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A United Airlines plane on tarmac.
United travelers can earn extra miles from an elevated welcome bonus offer right now on four popular consumer credit cards.
  • United's raising welcome offer rewards by 10,000 MileagePlus miles apiece on four popular credit cards.
  • The high-end United Club℠ Infinite Card - Product Name Only offers lounge access and United Club℠ Infinite Card - Intro Bonus.
  • The no-annual-fee United Gateway℠ Card - Product Name Only has United Gateway℠ Card - Intro APR, followed by United Gateway℠ Card - Regular APR.

If you've been thinking about getting a United credit card, now is the time to do it. United just boosted introductory offers on four popular credit cards, increasing each sign-up bonus by 10,000 additional United MileagePlus miles from its current rate.

Here's what you can now earn on the following personal credit cards after approval and completing qualifying activities: 

  • United Club℠ Infinite Card - Product Name Only: United Club℠ Infinite Card - Intro Bonus

  • United Quest℠ Card - Product Name Only: United Quest℠ Card - Intro Bonus

  • United℠ Explorer Card - Product Name Only: United℠ Explorer Card - Intro Bonus

  • United Gateway℠ Card - Product Name Only: United Gateway℠ Card - Intro Bonus

Here's a quick overview of each card and its benefits, as well as the value of the increased sign-up bonus. 

Choosing between the Club, Quest, Explorer and Gateway cards

United currently offers four credit cards for personal use, each with a specific benefit. Here's a quick comparison table for easy reference:

 United Club℠ Infinite Card - Product Name OnlyUnited Quest℠ Card - Product Name OnlyUnited℠ Explorer Card - Product Name OnlyUnited Gateway℠ Card - Product Name Only
Welcome bonus:United Club℠ Infinite Card - Intro BonusUnited Quest℠ Card - Intro BonusUnited℠ Explorer Card - Intro BonusUnited Gateway℠ Card - Intro Bonus
Annual fee: United Club℠ Infinite Card - Annual FeeUnited Quest℠ Card - Annual FeeUnited℠ Explorer Card - Annual FeeUnited Gateway℠ Card - Annual Fee
Earning rate: 

4x miles on United purchases

2x miles on dining and all other travel

3x miles on United purchases

2x miles on dining, all other travel and select streaming services

2x miles on United purchases

2x miles on dining and hotels

2x miles on United purchases

2x miles on gas, local transit and commuting

Additional benefits

United Club membership

Free first and second checked bags

Up to 8,000 Premier qualifying points

Up to $100 Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit

$125 annual United purchase credit

Two 5,000-mile anniversary award flight credits

Free first and second checked bags

Up to 6,000 Premier qualifying points

Up to $100 Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit

Free first checked bag 

2 United Club one-time passes per year

Up to 1,000 Premier qualifying points

Up to $100 Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit

United Gateway℠ Card - Intro APR, then United Gateway℠ Card - Regular APR

What is the cash value of each bonus?

The value of United MileagePlus miles is 1.3 cents apiece on average, according to Insider calculations, with poorer redemptions averaging closer to 1.1 cents per mile and strong redemptions up to 1.6 cents per mile. This means that the current sign-up bonuses could get you anywhere from United Gateway℠ Card - Featured Reward Value to United Club℠ Infinite Card - Featured Reward Value, depending on the sign-up bonus earned and the rate at which you redeem your miles.

Beyond the monetary value of each card, don't forget to factor in the "soft" perks of each card. The United Club℠ Infinite Card - Product Name Only card offers strong benefits for frequent Star Alliance travelers, with worldwide access to the airline's network of airport lounges, as well as expedited airport security benefits and free checked bags.

Meanwhile, the United Gateway℠ Card - Product Name Only doesn't offer much by way of elevated spend categories or travel perks, but comes with a long intro APR period that could help you out of a financial pinch. The United Quest℠ Card - Product Name Only card comes with a higher annual fee, but includes a $125 annual travel credit, plus free checked bags and flight credits that can easily offset the cost for the right traveler.

Finally, the tried-and-true United℠ Explorer Card - Product Name Only comes with two Club passes per year, one free checked bag per flight, and a few other lesser benefits to go with its modest United℠ Explorer Card - Annual Fee annual fee. 

Read the original article on Business Insider