I’ve been a single mom for almost five years now. Doing all of the parenting on my own is not easy, but I love the close relationship that I have with my two kids. During a normal week, I wake up early, drop the kids off at preschool, go to work, pick up my kids and spend quality time with them in the evenings. Being a mom is incredible, but it does not leave much room for time with my friends.
Last summer, one of my high school friends called me with an exciting offer. She was planning a girls’ weekend at her beach house for the following year. I am blessed to have a wonderful group of friends from high school that I am still close to, and connecting with those ladies sounded like something I just had to do. However, I also had a lot of expenses for my home and my children, so I wasn’t quite sure how I would be able to cover the cost of my trip.
I travel occasionally for my job, and one of my colleagues told me how happy he was with the United Mileage Plus Explorer credit card since the first time he read a review of the card at milecards.com and applied for the same. Once he described the perks and the good service that he received, I started looking more seriously into signing up.
Right away, I saw some travel perks that would work well for me. My friends joke that I like to bring everything in my closet when I travel, so I loved the idea of getting my first checked bag for free on every flight.
Once I filled out my application, I received my card quickly. I hoped to accrue enough miles through my business travel to earn a free flight for my beach trip, so I started using my card as much as possible.
I began by booking all of my business travel on United using my Mileage Plus credit card. This really helped boost my miles total since I received two miles for each dollar that I spent through United. Six months before my trip, I accumulated about half of the miles that I needed.
I was excited to find out that I would not just get miles on airline purchases. I could also use my United Mileage Plus card to do all of my routine shopping. I started using my card everyday as I bought gas, clothes, food and numerous other items. I also kept my card number near my computer so that I would remember to use it for all of my online purchases. I even used my card to pay any of my recurring bills that accepted credit card payments.
Two months before the day I needed to leave for the beach, I was excited to find out that I had enough miles to exchange for my flight. My card offered a 10,000 mile bonus after I made my first $25,000 in purchases, and this bonus was enough to help me meet my goal.
I needed some assistance when it was time to redeem my miles and book my flight, and I was so impressed with the attentive customer service that I received. When I called the customer service number, I was able to speak to a professional, knowledgeable representative right away. Customer service is available for cardholders 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Once my travel date arrived, being a United Mileage Plus card member even made my travel day easier. One of my local friends flew out with me, so I surprised her by providing complimentary passes to the United Club during our layover. It was a great place to unwind between our flights, and we both loved the drinks and snacks. I also received priority boarding as a cardholder, so we were able to board the flight before many of the other travelers.
My vacation with friends was just what I needed. We spent hours lounging on the beach, talking and laughing and enjoying delicious food. On the second day of my vacation, I accidentally left my purse in a taxi when we were traveling into town. When I called my credit card company, I was so impressed when they said they would replace my card within 24 hours! I had a new card in my hand even before I needed to return home.
Even though my wonderful trip is over, I am going to continue using my Mileage Plus credit card. I love earning miles for purchases that I am already making, and I feel protected thanks to the excellent fraud and vacation protection coverage that are included. I love checking my statement and seeing how quickly my miles are accruing. I’m already trying to decide where I want to visit next! Know more details on Credit Cards Pros and Cons: Click here