The offers mentioned below for the United Quest℠ Card and the United Gateway℠ Card is no longer available.
Starting June 14, two United Airlines credit cards are offering raised welcome bonuses to help you start the summer travel season off right.
The promotion is the latest part of a wave of new credit card offers geared toward travelers looking to earn points and miles and cash them in to save on future trips. With airline fares soaring, this extra incentive to take out a new credit card comes at a good time.
Here's what you need to know about the new United Airlines credit card welcome bonuses, plus how to maximize your United MileagePlus miles when it's time to redeem them for travel.
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United's two new welcome offers
The United Quest℠ Card and the United Gateway℠ Card are each offering elevated welcome bonuses for new cardmembers.
Those looking to sign up for the United Quest Card can earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 within the first three months of opening their account. Note that current cardholders and those who have already received a new cardmember bonus for any United Quest Card in the last 24 months are not eligible for the new welcome offer.
With the United Gateway Card, new cardholders can earn 30,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 within the first three months of card membership. They'll also be able to start with an introductory 0% APR on purchases for the first 12 months from account opening (after, 17.99% - 24.99% variable APR). Note that the welcome offer is only available to those who aren't already cardholders and who haven't received a new cardmember bonus for this card in the last 24 months.
While both cards let you earn United MileagePlus miles, each offer very different benefits and are designed for different types of travelers.
Here's what you get with the United Quest Card
The United Quest Card is geared more toward frequent travelers. On top of the sizable 80,000-mile bonus after spending $5,000 within the first three months of opening their account, new cardholders will also receive the following valuable travel benefits:
- Annual United Airlines statement credit of $125 each anniversary to reimburse you for United purchases made that year
- Two 5,000-mile anniversary award flight credits (up to twice a year), which puts 5,000 United miles back in your account when you book award flights with United or United Express
- Complimentary first and second checked bags, worth a value of up to $320 round trip
- Priority boarding for the cardholder and their companions
- $100 statement credit every four years to use for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS
- Additional hotel benefits such as daily breakfast for two, room upgrades (based on availability), early check-in and late check-out (based on availability) and a special amenity worth $100 when you stay at properties within Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
- Premier seat upgrades on award tickets
- 25% back via statement credit for inflight purchases made while flying with the carrier
- Comprehensive travel insurance including auto rental collision damage waiver for rental cars, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, plus travel and emergency assistance
- Access to Visa Signature® Concierge Service and exclusive culinary, entertainment and sporting events
- No foreign transaction fees
By spending with their card, cardholders can also earn:
- 3X miles per dollar on all purchases with United Airlines (after the $125 statement credit)
- 2X miles per dollar for all other travel-related charges, including flights, train rides, local transit, cruises, car rentals, hotel stays, ride-share services and tolls, among others
- 2X miles per dollar on dining, as well as certain delivery and streaming services
- 1X mile per dollar for all other purchases made with the card
Lastly, the United Quest Card comes with a moderate $250 annual fee, which is pretty reasonable considering the welcome bonus alone is worth roughly $800 (at a 1 cent per point valuation).
Here's what you get with the United Gateway Card
While the United Gateway Card is a bit of a step down from the United Quest Card, it still packs a punch for United flyers who don't want to pay an annual fee. New cardholders can earn the decent 30,000-mile bonus after spending $1,000 within the first three months of card membership, plus an introductory interest-free period. They'll receive the following travel benefits:
- 25% back via statement credit for inflight purchases made while flying with the carrier
- Additional hotel benefits such as daily breakfast for two, room upgrades (based on availability), early check-in and late check-out (based on availability) and a special amenity worth $100 when you stay at properties within Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
- Comprehensive travel insurance including auto rental collision damage waiver for rental cars, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, plus travel and emergency assistance
- Access to Visa Signature Concierge Service and exclusive culinary, entertainment and sporting events
- No foreign transaction fees
By spending with the card, you'll be able to earn:
- 2X miles per dollar on United purchases, including tickets, baggage fees and Economy Plus® as well as inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi
- 2X miles per dollar spent at gas stations and on local transit and commuting, including taxi rides, trains, tolls, mass transit and other ride-sharing services
- 1X miles per dollar for all other purchases
Lastly, the United Gateway Card has no annual fee, making it a great pick for anyone who wants to earn United MileagePlus miles without any overhead.
As you're earning miles, keep these 3 things in mind
United Airlines has a wide route network that includes 210 destinations within the U.S., making it easy to fly nearly anywhere within the 50 states, as well as 120 destinations internationally.
As you're earning United MileagePlus miles on your purchases, keep these three factors in mind, especially when it's time to redeem them.
1. You can redeem miles with United's Star AllianceTM partners
When you're searching for flights on United's website, you may end up coming across some that are offered by other carriers. The airlines you'll see listed are part of United's Star Alliance, a network that United Airlines is a member of.
With 26 total airlines, you'll have the ability to redeem your United miles for flights with partner carriers such as Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Egyptair, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal and Turkish Airlines, among others. This alliance with other airlines makes earning United MileagePlus miles a great value for those who enjoy traveling abroad.
2. You can bump up your balance with transferable points
If you're enthusiastic about earning United miles, consider also applying for a travel rewards credit card that lets you transfer the points you earn to the United MileagePlus loyalty program. That way, for example, you'll be able to select United Airlines as your Chase transfer partner and redeem those miles with the carrier or any of its partner airlines as described above, depending on your travel needs.
Cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offer the ability to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards® points directly to United MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio — meaning 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points equates to 1,000 United miles.
3. Your miles can devalue at any time
Be aware that airline and hotel loyalty programs can succumb to devaluation at any time. For example, an airline can change a specific route from 40,000 miles to 50,000 miles at the flip of a switch, making your miles less valuable without any notice. This actually happens quite regularly as travel brands try to mitigate the risk of consumers redeeming too many miles within a short period of time.
Because there's always a chance of this happening, it's best to redeem miles quickly but efficiently. Now, that's not to say you should waste them on items such as gift cards or retail merchandise as your miles are then valued well below what they'd be worth if you redeemed them for flights. Just try not to sit on them for too long or you may encounter an unfortunate devaluation.
Bottom line
The new United Quest Card and United Gateway Card welcome bonuses for new cardmembers provide a solid start to saving money on flights for any upcoming trips. Plus, both credit cards offer travel perks that any United flyer can take advantage of. Before signing up for a new credit card, be sure to check your credit score to see if you'd likely be approved.
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