The best credit cards for getting benefits and bonus rewards with United Airlines, no matter how often you fly

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United credit cards can get you benefits like a free checked bag.

• United currently offers five co-branded credit cards through its bank issuer, Chase.
• The United Explorer Card is currently offering an elevated sign-up bonus, but only until January 22.
• There are several non-United cards whose points still transfer to the airline's MileagePlus program, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Ink Business Preferred Credit Card.
• Don't forget about United's business credit cards, which offer outstanding sign-up bonuses and other benefits.
• Focus on the cards that offers the perks that matter most to you, like club lounge access, free checked bags, or a simple cash-back rate of return.
• See Business Insider's list of the best airline credit cards »

United flyers are spoiled for choice when it comes to credit cards that offer perks with the airline. United's co-branded Chase cards include perks like lounge access, free checked bags, and priority boarding, as well as earning multiple miles on everyday purchases.

Looking beyond just United-branded cards, however, the ability to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to the MileagePlus frequent flyer program means that cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Ink Business Preferred are also strong contenders thanks to great earning rates and strong travel protections.

Which card is right for your needs just depends on the benefits you will value and use the most, and which one's earning rates you will best be able to maximize with your typical travel and spending activity.

• Here's a look at the major cards offered by United and its transfer partners, as well as their major perks and what kind of traveler each card might be right for.

The best credit cards for United Airlines flyers:

• Best if you're not loyal to United: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Best for non-elite flyers: United Explorer Card
• Best for business travelers: United Explorer Business Card
• Best for lounge access: United Club Card
• Best for budget travelers: United TravelBank Card
• Best for road warriors: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
• Best for luxury travel: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which will far outweigh the value of any points or miles. It's important to practice financial discipline when using credit cards by paying your balances in full each month, making payments on time, and only spending what you can afford to pay back.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Best if you're not loyal to United: Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve

Annual fee: $95 and $550

Although it's not a United co-branded card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred presents a few compelling reasons for United flyers to carry it. It earns Ultimate Rewards points, which transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio to United MileagePlus miles, so your purchase activity can easily earn you award travel on the airline. These points also transfer to several other airlines including Southwest and JetBlue, so you are gaining flexibility by earning Ultimate Rewards points instead of just United miles.

The card earns 2 points per dollar on dining and a wide range of travel purchases including airline tickets. That means you can rack up extra points not just on United tickets and at hotels like with the United Explorer card, but on all airline purchases, as well as on things like train tickets, parking, rideshares and more.

If you're a very frequent traveler, you could also consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. It's now harder to recommend this card to everyone since the annual fee increased to $550, but it still offers some great benefits, including 3x points on travel and dining (plus 10x points on Lyft rides), and up to $300 in statement credits for travel purchases each year. Chase recently added annual statement credits for DoorDash food delivery, as well as a complimentary year of Lyft Pink membership.

$95 annual fee: Click here to learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred »

$550 annual fee: Click here to learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve »

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Best for non-elite flyers: United Explorer Card

Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)

If you fly United a few times a year but don't have elite status, the United Explorer card is probably your best all-round option. That's because the card offers elite-style perks like a free checked bag for the cardholders and a companion on the same reservation (when you pay with the card), priority boarding and a 25% discount on in-flight food, beverage and Wi-Fi purchases. Cardholders also receive two one-time United Club passes each year, which can help lighten day-of-travel stress on the occasional trip.

The card is a good earner in general, accruing 2x miles not just on United purchases, but also at restaurants and hotels. It earns 1 mile per dollar on everything else. The current sign-up bonus is also respectable: up to 65,000 miles - 40,000 after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening plus an additional 25,000 miles after you spend a total of $10,000 on purchases in the first six months.

When it comes time to put those miles to use, cardholders can also access expanded award ticket availability, which can save tens of thousands of miles on some trips.

Finally, the United Explorer offers two other standout benefits. Cardholders are eligible for an application fee refund for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck once every four years, and the card confers automatic primary insurance on most car rentals, which can come in handy when things go wrong on the road. It also waives foreign transaction fees.

The card's $95 annual fee is waived the first year.

Click here to learn more about the United Explorer card »

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Best for business travelers: United Explorer Business Card

Annual fee: $95

If you already carry a United personal credit card, or are simply looking for a small-business credit card for your work needs, the United Explorer Business card is a great choice for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, it's currently offering new cardholders up to 100,000 miles as a sign-up bonus. Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Then, earn an additional 50,000 bonus miles after you spend a total of $25,000 on purchases within the first six months of account opening. On the surface, that might seem like a lot of spending, but it's well within the range of many small businesses and breaks down to just over $4,000 per month.

Like the personal version, this card carries a $95 annual fee, though it's not waived the first year. It also fields some interesting bonus earning opportunities, racking up 2 miles per dollar on United purchases as well as at restaurants, gas stations, and office-supply stores.

Cardholders and a companion can check a bag for free when traveling on United, and receive priority boarding privileges. They also get two one-time United Club passes each year. While there's no Global Entry or TSA PreChek refund, the card does offer primary insurance when renting a car for business purposes and waives foreign transaction fees.

Click here to learn more about the United Explorer Business card »

United Media Library

United Club access can improve your pre-flight experience.

Best for lounge access: United Club Card

Annual fee: $450

If you're a frequent United flyer and value access to the airline's United Clubs, then this is the best card for you. Its annual fee is $450, but that's still $200 below what most travelers would pay for United Club membership each year. The other thing worth noting is that it is full club membership, not just access, so cardholders can bring in guests.

Cardholders and a companion on the same reservation can check up to two bags for free and enjoy Premier Access priority check-in, security screening, and boarding. The card earns 2 miles per dollar on United purchases and 1.5 miles per dollar on everything else, so it's a good option for non-category bonus earning. It's currently offering a sign-up bonus of 50,000 miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months.

Best for budget travelers: United TravelBank Card

Annual fee: $0

If you prefer the simple rate of return of a cash-back card without having to master the ins and outs of the MileagePlus frequent-flyer program, then the United TravelBank Card might be the right option for you.

That's because it earns 2% back in TravelBank cash (which can be put toward future United tickets) per dollar spent on United tickets and then 1.5% back on all other purchases. Its welcome offer is currently $150 in United TravelBank cash after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Though you won't get free checked bags or priority boarding, the card does offer 25% savings on in-flight food, beverage and Wi-Fi purchases. It also waives foreign transaction fees.

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Best for road warriors: Chase Ink Business Preferred

Annual fee: $95

Like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve, the Chase Ink Business Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to United MileagePlus, among other airline and hotel programs.

Not only is it offering a welcome bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months of account opening, but it also racks up a phenomenal 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 total spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone services, and advertising on social media sites and search engines each account year.

In short, if you're a small business owner whose spending habits fit into these categories, you could make a killing on points and then transfer them to United for award travel.

Aside from that, you can also just redeem Ultimate Rewards points earned with this card directly for reservations made through the Chase travel portal at a rate of 1.25 cents apiece, which could make sense for some cheap airline tickets on United. The card also waives foreign transaction fees and comes with primary insurance on car rentals for business purposes.

Click here to learn more about the Ink Business Preferred card »

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Best for fancy flyers: The Platinum Card from American Express

Ostensibly, this card does not offer any direct benefits for United flyers. But if you look beyond its obvious perks, there are plenty of reasons to consider it.

Although American Express Membership Rewards points don't transfer to United MileagePlus, they do convert to miles with Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, all of which can be redeemed for award travel on United (and often at better rates than United MileagePlus itself offers).

The public welcome offer for this card is currently 60,000 points after you spend $5,000 within three months of account opening.

The Amex Platinum card accrues 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel, which makes it the top earner in this category. It also includes up to $200 per year in statement credits toward airline incidentals like checked bags, seat assignments, and club lounge passes, so for occasional United flyers without elite status, this is a big benefit.

Although it won't get you into United Clubs, it does grant access to Priority Pass lounges around the world as well as Amex's own Centurion Lounges, so you can usually find a quiet place to work or relax before flights no matter where you travel. Those are just a few of the card's benefits, but there are plenty more to take advantage of.

Click here to learn more about the Amex Platinum card »

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Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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