$350 Annual Fee
Earn 90,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Earn 90,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
The United Quest Card blends solid travel perks, award flight discounts and elite status acceleration, making it one of the most well-rounded mid-tier cards for United fans.
[.redeem] 8x [.redeem] miles on United flights: 5x miles on fare from United as a MileagePlus member, plus 3x miles earned on entire United purchase with this card
[.redeem] 5x [.redeem] miles on stays purchased through Renowned Hotels and Resorts for United® Cardmembers
[.redeem] 3x [.redeem] miles on all other eligible United purchases
[.redeem] 2x [.redeem] miles on all other travel, select streaming services and dining
[.redeem] 1x [.redeem] mile on all other purchases
🏆 Best for Frequent United flyers
$0 intro annual fee the first year, then $150
Earn 90,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
At Daily Drop, our mission is simple: to help you explore the world affordably and experience life-changing travel by maximizing miles and points. Our team of travel and credit card experts is here to help you make decisions about which cards belong in your wallet. Based on your travel goals, we offer unbiased advice to help you make the best choices. Keep in mind that our suggestions require responsible credit card use.
Here at Daily Drop, we score cards based on six different categories: annual fee, welcome offer, point redemption value, rewards rates, benefits, and travel protections. You’ll notice that APR is not considered because we never recommend carrying a credit card balance if your goal is to maximize miles and points for travel. While these scores are opinion-based, our team has earned and redeemed millions of miles and points and has traveled to almost every country in the world. After all, we wouldn’t be Daily Drop if we weren’t practicing what we preach.
Read our full methodology for more information.
The United Quest Card is a sweet spot in the United card lineup, in my opinion. It costs less than the New United ClubSM Card, but still comes with premium travel perks, elite status help and award redemption savings. The increased annual fee has more than enough value to offset it, especially if you fly United a few times a year. With perks like seat upgrades, travel credits and bonus PQPs, it’s the kind of card that’s easy to justify and even easier to keep long-term.
[.pro] Annual United purchase credit helps offset the card's annual fee [.pro]
[.pro] Valuable travel benefits, including priority boarding and free checked bags [.pro]
[.pro] Various opportunities to earn additional United MileagePlus miles, including a bonus for reaching specific spending thresholds [.pro]
[.pro] Anniversary perks (award flight credit, TravelBank cash and upgrades) [.pro]
[.con] No lounge access, even with a mid-tier price tag [.con]
[.con] Dynamic award pricing means your miles might not go as far on every flight [.con]
[.redeem] 8x [.redeem] miles on United flights: 5x miles on fare from United as a MileagePlus member, plus 3x miles earned on entire United purchase with this card
[.redeem] 5x [.redeem] miles on stays purchased through Renowned Hotels and Resorts for United® Cardmembers
[.redeem] 3x [.redeem] miles on all other eligible United purchases
[.redeem] 2x [.redeem] miles on all other travel, select streaming services and dining
[.redeem] 1x [.redeem] mile on all other purchases
[.dontreco] We don’t recommend: Using miles for non-travel redemptions [.dontreco]
Gift cards and merchandise usually give you less than 1 cent per mile in value, so our advice is to skip those. You’ll lose a lot of potential value compared to flight redemptions, especially for premium travel. If it’s not booking a flight, it’s probably not worth it.
[.sometimesreco] We sometimes recommend: Redeeming miles for economy United flights [.sometimesreco]
It’s not always the best value, but it can work in your favor if flights are priced right. You’ll get a 10,000-mile credit each account anniversary when booking an award flights, so that helps stretch your points! For short-haul or domestic flights, this can be a decent option.
[.alwaysreco] We always recommend: Booking international business class on Star Alliance partners [.alwaysreco]
Use your miles to fly ANA, Lufthansa or Swiss in business class and you’ll get way more value per mile. These redemptions often exceed 2 cents per mile, turning your points into luxe travel experiences. It’s the best way to maximize what the Quest Card can do.
You can’t transfer United miles to other programs, but you can redeem them on over 25 Star Alliance and partner airlines, including: Lufthansa, Swiss, Turkish Airlines, Air Canada, ANA and more. See the full list of transfer partners here.
Why? Since United and IHG are both part of Chase’s travel lineup, pairing these two cards makes sense. The IHG Premier card gets you Platinum Elite status, free anniversary nights and up to 26x points at IHG properties. It’s a great complement to the Quest Card if you stay at Holiday Inn, Kimpton, InterContinental or other IHG brands, giving you elite perks on both ends of your trip.
Why? If you want flexible points, better general travel earning and strong transfer partners, the Sapphire Preferred is a perfect pairing with the Quest Card. It earns 2x on travel and 3x on dining, and lets you transfer points directly to United at a 1:1 ratio. Pairing the two gives you more ways to earn, plus the ability to redeem points with other airline partners when United flights aren’t a great value.
1. The Mid-Tier United Flyer
If you fly United a few times a year and want great perks without going full premium, this card is the sweet spot. You’ll get free first and second checked bags, priority boarding and improved award availability, benefits that make travel so much sweeter. Plus, with an annual United purchase credit and decent miles back on up to two award flights each year, the card more than makes up for its annual fee.
2. The Upgrader
You’ll score two Economy Plus upgrades every year, and you can use PQP earnings to chase elite status, making your flights even more comfortable. The card also earns decent miles back on United purchases, helping you rack up rewards faster for future trips. If you're wanting to level up with United without jumping to a premium card, the Quest Card is a smart middle ground.
Here’s a good rule of thumb: You probably shouldn’t own a credit card if you: (1) have a bad credit score, (2) are a non-U.S. resident (for this particular card), and (3) cannot control your spending. If your credit score is below 700, you'll need to improve it before applying for travel credit cards, as approval for the best ones, like the United Quest Card, is unlikely. Be honest with yourself: if a new credit card will tempt you to overspend, it's best to avoid it. Credit cards are crucial for earning miles and points, but they require responsible use.
The recommended credit score for the United Quest Card is 670-850 (Good — Excellent). But again, if you’re in a solid place with your credit and feel you are ready for a new card, don’t let the fear of being rejected keep you from applying. We’ve known several people to be rejected on their first application, call Chase to please their case, and be granted the United Quest Card.