United MileagePlus Sign Up Bonus Guide

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United MileagePlus Sign Up Bonus Guide

-> HURRY! 70,000 United Miles Sign Up Bonus – Limited Time Offer!!

One of my favorite ways to make travel more accessible is leveraging credit card rewards to get free or cheap travel. 

I want you to travel for free too.  So I’m sharing tips on travel credit cards with sign up bonuses that I personally use!

Worth Noting: Referral links and current offers change often. The tips below are evergreen and will help you get the most value no matter when you apply.


How the United MileagePlus Sign-Up Bonus Works

You will automatically receive bonus miles for United Airlines once you have met the spending requirements for this card which is usually $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.


Typical Benefits and Rewards

  • 40,000+ bonus United miles – The big perk!
  • Free first checked bag
  • 2 United Club one-time passes per year
  • Priority boarding
  • Over $500 annual partner credits

Who Should Apply for This Card

  • Anyone who likes flying United Airlines
  • Anyone with upcoming travel (including international) who wants to fly free

Who Should NOT Apply for This Card

  • Anyone who does not fly
  • Anyone who doesn’t plan to fly in the near future – another card’s bonus might be more beneficial to you right now.

Tips for Maximizing Your Sign-Up Bonus

  1. Timing. Time your sign up properly to minimize stress. That means when you know you have a big purchase to make, open the card in advance of that so you have no trouble making the minimum spend to earn your sign up bonus.
  2. Limited-Time Offers. Sign up bonus values vary. If you see there is a limited time offer giving you 60,000 or even 70,000 bonus points to open a United MileagePlus Explorer Card, don’t hesitate. Snatch that up!
  3. Book Saver Awards. When you’re searching for your free flights, book a saver award to save thousands of points on your free flight.

How many flights can 60,000 Airline Miles get you?

Every airline’s program works differently and values points differently. But since we are talking about United Airlines, let me give you a first hand example. 

I recently booked 2 flights between the US and Europe for 58,000 United Miles.

So it is reasonable that you can find flights to Europe and back with your sign up bonus, let alone domestic flights! Slick, right?


My Favorite United Explorer Card Perks

My favorite benefit of the United Explorer Card  is that the sign up bonus lets me travel roundtrip to Europe for free lol.

Beyond that, you will enjoy a free checked bag on United flights, 2 free passes to United Club lounges at the airport (airport lounges are so great)  and some other benefits you can read about. 

But let’s be honest, you’re here for free flights and the lounge access is a bonus. 🙂 

United actually has several travel credit cards available so you may want to compare them to see what suits your needs best at this time. Each has its own unique perks and sign up bonuses.


Other Top Travel Credit Cards to Consider

Our favorite travel credit cards can be found on our Best Travel Credit Cards page.

But when we aren’t eligible for those bonuses, we always have a Chase United Card because the miles go far internationally!

We would love to hear what your favorite travel credit card is or your favorite trip where you got free flights from a travel credit card! 🙂








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