United Quest℠ Card Review 2023: Great Perks, but is It Worth the Annual Fee?

The United Quest℠ Card was released in 2021, and it's one of United's six co-branded credit cards (which includes two business cards). The Quest Card is a mid-level option, and it comes with a $250 annual fee, so it’s not necessarily for everyone, but it also has several perks to lessen the blow of that yearly cost.

This United Quest Card review walks through the card’s benefits and drawbacks to help you decide whether this is the best airline credit card for you.

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

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Current Offer

Earn 70,000 bonus miles (plus 500 Premier qualifying points) after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$250

Rewards Rate

3X miles on United Airlines purchases (after earning your $125 annual United credit); 2X miles on all other travel, dining (including eligible delivery services), and select streaming services; and 1X miles on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Earn 70,000 bonus miles (plus 500 Premier qualifying points) after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
• Up to 3X miles on purchases
• Up to $125 annual United credit
• First and second bag checked free

Drawbacks

• Has annual fee

Card Details

• Earn 70,000 bonus miles (plus 500 Premier qualifying points) after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
• 3X miles on United Airlines purchases (after earning your $125 annual United credit); 2X miles on all other travel, dining (including eligible delivery services), and select streaming services; and 1X miles on all other purchases

Who should get the United Quest Card?

The United Quest Card could be ideal 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.

There are several United Airlines co-branded cards, and the Quest Card falls in the middle. It’s probably not the best option for the casual 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

United Quest Card benefits and perks

• Generous welcome offer: Cardholders can earn 70,000 bonus miles (plus 500 premier qualifying points) after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
• Decent rewards: In addition to offering 3X miles for United Airlines purchases (after earning your $125 annual United credit), cardmembers also get 2X miles on all other travel, dining (including eligible delivery services), and select streaming services purchases and 1X 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.
• 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. 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 500 PQP on every $12,000 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.

Drawbacks to the United Quest Card

• No lounge access: Unlike the United Club Infinite Card, the Quest card 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.

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, 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 bonus miles quickly, be sure to hit the Quest card’s spending requirements to qualify for the welcome bonus. Cardmembers can earn 70,000 bonus miles (plus 500 premier qualifying points) after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

Besides the welcome bonus, you’ll earn the most points by booking United flights on your Quest card. You’ll earn 3X miles per dollar spent on United Airlines purchases (after earning your $125 annual United credit). Cardholders also earn bonus miles for other travel spending. You earn 2X miles per dollar spent on all other travel, dining (including eligible delivery services), and select streaming services and 1X 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:

• Aegean Airlines
• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air India
• Air New Zealand
• All Nippon Airways (ANA)
• Asiana Airlines
• Austrian Airlines
• Avianca Airlines
• Brussels Airlines
• Copa Airlines
• Croatia Airlines
• EgyptAir
• Ethiopian Airlines
• EVA Air
• LOT Polish Airlines
• Lufthansa Airlines
• Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)
• Shenzhen Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• South African Airways
• Swiss International Air Lines
• TAP Air Portugal
• Thai Airways
• Turkish Airlines
• United Airlines

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

• Aer Lingus
• Aeromar
• Air Dolomiti
• Azul Airlines
• Boutique Air
• Cape Air
• Edelweiss Air
• Eurowings
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Olympic Airlines
• Silver Airways
• Vistara

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

• Marriott Bonvoy
• ALL (Accor Live Limitless)
• Hilton Honors
• IHG Rewards Club
• Radisson Rewards
• World of Hyatt
• Choice Privileges
• Wyndham Rewards
• Golden Circle
• Hertz Gold Plus Rewards

United Quest Card FAQs

Other cards to consider

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 bonus 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.

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 bonus, but you also get access to Chase Ultimate Rewards, 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. The card also comes with a host of travel benefits and partner benefits with DoorDash, Peloton, and Lyft.

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.

Why We Like It

Earn 70,000 bonus miles (plus 500 Premier qualifying points) after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months

See how these cards compare:

United Gateway℠ Card

• Earn 30,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
• 2X miles on United purchases, gas stations, and 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 Ultimate Rewards®
• 25% more value when redeeming rewards for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• 10% anniversary point bonus each year
• $50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through Ultimate Rewards
• Premium travel protection benefits

Author Details

Kevin Payne Kevin Payne is a freelance writer specializing in student loans, credit cards, personal finance, and travel. He is a regular contributor to Club Thrifty, Millennial Money, and Student Loan Planner. As the budget and family travel expert behind FamilyMoneyAdventure.com, Kevin recently turned his writing side hustle into his full-time career. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife and four kids.

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