It’s not every day that a new airline credit card appears on the scene, especially during a historic travel downturn. But back in April 2021, United and Chase teamed up to launch the United Quest℠ Card. Aimed squarely at United flyers who want the perks of a premium credit card for a lower annual fee than the heaviest hitters, the United Quest offers the best of both worlds. That said, the airline’s long standing mainstay, the United℠ Explorer Card, might still pack in enough perks for most for an annual fee that’s half that of the United Quest.
If you’re trying to decide between these two excellent cards, here’s what you need to keep in mind.
United Quest℠ Card
Miles Reimbursement
United Quest℠ Card
3 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases. 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants, on select streaming services & on all other travel. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. Plus, each year, receive a $125 credit on United® purchases and two 5k-mile anniversary award flight credits. Terms apply.
Welcome Bonus
Earn 80,000 bonus miles
Annual Fee
$250
Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Regular APR
16.49% to 23.49% Variable
United℠ Explorer Card
United℠ Explorer Card
Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays and United purchases. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Welcome Bonus
Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles
Annual Fee
$0 Intro for First Year, then $95
Credit Score
Good, Excellent
Regular APR
16.49% to 23.49% Variable
The United Quest℠ Card Is Best For:
Elevated Welcome Bonus
The United Quest’s first main selling point is that it is offering a truly phenomenal welcome bonus of 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.
While these United miles won’t get you as many places as they used to, they will still be enough to fly business class to Europe one-way (from 60,000), and economy on the return (from 30,000), and still have some miles left over in your MileagePlus account. The airline has also been posting flash sales with award tickets on short hops, such as between Houston and New Orleans, for as few as 3,000 miles each way, so you could book 33 of those with your bonus miles.
Bonus Earning Categories
The United Quest is a strong earner thanks to the sheer number of categories in which it accrues extra miles.
Cardholders can earn 3 miles per dollar on United purchases, 2 miles per dollar on dining, select streaming services and all other travel, plus 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Depending on what your typical monthly expenses are, you could use this card to supercharge your MileagePlus strategy and rake in extra miles on nearly every purchase.
$125 Annual United Purchase Credit
Another great reason to consider this card over United’s other products is that it comes with up to $125 in statement credits each account anniversary year as reimbursement for United purchases charged to the card.
Eligible United purchases include things like:
- Airfare purchased directly from United
- Seat upgrades
- Economy Plus® seats
- In-flight food, beverages, and Wi-Fi
- Baggage service charges
- Other United fees
If you fly United even once a year, chances are you can max out this benefit and basically make up half the value of its $250 annual fee in one fell swoop.
Two 5,000-Mile Anniversary Award Flights Credits
Among this card’s more unique perks are two 5,000-mile award flight credits each account year starting after your first cardmember anniversary. You earn one when you redeem miles on award flights with United or United Express. So if you use miles for award flights at least twice per year, you’re looking at getting 10,000 miles refunded to your account after you travel.
Free Checked Bags
As a higher-end product than your average airline credit card, the United Quest confers not one, but two free checked bags for the primary cardmember and one companion traveling on the same reservation. That’s worth up to $320 on each round-trip itinerary. So if you’re a heavy packer and you don’t get free checked bags another way, such as with elite status, this could be a great way to save money.
The United℠ Explorer Card Is Best For:
A Lower Annual Fee
The United Explorer charges a more affordable $0 Intro for First Year, then $95 per year compared to the United Quest’s $250. But keep in mind the latter’s $125 in annual United statement credits, since that shifts the math slightly.
Decent Earning Rates
Though not quite as lucrative as the United Quest’s earning potential, the United Explorer nonetheless presents opportunities to earn bonus miles on plenty of purchases including:
- 2 miles per dollar on United purchases
- 2 miles per dollar on hotel accommodations purchased directly with the hotel
- 2 miles per dollar on dining, including takeout and delivery
- 1 mile per dollar on everything else
So you’re missing out on a mile per dollar on United purchases, as well as on non-hotel travel, but not much else.
Anniversary United Club Passes
Interestingly enough, the United Explorer offers one perk that the United Quest does not: Two United Club one-time passes each anniversary. That’s a value of $100 per year, assuming you actually hit up the club before flights at least two times per year (or once with a guest).
Consider Either The United Quest Or United Explorer For:
While you probably don’t want to carry both cards, you can’t go wrong with either of them for the following benefits and reasons.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Application Fee Statement Credits
One of the perks that both of these cards extend is a statement credit of up to $100 once every four years for either a Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85) application. If you have both these cards, you can use the credit from one for yourself, and the other for another person.
Excellent Travel And Purchase Protections
These two cards offer some truly incredible travel and purchase protections that can save you time and headaches if and when things go wrong on the road.
Both cards offer trip interruption and cancellation coverage if your trip is called off or cut short. With either the United Explorer and United Quest, you’re eligible for up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for covered reasons.
If your common carrier, such as an airline, is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, the cards’ trip delay coverage will reimburse you up to $500 per ticket for things like meals and lodging.
Their baggage delay insurance kicks in at six hours and will cover up to $100 per passenger for up to three days to replace things like toiletries and clothes. If your bag is lost or stolen, you can claim up to $3,000 per passenger.
Perhaps more significantly, both cards are among the few that offer primary damage and collision insurance on rental cars both in the U.S. and abroad, so you don’t have to go through your personal auto insurance or purchase an expensive policy from the rental agency.
Finally, both cards extend purchase protection on items for up to 120 days after purchase if they’re damaged or stolen, up to an impressive $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year. They will also extend eligible manufacturers’ warranties of three years or less by an additional year.
25% In-Flight Purchase Discounts
Now that airlines charge passengers for everything from snacks to surfing the web, it might pay to carry one of these cards so you can use them to save 25% on in-flight food, beverage, and Wi-Fi purchases on United. If you’re a frequent enough flyer, you could save hundreds of dollars per year on such expenses (especially that high-priced onboard Wi-Fi).
Priority Boarding
No one wants to get stuck gate-checking a carry-on bag. That’s where the priority boarding privileges both cards confer can come in handy. With either the United Quest or United Explorer, the primary cardmember and their companions traveling on the same reservation are eligible to get on the plane before general boarding commences, but still after MileagePlus Premier members, customers with Premier Access, and those requiring special assistance. So while you won’t be the first down the jet bridge, you should beat enough other passengers to secure scarce overhead space for your luggage.
Expanded Access to Award Inventory
Both the Quest and the Explorer cards confer a benefit that could come in handy when you go to redeem those hard-earned miles. United releases additional reward seats to cardholders, meaning you will have more opportunities to actually fly with the miles you earn.
Premier Upgrades On Award Tickets
One of the more arcane advantages that both the United Quest and United Explorer confer is eligibility for upgrades, even when traveling on award tickets on United and United Express, if the primary cardmember has Premier elite status with United. Other Premier United flyers without these cards (or the United Club℠ Infinite Card) are not eligible for such upgrades.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Do you travel internationally a lot? If so, using one of these cards on charges you make abroad is a great idea since neither levies foreign transaction fees. These pesky surcharges tend to range from 1% to 3% of each transaction with other cards. That adds up quickly, so using a card that waives them can save you real money.
Consider Neither The United Quest Nor The United Explorer For:
High Spending Requirements
Before you get lured in by the numbers and benefits, remember that, in order to earn either card’s welcome offer, you’ve got to spend $10,000 on purchases within six months of opening it. And if you have it in mind to apply for both cards, you’ll need to spend $20,000 total within their time limits. If that’s a stretch, or you might have to carry a balance, reconsider your options since any interest and late charges you’re assessed will negate the value of your miles.
You’re Over Chase’s 5/24 Limit
Speaking of applying for too many cards, keep in mind that Chase generally operates according to a so-called 5/24 rule. That means the issuer will usually decline any new applications you make if you’ve opened five or more credit cards—from any and all banks, not just Chase—within the past 24 months. So if you’ve taken advantage of some of the other unprecedented welcome offers we’ve seen lately, check your average account age to make sure you’re not over this threshold.
You Want To Diversify Your Travel Rewards
It’s true, you can redeem the United MileagePlus miles you earn with both the United Explorer and the United Quest on United itself as well as its Star Alliance partners like Lufthansa, SWISS and All Nippon Airways, among others. But by focusing solely on United credit cards, you might be cutting yourself off from travel opportunities with other carriers, as well as other types of travel rewards, such as hotel points.
For that reason, you might want to consider a credit card that earns transferable points that you’ll be able to convert into United miles among other options. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is currently offering a large welcome bonus that allows new cardholders to 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Those miles transfer to United MileagePlus on a 1:1 basis, as well as to nine other airlines including Southwest and JetBlue, plus three hotel loyalty programs: World of Hyatt, IHG Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy. So you might want to collect Ultimate Rewards points instead and keep your other options open.
Bottom Line
Whether you’re already a United loyalist, or you are considering flying the airline more in the future, either the United Quest or the United Explorer are fantastic travel credit card options. That’s not only because of the sheer number of miles you can earn with either, but also because of their various day-of-travel perks like priority boarding and free checked bags, as well as their comprehensive slates of travel and purchase protections.
If trying to decide between the United Explorer and the United Quest, consider which card’s welcome bonus and everyday earning you will be able to maximize, which has better travel perks for your specific needs, and whether it’s worth paying the annual fee to enjoy its privileges. Answer those few questions, and you’ll soon hone in on the right choice for you.
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October 25, 2021 at 08:00PM
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Credit Card Showdown: United Quest Card vs. United Explorer Card – Forbes Advisor - Forbes
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