Chase and United Airlines Announce New and Enhanced Travel Benefits for United MileagePlus Cardmembers, Providing the Most Value It’s Ever Offered

Rhea-AI Summary

Chase and United Airlines have unveiled an enhanced United Family of Cards with new benefits offering substantial annual value ranging from over $800 for the Explorer Card to $2,000 for United Club Cards. The revamped cards, effective immediately for new and existing United MileagePlus Cardmembers, include features like airline credits, rideshare benefits, and Instacart partnerships.

Key offerings include the United Explorer Card ($150 annual fee) with $60 rideshare credits and $100 United Travel Credits; the United Quest Card ($350 annual fee) featuring $200 annual United Travel Credits and Premier status benefits; and the United Club Card ($695 annual fee) providing club membership and up to $150 rideshare credits.

To celebrate the launch, welcome bonuses of 80,000 to 125,000 miles are being offered to new Cardmembers through May 7, 2025. A new advertising campaign featuring Emmy award-winning actor Ty Burrell will launch on April 1, 2025.

Positive

• Significant increase in card benefits and annual value across all tiers
• Introduction of new travel credits and rideshare benefits
• Attractive welcome bonuses ranging from 80,000 to 125,000 miles
• Enhanced pathway to Premier status through card spending
• Partnership with Instacart offering membership benefits and credits

Negative

• Higher annual fees across all card tiers
• Delayed implementation of new annual fees for existing cardmembers until 2025/2026

Insights

Credit Card Industry Analyst

JPMorgan Chase's extensive overhaul of its United Airlines co-branded credit card portfolio represents a strategic enhancement to a key revenue-generating partnership. With value propositions ranging from $800 for the Explorer card to $2,000 for premium Club offerings, Chase is substantially increasing both benefits and annual fees across the portfolio.

The timing of this rollout is notable - while new cardmembers will immediately pay higher annual fees (ranging from $150 to $695), existing customers won't see increases until August 2025 or January 2026, giving Chase ample time to demonstrate value and minimize attrition. This staggered implementation reduces short-term revenue risk while positioning for long-term growth.

The enhanced benefits package - featuring rideshare credits, award flight discounts, and Instacart partnerships - shows Chase's recognition that premium travel cards must deliver value beyond traditional airport perks. This diversification of benefits helps justify higher fees while broadening everyday relevance.

For JPMorgan, this refresh should drive increased revenue through higher annual fees, potentially greater interchange income from elevated spending, and strengthened customer retention. While not transformative to JPM's overall business given its scale, this represents meaningful enhancement to its cards division, a significant profit center for the bank.

Banking Partnership Strategist

This co-brand card refresh demonstrates JPMorgan's commitment to extracting maximum value from strategic partnerships. By significantly enhancing the United card portfolio while introducing higher fees, JPM is executing on two crucial banking objectives: increasing revenue per customer and deepening relationship entrenchment.

The elevated fee structure ($150 to $695) aligns JPM's premium travel offerings more directly with American Express's positioning while maintaining a value proposition that emphasizes practical benefits over status. The carefully calculated benefit values ($800 to $2,000) create a compelling mathematical argument for adoption even at higher price points.

Particularly astute is the integration of partnerships beyond air travel - notably Instacart - recognizing that frequent travelers also represent valuable customers for adjacent services. This ecosystem approach creates multiple revenue opportunities through merchant partnerships while increasing card usage and positioning Chase as central to customers' broader lifestyle needs.

The marketing investment in a recognized celebrity (Ty Burrell) signals confidence in potential returns, while the delayed fee implementation for existing customers (6-18% months) demonstrates sophistication in customer lifecycle management. For JPMorgan, these enhancements should drive incremental revenue through higher fees, increased transaction volume, and potentially improved customer retention - a meaningful positive for its consumer banking business.

Offering over $800 for the United℠ Explorer Card to $2,000 for the United Club℠ Cards in total annual value, the enhancements make flying the world’s largest airline even more rewarding with new benefits including airline and rideshare credits, car rental and hotel awards, United Club℠ access, exclusive offers from leading brands like Instacart and more

United MileagePlus Cardmembers can also earn toward higher levels of Premier status and receive award travel discounts when they redeem their miles to fly to more than 360 destinations worldwide, including more than 70 that no other U.S. airline serves

A new advertising campaign featuring Emmy award-winning actor Ty Burrell will launch on April 1, 2025, to share why travelers who fly United should have a United Card

WILMINGTON, Del. & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Chase and United Airlines revealed the brand-new United Family of Cards from Chase, with new and enhanced benefits designed to make flying the world’s largest airline* even more rewarding, valuable and personalized. United Cards have always provided United MileagePlus members with ways to earn on travel and every day spend and redeem miles, but now, each card offers a distinct set of additional benefits tailored to meet the needs of a variety of travel styles. By listening to customer feedback – from frequent flyers and spontaneous travelers, to small business owners and United travelers in between – each card’s rewards offerings are designed to enhance the travel journey, ensuring no rewards are left on the runway.

United Family of Cards from Chase

New benefits and enhancements for each card take effect today for new and existing United MileagePlus Cardmembers. These benefits offer over $800 for Explorer to $2,000 for the United Club Cards in total annual value. Cardmembers can also earn PQPs by using the cards, which may help them achieve loyalty status sooner. To celebrate, the United Family of Cards is offering welcome bonuses of 80,000 to 125,000 miles to new Cardmembers, depending on the fee-based card, now through May 7, 2025. For more information on the welcome offers, please click here.

“Having one of our cards means you’ll have an enhanced travel experience when you fly United,” said Richard Nunn, CEO, MileagePlus. “We designed these cards to meet a variety of needs and travel styles – and as a result, the suite of benefits the cards offer for United customers is simply unparalleled. The easiest way to experience the best of what MileagePlus^® has to offer is by having a United Card.”

“Our newly enhanced card portfolio is designed to deliver unmatched value and support United fliers at every step of their travel journey,” said Chris Cracchiolo, President of Co-Brand Credit Cards at Chase. “By adding perks like thoughtful travel credits, a faster pathway to Premier status and exclusive partner offers, we’re rewarding Cardmembers before, during and after their trip.”

The United Family of Cards is also debuting a new advertising campaign with Emmy award-winning actor Ty Burrell to share why travelers who fly United should have a United Card. The campaign is based in relatable travel truths to demonstrate how rewarding traveling can be, if you have a United Card.

“When United and Chase approached me about joining this campaign, the simplicity of the concept and the lighthearted message stood out,” said Emmy award-winning actor Ty Burrell. “I’m excited to bring a little humor to common travel situations and show how a United Card can make a difference, whether that’s free checked bags, priority boarding or extra legroom onboard. As a United MileagePlus Cardmember, I know first hand why if you fly United, you should probably have a United Card.”

Enhanced Benefits for Cardmembers

For the traveler who may only fly occasionally, The United℠ Explorer Card ($150 Annual Fee, offering over $800 in total value) was designed to simplify the travel experience and make it easy to accumulate miles. Some of the new benefits include:

• Receive up to $60 of Rideshare credits per year for trips to the airport or almost anywhere
• Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount for a future ticket
• Earn $100 in United Travel Credits for a United flight or other select United purchases
• Receive up to $100 in statement credits on United Hotels purchases and up to $50 in United Travel Credits on Avis or Budget purchases
• Complimentary three-month Instacart+ membership with 25% off annual membership afterwards, plus up to $120 in Instacart credits annually to help get anything needed before, during, or after a trip delivered right to the front door**
• Find additional benefits and details here

For travelers desiring more perks during their travel journey, The United Quest℠ Card ($350 Annual Fee, offering over $1,000 in total value) was crafted with a comfortable travel experience in mind. Among the new perks are:

• $200 annual United Travel Credits for a United flight or other select United purchases
• Receive up to $100 of Rideshare credits per year for trips to the airport and beyond
• A jumpstart on Premier^® status with 1,000 Card Bonus PQPs each Program year, plus the ability to earn enough PQPs for Premier Platinum through card spend
• Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount
• Earn two global Economy Plus^® Upgrade Certificates
• Complimentary three-month Instacart+ membership with 50% off annual membership afterwards, plus up to $180 in Instacart credits annually to help get anything needed before, during, or after a trip delivered right to the front door**
• Discover additional benefits and details here

For frequent travelers seeking serenity, The United Club℠ Card ($695 Annual Fee, offering over $2,000 in total value) is tailored to meet these travelers’ needs with access to more than 45 United Club℠ locations worldwide and premium travel benefits, making every experience more comfortable and enjoyable. A few of the new updates are:

• Receive up to $150 of Rideshare credits per year
• Complimentary Instacart+ membership and up to $240 in Instacart credits annually to help get anything needed before, during, or after a trip delivered right to the front door**
• A jumpstart on Premier status with 1,500 Card Bonus PQPs each year, plus the ability to earn enough PQPs for Premier 1K status via card spend
• Earn up to 20,000 miles in award flight discounts annually
• Club membership ($750 value) and four one-time United Club passes after earning United Club All Access Membership and adding an authorized user on your account
• Uncover more benefits and details here

For business owners wanting to earn rewards for their expenses, The United℠ Business Card ($150 Annual Fee, offering over $800 in value) makes it simple for Cardmembers to earn miles to use for their future travel. A few new benefits are:

• Earn two continental U.S. Economy Plus upgrades for more room to stretch out and work comfortably from the skies
• Earn up to $100 in statement credits on United Hotels purchases and up to $50 in United Travel Credits on Avis or Budget purchases to help make business travel cost effective
• Receive up to $100 of Rideshare credits per year
• Earn up to 4,000 PQPs at a rate of 1 PQP for every $20 spent on purchases
• Complimentary three-month Instacart+ membership with 25% off annual membership afterwards, plus up to $120 in Instacart credits annually to help with weekly essentials, supplies and more for business or while traveling for work**
• Find additional benefits and details here

For frequent business travelers looking for a quiet place to clear their head or take a call, The United Club Business Card ($695 Annual Fee, offering over $2,000 in value) offers access for the Cardmember and a guest to United Club locations, as well as premium perks that can make working on the go more comfortable and productive. A selection of new benefits include:

• Club membership ($750 value) and four United Club one-time passes after earning United Club All Access Membership and adding an authorized user on your account
• 5,000-mile anniversary bonus for Cardmembers with both a United Business Card and a personal United Card for those who enjoy mixing business with pleasure
• Earn two global Economy Plus upgrades for extra legroom and comfort
• Earn up to enough PQPs for Premier^® 1K^® status via card spend
• Complimentary Instacart+ membership and up to $240 in Instacart credits to help with weekly essentials, supplies and more for business or while traveling for work**
• Find more benefits and details here

For travelers looking for a card without an annual fee, The United Gateway℠ Card is providing new benefits like the ability to earn two free checked bags (terms apply) and savings on award flights. Find more benefits and details here.

More Rewards for Cardmembers

United MileagePlus Cardmembers also have access to savings on award flight tickets that make it even easier to travel to their dream destinations. MileagePlus is free to join and was recently rated the world's best airline loyalty program.*** It offers benefits including miles that never expire, no blackout dates, ticket purchasing with miles or a combination of miles and cash, no change fees on flight award tickets, miles pooling allowing travelers to combine their miles in a joint account and more.

Additional Details on Card Benefits and Terms

New annual fees and benefits will go into effect immediately for new United MileagePlus Cardmembers. For existing Cardmembers, new benefits also begin today, and annual fees will change on or after August 1, 2025, at the Cardmember’s next annual fee renewal date for all cards except those with an existing United Explorer Card, where the fee will change on or after January 1, 2026, at the Cardmember’s next annual fee renewal date.

To learn more, please visit unitedcards.com/2025.

*As measured by available seat miles, as well as number of mainline aircrafts
**Terms apply
***Study conducted by Good Travel Management

About Chase
Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America with assets of $4.0 trillion and operations worldwide. Chase serves 84 million consumers and 7 million small businesses, with a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, credit cards, mortgages, auto financing, investment advice, small business loans and payment processing. Customers can choose how and where they want to bank: Nearly 5,000 branches in 48 states and the District of Columbia, more than 15,000 ATMs, mobile, online and by phone. For more information, go to chase.com.

About United
At United, Good Leads The Way. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers, and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team, please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about the company is at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL”.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250324224032/en/

Chase Card Services

Elizabeth Moriarty, Chase Communications

elizabeth.moriarty@chase.com



United Airlines

Megan Boyd, United Communications

megan.boyd@united.com

Source: Chase Card Services

FAQ

What are the new annual fees for United JPM credit cards in 2025?

The United Explorer Card is $150, United Quest Card is $350, and United Club Card is $695 annually.

How many welcome bonus miles are offered for new United JPM cardmembers in 2025?

New cardmembers can earn between 80,000 to 125,000 welcome bonus miles through May 7, 2025.

What is the annual value offered by different United JPM credit cards?

The Explorer Card offers over $800, Quest Card over $1,000, and Club Cards over $2,000 in total annual value.

When will the new United JPM credit card benefits take effect for existing cardmembers?

New benefits begin immediately, with annual fee changes effective August 1, 2025 (January 1, 2026 for existing Explorer Card holders).