We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

Can You Get a Free Checked Bag on United Award Flights?

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Update:   A credit card offer in this post may no longer be available, but check the Hot Deals for the latest offers!

    Million Mile Secrets reader Mike comments:

    If I book an award flight, will I still get a free bag and priority boarding with the Chase United Explorer card?
    Can Mike Get a Free Checked Bag and Priority Boarding on United Airlines Award Flights?

    Yes, you get all the same benefits with the Chase United Explorer Card whether you’re on a paid or award flight.

    Chase United Explorer Benefits

    Link:   Chase United Explorer

    Link:   Top 10 Benefits of the United Explorer Card

    For a limited time you get an increased sign-up bonus of 50,000 United Airlines miles when you spend $2,000 within 3 months on the Chase United Explorer card.  Plus you get lots of great benefits including free checked bags and priority boarding.

    And you’ll have access to more award seats than folks who don’t have the card.  This really helps when you’re trying to book an award flight!

    Note: Some folks are able to get a better offer that includes a $50 statement credit.  This is NOT my link but I’ll always tell you about the best deal!

    Free Checked Bag

    With this card Mike and a traveling companion (on the same reservation) each get 1 free checked bag on United Airlines flights.

    United Charges $25 Each Way for Your 1st Checked Bag, but With the Chase United Explorer Card It’s Free

    This is a great benefit because Mike can save up to $100 each time he takes a round-trip flight within North America and certain destinations in South America.

    Priority Boarding

    As a Chase United Explorer cardholder, Mike and a traveling companion (on the same reservation) will also get priority boarding.  So Mike can get on the plane early and have more overhead bin space for his carry-on.

    Mike Can Skip the Line With Priority Boarding

    But, will Mike get these same benefits if he has an award ticket instead of a paid ticket?

    Yes, Mike Still Gets Free Checked Bags & Priority Board on Award Flights!

    Mike will still get priority boarding even if he is on an award flight as long as his United Airlines number is on the reservation.

    He also still gets a free checked bag on award flights as long as his United Airlines number is on the reservation and he pays the taxes & fees on his award ticket with his Chase United Explorer card.

    Bottom Line

    You get the great benefits of the Chase United Explorer card no matter if you’re on a paid flight or an award flight.

    To get priority boarding, your United Airlines number must be on the reservation.  Enter your United Airlines number on your award reservation to get a free checked bag and pay the taxes & fees with the Chase United Explorer card.

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)