BEST CREDIT CARDSBEST CREDIT CARDSUNITED QUEST CARD: $250 FEE GRANTS YOU MORE MILES AND CREDITS FOR YOUR JOURNEY

United Quest Card: $250 Fee Grants You More Miles and Credits for Your Journey

It offers better rewards and benefits than other more basic United cards do, including redemption credits each anniversary, plus a yearly United credit that can chop the annual fee in half.
Gregory Karp Author Avatar
Oct 15, 2024 11:10 a.m. PDT
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The Bottom Line

4.6

NerdWallet rating

The $250 annual fee is not for everybody, but frequent United flyers who use the $125 airline credit should be able to extract plenty of value from the card.

United Quest℠ Card Image
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on Chase's website
on Chase's website
United Quest℠ Card
Annual Fee
$250
Rewards Rate
1x-3x
Miles
Intro Offer
60,000
Miles
Recommended credit score
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable APR
Recommended credit score
Annual Fee
$250
Rewards Rate
1x-3x
Miles
Intro Offer
60,000
Miles
Recommended credit score
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable APR
Recommended credit score

  • Annual fee

    $250

  • Rewards rate

    1x-3x

  • Bonus offer

    Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

  • Intro APR

    N/A

  • Ongoing APR

    APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable APR

    Cash Advance APR: 29.74%, Variable

    Penalty APR: Up to 29.99%

  • Balance transfer fee

    Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

  • Foreign transaction fee

    $0

  • Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 PQP after qualifying purchases
  • Earn 3 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
  • Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel, dining and select streaming services
  • Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
  • Free first and second checked bags - a savings of up to $360 per roundtrip (terms apply) - and priority boarding
  • Up to a $125 United® purchase credit and up to 10,000 miles in award flight credits each year (terms apply)
  • Earn up to 6,000 Premier qualifying points per calendar year (25 PQP for every $500 you spend on purchases)
  • Member FDIC

Pros and Cons

Pros

Bonus categories

New cardholder bonus offer

Free checked bag

Luxury perks

Cons

Has annual fee

Rewards have limited flexibility

No lounge membership

Detailed Review

The United Quest℠ Card from Chase gives United Airlines flyers a way to earn more miles and perks than with the carrier’s more basic cards, while avoiding the massive annual fee for the priciest card that includes airport lounge access.

It's still on the pricey side, though, at an annual fee of $250. That means the United Quest℠ Card slots in as a midtier option among the three other United-branded Chase credit cards offered for personal use. (Annual fees on those other cards? $0, $95 and $525).

The Quest's fee effectively can be chopped in half if you use its $125 annual credit for United purchases. Layer on award-flight credits, progress toward elite status, extra free checked bags, and a credit toward a TSA Precheck, Global Entry or NEXUS application, and you’re quickly making out on the deal. You also rack up miles with useful bonus categories on your spending, including extra miles for United purchases, travel, dining and streaming services.

Airline credit cards, especially those with $250 fees, aren’t for everyone. But frequent United flyers should be able to get their fee back and more with the United Quest℠ Card.

United Quest Card: Basics

Card type: Airline.

Annual fee: $250.

Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Rewards:

  • 3 miles per $1 spent on United purchases.

  • 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel, dining and select streaming services.

  • 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

NerdWallet values United miles at 1.2 cents each. This is a baseline value, drawn from real-world data on hundreds of economy routes, not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 1.2 cents or more in value from your United miles.

Benefits:

  • $125 United purchase credit per year (good on airfare).

  • Two 5,000-mile award flight credits per anniversary year.

  • Two free checked bags for the cardholder and a companion.

  • Priority boarding.

  • Up to $100 credit on TSA Precheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.

  • 25% back on United in-flight purchases, including Wi-Fi, food and beverages.

  • Travel protections.

  • A one-year complimentary DashPass membership for both DoorDash and Caviar. Terms apply.

Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 21.49%-28.49% Variable APR.

Foreign transaction fee: None.

How it compares with other United cards

United and Chase offer four co-branded credit cards for personal use, each with different benefits and annual fees.

For the Quest's annual fee of $250, you get some big upgrades from the United℠ Explorer Card, which has an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $95. But you don’t get a United Club airport lounge membership, which comes with the United Club℠ Infinite Card at a price of $525.

The United Quest℠ Card mostly competes with the United℠ Explorer Card. That’s especially true because if you’re able to regularly use the $125 airline credit, it effectively drops the annual fee to very close to the annual fee of the United℠ Explorer Card.

United Gateway℠ Card

United℠ Explorer Card

United Quest℠ Card

United Club℠ Infinite Card

ANNUAL FEE

$0.

$0 intro for the first year, then $95.

$250.

$525.

BONUS OFFER FOR NEW CARDHOLDERS

Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. Learn more.

Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

FREE CHECKED BAGS

None.

First checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.

First and second checked bags free for you and one companion on your reservation.

First and second checked bags free for you and one companion on your reservation.

REWARDS ON SPENDING WITH UNITED AIRLINES

2 miles per $1.

2 miles per $1.

3 miles per $1.

4 miles per $1.

REWARDS ON OTHER SPENDING

• 2 miles per $1 at gas stations.

• 2 miles per $1 on local transit and commuting.

• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants.

• 2 miles per $1 on hotels (when booked directly with the hotel).

• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel (including other airlines, hotels, car rentals and more).

• 2 miles per $1 on dining (including takeout and delivery).

• 2 miles per $1 on select streaming services.

• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 on all other travel.

• 2 miles per $1 on dining.

• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS

None.

2 United Club one-time passes each year.

None.

Annual membership to all United Club locations, plus select Star Alliance lounges.

CREDIT FOR TSA PRECHECK, GLOBAL ENTRY OR NEXUS

None.

Up to $100 every four years.

Up to $100 every four years.

Up to $100 every four years.

Compare to Other Cards

ANNUAL FEE
$250
INTRO APR
N/A
REGULAR APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable APR
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
ANNUAL FEE
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
INTRO APR
N/A
REGULAR APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable APR
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
ANNUAL FEE
$525
INTRO APR
N/A
REGULAR APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable APR
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
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Benefits and Perks

Sign-up bonus

One of the joys of getting a new airline credit card is reaping a huge cache of bonus miles if you’re able to meet the minimum spending requirements. That windfall of miles potentially means free flights soon after you get the card. The United Quest℠ Card offers the following bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Rewards for spending

Earning extra miles for United purchases as well as travel and restaurant spending is useful and welcome on an airline card. Bonus rewards on streaming services don't quite fit the travel theme neatly, but they can be useful and give you an excuse to use the card for non-travel spending.

Overall, though, it's easier to rack up ample United miles with this card than with other options.

$125 annual United purchase credit

When you make United purchases with the card, you can get up to $125 in statement credits each anniversary year. The credit applies to most United spending you can think of, not just incidentals. So it counts toward airline tickets and seat upgrades, as well as in-flight food, beverages and Wi-Fi. It counts toward bag fees, too, although you already have some checked-bag benefits baked into this card.

A key way to think about this benefit: Fully used, it cuts the annual fee in half.

Credits for booking award flights

When you rack up enough miles and book a free flight — called an award flight — you’ll get 5,000 miles returned to your frequent-flyer account. You can use those miles on a future award flight, and you can do that twice a year. The benefit starts on your first anniversary with the card. The value of frequent-flyer miles changes over time, but if United miles were worth a penny each, that’s a potential value of $100 per year if you book a couple of award flights. Those credits do not carry over from year to year, though. It’s "use it or lose it."

NerdWallet currently values United miles at 1.2 cents each.

Free checked bags and priority boarding

You and a companion traveling on your reservation can each get your first two checked bags free. The first bag typically costs $40; the second, $50. So this perk alone could cover the card's annual fee.

You also get priority boarding. Getting on the plane earlier means you’re more likely to find overhead bin space for your roll-aboard. And some flyers like to board earlier to get settled before the cabin gets crowded. Either way, priority boarding is usually a welcome perk, although it also comes with the lower-tier United℠ Explorer Card.

Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS credit

This statement credit for TSA Precheck, Global Entry or NEXUS is worth up to $100 every four years and can be used to cover your application fees for these programs. The statuses for these options last for five years.

Status Boost bonuses and seat upgrades

Through spending on the card, you can earn up to 6,000 premier qualifying points (PQPs) per year toward Premier status eligibility. That’s more than enough to get you to Silver status, which at the time of this writing requires 5,000 PQPs. Earn 25 PQPs for every $500 in card spend, up to 6,000 PQPs in a calendar year.

The primary cardmember who is also a MileagePlus Premier member traveling on a domestic MileagePlus award ticket will be eligible for complimentary Premier upgrades on eligible United-operated flights when available.

Primary rental car coverage

This feature, by the wonky name “auto rental collision damage waiver,” is unusual. Unlike most airline and travel cards, this card comes with car rental coverage that's primary, meaning the card’s benefit kicks in before your own auto insurance. That can save you money — your insurance deductible — if you have an accident in a rental. To use this benefit, you must pay for the rental with the card and decline the rental company's coverage.

Other travel protections

  • Baggage delay insurance.

  • Lost luggage reimbursement.

  • Trip delay reimbursement.

  • Trip cancellation/interruption insurance.

Drawbacks and Considerations

High annual fee

You don’t expect these kinds of rewards and perks on a card with no annual fee. But if $250 a year is too much to stomach, you could drop down to one of the lower-priced United cards. Or, you might find a better fit with a general travel card.

The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card costs less to carry, and it earns points in similar categories. You get 2 points per $1 spent on travel and dining purchases, and 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. It also offers $200 in statement credits, including up to $100 for a Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee and up to $100 for airline incidentals, such as seat upgrades, checked bags and day passes to lounges.

No lounge access

Competing travel rewards cards offer some airport lounge access. Even the lower-tier United℠ Explorer Card offers two United Club lounge passes per year. The Quest card has none.

If lounge access is your top priority, the United Club℠ Infinite Card is an obvious choice. Or go with another premium card instead — The Platinum Card® from American Express. It offers access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide, along with a bevy of other benefits. The annual fee is huge, but for perpetual travelers who can take advantage of everything it offers, it could be worth the cost. Terms apply (see rates and fees).

Free checked bags for only one extra traveler

With the United Quest℠ Card, the primary cardmember and one traveling companion on the same reservation are each eligible to receive their first two checked bags free. Two checked bags each might be overkill for most trips, but many other airlines offer a free checked bag for more travel companions, which is potentially more useful. For example, Delta Air Lines’ comparable card is the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. It offers free checked bags for a total of nine people. Terms apply, see rates and fees.

Limited redemption options

Generally, the best redemption options for United MileagePlus miles are award flights and seat upgrades on United and its Star Alliance partners. That’s pretty limiting compared with general travel cards, which allow you to apply rewards to a wide range of travel-related expenses.

If you mix your flying with other airlines, a comparable card is the American Express® Gold Card, which also has useful bonus categories for everyday spending. Terms apply, see rates and fees.

For a lower annual fee in a general travel card, check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

No companion fare

The same-tier credit card from Delta Air Lines, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, comes with an annual companion certificate — a rare and valuable perk that covers the cost of a round-trip domestic, Caribbean or Central American economy ticket for someone flying with you.

The United Quest℠ Card doesn't come with a companion-fare benefit.

Visit NerdWallet's roundup of top cards if you're having trouble deciding which credit card is best for your needs.

How To Decide If It's Right For You

If you can use the $125 airline credit on this card, it probably makes it a superior choice to the popular United℠ Explorer Card, one of NerdWallet’s perennial favorite airline credit cards. The additional perks on the United Quest℠ Card have a real cash value, while its lucrative bonus-rewards categories help boost your bank of frequent-flyer miles.

If you mix your flying with airlines, a general travel card might be a better pick, but frequent United Airlines flyers should take a hard look at the United Quest℠ Card.

To view rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, see this page.

To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.

To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, see this page.

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Alternate Pick: Lower annual fee
Airport lounge access

The United℠ Explorer Card isn't as generous with rewards or other perks, but it costs less to carry and, unlike the Quest, offers two United Club lounge passes per year.


Methodology

NerdWallet reviews credit cards with an eye toward both the quantitative and qualitative features of a card. Quantitative features are those that boil down to dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, rewards (including earning rates and redemption values) and the cash value of benefits and perks. Qualitative factors are those that affect how easy or difficult it is for a typical cardholder to get good value from the card. They include such things as the ease of application, simplicity of the rewards structure, the likelihood of using certain features, and whether a card is well-suited to everyday use or is best reserved for specific purchases. Our star ratings serve as a general gauge of how each card compares with others in its class, but star ratings are intended to be just one consideration when a consumer is choosing a credit card. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.

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