United Quest℠ Card Review [2024]: Great Perks, but is It Worth the Annual Fee?

Key takeaways

Who should get the United Quest Card?

We recommend the United Quest Card for frequent travelers who plan to fly on United Airlines or its partner airlines a few times per year. Most of the card's benefits are tied to United Airlines, such as free checked bags, airline credit fees, in-flight purchase discounts, priority boarding, and more.

The United Quest Card, launched in 2021, is one of several United Airlines co-branded cards. The United Quest Card has been well received since its launch, offering various perks for semi-frequent United flyers. It’s probably not the best option for infrequent United traveler, but it’s also probably not the best card if you fly United exclusively and want access to United Club airport lounges.

Card basics

What we like about the United Quest Card: benefits and perks

• Generous welcome offer: Cardholders can 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.
• Decent rewards: In addition to offering 3 miles per dollar miles for United purchases, cardmembers also get 2 miles per dollar miles on dining, select streaming services, and all other travel purchases and 1 mile per dollar miles on all other purchases.
• Annual United purchase credit: Receive up to $125 in statement credits for United purchases each card member anniversary year for charges to your Quest card. (Terms Apply)
• Discount on in-flight purchases: Cardmembers receive 25% back as a statement credit for eligible in-flight purchases on United and United Express, including Wi-Fi, food, and beverages.
• Anniversary award flight credits: After your first year, you will receive a 5,000-mile credit after taking a United award flight, up to two times each anniversary year.
• Free checked bags: When you use your Quest card for United airfare, you and one traveling companion will receive your first and second checked bags free.
• Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS fee credit: Your Quest card comes with a statement credit of up to $100 every four years toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS application fees.

• DoorDash benefit: Cardholders can activate a one-year complimentary DashPass subscription. (Must be activated by 12/31/2024.) With DashPass, you'll pay $0 delivery fees and benefit from reduced service fees on eligible orders. After the first year, your DashPass subscription will renew at the regular monthly rate. 
  
• Premier Qualifying Points (PQP): This card can help you work toward a higher MileagePlus loyalty status, which gets you benefits on United flights. You’ll earn 25 PQP on every $500 spent on this credit card, with a limit of 6,000 PQP per calendar year. That’s a higher limit than some other United credit cards offer, and your PQP can count toward your Premier status qualification.

What we don't like about the United Quest Card: drawbacks

• No lounge access: Unlike the United Club℠ Infinite Card, the United Quest doesn’t include United Club airport lounge membership.
• Annual fee: The card carries a sizable $250 annual fee, which may not be worth the cost if you don’t take advantage of all of the card's benefits. The United Gateway℠ Card offers United miles earning potential at a $0 annual fee.

Earning and redeeming United miles

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your miles can add up with the United Quest Card. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 1 cent.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $1,368

Year two earnings: $621

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which looks at points earned via spending, the welcome offer, and the annual fee.

The earnings figures above don’t account for the annual $125 statement credit cardholders can receive for United purchases (terms apply), anniversary credits for award flights, or the higher rewards rate for United spending. If you’re able to take advantage of those credits each year and you’re a frequent flyer on United, you’ll likely get much more value from this card.

Best ways to earn

To build up your United miles quickly, be sure to hit the Quest card’s spending requirements to qualify for the welcome offer. Cardmembers can 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.

Besides the welcome offer, you’ll earn the most points by booking United flights on your Quest card. You’ll earn 3 miles per dollar miles per dollar spent on United purchases. Cardholders also earn bonus miles for other travel spending. You earn 2 miles per dollar miles per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services, and all other travel and 1 mile per dollar miles on all other purchases.

Maximizing your redemptions

MileagePlus is United’s loyalty rewards program. Quest cardholders can redeem their miles through their MileagePlus account for a variety of redemption options. One of the best ways to use your United miles is to book award tickets through United. You can also use your miles for seat upgrades on United flights.

United flights aren’t the only travel redemptions available. You can use your miles toward hotel stays, car rentals, and cruises. You can also use them to shop online, buy Apple products, purchase gift cards, toward special event tickets like sporting events and Broadway shows, and more. Another option is to donate your miles to charity or another MileagePlus member, such as a spouse or other family member.

Note that you can also redeem 15,625 miles to cover the $250 annual fee, which gives you a value of 1.6 cents per mile.

United MileagePlus Program transfer partners

United Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, which allows you to earn and use your United miles to book flights on partner airlines. The airlines that make up the Star Alliance include:

Besides Star Alliance airlines, United has partnerships with other airlines. You can also earn and spend miles with the following partner airlines:

United also partners with hotels and car rental companies. Hotel and transportation partner loyalty rewards programs include:

Other cards to consider

United Gateway℠ Card

While the United Quest Card is good for United flyers, if you don’t plan to fly that often or make United Airlines your preferred airline, the United Gateway℠ Card could be a better option.

This $0-annual-fee card still earns a decent welcome offer you can use toward United award travel or another redemption.

The card doesn’t offer the generous airline perks found with the other United credit cards, but you still get credits for in-flight purchases, some travel insurance protections, and DoorDash partner benefits.

Learn more in our United Gateway℠ Card review.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

For access to more versatile travel rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card is among the best credit cards to have. Not only does this card offer a huge welcome offer, but you also get access to Chase Travel, one of the best loyalty programs available.

You can redeem your points for flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages, and more directly through Chase or transfer them to its many airline and hotel transfer partners. Keep in mind that this card has a $95 annual fee.

The card also comes with a host of travel benefits and partner benefits with DoorDash, Peloton, and Lyft.

Learn more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card review.

Free Checked Bags for United Fans

United Quest℠ Card

4.6

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

United Quest℠ Card

4.6

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Apply Now

Why We Like It

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

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See how these cards compare:

United Gateway℠ Card

• Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open
• 2 miles per dollar on United purchases, at gas stations, and on local transit and commuting
• Intro APR on purchases
• No annual fee
• No foreign transaction fees

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 25% more value when redeeming rewards for travel through Chase Travel℠
• 10% anniversary point bonus each year
• $50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through Chase Travel℠
• Premium travel protection benefits

United Quest Card FAQ

United Quest Card review: bottom line

We recommend the United Quest℠ Card for its robust rewards program and valuable benefits tailored specifically for frequent United flyers. This includes a generous welcome offer, elevated earning rate on United purchases, free checked bags, United purchase credit, in-flight purchase discounts, priority boarding, and more.

But if you don’t fly United enough to justify this card’s $250 annual fee, then you should consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card since it offers more flexibility in rewards and redemptions along with a lower $95 annual fee. You could also consider the United Gateway℠ Card to earn United miles while enjoying a $0 annual fee.

Explore our list of the best travel credit cards for more options.

Free Checked Bags for United Fans

United Quest℠ Card

4.6

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

United Quest℠ Card

Apply Now

Current 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

Annual Fee

$250

Rewards Rate

3 miles per dollar spent on United purchases; 2 miles per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and all other travel; plus 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• 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
• Up to 3 miles per dollar on purchases
• Up to $125 annual United credit
• First and second bag checked free

Drawbacks

• Has annual fee

Card Details

• 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 $320 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 (25 PQP for every $500 you spend on purchases)
• Member FDIC