Reasons to upgrade from the United Explorer Card to the United Quest Card

There are many United Airlines credit cards on the market, and keeping track of their differences can be challenging.

Maybe you have an entry-level card but wish your credit card offered more perks. This is especially true if you fly more with United than you did when you first opened the credit card. In that case, perks that weren’t of interest at the time may now be more appealing.

Alternatively, maybe you’ve been a longtime holder of the United℠ Explorer Card, and you could never quite justify the upfront cost of the United Club℠ Infinite Card.

However, you also have to consider the United Quest℠ Card, a higher-end option that sits between the Explorer and Club Infinite cards. Some cardholders may be better off jumping up to that product.

If you have the United Explorer Card but are looking for increased benefits, here are eight reasons why you should upgrade to the United Quest Card.

Related: United card welcome offers

United Explorer Card benefits

Let’s start with a quick refresher on the United Explorer Card. Beyond the initial welcome bonus, the card offers a pair of one-time United Club passes deposited into your MileagePlus account each year of card membership. This benefit alone is worth $118 per year, as day passes at the lounge cost $59 each with a same-day boarding pass.

Additionally, the card offers:

• One free checked bag for the cardholder and a companion on the same reservation (when you pay for your ticket with the card)
• Up to a $100 credit for a TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Nexus application (every four years)
• 25% back on United inflight purchases (includes Wi-Fi, food and beverages)
• Priority boarding
• Travel and purchase protection
• Complimentary space-available upgrades when flying on United award tickets (if the cardholder has United Premier elite status)
• Additional award availability

Just note that you must use the Explorer Card to pay for your ticket in order to check your bags for free — though this includes award tickets booked with miles when you pay for the taxes and fees with your card.

Related: How to avoid checked baggage fees on major domestic airlines

Why upgrade from United Explorer to United Quest

If you’ve decided the United Explorer Card isn’t offering enough benefits for you, you have a few options. You can upgrade to a card that offers more premium benefits, such as the ultra-premium United Club Infinite Card ($525 annual fee) or the United Quest Card ($250 annual fee). If you don’t travel enough to utilize a membership to United Club lounges and don’t want to pay an annual fee of over $500, then the Quest Card is likely your better option.

Of course, it’s worth noting at the outset that you won’t be eligible for a welcome bonus on the Quest Card if you upgrade from another United credit card. Those offers are only for new applications — not cardholders changing from an existing card to another credit card.

If you do want to earn the United Quest Card’s current bonus of 60,000 miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months the account is open, you’ll need to submit a new application.

However, there are instances where it makes sense to forgo a welcome bonus — and here’s why that may be the case for the Quest Card.

You’re over 5/24 and can’t get the other card through a new application

If you want to earn the maximum number of points and miles, it’s normally best to obtain credit cards by applying for them with a welcome bonus. However, you may be ineligible due to a bank’s application rules. This is especially applicable here since we’re talking about two credit cards from Chase. This issuer imposes a rule known as 5/24 — if you’ve opened five (or more) credit cards with any issuer over the previous 24 months, you’ll almost certainly be denied when trying to open a new Chase card.

If you’re at (or over) 5/24, the only way to obtain the Quest Card is by requesting a product change from another United credit card.

You have very few credit cards and want to maximize the perks of each card

If you don’t have numerous credit cards, it’s important to get the most bang for your buck on each card that you have.

For those of us with many credit cards, we may think, “I don’t need this certain benefit on card A because card B gives me that benefit.” For those with fewer credit cards, ensuring that you have access to the widest range of benefits possible may mean you need to carry mid-tier and top-tier credit cards from airlines and hotels.

If that’s you, several of the points below relate to the broad concept of getting as many perks as possible on one credit card.

You’re fine with paying a higher annual fee

New applicants for the Explorer Card have an introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year, then $95 every following year. The Quest Card has an annual fee of $250. Thus, there’s a difference of $155 in the annual fee for the ensuing years. If you think the benefits will justify that increase, upgrading will make sense.

Related: Who should (and shouldn’t) get the United Quest Card?

You regularly spend money with United and want to earn more miles and added perks

The Quest Card offers $125 in annual credits for spending with United. This perk alone can offset 50% of the Quest Card’s $250 annual fee. If you’re spending more than $125 with United each year on purchased tickets or fees for award tickets, this benefit could be very attractive.

Additionally, the Quest Card earns 3 miles per dollar spent with United, while the Explorer Card earns just 2 miles per dollar spent on these purchases. To see how many more miles you could earn in a year, look at how much money you spent with United in the past 12 months. You would earn an additional mile per dollar spent on each purchase by using the Quest Card instead of the Explorer Card.

However, don’t forget to consider that other cards might be more advantageous for these purchases. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express earns 5 points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with airlines and via American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar). However, you should remember that the American Express Membership Rewards points earned on these purchases can’t be transferred to United MileagePlus.

If you’re looking for a card that earns flexible points that can be transferred to MileagePlus, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns 3 points per dollar spent on all travel purchases, including flights, and the Chase Ultimate Rewards points you earn can be transferred to MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio.

Consider which earning path is the best for you. If spending on a United credit card to earn United miles and $125 in annual credits makes the most sense, then the Quest Card could merit a place in your wallet.

Related: When does it make sense to spend on a cobranded credit card?

You want to earn miles from the money you spend on streaming services

Streaming services grow in popularity each year, and new ones debut frequently. While the Explorer Card earns just 1 mile per dollar spent on streaming purchases, the Quest Card earns 2 miles per dollar here.

However, you should remember that you may be able to get your streaming services for free or at a discount when using other credit cards. Additionally, the Quest Card doesn’t have the top earning rate for streaming services. Consider these other cards with better earnings:

The information for the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

That said, none of those earnings can be converted into United miles. By paying for your streaming services with the Quest Card, United loyalists can get the miles they prefer.

Related: How to use the Amex Platinum digital entertainment credit

You check 2 suitcases when flying with United at least 4 times a year

The Quest Card offers two free checked bags for you and a companion booked on the same reservation. By comparison, the Explorer Card offers just one free checked bag per person for you and that companion.

So, ask yourself this question: How often do you check a second suitcase on your trips with United Airlines?

If the answer is more than three times per year, getting a free second checked bag from the Quest Card can make sense.

When flying domestically with United or United Express, a second checked suitcase will cost at least $45 per person in each direction (only if you pay in advance — adding a second bag within 24 hours of departure costs $50). That means you’d incur an additional $90 per round-trip flight.

The difference in annual fees from the Explorer Card to the Quest Card is $155, and paying for this second checked bag (whether it’s for you or your travel companion) in both directions on a pair of round-trip flights would cost you $180 out of pocket. Thus, you would save money by having the Quest Card if you’re checking a second bag four times each year.

Remember that, regardless of whether you have the Explorer Card or the Quest Card, you must pay for the flight with your United cobranded credit card to qualify for the free checked bag(s) benefit.

You spend more than $20,000 on a United card each year

United credit card holders can earn Premier qualifying points toward status through credit card spending. The earning rate is 25 PQPs per $500 spent on a United credit card.

On the Quest Card, you can earn up to 6,000 PQPs through credit card spending each year. To maximize this benefit, you would need to spend $120,000 on your United credit card.

The Explorer Card also offers PQP-earning ability at the same rate of 25 PQPs per $500 spent on the card. However, the maximum you can earn on this card is 1,000 PQPs per year — achieved with $20,000 in spending.

If you are pursuing United MileagePlus elite status and spend more than $20,000 on your card in a year, you’re missing out on many PQPs by spending on the Explorer Card. Premier Silver can be achieved with as little as 4,000 PQPs plus 12 qualifying flights, so earning extra PQPs on the Quest Card could go a long way toward earning status.

You redeem your United miles for United flights at least twice a year

The Quest Card offers a pair of 5,000-mile flight credits per year as a reward for redeeming miles, starting with your first cardmember anniversary. The 5,000-mile credits will be put into your MileagePlus account after you take a United- or United Express-operated award flight booked with your miles (up to twice per anniversary year).

In layman’s terms, using your miles for a flight operated by United or United Express can lead to 5,000 miles being deposited in your MileagePlus account — up to twice each year. According to TPG’s October 2024 valuations, United miles are worth 1.3 cents apiece, so maximizing this benefit means an effective refund of 10,000 United miles, worth $130.

Related: How to get maximum value from the United MileagePlus program

Things that won’t change if you upgrade

We’ve seen that several benefits and perks will change if you upgrade from the United Explorer Card to the United Quest Card. However, that’s not to say that everything will be different. Several card benefits will remain the same:

• No foreign transaction fee
• 2 miles per dollar spent on dining and delivery services
• Expanded access to award redemptions when using United miles
• Up to a $100 reimbursement on an application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus (valid every four years)
• Priority boarding privileges on United flights
• 25% discount on inflight purchases when paying with your card on United- and United Express-operated flights
• Various travel and purchase protections included with your card

Additionally, a benefit of upgrading your card (rather than applying for a new card) is that you will preserve your credit history on that account. Credit age is one of the factors that make up your credit score.

Other considerations when product-changing a credit card

Aside from simply comparing the benefits of your existing card to the other card you’re considering for a product change, there are a few things you should think about before taking any action.

Remember that you won’t be eligible for a welcome offer on the United Quest Card when upgrading from another credit card. Those offers are only for new applications — not changing from an existing card to another credit card. If you’d be eligible for a welcome bonus, consider whether (or how much) it matters to you that you forgo said bonus when changing to the new card.

Also remember that the welcome bonus you earned when you opened your card has conditions. You should always plan to keep a credit card for at least a year to avoid having the bonus points or miles confiscated by the bank.

You should also know that changing from one credit card to another card shouldn’t result in a “hard pull” credit inquiry. That’s because you aren’t applying for a new product. You should also maintain the same credit limit and keep the same card number.

Lastly, product-changing is the only way to access credit cards that are no longer open to new applicants. Applying for an available credit card and then later changing to a discontinued card could be part of your rewards strategy.

Related: 4 major considerations before upgrading your credit card

How to upgrade from the Explorer Card to the Quest Card

If you’ve read all the information above and decided that changing from the United Explorer Card to the United Quest Card is the right move for you, here’s how to make the change.

You’ll need to call the number on the back of your credit card. Explain to the phone representative that you want to upgrade your card to the Quest Card. Be clear with the agent on the phone that you want to change to the new card. Be sure that Chase doesn’t process a new card application or close your current card by mistake.

The phone representative will typically need to read you a mandatory disclosure. This will include things like changes in benefits, when your new card should arrive in the mail and important information about when you will start paying the higher annual fee.

Pay attention to the disclosure, and ask questions about anything that seems unclear. Once you agree to the terms, the phone agent will process the change. You should be able to continue using your current card until the new one arrives in the mail.

Related: The ultimate guide to credit card upgrades

Bottom line

There are no one-size-fits-all solutions in the points and miles hobby. For some people, the United Explorer Card may be a favorite credit card. For others, the perks aren’t quite enough, so the United Quest Card could be an ideal fit.

Before taking action, look at the differences in benefits and make sure you understand what perks you’ll gain if you upgrade your Explorer Card, whether they justify the higher annual fee you’ll pay and when the new fees and perks will take effect. Once you’ve made an informed decision, you can get started by calling the number on the back of your card.

Related: The best credit cards to use for United flights