United Quest vs United Explorer

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Chase offers a number of personal and small-business United credit cards. Its two middle-of-the-road cards are the United℠ Explorer Card and the New United Quest℠ Card — both good choices if you fly United, even just a few times each year.

The New United Quest℠ Card comes with an array of perks that can more than offset the card's New United Quest℠ Card annual fee. That hefty upfront cost might be a turn-off at first glance, but if you can maximize the card's benefits, like a free first and second checked bag and United statement credits, it's worth it.

If you're not sure you want to commit to such a high annual fee, the United℠ Explorer Card is a long-time favorite of United flyers. With an annual fee of United℠ Explorer Card, it offers many of the same benefits as its pricier sibling.

Both United cards are offering welcome bonuses:

• United℠ Explorer Card — United℠ Explorer Card
• New United Quest℠ Card —  New United Quest℠ Card

Here's what to know to help you make your decision.

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

United Quest and United Explorer Welcome Bonus Offers

The New United Quest℠ Card offers the potential to earn United Quest Credit Card. The United℠ Explorer Card comes with a slightly smaller bonus of 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open (plus, an additional 10k bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months). 

United miles are worth 1.3 cents apiece on average, based on Insider's latest points and miles valuations. So you can expect to get around United Quest℠ Card in flights from the bonus on the New United Quest℠ Card, and about United℠ Explorer Card from the bonus on the United℠ Explorer Card.

If you're stockpiling United miles for a specific redemption, the higher bonus on the New United Quest℠ Card might make the most sense for you, even with the higher annual fee. United miles don't expire, so even if you don't have immediate travel plans, earning more miles now can put you in a great position to book award flights when you decide you're ready to hit the skies again.

Rewards and Benefits

Earning miles

The New United Quest℠ Card earns:

• 3x miles on eligible United purchases (after earning the $125 United credit)
• 2x miles on travel
• 2x miles on dining
• 2x miles on select streaming services
• 1 mile per dollar on everything else

The United℠ Explorer Card earns:

• 2x miles on eligible United purchases
• 2x miles on dining
• 2x miles on hotel stays booked directly with the hotel
• 1 mile per dollar on everything else

If you spend a lot on United airfare (or on travel in general), you'll earn more miles with the New United Quest℠ Card.

Ongoing benefits

Let's start with the benefits offered by both cards:

• Global Entry, TSAPreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit
• Priority boarding
• Expanded United award availability
• 25% back on United inflight purchases
• Primary car rental insurance
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Travel accident insurance
• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty protection
• No foreign transaction fees

That's a lot of valuable perks. But as you might expect from a card with a higher annual fee, the New United Quest℠ Card comes with benefits you won't find on the United℠ Explorer Card, including:

• A free first and second checked bag on United flights for yourself and one companion on the same reservation when you use the card to pay for your ticket (worth $35 and $45 each time) — the United℠ Explorer Card only offers a free first checked bag.
• Up to $125 a year in statement credits toward United purchases (like airfare and incidental fees)
• A 5,000-mile award flight credit, up to twice a year (10,000 miles total), starting on your first card anniversary (worth about $130 in United flights, based on Insider's valuations)
• 500 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) for every $12,000 spent on purchases with the card, up to 6,000 PQPs per calendar year (the United℠ Explorer Card maxes out at up to 1,000 PQPs per year)

There's one perk offered by the United℠ Explorer Card that isn't included on the New United Quest℠ Card: Each year, cardholders receive two one-time United Club airport lounge passes (worth $59 apiece).

Apart from these differences, you'll get the same travel and purchase protections from both cards — so the best pick for you should be based on whether or not you can make the most of the perks unique to either card.

If you spend at least $125 per year on United purchases, you'll effectively reduce your annual fee to $125 — which is just $30 more than the annual fee on the United℠ Explorer Card (though that fee isn't charged in year one). Beyond that, the biggest money-saving difference here is the checked bag benefit. If you frequently check multiple bags and travel with a companion, the second checked bag benefit could be enough to offset the card's annual fee in just a couple of trips.

Which United Card is Best for You?

If you're trying to choose between these cards, you'll want to look at a few factors:

• How much do you value the higher welcome bonus on the New United Quest℠ Card?
• Will you make use of extra benefits like a second free checked bag and award flight rebates that the United℠ Explorer Card doesn't offer?
• Do your spending habits match the bonus categories more closely on one card rather than the other?
• Will you spend at least $125 on United airfare or incidental fees to take advantage of the statement credits on the New United Quest℠ Card?

For an average, infrequent United flyer, the United℠ Explorer Card is likely a better bet. It comes with a wide variety of United benefits, offers solid travel and purchase protections, has a decent earning rate, and waives the annual fee the first year. Because there's no upfront cost in year one, it's also a good pick if you're just testing the waters to see if a United credit card is worth it for you.

The New United Quest℠ Card is the better choice if you know you'll get at least New United Quest℠ Card in value from the additional perks it offers. If you spend at least $125 on United purchases each year, you can effectively reduce your annual cost to $125 — then you'll have to decide if you can get enough return from the card's increased earning rates, mileage rebate, and second free checked bag benefit to make it worthwhile.

Chase United Explorer vs United Quest Side-by-Side Comparison

In summary, the United℠ Explorer Card card is better if you:

• Don't want to pay an annual fee the first year, and prefer a moderate annual fee beyond that
• Don't check more than one bag
• Aren't sure if you'll spend $125 or more each year on United purchases
• Can use two one-time United Club airport lounge passes each year

Choose the New United Quest℠ Card if you:

• Spend $125 or more on United purchases each year
• Frequently check two bags (or travel with a companion who checks two bags)
• Can use the 5,000-mile award flight credits after the first year
• Want to earn more United miles and the card's bonus categories match your spending

You can read our post on the best United Airlines credit cards for even more options if neither of these is tickling you.