United Quest Credit Card Review
Key Takeaways
This card makes sense if you fly United once or twice per year and value checked bags. You’ll get two free bags for yourself and one companion, which can add up quickly. The welcome bonus adds strong first-year value, but the ongoing benefits are more situational, so long-term value depends on how often you fly United and use the associated perks to offset the $350 annual fee.
Why This Card Could Be Right For You
The welcome bonus for the United Quest card is 70,000 (current special 90,000) miles. This is often paired with a Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) bonus. PQP bonuses have historically varied throughout the year and can help accelerate progress toward United elite status.
As for travel benefits, you’ll receive:
- $200 annual United TravelBank credits to use towards a cash booking on United operated flights
- Two free checked bags for the cardholder and one traveling companion
- $150 in credits for prepaid hotel stays through Renowned Hotels
- $150 in credits for flights purchased through JSX
- 10,000-mile anniversary discount for award flights.
- 1,000 PQPs each year and 1 PQP for every $20 spent, up to 18,000 PQPs annually.
The Quest card offers several additional credits:
- $120 toward TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS every four years
- $100 annually on rideshares (broken into monthly $8 credits, with $12 in December)
- $40 (in United TravelBank Cash) after an Avis or Budget rental booked through the United travel portal. Offered twice per year
- One $10 and one $5 Instacart credit each month
When The Usual Advice Doesn't Apply
Consider these exceptions where the United Quest card might not be right for you:
- You fly United more than a couple of times per year and would benefit more from the United Club Card.
- You place a higher value on United Club access than on a second checked bag. (The United Quest offers two checked bags but no club access, whereas the United Explorer offers one free checked bag plus two United Club passes annually.)
What to Know About United MileagePlus
United is a solid option for international flights, especially for business class.
- United has ample cards for collecting large sums of points.
- International business class seats can be found for as low as 60,000 points to South America and 80,000 to Europe.
- They’re a partner in our favorite rewards system, making top offs from Chase Ultimate Rewards both easy and a good value.
- United is also a decent option for domestic flights and standard international fares, but we generally use Southwest, American or Delta for those.
- We save our United points for those long international flights where business class is a difference maker.
How The United Quest Credit Card Fits In The United MileagePlus Ecosystem
United offers a full lineup of co-branded cards, with the Quest sitting in the middle tier alongside the Explorer.
- Quest vs. Explorer: Both have similar welcome bonuses (70,000 (current special 90,000) vs. 60,000). If you fly once or twice per year, the decision comes down to perks:
- Quest: second checked bag and slightly higher credits
- Explorer: two United Club passes per year
Neither is a clear winner, so it depends on which benefits you value more. Here are the rest of the cards in United's lineup, including two business cards that won't count against your 5/24.
- United Gateway: No annual fee option, but limited perks. Best used as a downgrade path after year one.
- United Club Card: Better for frequent flyers (3+ trips per year), offering full lounge membership, two checked bags, and a 90,000-mile bonus, though the $695 annual fee is significantly higher.
- United Business Card: 75,000-mile bonus with a $150 annual fee, plus two lounge passes and one free checked bag.
- United Club Business Card: Premium business option with a 80,000-mile bonus, full lounge membership, and a $695 annual fee.
For most users, the Quest or Explorer are the best starting points. Frequent United flyers may find more value in the Club cards, while the Gateway works as a long-term downgrade option.
Card Information
Bonus Extra
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Rules
Card Extras
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Historical Card Offers
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Estimated Next Offer
United Quest Application Rules
If you've received a bonus from this card within the last 24 month, you are not eligible for another bonus.
Chase applications will be declined if 5 new cards have been added to your personal credit report in the past 24 months.
You'll be declined if you apply for a third Chase card of any kind within 30 days
Chase will decline your application you apply for a 5th Chase card (personal or BUSINESS) in 6 months
Best for Series
Below is a snapshot of where this card performs best compared to the other cards in our database:
