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United MileagePlus Explorer Guide to Benefits

Matching is not guaranteed anymore YMMV

Personal Card
Public offer in the Bank is 50K+5K                            Sign up for the 30+5K offer. You can get matched to the higher offer by sending a secure message after you are approved to be matched to the 55K + $50 offer that you say your colleague received.

If its your:
First time: After you sign for the 30k + 5k for adding an AU offer, you can SM Chase to match you to the 55k + $50 offer.
2nd+: Sign up with a new Frequent Flyer # (FFN), and SM AFTER receiving the first 30k. Make sure to create the new FFN with United BEFORE submitting the Application to Chase, or they'll default to your previous number, even if you leave the field blank.

Make sure to add an AU to receive the final 5k, for a total of 55k +$50.

Business Card
On the business card, you can get matched to 50k.
Follow the same process as the personal card.
Note: There is no 5k bonus for adding an AU to the biz card, so when you SM, make sure to ask to be matched to the 50k offer, not a 55k offer which doesn't exist for this card.


It could take up to a week to get a response from the Secure Message Center

Here is a link within your United account, which some DDFers have reported to received a 50k offer for the Explorer card, and the annual fee waived for the Club Card.

If u have a UMPE card and NO status, then you can do upgrades from a coach pts booking to bus/1st pts booking for just incremental pt + taxes, no fees. If you don't have the card they said they'd charge the all-dreaded rebooking fee of $100/person (always the chance to get it waived).
« Last edited by Aerial Dag on July 02, 2019, 04:40:26 PM »

Author Topic: United MileagePlus Explorer Card  (Read 1444375 times)

Offline minkr

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1140 on: February 27, 2013, 07:01:02 PM »
Actually, if you close the recent cards then the average age will go up. It's losing the CL on those cards that hurts. If you can transfer the CL to another card then closing it will actually benefit you.

Oh!!!! Average age of accounts only averages the cards that are currently open?? I thought it averages all cards that ever existed.

Offline Saver2000

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1141 on: February 27, 2013, 07:08:28 PM »
Oh!!!! Average age of accounts only averages the cards that are currently open?? I thought it averages all cards that ever existed.
The average goes by all accounts listed on your CR. Closed accounts stay on your report for 10 years.

Offline minkr

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1142 on: February 27, 2013, 07:22:39 PM »
1)  If I close my UMPE today, can I apply right away for another UMPE and get the 55k +50 (after the original 30k posts) or do I need to wait some time after closing before I would reapply?

2) can I do 2BM for UMPE and southwest? so only one credit pull?

Offline wierdal832

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1143 on: February 27, 2013, 07:33:29 PM »
1)  If I close my UMPE today, can I apply right away for another UMPE and get the 55k +50 (after the original 30k posts) or do I need to wait some time after closing before I would reapply?

2) can I do 2BM for UMPE and southwest? so only one credit pull?

1) yea u can close and really right away.
2) yes but go for a 3bm

Offline mmermss

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1144 on: February 27, 2013, 07:37:45 PM »
1) yea u can close and really right away.
2) yes but go for a 3bm
+1

To get the third card approved might take some HUCA's..but its possible to get it pushed through.
It's not about the quantity of your posts.  It's about the quality.

Offline minkr

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1145 on: February 27, 2013, 10:47:18 PM »
My mother just applied for another UMPE and she was declined b/c she already has one, so she called and asked to close her existing one and transfer credit line. They obviously asked why she would close one and open another.... they said that you can only get bonus once in a lifetime, so it won't help to close and reapply. just HUCA??? what are you supposed to say when they ask why are you closing and opening? is that really their policy?? it seems from this forum that you can get the bonus however many times you want...

Offline mmermss

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1146 on: February 27, 2013, 10:55:21 PM »
My mother just applied for another UMPE and she was declined b/c she already has one, so she called and asked to close her existing one and transfer credit line. They obviously asked why she would close one and open another.... they said that you can only get bonus once in a lifetime, so it won't help to close and reapply. just HUCA??? what are you supposed to say when they ask why are you closing and opening? is that really their policy?? it seems from this forum that you can get the bonus however many times you want...
Let her call up Chase tell them she would like to transfer the CL of the UA card onto an existing credit card.  Hang up.  Call recon and ask to approve the UA card and offer to transfer CL from your existing card.  No need to tell them anything about the UA card she just cancelled.
It's not about the quantity of your posts.  It's about the quality.

Offline minkr

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1147 on: February 27, 2013, 10:58:20 PM »
Let her call up Chase tell them she would like to transfer the CL of the UA card onto an existing credit card.  Hang up.  Call recon and ask to approve the UA card and offer to transfer CL from your existing card.  No need to tell them anything about the UA card she just cancelled.

won't they see she just closed the card??

and that would have been smarter to ask to transfer the CL before closing, but it's too late b/c when she was on the phone she just asked to close the card...

Offline mmermss

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1148 on: February 27, 2013, 11:01:50 PM »
won't they see she just closed the card??

and that would have been smarter to ask to transfer the CL before closing, but it's too late b/c when she was on the phone she just asked to close the card...

IME no.  But if they do see it tell them you needed more CL in your other card (make up a reason why...maybe to make a large purchase on one cc for example) and now you realized you need the UA card again because you plan on flying soon and would like to put some tickets on the cc and have the free suitcase it comes with etc....So if they can please approve it...or transfer CL to approve it.

Its not too late to call them up...cancel...hang up and call recon for new card...
It's not about the quantity of your posts.  It's about the quality.

Offline Moshe123

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1149 on: February 28, 2013, 08:20:37 AM »
Was successfully matched today by SM to the 55k + $50 credit.

Offline wierdal832

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1150 on: February 28, 2013, 09:45:00 AM »
Was successfully matched today by SM to the 55k + $50 credit.

good to know, thanks

Offline Baruch

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1151 on: February 28, 2013, 02:55:38 PM »
Was successfully matched today by SM to the 55k + $50 credit.
When was your most recent United before this one?
Did you get 30k yet?

Offline Moshe123

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1152 on: February 28, 2013, 03:00:59 PM »
When was your most recent United before this one?
Did you get 30k yet?

First time with the card. The 30k didn't post yet.

Offline Little Bob

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1153 on: February 28, 2013, 09:53:31 PM »
I have the no annual fee version of this card which i downgraded to, it has no good benefits. I am planing to fly soon and would like to have this card to get free bags. I have two options, I can upgrade my card to the milage plus explorer and pay $95 right away, which is still worth while for me. Or i can apply for a new milage plus explorer. I think my credit score is somewhere in the 700s . But recently I have had a lot of expenses and owe approx 4000 from all my cards ( most of it is interest free). Is it likely that I will get approved and have this card free for a year  plus the miles or not , in which case it would be better for me just to upgrade the current card that I have.

Offline Shmulyg

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1154 on: March 01, 2013, 01:24:26 AM »
I have the no annual fee version of this card which i downgraded to, it has no good benefits. I am planing to fly soon and would like to have this card to get free bags. I have two options, I can upgrade my card to the milage plus explorer and pay $95 right away, which is still worth while for me. Or i can apply for a new milage plus explorer. I think my credit score is somewhere in the 700s . But recently I have had a lot of expenses and owe approx 4000 from all my cards ( most of it is interest free). Is it likely that I will get approved and have this card free for a year  plus the miles or not , in which case it would be better for me just to upgrade the current card that I have.
The only one who can give you a clear answer to that is chase... ;)

Offline Moshe123

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1155 on: March 01, 2013, 09:42:46 AM »
When should I expect my points?
I hit the threshold before the statement closed 2 days ago.  SM'd, was matched, my $50 statement credit posted already and I paid the statement already. Both yesterday.

Offline David B

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1156 on: March 01, 2013, 09:49:59 AM »
Question for you United MileagePlus cardholders --

The free baggage benefit is supposed to apply only when you've bought your plane tickets on the card (same for each of the MileagePlus card types).  Anyone ever succeed in showing up at the airport with the card, tickets were paid for on a different card, and getting the check-in agent to waive baggage fees due to the card?

If so, is it a YMMV situation, or is there a universal answer among the crowd here?

Offline judahk88

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1157 on: March 01, 2013, 03:47:50 PM »
When should I expect my points?
I hit the threshold before the statement closed 2 days ago.  SM'd, was matched, my $50 statement credit posted already and I paid the statement already. Both yesterday.
I got the points on the next billing period.

Offline judahk88

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1158 on: March 01, 2013, 03:51:11 PM »
I signed up for this card a few months ago and already got the Miles.
i received in the mail 2-one time passes, they are paper cards. Says on the back its a one time pass to United club.
If i dont plan on flying in the near future what should I do with them?

Offline wierdal832

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Re: United MileagePlus Explorer Card
« Reply #1159 on: March 01, 2013, 03:52:35 PM »
I signed up for this card a few months ago and already got the Miles.
i received in the mail 2-one time passes, they are paper cards. Says on the back its a one time pass to United club.
If i dont plan on flying in the near future what should I do with them?
Try to sell them for 15 bux