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I’ve been a United Airlines flyer longer than I can remember. Growing up in Chicago, I got my MileagePlus number when I was 2 years old, and I’ve stayed loyal to the airline ever since — even after moving away from a major hub.
After welcoming a baby late last year, though, I’m currently behind on my goal to requalify for Premier Gold status at the year’s halfway point; I have earned just over 4,000 of the Premier qualifying points of the 12,000 (or 10,000 PQPs plus 30 Premier qualifying flights) I’ll need to lock it in for 2026. Luckily, there’s a new United Quest℠ Card (see rates and fees) welcome offer that will help solve my problem and offer tons of additional perks to boot.
Currently, new cardholders can earn 100,000 miles and 3,000 PQPs after spending $4,000 on qualifying purchases in the first three months from account opening. This offer is so good I might even get my husband, who doesn’t currently hold any United status, to apply for it, too.
Here’s why I’m considering applying for the United Quest Card, and why you might want to as well.
Perks of United Premier status
I’ve had United Premier status for years, and I’ve always deeply valued the associated benefits, specifically Gold Premier status. The ability to book myself and a companion directly into Economy Plus has consistently been very important to me — especially as a tall person who typically flies long itineraries between the West Coast and the Midwest, East Coast or Europe.
But my elite status has never come in handier than since my daughter was born. By booking her as a lap infant on my husband’s ticket and treating him as my companion, I can get my entire family into the extra legroom seats, which is clutch as she gets squirmier and squirmier. Or, when it’s just the two of us and I don’t want to keep her on my lap the entire flight, I can book a separate Economy Plus spot for her car seat. That’s a big win, considering that an Economy Plus upgrade can cost more than $100 per person, depending on the flight.
I also love earning miles at an elevated rate and getting access to reduced award-ticket prices, especially since I’ll need even more miles to fly my family once my daughter ages out of lap-infant territory.
How to achieve elite status — and keep it — with the United Quest Card
Right now, the Quest card is sporting a best-ever welcome offer of 100,000 miles and 3,000 PQPs after spending $4,000 on qualifying purchases in the first three months from account opening. Since PQPs are typically earned based on spending on United flights, taking out the card — which has an annual fee of $350 — could save me thousands of dollars and give me a big boost toward my Premier Gold goal.
For those, like my husband, who don’t currently have status, the welcome offer’s PQP component is even more significant. Achieving Premier Silver requires either 15 Premier qualifying flights and 5,000 PQPs or 6,000 PQPs outright. That means the 3,000 that come with the Quest will, at minimum, get you halfway to elite status.
It’s a compelling proposition, especially as my daughter is getting less and less interested in sitting in our laps on flights. Since I can only bring one companion into Economy Plus, getting free access to Economy Plus at check-in would be useful for my husband when we’re all flying together. Plus, Quest cardholders get two checked bags for free, which would give him the same allotment I have as a Gold member, even when he’s traveling without me.
The Quest will also help us requalify for status year after year, even without a big welcome offer. Cardholders get a jump start on PQP earning each year with a 1,000-point bonus, and the card earns 1 PQP per $20 spent on purchases (up to 18,000 PQPs per year).
Related:United Premier status: What it is and how to earn it
United Quest best-ever welcome offer
As a new parent, I have another option for ensuring I keep my Gold status next year: putting it on hold with the airline. United is one of several airlines that offers status extensions for parental leave.
However, if I go that route, I’ll be sacrificing a big benefit: the 100,000 MileagePlus miles the Quest is currently offering new cardholders. This is just the second time in the card’s history that it’s offered this many miles — it once awarded the same figure to those who took it out when it launched back in 2021.
While PQPs are used solely to qualify for elite status, MileagePlus miles are what you use to book award flights. Earning 100,000 miles is more than enough for an international vacation. I can get from Portland, Oregon, to Portugal in economy for 40,000 miles each way (as I’m doing later this year) and have 20,000 miles still leftover for my next trip. Or, I could save them for a fancier ride in United’s lie-flat Polaris business class, especially since we’ve been seeing widespread award availability from the U.S. to destinations like London, Paris and Rome for 80,000 miles one-way.
Bottom line
I love holding MileagePlus Premier status, and for me, it’s an indispensable part of my travel experience — especially now that I have a family.
Whether you currently hold status or not, the United Quest card’s welcome offer will propel you toward the spending threshold so that you can enjoy perks like free access to Economy Plus and elevated earning rates on revenue tickets.
Plus, the Quest’s current offer will net you enough miles for a chance to put those new benefits to use.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
