One of the best benefits of the United MileagePlus Explorer Card from Chase is having access to additional Saver level award seats. However, unless you knew to look for XN fare class, it had not been clear which flights exactly showed up as part of the benefit. United now specifies on its website which flights are available in addition to standard inventory.
Let’s look at an example. I searched for a one-way flight from Munich to Salt Lake City in October. The following flight showed up when I was logged into my United account with a disclaimer: “Exclusively available to you as a Chase Cardmember.”
However, when I was logged out, the same flight was available at the Standard redemption level only for 65,000 miles. What is interesting, I no longer hold the United Explorer card. I downgraded it to the no-fee MileagePlus card a couple of months ago, yet still saw increased award inventory as a Chase cardholder.
By booking Saver seats, United passengers can save about half the miles required for a Standard award, so having access to those extra flights can be crucial for someone who isn’t flexible on departure dates. The downside is that non-cardholders have no way of knowing whether that extra space even exists.
United Premier Platinum and Premier 1K flyers also receive access to the additional XN space, but simply holding the United Explorer card allows those flyers with no status to have more options when it comes to award seats.
MileagePlus Explorer Card’s Additional Benefits
As a United Explorer cardholder, you get a free checked bag for you and a companion when traveling on the same reservation, access to priority boarding and two one-time United Club passes annually.
For a limited time, you can earn 50,000 miles for signing up for the credit card and spending $3,000 in the first three months of account opening. You can earn another 5,000 miles by adding an authorized user. The annual fee of $95 is not waived with this offer.
What do you think of the new award availability specifications on United website?
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Annual Fee: $95 fee waived for the first year
- Foreign Fees: No
- Card Type: Bank
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- Earn 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Named Best Credit Card for Flexible Travel Redemption - Kiplinger's Personal Finance, July 2016
- 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Earn 5,000 bonus points after you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months from account opening
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $625 toward travel
- No blackout dates or travel restrictions - as long as there's a seat on the flight, you can book it through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Annual Fee: $95 fee waived for the first year
- Foreign Fees: No
- Card Type: Bank
| FTG Review | Reward Breakdown | Points Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
Breakdown
Earn (pt.)
Spend
First 3 months
50,000
$4,000
Travel Purchases
2.00
$1
Restaurants Purchases
2.00
$1
Coffee Shops Purchases
2.00
$1
Fast Food Purchases
2.00
$1
Alcohol & Bars Purchases
2.00
$1
All Purchases
1.00
$1
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