passes do get you in IAD United lounge, which has a nice cappuccino maker, decent liquor and fairly decent food.

 

[Luanne]

the free passes do get you in IAD United lounge, which has a nice cappuccino maker, decent liquor and fairly decent food.

As long as the lounge is open to those with free passes. Haven't been in IAD recently but the last couple of times we were there several of the United lounges were not accepting passes at all. We have flown through Denver quite a few times over the past year and it's hit or miss whether the lounge will be open to passes. One time the women in front of us had purchased passes and couldn't get in. They were pretty upset.

 

[callwill]

Free passes do not work for Polaris lounges.

TY

 

[callwill]

Only a long haul international business class Polaris ticket will get you into a Polaris lounge. We have flown Polaris business class from OGG to SFO will no access to the lounge.

TY