When deciding which of 
United Airlines
‘ many cobranded credit cards to open an account with, many will often choose to start with the MileagePlus Explorer Card. This payment method comes with very reasonable benefits given its low annual fee of just $99. However, this card falls far short of the most premium amenities, including lounge access, status boosts, etc.
United Explorer Card
The United Explorer Card from Chase offers United Airlines MileagePlus members the opportunity to earn miles and provides free checked bags, among other benefits.
As a result, many will naturally choose to upgrade to the United Quest Card, which comes along with a higher annual fee but offers much, much more in terms of inflight and award benefits.
This card allows one to rapidly build up status, accrue miles and status-qualifying Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs), and even receive valuable rebates on all purchases, whether with miles or cash.
United Quest Card
The United Quest Card offered by Chase for the United Airlines MileagePlus Program provides perks and an annual statement credit.
A second upgrade is often a consideration
However, the benefits of the Quest Card often fall far short of what is demanded by the most premium-oriented leisure travelers and high-volume business travelers. While the card does provide good value, it does not offer access to United’s flagship lounge, the United Club, to which the United Club Infinite Card offers complete and unrestricted access.
Unsurprising, nonetheless, is that the United Club Infinite Card comes along with a higher annual fee, a significantly higher one than the Quest Card. While the Quest Card only requires an annual fee of $250, of which $125 can immediately be justified with a United flight credit, the United Club Infinite Card commands a high annual fee of $525, which is primarily justified by a United Club membership.
United Club Infinite Card
The United Club Infinite Card from Chase is the top-tier card for United Airlines MileagePlus members and provides access to the airline’s exclusive lounges.
Therefore, the decision to upgrade from the Quest card to the Club card faces many MileagePlus members, who must carefully weigh the costs and benefits of each card before making a decision. Let’s take a deeper look at whether upgrading from the United MileagePlus Quest Card to the United MileagePlus Club Infinite Card is worthwhile.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
Comparing the benefits of both the Quest Card and the Club Card
It is important to note that despite being both members of United’s primary line of personal cobranded credit cards offered via Chase Bank, there are some important differences to note between the two. While some benefits are shared, there are a number that are specific to one or the other. When analyzing a credit card, there are two primary categories to observe:
- Flight & travel benefits
- Award benefits (including welcome bonuses)
Flight & travel benefits
The United Quest card is not the most luxurious card when it comes to inflight benefits. The card does, however, bring a lot to the table. It, for starters, allows one to check two free bags onto any United flight, which does provide impressive value, especially for longer journeys.
The card also offers passengers priority board, which is included with all United credit cards except for the no-fee Gateway card. The card also does not impose foreign transaction fees, something it also shares with the United Club card.
Photo: United Airlines
The Quest card does provide some access to inflight premium experiences, however, by offering passengers a place on the complimentary upgrade list. It is important to note, however, that elite status members and Club cardholders will always be upgraded first.
The United Club card, according to the Chase Bank website, offers all the same inflight benefits as its more affordable competitor, with one noteworthy exception. The card provides all holders with a United Club membership, which allows for unlimited access to the lounges, something for which an individual would have to pay $650 outright.
There are a couple of other flight benefits that push beyond the offerings of the Quest card. For starters, Club cardholders will be able to use premier access amenities, including a dedicated priority check-in desk and boarding through the premier access lane.
Both cards provide fairly generous award benefits
It is also important to evaluate both of these credit cards beyond just the flight benefits that they offer. To begin, let’s take a quick look at the welcome bonuses offered by both cards:
|
Card: |
Welcome bonus: |
Minimum spending requirement: |
|---|---|---|
|
United Quest Card |
$4,000 within the first three months |
|
|
United Club Card |
$5,000 within the first three months |
Here we immediately notice that while the Club Card provides more miles, the Quest Card comes along with a 500 PQP status boost. When it comes to accrual schedules from purchases, each card provides bonus miles across multiple categories like hotel bookings, dining, groceries, and travel, but the Quest Card goes a touch further, offering double miles for eligible expenses on streaming services.
Photo: United Airlines
There are numerous other award benefits that one should be aware of for the Quest card, including 2 5,000-mile credits that are awarded the first two times a flight is booked with miles. Additionally, the card offers a $125 annual statement credit for United flights, making its annual fee easier to justify.
The Club card lacks most of these benefits, instead providing elite status with multiple other hotel and rental car companies. Despite this, the card does provide you with good ways to earn both MileagePlus miles and elite status-qualifying PQPs through your everyday purchases.