5 Unique Benefits Of The United Quest Card

Chase Bank, the largest bank in the United States, has partnered with

United Airlines

to offer four co-branded credit cards. The cards range in benefits, and the annual fees range from $0 to $525. The

United Quest Card

is the third-best offered by Chase. For a limited time, those who apply for the card are eligible for a 70,000-mile sign-up bonus if the spending requirement is reached within the first three months.

The Quest Card has an annual fee of $250, and for a frequent traveler, the benefits the card offers far outweigh the fee. As it is one of the best United cards, the Quest card has a high earning rate for United flights, at eight points per dollar spent. The card also offers up to 10,000 miles in flight credits annually, as well as an annual $125 United purchase credit. Let’s break down some of the benefits the Quest Card offers.

TSA PreCheck / Global Entry / Nexus

Covered once every four years

TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are two Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) created by the US government. Both are intended to save time in airports, but they are unique in that the first is for outbound passengers, while the latter is for inbound passengers.

TSA PreCheck is a program with a five-year membership that allows passengers to go through an exclusive security checkpoint at most US airports. One might say that it is no longer exclusive as the program has a very high number of members, but it is membership-based and requires government approval and background checks. Different from the regular TSA security checkpoints, PreCheck members are not required to go through full-body scanners or remove their shoes, jackets, belts, or laptops from their bags at the checkpoint. Enrollment for PreCheck is available through several partners and the fee ranges from $77.95 to $85 for five years.

Global Entry is another TTP program that is meant for passengers traveling internationally. Upon returning from an international trip, Global Entry members have an exclusive line at immigration checkpoints at most US airports. The Global Entry line is the same line used by airline crew and can drastically cut down on wait times at immigration. In addition to the traditional kiosks, there is now a Global Entry available app available for use in select airports, allowing passengers to bybass the kiosk at immigration and save even more time.

Like TSA PreCheck, Global Entry requires government approval and a background check. The application process is quite simple – the program has a fee of $100 for five years and includes PreCheck.

Related

How Does The US Global Entry Scheme Work?

The US Global Entry Scheme is designed to fast-track the entry process for low-risk individuals when returning to the United States from overseas.

NEXUS is a program run by the US and Canada to expedite entry into Canada via land borders, marine ports of entry, and airports. At border crossing points, NEXUS members are able to use exclusive lanes, reducing wait times. Upon entry to Canada, like with Global Entry, NEXUS members can use exclusive kiosks. This is ideal for those who travel between the US and Canada, but it includes Global Entry and TSA PreCheck. NEXUS has the lowest fee of the three programs, at $50 for five years.

The United Quest Card covers the fees for all three programs once every four years. Cardholders pay the fee, and Chase will credit their statement for the value of the fee.

Statement Credit

$125 annually

The Quest Card comes with a $125 annual United purchase credit. The credit is applied to the statement as the cardholder uses the card on things like United flights and inflight purchases.

A statement credit will automatically be applied to your account when your card is used for United purchases, up to an annual maximum accumulation of $125. Annual means the year beginning with your account open date through the first statement date after your account open date anniversary, and the 12 monthly billing cycles after that each year. Qualifying United purchases include airline tickets purchased from United and the following purchases made from United: seat upgrades; Economy Plus®; inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi; baggage service charges or other United fees.

Anniversary Award Flight Credit

Two 5,000 mile awards annually

Quest cardholders are encouraged to use their miles through the anniversary award flight credit, which is up to 10,000 miles, broken down into two 5,000-mile bonuses. The only requirement to earn these bonuses is to book two award flights per year. It is important to note that although

MileagePlus

miles can be used to book travel on several airlines worldwide, especially those in the Star Alliance, only award bookings with at least United or United Express flights are eligible for the bonuses.

For example, if one decides to travel from Los Angeles to Singapore via San Francisco and the international leg is operated by Singapore Airlines, the award flight would be eligible for the bonus as the Los Angeles-San Francisco leg is operated by United. The 10,000-mile bonus is nearly enough for a roundtrip from Los Angeles to San Francisco, as the cheapest available flight in September in either direction is 5,900 miles.

Earn up to 6,000 Premier qualifying points (PQP)

An essential part of achieving status at United

In order to achieve any status level at United, one must earn premier qualifying points (PQP) in addition to flying a certain number of times. Flying is the easiest part, while earning PQPs is much more difficult. According to the airline, on airfare, one PQP is earned per dollar spent on cash fares and one PQP per every 100 miles redeemed. With the Quest card, 25 PQPs are earned for every $500 spent, up to 6,000 points annually. This would be enough points to reach Premier Silver with United.

The breakdown for reaching the different tiers of United’s program is as follows:

• Premier Silver status: 5,000 PQPs or 4,000 PQPs with 12 PQFs
• Premier Gold status: 10,000 PQPs or 8,000 PQPs with 24 PQFs
• Premier Platinum status: 15,000 PQPs or 12,000 PQPs with 36 PQFs
• Premier 1K status: 24,000 PQPs or 18,000 PQPs with 54 PQFs

Purchase Protection

The only non-travel-related benefit on this list, the Quest Card, includes purchase protection. Purchases are protected for up to 120 days against theft or damage, up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year.

Chase adds the following information under the purchase protection benefit:

These benefits are available when you use your card. Restrictions, limitations and exclusions apply. Most benefits are underwritten by unaffiliated insurance companies who are solely responsible for the administration and claims. There are specific time limits and documentation requirements. Once your account is opened we will send you a Guide to Benefits, which includes a full explanation of coverages.