8 reasons to upgrade from the United Explorer Card to the United Quest Card

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. If you hold the United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees), you’re likely to fly relatively often with United Airlines and value the card’s priority boarding perk, checked bag privilege and two annual United Club passes. But is it possible you’d …

Apr 14, 2025 - 16:25

8 reasons to upgrade from the United Explorer Card to the United Quest Card

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

If you hold the United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees), you’re likely to fly relatively often with United Airlines and value the card’s priority boarding perk, checked bag privilege and two annual United Club passes.

But is it possible you’d benefit from more?

That’s where the United Quest℠ Card (see rates and fees) comes in. Yes, the annual fee is higher. However, if you’d leverage the card’s multiple statement credits, Premier qualifying point head start and higher earning rates, there could be a strong argument for upgrading your card.

If you’re considering a move up from the Explorer to the Quest, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s go into eight reasons why this move may be the best option for you.

Comparing the United Explorer to the United Quest

Before we get into a deep dive about why you may want to upgrade your United card, here’s a side-by-side comparison of each card’s benefits.

Card	United Explorer	United Quest
Annual fee	$0 introductory annual fee, then $150	$350
Earning rates	Earn 7 miles per dollar spent on United flights Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotel stays booked through United Hotels Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on other eligible United purchases, dining and other hotel stays 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases	Earn 8 miles per dollar spent on United flights Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotel stays booked with Renowned Hotels and Resorts Earn 3 miles per dollar spent on other eligible United purchases Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on all other travel, select streaming services and dining Earn 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases
United benefits	Earn 1 PQP for every $20 spent on purchases, up to 1,000 PQPs per year First checked bag free for the primary cardholder and one companion Priority boarding Two one-time United Club passes each account anniversary year 10,000-mile award flight discount after you spend $20,000 in a calendar year 25% back on United inflight and Club premium drink purchases	Earn 1 PQP for every $20 spent on purchases, up to 18,000 PQPs per year (applied toward Premier status, up to and including Premier 1K level) First and second checked bags free for the primary cardholder and one companion Priority boarding Two global Economy Plus seat upgrades after you spend $40,000 in a calendar year 1,000 PQP bonus award six to eight weeks after Feb. 1 each year, starting in 2026 10,000-mile award flight discount each account anniversary (earn a second 10,000-mile discount after you spend $20,000 in a calendar year) 25% back on United inflight and Club premium drink purchases
Statement credits	$100 United travel credit in the form of United TravelBank cash after you spend $10,000 on purchases each calendar year Two $50 statement credits on your first and second prepaid hotel stay booked through United Hotels, up to $100 annually $5 back as a statement credit each month on ride-hailing purchases, up to $60 annually Two $25 United TravelBank cash credits for your first and second Avis or Budget car rental booking made through cars.united.com, up to $50 annually $10 Instacart credit monthly, up to $120 a year (offer ends Dec. 31, 2027) Up to $100 statement credit on JSX purchases annually Up to $120 statement credit every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus	Automatic $200 in United TravelBank cash after account opening and each year on your account anniversary Up to $150 in statement credits when you book prepaid Renowned Hotels and Resorts stays $8 back as a statement credit each month on ride-hailing purchases ($12 back in December), up to $100 annually Two $40 United TravelBank cash credits for your first and second Avis or Budget car rental booking made through cars.united.com, up to $80 annually One $10 Instacart credit and one $5 credit monthly, up to $180 each calendar year (offer ends Dec. 31, 2027) up to $150 statement credit on JSX purchases annually Up to $120 statement credit every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus

Why upgrade from United Explorer to United Quest

Now that you’ve seen a side-by-side comparison of the United Explorer and United Quest benefits, let’s get into some specific circumstances in which upgrading would make sense for you.

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

If you decide you’re ready for the United Quest, you may be forced to acquire it by upgrading.

Why? That would be Chase’s 5/24 rule. 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 — regardless of your credit score or any other factor.

young person on laptop with card — PEKIC/GETTY IMAGES

If you encounter this application restriction, you may not be able to get the United Quest unless you request a product change from another United credit card. If you’re over 5/24, you won’t be able to get the card by applying.

You’re fine with paying a higher annual fee

New applicants for the Explorer Card pay an introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year and $150 every following year. The Quest Card has an annual fee of $350. That’s a difference of $200.

If you’ve decided that Quest’s benefits outweigh its higher annual fee, then you may be ready for a product change.

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

The Quest Card earns 8 miles per dollar spent on United flights and 3 miles per dollar spent on all other United purchases. The Explorer earns 7 miles per dollar spent on United flights and 2 miles per dollar spent on other United purchases.

If you’re curious about how many miles you could earn in a year, consider how much money you spent with United across the last 12 months. You’d earn an additional mile on all these purchases if you hold the Quest.

United New Signature interior Economy First Boeing 737 MAX 9 — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

So, if you spend frequently or substantially with United, the math could come out that it’s a better option for you to earn more on that spending.

You’ll use United TravelBank cash

United TravelBank is essentially a savings account you can use to maintain funds for United purchases. You can use cash in United TravelBank to pay for flights with United or United Express or give it as a gift. You can use your funds alone or with most other payment types, and you can redeem funds from TravelBank without a minimum balance requirement.

If this sounds like the type of service you’d enjoy using, the United Quest provides a much better United TravelBank benefit than the United Explorer.

With the Quest, you’ll receive an automatic $200 in United TravelBank cash each account anniversary year and after account opening. This essentially wipes out more than half of the $350 annual fee.

Meanwhile, the Explorer provides $100 in TravelBank cash after you spend $10,000 on purchases in a calendar year. With the Quest Card, it’s automatic, but with the Explorer, it’s incentivized by spending.

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

If you don’t have a wallet full of credit cards, you may find yourself leaning into the benefits of your one card more than someone who has a swath of cards with benefits to manage.

A United Airlines aircraft at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). — SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Both the United Explorer and the United Quest come with a long list of statement credits on everything from Instacart and ride-hailing services to hotel stays booked through a travel portal and car rentals with Avis and Budget.

The United Quest’s statement credits are worth more, so if you find yourself looking to maximize multiple statement credits, you’ll get more value with the Quest.

You’re chasing United elite status

The United Quest Card provides better PQP earnings toward United Premier status than the United Explorer Card.

With either card, you can earn 1 PQP for every $20 you spend and your total earnings are capped. However, you have a substantially higher threshold on the Quest than with the Explorer. You can earn up to 18,000 PQPs each year through spending on the United Quest. You can only earn up to 1,000 PQPs with spending on the Explorer.

Plus, starting in 2026, you’ll receive a 1,000 PQP bonus award after Feb. 1 each year with the United Quest.

You check 2 bags when flying with United at least 5 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.

Group of travelers waiting for luggage at carousel — HINTERHAUSPRODUCTIONS/GETTY IMAGES

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

If the answer is more than four 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 bag 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 $200. If you take two round-trip flights and a single one-way (five total flights), that’s $225 for one traveler — which wipes away the Quest’s $200 extra in annual fees.

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

Both the United Explorer and the United Quest have some spend-incentivized perks. However, if you’re going to put a lot of spending on a United credit card, you’re going to earn more if you do it on the Quest.

After spending $20,000 on the United Explorer, you’ll receive a 10,000-mile award flight discount, which is a good benefit.

However, you’ll automatically receive one 10,000-mile award flight discount with the United Quest — and you’ll receive another 10,000-mile award flight discount if you spend $20,000 with that card.

United Economy Plus Boeing 737 MAX 9 — KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY

If you spend $40,000 on the United Quest, you can also receive two global Economy Plus seat upgrades, which is a solid incentive to keep using the card.

And, as mentioned above, your PQP earning cap is 18 times higher (18,000 to 1,000) on the United Quest.

Things that won’t change if you upgrade

If you upgrade from the United Explorer Card to the United Quest Card, there are many differences in benefits. However, it is worth noting that some aspects remain the same between both of these cards:

No foreign transaction fee
Priority boarding privileges on United flights
Travel and purchase protections
2 miles per dollar spent on dining and delivery services
Up to a $120 reimbursement on an application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus (valid every four years)
A 25% discount on inflight purchases when paying with your card on United- and United Express-operated flights

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.

Related: What is a good credit score?

What to consider before you upgrade

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 the United Explorer 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 the bonus when changing to the new card.

United aircraft lineup — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

If you do want to earn the United Quest Card’s current bonus of 90,000 miles and 500 PQPs after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months the account is open, you’ll need to submit a new application. This offer ends May 7.

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.

How to upgrade from the Explorer Card to the Quest Card

If you’re ready to upgrade from the United Explorer to the United Quest, you’ll need to call the number on the back of your credit card. Explain to the 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 to ensure that Chase doesn’t process a new card application or close your current card by mistake.

Senior woman talking on smart phone while making online payment through laptop — MASKOT/GETTY IMAGES

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.

Bottom line

The United Explorer Card is a mid-tier option for United flyers, while the United Quest Card provides extra benefits for those willing to pay a higher annual fee.

There’s never a perfect choice for all travelers, but when you consider how much you fly with United and how you value each card’s perks, you may decide that the United Quest is worth the upgrade.

If that sounds like you, call the number on the back of your Explorer Card to get the process started.