United MileagePlus and Chase have a suite of co-branded credit cards. Well, these cards are getting a complete overhaul — we’re seeing annual fees increase, though we’re also seeing new benefits added.
Continue reading: United Chase Credit Card Changes: Higher Fees, More Perks & Status
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Are you sure about the rideshare credits? For example, for the Club card, you have "Up to $150 in rideshare credits per year, in the form of a $12 monthly credit ($15 credit in December), with yearly opt-in required". However, 11*12+15=$147, not $150.
@ Angetenar -- Sorry, that should've said $18 credit in December. Updated now.
I would guess the AF stays the same ($ 395 AF) BUT the UC membership would be "updated" to the basic tier.
They do. But now you can't give to anyone else, except a travel companion on the same flight. Bummer for me - would like to give to my spouse when she flies alone but that apparently is not possible after 25 August.
Not much to like. $450 to $695 for the Business Club card hurts pretty bad.
Obviously, this is just a price hike, and a steep one -- those "perks" are structured to be nearly impossible to cash out on, and several of them are too niche for most to use.
And, to your point, putting a ton of spend on a UA card for the sake of status is a waste when other cards are significantly more rewarding, especially in light of United award ticket pricing approaching stratospheric levels.
I wonder if this will work out well or poorly for them. I feel like once you cross the $99 threshold for the general-purpose card held by most, you're going to lose some people.
@ James K. -- I believe they're supposed to be, but it might take some number of hours/days.
@ Nate -- Agree it's a bit odd. And if you're curious why United would offer a JSX credit, it's because United has a stake in the carrier.
I got this card in March last year. What are my chances of getting another sign-up bonus with a different LLC?
Chase fine print shows this: This new Cardmember bonus offer is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of this business credit card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of this business credit card who received a new Cardmember bonus for this business credit card within the last 24 months.
I feel like for most people the Quest card won't really make sense unless they know they will use the Travel Bank credit (which means they must be flying on a paid ticket on UA metal) each year. If you value status, you will absolutely need the club card (and 2x dining/travel at least lowers the opportunity cost a bit compared to 1x on the AA and Delta club cards), otherwise just get the Explorer for free checked bags/priority boarding which by themselves may be worth $150 to some people.
With so many cards offering airline credits for luggage, lounge access, etc, the benefits provided by the family of United credit cards is replaceable. For earning miles on flights, many cards we have offer the same 2, 3, or 4 miles per dollar spent (CSP 2, CSR 3, and Amex Plat 5), so no real advantage to having the United cards.
For loyalist, the earnings for status may be a benefit. For myself, the many nickle and dime monthly and other benefits do not add up to enough dollars for the cards to pull their own weight.
At one time, about 20 years ago, I had the United Club card. Then United stated that they would only allow access to the United Club when you traveled on United. So I downgraded to the Explorer card and applied for the Amex Plat. Now, it looks like I may downgrade again to the Gateway. The only reason I may not cancel is that it is one of my oldest cards.
.....and my lifetime united club card? I'm going to assume life is life with the old terms, and two guests?
I think you're missing in your analysis/comparison, the baggage fees waived for each type of card, and the United Club access/passes for each, which is a big differentiator
How do we sign up for the rideshare credit? It says in the chase app, but I don't see an option anywhere.
Any word if you can still Pay Yourself Back? That offered a decent 1.6-1.7 cent per mile redemption that I've used now for several years.
The Club Card and most club cards make sense only if you value you clubs... Otherwise, they don't make sense at all. Food and beverage is soo expensive in the airports these days, I consider the Club Cards to still offer significant value since I live in Chicago.
Honestly, these aren't bad. I think the $200 travel bank and the 10k discount each year on a redemption make the Quest card close to cost neutral without requiring spend. And the 2x travel category for Chase likely includes rideshare, making it palatable to pick up a handful of the monthly credits with cabs or Uber. The Explorer card is the hardest one to justify, as it just doesn't have interesting spend categories (the travel bank credit requires 10k spend). After the first year, you are basically paying $150 for 2 lounge passes and a couple of bags. You really have to either upgrade to a premium card or downgrade to the Gateway.
@Joe D -- I definitely agree. ORD is an airport I connect through several times a year and one of the few airports where airline lounges are the only option. After using my 2 Explorer card passes, I use airline credits (Chase Ritz/Amex P) to buy access.
Hopefully, one day soon, Chase or Amex will be able to open a lounge in ORD.
If this is the trend (and it is), I’m said for all my other $95 Chase cards that currently have an easy to grasp value proposition. Matter of time before they too are “improved”. Higher fees + coupon book perks = I hate that Amex started it, as that was why I got off their wagon 2 years ago.
Exactly - none of the Club benefits have been loaded into my card - at least the site doesn't have anything related to credits of any kind. If the AF increases this card might die in my wallet.
If Chase is able to have an agreement with Instacart with these cards, I don't see why they can't add it back to the Sapphire Reserve...
Lucky, can you give us some help...I cannot find a way to enroll for the rideshare credit. they are clearly making this as difficult as possible. Online website directs you to enroll in the chase app. I can't find anything in the app to enroll. After scrolling forever to even find the benefit listed, it just says there is a new benefit that I have to enroll.
Also, are the 10k mile deduction for spend (and Club guest passes) retroactive for spend that has already occurred this year or only going forward from today? I do not have anything in my wallet for either of these currently.
Thank you
Really (really really) sad to see Chase move into coupon book land. I hope this was driven by United and Chase doesn’t start doing this with Sapphire any more than it already has
Because my life isn't complicated enough, I definitely need the opportunity to keep track of $10 Instacart and Uber credits every month. Where do I sign up?
/s
Quest doesn't seem terrible. $200 credit, and I'd probably value the 10000 mile discount at around $100. Then you just need $50 worth of value from the rest of the card, which I think the 1000 PQP provide. No micromanagement of credits required.
I hate these changes. I have zero desire to use Instacart. I do not want to book my hotels through Chase or United travel. I rarely use rideshare, and when I do, I want to use my Amex UBER credit. I will seriously consider cancelling this card as I no longer have any loyalty to United despite being a Million Miler and their miles are almost as worthless as Delta’s. The only thing holding me back is I have had this card for more than 25 years, so my credit rating will take a hit for cancelling one of my oldest card. And I don’t really care about the free bag as I usually book at the front of the plane.
They effectively broke the Business Club card with this change - it now has the same annual fee as the personal Club card, but only a fraction of the benefits.
I have basic United for Business. If I want to upgrade to the $695 card, do I need to apply with United/Chase and will it ding me for having too many Chase cards?
If you watch the price of your United flights closely after booking, or use a tool that does this, you will make up this fee increase with one or two flights.
Terrible proposition. The miles one earns get devalued regularly. Now the airlines want you to spend more with them (cars, hotels, dog food etc) and use their cards to earn fairly worthless miles. 2 years from now the airlines will howl that too many people have too many miles and that the miles must be devalued again. In simple terms, they want you to spend more to get less in the long run. Airline cards are a con game for suckers. Stick to cash back or points cards.
Naw. Thanks. I'll bail from the United Quest...
Who has time to pursue all of these $5 or $10 credits? Breakage...
P.S.: Amex was bad. But I manage...Not going to entertain a 2nd, lower, challenge.
Can you even buy anything on instacart for 15 bucks? I'm OK to use it but is it like buyung a pack of gum for 2 dollars, then 7 for service fee and 6 bucks for tip?
I have a United Presidential Plus Card and have Premier 1K status. Anyone know how this change would effect me?
If it’s a personal card, you can always just downgrade it to the free Gateway card and keep that history intact. (And if it’s a business card, it’s not reporting to your history anyway.)
Terrible couponing. I have zero interest in tracking a few $$ each month, besides most of these I don’t use, don’t need, and I certainly won’t start spending money on these companies to get a rebate smaller than my new additional expenses. For example, I would have to start using Uber, paying for say $30 rides (from zero Uber expenses now) to earn a $8 discount. That is a net loss for me of $22.
UGH, this Renowned hotel credit is going to be hard to use. Very limited number of hotels. And I'm generally finding better rates elsewhere. The Instacart credit is laughable. Not to mention still no way to enroll for the rideshare credit in my app as of this AM. The Delta Reserve DeltaStays hotel credits are much easier to use. And the Delta card gives you a BOGO delta ticket. What a very disappointing, non-competitive club card from United. I guess they got us though. Still cheaper than club access paying with money/miles. I'm sure United will fight teeth and nails to keep a non-aligned lounge out of their terminals, too.
You missed this, from the email, for the Explorer:
The following United Explorer Card benefit will no longer be available after August 1, 2025:
"Premier upgrades on award tickets when available on United-operated flights"
I don’t even recognize many of those “benefits” much less use or know how (or why) to use them. Anyone else notice the slow descent of common sense in travel? It’s always been a “caveat emptor” environment, but now it's the proliferation of every 9th grader with a blog advice, and the legacy media running really dumb articles authored by the same people who apparently are working for Chase and United.
I want to know how the changes affect us as well. The Presidentlal Plus message announcing the price increase to $600 suggests that club membership will be the All Access level, and crows about an "additional" benefit of IHG Plat status (which I think I already have THROUGH THIS CARD) Haven't read the fine print, but I'll bet there are other devaluations that will become apparent. Hopefully Ben or someone will do the analysis and share.
Got an email saying it is increasing to $600 and they are adding IHG platinum status.
It's not very obvious. But I was able to find the button and registered successfully. Also added the card to my Lyft app and will take a test run next week. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Would you mind sharing where you found it? I looked for it last night and, though I found the Rideshare entry in "Benefits," did not see any button or other way to actually sign up for it. (The Chase app is laughably JV compared to AmEx's app -- such a mess.)
Is there really anyone who has these cards who doesn't already get free bags via United status?
I wish the United Club at my home airport (SFO, also a big hub) was anywhere near as nice as the new ones in ORD, DEN, EWR, or LAX. Instead, it's straight out of the 80s, with terrible food to boot -- like, ridiculous how far it is behind the Centurion lounge in the same terminal.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH JANET; 3-24-25 COMMENTS.
As soon as the new fee comes due, I will cancel my UAL mileage card, a 900K flyer ( not quite a mil),
and also 25+ yrs a member. Too bad UAL does not consider people who like different types of travel desires.
BYE BYE UAL & Mileage Plus >>> NOW a Minus !!!
You forgot to mention the Chase United Gateway card, a no-fee, few-perk card that I downgraded to during the pandemic when nobody was traveling and I wanted to reduce the fees I was paying.
I have continued to keep this card and have primarily used it for United Airlines charges.
This week, I received a mailing from Chase, informing me that at my next renewal the annual fee would increase (from zero) to $695 per year. This for a card with essentially no benefits.
Obviously I will cancel the card at renewal, but I find it hard to understand their motivation in both angering and losing all the customers of this card. It is one more nail in the coffin for my relationship with United… there is no longer a benefit to me in being loyal to them and I’ve moved most of my flying to other carriers.