United Quest Card overview
The United Quest℠ Card is an excellent choice for folks who fly United frequently and can take advantage of benefits like a first and second checked bag free on flights, priority boarding and a 25% discount on inflight food, drink and Wi-Fi purchases. The card's annual $125 United purchase credit makes up for half its annual fee, and you can save on award flight redemptions, too, thanks to two 5,000-mile anniversary award flight credits when you redeem for flights on United or United Express. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
*Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The United Quest Card is the perfect "in-between" card for frequent United travelers. It offers more perks than the United℠ Explorer Card and a much lower annual fee than the premium United Club℠ Infinite Card.
The recommended credit score for the United Quest Card is at least 700. However, it may be possible to get approved with a lower score.
Here's what you need to know about the United Quest Card to decide if it's the right fit for you.
United Quest Card pros and cons
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United Quest Card welcome offer
Currently, the United Quest Card is offering a sign-up bonus of 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open. This welcome offer is lower than previous welcome offers we have seen on this card.
TPG values United miles at 1.35 cents each, making this offer worth $810. Note that this offer is not available to current or previous cardmembers who received a new bonus within the past 24 months.
Related: The ultimate guide to earning elite status with United cards
United Quest Card benefits
The United Quest Card has some useful perks for regular United flyers who don't necessarily want or need the United Club access that comes with the top-tier United Club Infinite Card.
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First, you'll get a $125 annual purchase credit that you can use toward United flights. This credit is automatically applied as a statement credit when United purchases are charged to your card.
Additionally, the card comes with two 5,000-mile flight credits per year as a reward for redeeming miles, starting with your first cardmember anniversary. These 5,000-mile credits will be put into your MileagePlus account after you take a United or United Express-operated award flight booked with your miles, up to twice per anniversary year. TPG values these 5,000-mile reward flight credits at roughly $68 each.
On top of those perks, United Quest cardholders enjoy:
- Two free checked bags for the cardholder and two free checked bags for a companion on the reservation
- $100 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application
- 25% back on United inflight purchases (includes Wi-Fi, food and beverages)
- Priority boarding
- Travel and purchase protection
- Up to 6,000 Premier qualifying points (25 for every $500 you spend on purchases can be applied toward your Premier status qualification, up to the Premier 1K level)
- One year complimentary DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2024)
Just note that you must use your Quest card to pay for your ticket in order to check your bags for free — and this includes the award tickets booked with miles when you pay for the taxes and fees with your card.
If you fly United regularly, you'll especially appreciate the credits and free checked bags this card offers. And if you're chasing United status, the extra PQPs this card earns will fast-track your progress.
Related: How to avoid checked baggage fees on major domestic airlines
Earning miles on the United Quest Card
On top of United purchases, the United Quest Card earns bonus miles in several categories. With this card, you'll earn:
- 4 miles on hotel stays booked through United Hotels (2 miles earned as a MileagePlus member, plus 2 miles earned from United Quest card)
- 3 miles per dollar on United purchases (after earning your $125 annual United purchase credit, terms apply)
- 2 miles per dollar on other travel purchases
- 2 miles per dollar on dining and select streaming purchases
- 1 miles per dollar on all other purchases
It's nice that the United Quest Card earns bonus miles on general travel and dining purchases as well as on United spending. Still, you'll find similar or better earnings for these categories on other travel cards.
Related: Which credit card should you use for United flights?
Redeeming miles on the United Quest Card
You can use your United MileagePlus miles to book flights on United or its partners like Air Canada, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines. Among your options are booking domestic routes on United for as little as 5,000 miles or using a larger chunk of miles to fly business class to Asia on ANA.
And if you can utilize United's unique Excursionist Perk, you'll get even more value from your MileagePlus miles.
You can also redeem your miles for non-flight items, including United Club memberships, inflight Wi-Fi purchases, TSA PreCheck, car rentals and hotel stays. Additionally, you can transfer your miles to Marriott Bonvoy, but you'll get a lower value from your miles with any of these options than you would if you used them to book flights.
Related: How to redeem miles with the United MileagePlus program
Which cards compete with the United Quest Card?
If you want more United perks or can't justify the annual fee on the United Quest Card, one of these cards may be a better fit:
- If you want United Club access: The United Club Infinite Card offers even more United benefits. It has a higher annual fee of $525, but the club membership is worth up to $650, so this one perk easily justifies the card's annual fee. For more details, check out our full review of the United Club Infinite Card.
- If you want more flexible rewards: The Chase Sapphire® Preferred has similar bonus categories and allows you to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards to United or any of Chase's other transfer partners. Plus, it comes with a lower annual fee of $95. For more details, check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
- If you want United benefits for a lower annual fee: The United Explorer Card earns bonus miles on United purchases and includes a free checked bag for you and a companion but has a much lower annual fee of $95 that's waived the first year. For more details, check out our full review of the United Explorer Card.
For additional options, check out our full list of best airline credit cards and best travel credit cards.
Related: United Quest vs. United Club Infinite
Is the United Quest Card worth it?
The $250 annual fee might feel steep, but if you can maximize the $125 United credit, you'll make up for half of the annual fee alone. Beyond this perk, you'll get up to $135 value (according to TPG valuations) from your 10,000 miles back and up to $320 in free checked bags per round-trip. If you can maximize these perks, you'll easily justify the annual fee.
However, if you don't fly United regularly enough to take advantage of these benefits, you'll unlikely get enough value from this card to make the annual fee worth paying.
Bottom line
The United Quest Card has a significant list of United benefits and a reasonable annual fee, making it a great option for frequent United flyers. However, anyone wanting complimentary airport lounge access or more flexible rewards might choose a different route.
Apply here: United Quest Card with a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
