Heads up! We share savvy shopping and personal finance tips to put extra cash in your wallet. Windows Central may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network. Please note that the offers mentioned below are subject to change at any time and some may no longer be available.
Update: Some or all of the offers originally mentioned in this article have changed. View all current offers here - United Explorer Business Card.
United's MileagePlus loyalty program is one of the most lucrative airline mileage programs in the US. So when United announced that they were increasing their welcome bonus on their United℠ Explorer Business Card, we had to let you know. After spending $5,000 in the first three months, you will earn 75,000 miles as opposed to the standard 50,000 miles – a 50% increase! These 75,000 miles are valued at over $1,000, and the $95 annual fee is waived the first year. This expanded offer only lasts until March 18, 2019. Here are additional perks you'll enjoy as a cardholder:
- Earn 2x miles on all purchases made with United and at restaurants, gas stations, and office supply stores. Everything else will earn 1 mile per dollar.
- Bring a free checked bag and enjoy priority boarding.
- Receive two United Club one-time passes each anniversary.
If you frequently travel through an airport with a United Club such as LAX, ORD, or EWR, those club passes will be valuable. In fact, several of these airports are installing new Polaris lounges. Each of the Polaris lounges feature an open and airy design, restaurant quality a la carte dining, and an aviation-themed cocktail menu.
Additionally, your new card will be contactless so that all you have to do is touch the card to enabled kiosks to securely complete a transaction.
As a business owner, this card can help you a long way towards earning the Premier Qualifying Dollars (PQD) requirement. PQDs are dollars spent on flights operated by United, United Express or Copa Airlines; flights operated by a Star Alliance or MileagePlus partner airline and issued on a United ticket; and Economy Plus purchases. If you spend $25,000 on this card in a calendar year, you'll get the PQD requirement for status waived, up to the Premier Platinum.
So what are some of the best ways to redeem your new miles? If you want the most economical route, you can take around 10 short haul flights (less than 800 miles) in the continental US. Next, you can easily find roundtrip flights to western Europe for 60,000 miles on economy, or you can splurge and spend 60,000 miles to fly in United's Polaris business class to Europe. Wherever your destination is, you can probably get there by using your miles on dozens of MileagePlus partners.
