How a $6 Flight to Nowhere Scored Me Lounge Access For a Year

"My friend Kim, a Premier 1K United member, included me as a companion on her booking for our vacation to Washington last summer. We enjoyed an upgrade to first during one of the flights, and over an extremely generous pour of Champagne, she schooled me on what I was missing by not picking a team. Of course, I was familiar with benefits like an earlier boarding group, the potential for complimentary seat upgrades, and lounge access if you reach a certain level."

"A few weeks after we arrived home from Washington, I signed up for a United Quest Card, since I had flown the most with that airline in 2024 and already had flights booked with United in 2025. That alone came with some benefits, including a $200 travel credit per year, free checked bags, and bonus Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) for spending, which help speed up progress to status."

A traveler based in a mid-sized city with limited direct flights often chooses whichever airline offers the most efficient routing, changing carriers by route. A companion with elite status secured a first-class upgrade and explained additional elite perks beyond early boarding and lounge access. Elite status commonly includes free checked bags, priority baggage tags, bonus miles per dollar, priority phone support, and discounts for CLEAR or TSA PreCheck. A co-branded credit card can deliver benefits such as annual travel credits, free checked bags, and bonus qualifying points that accelerate progress toward elite status, which typically applies for the entire following year.

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