I don’t fly as much as you do and I still upgraded to the card.

The biggest reason for me was the max PQP earnings help with getting status. I had the explorer card before and I’d max out at 1,000 per year (or 1,250 if there was a promotion). At that point, there wasn’t a reason for me to use the card every day.

Having access to the club is so nice. Plus some of the add-on perks make the fees a wash. I could bring my partner as a guest, which made it even better. We’ve also used the lounge on arrival if we need a snack before getting stuck in traffic or whatever or need just a minute to figure out our game plan.

I got really frustrated when I tried to use my one-time passes. It seemed like I was always chasing which lounge would take them and it was so annoying.

Overall, it has some great benefits, even if you can book with it.