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On the Friday before Memorial Day, I watched my Southwest Airlines flight to Texas board from the window of the Denver Centurion Lounge.
No, I didn’t lose track of time. I had been managing an asthma attack for the last few hours, but despite multiple puffs on my inhaler, I wasn’t breathing any better. Finally, 40 minutes before boarding, I decided to find some medical help.
By the time the paramedic met me at the lounge, gave me a nebulizer and medically cleared me, my flight was boarding. If I ran, I probably could have made it. But running after an asthma attack is usually not encouraged.
So instead, I parked myself six gates away, trying to book a last-minute flight that would get me to the Lone Star State at a reasonable hour without breaking the bank.
I found another Southwest flight, but I would have had to pay at least $130, on top of the $178 I already spent on the ticket. Honestly, that wasn’t a bad deal during a holiday weekend. But before spending the money, I decided to check other airlines.
I found a United Airlines flight taking off an hour after my original flight. The best part? Thanks to a benefit on United Quest℠ Card, it only cost me 10,000 miles.
» Learn more: Is United Quest℠ Card worth its annual fee?
Why I love United Quest℠ Card
That one rebooking saved my weekend. But honestly, United Quest℠ Card has been paying off for me long before this trip.
Yes, its $350 annual fee is steep. But if you fly frequently and live near a United hub, it’s very easy to earn back this fee through statement credits and a mile discount:
- $200 United TravelBank credit. Cardholders receive this in their TravelBank account annually after opening their account and on each cardholder anniversary.
- 10,000-mile discount every card anniversary, which you can redeem toward an eligible flight. You can earn another 10,000-mile discount after spending $20,000 on the card in a year. NerdWallet values United miles at 1.2 cents apiece, so 10,000 miles are worth about $120.
- $100 rideshare credit. You’ll get an $8 statement credit monthly from January to November and $12 in December.
These perks are beneficial to any frequent flyer who lives near a United hub and takes a Lyft or Uber to the airport. The card also has a slew of other benefits, like priority boarding, primary rental car insurance and a statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus.
But my favorite feature of the card is the member pricing it offers on certain rewards flights. As long as you’re signed into your United MileagePlus account, you’ll automatically see discounts when you search for rewards flights. Paired with the 10,000-mile discount, that member pricing helped me catch a last-minute flight on Memorial Day weekend without overpaying.
Here’s how it works:
Member pricing for cardholders
Cardholders with United Quest℠ Card are eligible for discounts on certain rewards flights. These discounts, which are available on United’s website and on the app, vary widely; I’ve seen some as low as 1% off or as high as 62% off.
It’s hard to predict which flights will be discounted and which won’t be, but flights scheduled at all times of day are often eligible for this discount. You don’t need to fly at 5 a.m. or 11 p.m. to snag a discount.
The last-minute flight I booked from Denver to Dallas-Fort Worth was on sale for just 15,000. That was a 45% discount from 27,000 miles — an amazing deal for a last-minute flight on the Friday before Memorial Day.
Anniversary credits
United Quest℠ Card gets you a yearly 10,000-mile credit on your cardholder anniversary. But since I got this card before its overhaul in March 2025, I’m still getting the old version of this benefit: two individual 5,000-mile credits after you book a reward flight. So after I paid the 15,000 miles, I got 5,000 miles back in my account to use on a future flight.
With my 5,000-mile credit, this flight cost me 10,000 miles. New cardholders who hadn’t already used the 10,000-mile discount could have snagged the flight for just 5,000 miles.
The card's sign-up bonus gives you a head start on earning miles
If you’re like me and want a “just in case” card for short domestic flights, United Quest℠ Card is already a strong choice. But its sign-up bonus makes it even more appealing. Currently, new cardholders can receive the following offer: Earn 80,000 bonus miles and 3,000 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. That could help you take multiple domestic round trips. But if your travel goals are more aspirational, it could could cover part of an international flight in business class.
Top photo courtesy of United Airlines.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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