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The New United Quest℠ Card is arguably the Goldilocks option in Chase’s lineup of MileagePlus credit cards. It offers an extensive set of benefits that can justify its higher $350 annual fee and is a key tool if you aim to earn United Premier elite status in 2025.
Here's everything you need to know about the United Quest Card after its recent refresh to help you decide if it belongs in your wallet.
- Limited-time Offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 PQP
- 3x miles on United® purchases
- 2x miles on dining, select streaming services, and all other travel
- 1x mile on all other purchases
- Receive a $200 United® travel credit and 10,000-mile award flight discount on each account anniversary
- Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount after spending $20,000 each calendar year to use toward an eligible award flight
- Earn 2 global Economy Plus® seat upgrades after spending $40,000 on purchases each calendar year
- Get a jump start on earning Premier status with 1,000 Card Bonus PQP each year, awarded within 6 to 8 weeks after February 1 each year, starting in 2026.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5 miles per $1 spent at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 3 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants
- 2 miles per $1 spent on select streaming services
- 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Page Contents
- United Quest Card Pros
- United Quest Card Cons
- United Quest Card Welcome Offer
- United Quest Card Benefits
- Check two bags for free
- $200 annual United TravelBank credit
- 10,000-mile anniversary award flight credits
- Access to additional award availability
- Premier upgrades on award tickets
- Spending toward elite status
- Rideshare statement credits
- Instacart Perks
- Additional travel benefits
- Travel and purchase protections
- United Quest Card Earning Rates
- Redeeming Miles With the United Quest Card
- Application Restrictions
- Cards That Compete With the United Quest Card
- Bottom Line
United Quest Card Pros
- Earns 3X miles per $1 spent on United purchases
- Up to a $200 United TravelBank credits
- Up to 20,000 miles in award flight credits each year
- Ability to spend your way to United Premier elite status
United Quest Card Cons
- Carries an annual fee of $350
- Subject to the Chase 5/24 rule
- United doesn't publish an award chart, so it's hard to know how many MileagePlus miles you'll need for an award flight.
United Quest Card Welcome Offer
If you're an eligible new applicant for the United Quest Card, you can earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier Qualifying Points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Based on AwardWallet user redemptions, the bonus MileagePlus miles you'll get after meeting the minimum spending requirements are worth around $1,300 toward award travel booked through United. This is a fantastic offer that is extremely close to — but not quite — the highest we've ever seen on this card.
Related: Chase Credit Card Offer History: Best-Ever Offers and When You Should Apply
United Quest Card Benefits
Despite being considered United Airlines' mid-tier card, the United Quest Card still carries premium benefits. Here's what perks you're entitled to as a cardholder:
Check two bags for free
Primary cardholders and one companion flying on the same reservation can check their first and second bags free of charge on United flights.
United charges $40 ($35 if you pay at least 24 hours in advance) for each direction for the first checked bag and $50 ($45 if you pay at least 24 hours in advance) for the second. If you're traveling with a companion and checking two bags each, that's up to $360 in bag fees round-trip. If you're a heavy packer, you'll come out ahead on one trip by getting this card.
To be eligible for the free checked bag perk, you must use your card to pay for the flight. This perk also works for award flights booked with United MileagePlus miles, provided you use the card to cover the taxes and fees.
$200 annual United TravelBank credit
As a United Quest Card holder, you will automatically receive up to $200 in TravelBank credits to use for United flight bookings each account anniversary year. This benefit alone offsets more than half of the card's annual fee each year.
Note that the credit renews each account anniversary rather than each calendar year. TravelBank credits can only be used to book flights on United, not to pay for upgrades or seat selection.
10,000-mile anniversary award flight credits
Following your first card anniversary, you'll automatically receive 10,000 miles back on United or United Express-operated award flights per anniversary year. Plus, United has recently added the opportunity to earn another 10,000-mile credit after spending $20,000 in a calendar year.
That's potentially 20,000 miles back in your MileagePlus account if you meet the spending requirement. Based on recent AwardWallet user redemptions, this one perk is potentially worth $380 in value.
Access to additional award availability
Airlines limit the number of award tickets bookable with miles, so it can be hard to find saver-level award availability on popular flights. But if you have the United Quest Card, you’ll get access to more flights that are bookable with your miles than general MileagePlus members.
Access to this extra award space can mean the difference between scoring a great deal with miles or having to pay cash for a flight. See our dedicated post on unlocking United's hidden award space to learn more.
Premier upgrades on award tickets
The primary cardmember plus one companion traveling on a MileagePlus award ticket will be eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select United-operated flights. To take advantage of this benefit, the primary cardholder must hold MileagePlus elite status. Upgrades are normally reserved for those on paid tickets, so this unlocks extra perks to improve your travel experience.
Spending toward elite status
For 2025, United modified how the United Quest Card earns Premier Qualifying Points (PQP), which count toward elite status. Now, you'll earn 1 PQP for every $20 spent on the United Quest Card — up to 18,000 PQP per calendar year. This is enough to earn you Premier Platinum status through credit card spending alone, albeit a massive amount of spend.
Additionally, starting in 2026, United Quest cardholders will receive a boost of 1,000 PQPs each calendar year to give them a jumpstart towards status.
Related: Guide To Earning United Premier Qualifying Points Through Credit Card Spending
Cardholders now receive up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year on rideshare purchases. These are available as $8 credits per month, with an elevated $12 available in December.
Instacart Perks
Receive a complimentary three-month membership to Instacart+ with a 50% discounted annual membership afterward. Cardholders will also be given up to $180 in Instacart credits annually.
Additional travel benefits
While the headline benefits alone can justify applying for the United Quest Card, it also comes packed with extra benefits, including:
- 25% back on United inflight purchases and Club premium drink purchases when paying with your card.
- Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit every four years.
- Priority boarding.
- Up to $150 statement credit when using your card to book a stay directly through the Renowned Hotels and Resorts collection.
- Earn two global Economy Plus seat upgrades after spending $40,000 on your credit card in a calendar year.
- Earn up to $80 in TravelBank credit per year when booking eligible car rentals through Avis and Budget.
- Up to $150 in statement credits on flights purchased directly through JSX — a semi-private jet service available in select cities.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Travel and purchase protections
The United Quest Card also provides several protections on purchases made with the card, including:
- Primary auto rental coverage — Offers reimbursement up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage for most rental vehicles (with an MSRP of $125,000 or less).
- Baggage delay insurance — Reimburses you up to $100 a day for up to three days for essential purchases when your baggage is delayed for over six hours.
- Lost luggage reimbursement — Provides reimbursement of up to $3,000 per covered traveler for the cost to repair/replace luggage lost, damaged or stolen during a covered trip.
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance — Get reimbursed for up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares if your trip is canceled or interrupted by a covered situation.
- Trip delay reimbursement — If your common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you are covered for unreimbursed expenses of up to $500 per covered traveler.
- Purchase protection — Covers eligible new purchases for 120 days from the date of purchase against damage or theft up to $10,000 per item.
- Extended warranty protection — Extends the time period of the manufacturer's U.S. warranty by an additional year.
- Visa Concierge — Get complimentary Visa Signature Concierge Service 24 hours a day.
For policy particulars, please refer to your card's Guide to Benefits.
United Quest Card Earning Rates
The United Quest Card is a surprisingly strong earner. Cardholders can earn bonus points on four purchase categories and earn 1X mile per $1 spent on everything else.
- 5 miles per $1 spent at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 3 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants
- 2 miles per $1 spent on select streaming services
- 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
If you're perhaps deciding between the United Quest Card and the $695 annual fee The New United Club℠ Card, it's worth noting that the earning rates on purchases are nearly identical.
But while the United Quest Card earns fewer miles on United purchases (3X instead of 4X), it offers bonus points on select streaming services, which is not a bonus category offered on the United Club.
Redeeming Miles With the United Quest Card
United is a Star Alliance member, so you can use your United miles for award flights on all alliance member airlines. Some examples include Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Air New Zealand, ANA, Air Canada, and SWISS. You can also use your MileagePlus miles to book routes across United's domestic and international networks.
While United awards don't always have the lowest mileage rates, MileagePlus is one of our favorite programs because it's relatively easy to book a ticket. And there are a number of MileagePlus sweet spots. Moreover, the taxes and fees you'll pay out of pocket are often much more reasonable than what competing programs pass on.
If you don't want to redeem for award flights, you can also redeem miles for upgrades, to cover the cost of seat selection or bags, a United Club membership, and unique experiences. However, these non-award-flight redemptions won't provide the best value for your miles.
Related: The Basics of Booking an Award Flight with United
Application Restrictions
The United Quest Card is subject to Chase's 5/24 policy. If you've been approved for five or more credit cards from any issuer in the previous 24 months, you won't be approved for this card. Additionally, the application terms have this restriction:
“This product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of this credit card who received a new Cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months.”
If you already have this card or earned a welcome bonus on it in the past 24 months, you won't be eligible for the current bonus. Lastly, Chase doesn't tend to approve anyone for more than two credit cards in a 30-day period, so keep this in mind before you apply.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the United Quest Card
If you're unsure if the United Quest Card is right for you, consider these options instead:
- If you want a United credit card with a lower annual fee, The New United℠ Explorer Card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 annual fee. Cardholders can take advantage of a free checked bag, access to extra award availability, a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit, and still get the chance to earn PQP from spending. Our United Explorer Card review has more details.
- If you want a United credit card with more perks, including lounge access, consider The New United Club℠ Card. This card has a $695 annual fee but grants cardholders a United Club membership, two free checked bags, space-available upgrades on United flights (even if you don't have elite status), complimentary IHG Rewards Platinum Elite status, and much more. Read our review of the United Club Card for more details.
- If you want points you can use with United and other airlines, look into the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. With a $95 annual fee, the card earns handsomely on travel and dining, and you can use the points with 14 airline and hotel programs, including United. Check out our Sapphire Preferred review for more information.
- 2X miles per $1 spent on purchases from United®
- 2X miles per $1 spent on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- 1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining
- Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Related: United Airlines Credit Cards: Which One Matches Your Style?
Bottom Line
The United Quest Card offers rich perks for those who fly its namesake airline regularly. If you can maximize them and have set your sights on earning Premier elite status this year, the $350 may be the card for you. But just be sure to thoroughly review the card's list of benefits before you apply — especially those that offer monthly statement credits — as it'll now take more work to extract annual fee-justifying value from the card after its recent refresh.
However, other United card options will better suit your wallet if you can't take advantage of this card's perks — or find yourself transiting United's hub airports frequently enough to need United Club access.
- Limited-time Offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 PQP
- 3x miles on United® purchases
- 2x miles on dining, select streaming services, and all other travel
- 1x mile on all other purchases
- Receive a $200 United® travel credit and 10,000-mile award flight discount on each account anniversary
- Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount after spending $20,000 each calendar year to use toward an eligible award flight
- Earn 2 global Economy Plus® seat upgrades after spending $40,000 on purchases each calendar year
- Get a jump start on earning Premier status with 1,000 Card Bonus PQP each year, awarded within 6 to 8 weeks after February 1 each year, starting in 2026.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5 miles per $1 spent at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 3 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants
- 2 miles per $1 spent on select streaming services
- 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The New United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees), The New United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), The New United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
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