Which is the best card for trip delay coverage?

The best credit card for trip delay coverage could most likely be a premium travel rewards card such as the Amex Platinum card, CapOne Venture X card, Chase Sapphire Reserve card, Delta Reserve card, or Chase Sapphire Preferred card. These cards offer up to $500 reimbursement and are packed with other travel benefits. For business cards, we really like the Amex Business Platinum card, Ink Business Preferred card, United Business card, Delta Reserve Business card, and Amex Business Gold card. That said, whether a card offers trip delay coverage should not be your sole reason for selecting a specific travel rewards card. You’ll want to look at the entire package of trip protections and benefits, how the card earns rewards, redemption options, and other benefits you can use.

How does trip delay coverage work?

Trip delay coverage is a complimentary reimbursement benefit on a number of credit cards. If your trip is delayed due to a covered reason, you will receive reimbursement for unexpected expenses such as lodging, transport, personal incidentals, and meals. Coverage is usually limited to $500 or less for a delay of 12 hours or longer. A few credit cards provide coverage that kicks in after a delay of more than 6 hours.

What is the difference between trip delay and trip interruption coverage?

Trip delay reimbursement coverage is designed to assist with the unexpected expense of a trip delay of several hours in length, or if an overnight stay is required. Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance is more comprehensive, and covers events that cause you to cancel your trip or that severely interrupt your trip. Benefit payouts are larger for trip cancellation and trip interruption because these protections are broader and cover additional perils such as illness, severe weather, and mechanical breakdown, among other incidents. Trip delay reimbursement also does not cover prepaid non-refundable expenses the way trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance coverage is designed to do.

Does trip delay insurance cover me if I miss my flight?

Trip delay reimbursement is meant to cover trip delays that are out of your control, and do not include missing your flight due to circumstances within your control. Coverage also starts once your trip has commenced. If your flight is delayed due to severe weather, mechanical delay, or another covered event and the required time frame is reached (usually 6 to 12 hours or overnight) then you may qualify for reimbursement.

10 Best Credit Cards for Trip Delay Insurance & Coverage [2023]

If you travel frequently, you’ve probably experienced a trip delay. Your plane will inevitably be stranded on the tarmac, the crew will be late, or the last flight of the evening is canceled due to weather. Regardless of why your trip is delayed, chances are you’ll incur an added expense to your journey.

In some cases, the travel provider may provide compensation. But in situations such as severe weather, they may not.

If you have trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance on your credit card, you might be able to receive funds to offset some of the cash outlay from your delayed travel. This protection normally kicks in when your trip has to be canceled, or you are unable to continue your journey due to a covered loss.

There is another little-known protection that can help if you’re in a delayed trip situation. Trip delay coverage, offered on several travel rewards credit cards, can reimburse you for out-of-pocket costs when a covered incident causes your delay.

Here’s all the information that you need to know, including what you can expect, and which travel rewards cards offer this under-the-radar, but useful, coverage.

Table of contents

What Is Trip Delay Coverage?
The 5 Best Personal Cards for Trip Delay Coverage
The 5 Best Business Cards for Trip Delay Coverage
Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — Chase
Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — American Express
Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — Capital One
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

What Is Trip Delay Coverage?
The 5 Best Personal Cards for Trip Delay Coverage
The 5 Best Business Cards for Trip Delay Coverage
Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — Chase
Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — American Express
Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — Capital One
Final Thoughts

What Is Trip Delay Coverage?

Itinerary for Trip Organization Apps & Resources Review — It’s smart to review the travel protections and benefits that come with your credit card during your trip planning. Image Credit: Rawpixel via Shutterstock

Trip delay coverage, often referred to as trip delay reimbursement, will reimburse you for covered expenses you incur due to a qualifying delay during your trip. The length of the delay before coverage kicks in can vary by card but will range from a qualifying delay requirement of as few as 6 hours to more than 12 hours.

Trip delay reimbursement is considered supplemental insurance coverage, and is only paid in excess of any reimbursement you would collect elsewhere, whether from the common carrier or another insurance policy. Examples of covered expenses include the reasonable cost of meals, transportation, lodging, toiletries, medication, and other necessary personal items.

Typically covered trip delays would include those that are due to equipment failure, severe weather, labor strikes, or hijacking.

Trip delay coverage is different from trip cancellation or trip interruption insurance in that it does not cover prepaid or nonrefundable expenses. It also does not cover delays that you are informed of before your trip, which may or may not cause you to cancel your travel plans.

Historically, trip delay coverage was offered as a “per day” reimbursement with a maximum total reimbursement based on the number of consecutive days the delay occurred. For example, in the past, it wasn’t unusual to see up to $500 in trip delay coverage provided in the form of up to $100 per day with a maximum of 5 consecutive days.

Since then, the “per day” limitation has been removed for most cards, which means you can claim the full $500 maximum on eligible purchases even if your delay is less than 5 days.

This coverage generally applies to the primary cardholder plus eligible companions (the definition of an eligible companion will vary depending on the card issuer) as long as the ticket is paid for using the credit card. So if you have 3 eligible companions traveling with you and each trip has a $500 trip delay coverage maximum, you may be covered for $2,000 overall.

Bottom Line: Trip delay coverage is designed as ancillary coverage to reimburse you for unexpected expenses incurred due to a covered trip delay. Trip delay coverage that comes with your credit card normally has a payout limit of $500 or less.

The 5 Best Personal Cards for Trip Delay Coverage

male passenger looking at flight board airport — Trip delays can result in unexpected expenses that can be covered with trip delay insurance. Image Credit: Sergey Furtaev via Shutterstock

Card Summary

In general, the most attractive credit cards for trip delay coverage will have policies that kick in as soon as possible. Most credit cards offer trip delay coverage if the delay is 12 hours or more — but some offer trip delay coverage if the delay is more than 6 hours.

Delays of 12 hours or more are statistically rarer than delays of more than 6 hours — if you find yourself on an itinerary that is delayed by 7 hours, for example, the credit card you used to purchase your ticket will ultimately determine whether you can get reimbursed for your eligible purchases.

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Benefits for Trip Delay Coverage
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 80,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $695 (rates and fees)	Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $395	Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $550	Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card	Earn 50,000 miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $5,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $550 (rates and fees)	Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Earn 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more

1. The Platinum Card® from American Express

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome offer of up to 150,000 points with the Amex Platinum card! (The current public offer is 80,000 points.)

Our categorical winner, without a shadow of a doubt, is the Amex Platinum card. This is arguably the best card for travel benefits, and it only makes sense that it has trip delay insurance.

It’s one of the rare cards, many of which are also mentioned in this article, to offer up to $500 in trip delay coverage if you experience a delay of just 6 hours or more, or a delay that requires an overnight stay.

The Amex Platinum card has a huge welcome bonus and an earning structure of up to 5x Membership Rewards points:

5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases every calendar year)
5x points on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel
1x points on all other purchases

So if you happen to book a lot of flights and hotels, you’ll earn some fantastic rewards. But the travel benefits (not necessarily the rewards) are what actually make the card’s annual fee totally worth it, in our opinion:

Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection
Access to Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection
Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status (enrollment required)
Rental car elite status with Avis, Hertz, and National
Up to $200 hotel credit on prepaid Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection bookings
Up to $200 airline fee credit
Up to $189 CLEAR credit
Up to $200 Uber Cash
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

This card is terrific even for lifestyle benefits:

Lastly, there’s no preset spending limit, purchase protection, extended warranty, and no foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)

Why We Like Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points

Amex Membership Rewards points are worth 2.2 cents apiece, making it the most valuable transferable rewards currency we have. A 5x rewards earning structure means you can get up to an 11% return on your spending.

Currently, Amex points are best redeemed for luxury award travel if you’re looking to maximize value.

You can still use Amex points for gift cards, travel booked through Amex Travel using Pay With Points, statement credits, online shopping, cash-back, and more. But we recommend sticking to transfer partnerships to eke out as much value as possible from your hard-earned points.

2. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Our runner-up choice is the famous CapOne Venture X card. And it’s one of our favorites because it has amazing benefits overall; and in the context of this guide, its trip delay coverage is about as good as it gets.

As long as you pay for a portion of your ticket using your CapOne Venture X card, you can get up to $500 per trip if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours.

On top of the lovely welcome bonus, you’ll have the chance to earn a whopping 10x Capital One miles:

10x miles on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel
10x miles on Turo bookings through May 16, 2023
5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
2x miles on all other purchases

Seeing as how the CapOne Venture X card has top-shelf trip delay insurance, you can probably also infer that it has top-shelf travel insurance overall, too, including primary car rental coverage.

It also has complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status, an annual anniversary bonus of 10,000 miles, a $300 Capital One Travel credit, access to Capital One Lounges and Plaza Premium Lounges, a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit.

This credit card has cell phone insurance, fee-free authorized user cards for up to 4 individuals, purchase protection, extended warranty, and no foreign transaction fees.

Why We Like Earning Capital One Miles

We value Capital One miles at 1.8 cents each, which makes earning up to 10x miles worth a return on spending of an astonishing 18%.

And sure, you can redeem your Capital One miles for travel or for online merchandise, gift cards, statement credits, and much more. But if you transfer your miles to travel partners, you can use your miles for even better value.

3. Chase Sapphire Reserve®

When it comes to offering trip delay reimbursement coverage, Chase shines as a consistent provider of this complimentary protection on several of its travel rewards credit cards.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers up to $500 per trip in reimbursements if it’s delayed by more than 6 hours or requires an overnight stay. This coverage is provided per eligible purchased ticket.

In addition, this credit card earns an amazing 10x Ultimate Rewards points on select purchases:

10x points on hotels, rental cars, and dining booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
10x points on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025
5x points on flights booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on all other dining and travel
1x points on all other purchases

Some notable perks include a $300 travel credit, complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit, and fantastic travel insurance.

You’ll also notice that there’s a $10 monthly Gopuff credit, complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription (plus $5 in DoorDash credits every month), purchase protection, extended warranty, and no foreign transaction fees.

Why We Like Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

At a high level, we consider Chase Ultimate Rewards points to be one of the most coveted currencies out there. We peg their value at around 2.0 cents each, which makes it possible to a return on spending of up to 20% when you earn 10x points.

Even so, it’s possible to get superior value beyond that if you leverage your Ultimate Rewards points through transfer partners for the purposes of booking luxury award travel.

If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can always default back to the tried-and-true methods of bookings travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal or get gift cards, earn statement credits, donate to charity, buy merchandise online, or use your points at Amazon.com.

Just remember that your redemption value will be lower through these pathways than through transfer partners.

4. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

While you might expect the Delta Reserve card to have great trip delay insurance, this credit card is one of the sleepers in the world of frequent flyer credit cards.

This ultra-premium flavor of the co-branded Delta credit cards issued by American Express allows you to enjoy trip delay insurance that can reimburse you for up to $500 per trip if your ticket is delayed by more than 6 hours.

This is about as good as it gets, matching the Amex Platinum card, CapOne Venture X card, and Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

This special card product is the only one that offers airline-specific benefits:

Complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta
Complimentary access to Centurion Lounges or Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner when you book a Delta flight with your card
Status Boost, which allows you to earn 15,000 MQMs after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your card (up to 4 times per year)
An annual anniversary companion certificate every year upon renewal of your card (good for a domestic first class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin flight)
Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) waiver towards Silver, Gold, or Platinum status if you make at least $25,000 in purchases ($250,000 for Diamond status)
First checked bag for free
Priority Main Cabin 1 boarding

To boost your earning potential, you’ll get up to 3x Delta SkyMiles on purchases:

3x SkyMiles on Delta purchases
1x SkyMiles on all other purchases

To round out the Delta Reserve card’s benefits, there’s a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, excellent travel insurance (of which trip delay insurance is a component), purchase protection, extended warranty, no foreign transaction fees, cell phone protection, and authorized users for no additional annual fee (rates and fees).

Why We Like Earning Delta SkyMiles

We currently value Delta SkyMiles at 1.0 cents each, which translates to a maximum return on spending of 3% when you make purchases on the Delta Reserve card.

Although this rewards structure isn’t industry-leading, you can get even more value by strategically redeeming those SkyMiles for optimal value, typically through partners for business class flights.

5. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is the only personal credit card option in this guide with an annual fee below $100. In fact, it’s exceedingly rare for solid trip delay insurance to be offered on a credit card with a sub-$100 annual fee.

If your trip is delayed by 12 or more hours or requires an overnight stay, you could receive up to $500 for each ticket purchased — the Chase Sapphire Preferred card also offers excellent overall travel insurance.

But what really makes this card is the ability to earn up to 5x Ultimate Rewards points on a wide variety of purchases:

5x points travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
2x points on all other travel purchases
1x points on all other purchases

It doesn’t end there because you can leverage one of the most unique perks from this card: a 10% anniversary rewards bonus, which can end up earning you up to 5.5x points.

And remember, we value Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents each, which makes earning 5.5x points equal to a return on spending of 11%. That’s basically unheard of for a mid-tier premium credit card!

Other perks include a $50 annual hotel credit on stays booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, as well as purchase protection, extended warranty, no foreign transaction fees, and fee-free authorized user cards.

Bottom Line: The best personal cards for trip delay coverage are the Amex Platinum card, CapOne Venture X card, Chase Sapphire Reserve card, Delta Reserve card, and Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

The 5 Best Business Cards for Trip Delay Coverage

Airport Delay — Trip delays can be inconvenient and costly. Image Credit: Sebastian Dreßen via Unsplash

Card Summary

As we mentioned previously, the best cards for trip delay coverage will have policies that kick in as fast as possible. The fastest is generally after a delay of more than 6 hours.

So if you encounter a delay of 8 hours, you’ll be covered if your card offers trip delay coverage when your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours — in contrast, if your card only offers coverage when it’s delayed by 12 hours or more, you wouldn’t qualify for reimbursement.

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Benefits for Trip Delay Coverage
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 120,000 points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $695 (rates and fees)	Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more
United℠ Business Card	Earn 75,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months Annual fee of $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99	Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card	Earn 60,000 miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $550 (rates and fees)	Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours
American Express® Business Gold Card	Earn 70,000 points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $295 (rates and fees)	Up to $300 if your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more

1. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The lavish Amex Business Platinum card is an invaluable asset in a business owner’s wallet.

This particular card boasts top-shelf trip delay insurance that offers up to $500 for delays of more than 6 hours, making it the leader in this niche.

In fact, its overall travel insurance is awesome, but you’ll also really enjoy the welcome bonus and its unique bonus rewards structure of up to 5x Membership Rewards points:

5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel
1.5x points on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million of these purchases every calendar year)
1x points on all other purchases

The most memorable benefits of this card will be:

Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection
Access to Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection
Complimentary hotel elite status with Hilton (Gold) and Marriott Bonvoy (Gold Elite) (Enrollment required)
35% Pay With Points rebate for eligible flights booked through Amex Travel (up to 1 million points rebated per calendar year)
Car rental elite status and privileges with Avis, Hertz, and National Car Rental

Plus, the Amex Business Platinum card has statement credits galore:

Up to $400 in Dell credits
Up to $360 in Indeed credits
Up to $200 in airline fee credits
Up to $189 in CLEAR credits
Up to $150 in Adobe credits
Up to $120 in wireless credits
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credits

You’ll also notice that this card has no preset spending limit, which is a welcome change in the face of traditional credit limits, which can hinder business growth.

The Amex Business Platinum card also has purchase protection, extended warranty, cell phone insurance, and no foreign transaction fees (rates and fees).

2. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

One of our favorite credit cards is the Ink Business Preferred card, which boasts an enormous welcome bonus, 3x points in select bonus categories, and great trip delay insurance.

Keep in mind that coverage for this card’s trip delay reimbursement kicks in after a delay of 12 hours or more or if you’re required to stay overnight. The limit of coverage is $500 per covered trip.

Remember that this credit card earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points in combined purchases on the first $150,000 every cardmember year (1x points thereafter):

Ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
Internet, cable, and phone services
Shipping expenses
Travel

But, for a limited time through March 31, 2025, you can also earn 5x Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft purchases, which is equal to a maximum return on spending of 10%.

If needed, you can also leverage the Ink Business Preferred card’s cell phone insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, no foreign transaction fees, and employee cards for no additional annual fee.

3. United℠ Business Card

The United Business card is an awesome choice that combines a reasonable annual fee from a business card with great trip delay coverage and co-branded perks.

Currently, this card provides a $500 benefit for reimbursement of expenses due to an overnight delay or one of 12 hours or longer.

This business credit card actually has quite a nice list of bonus categories up to 2x United MileagePlus miles:

Earn 2x miles on United purchases, dining (including eligible delivery services), gas stations, local transit (includes rideshare, mass transit, taxis, train tickets, and tolls), and office supply stores
Earn 1x miles on all other purchases

If you’re a frequent United flyer, you’ll love the below perks:

The ability to get closer to MileagePlus elite status with the ability to earn 500 PQPs after spending $12,000 on your United Business card, up to 1,000 PQPs per calendar year
Free first checked bag for yourself and a companion when you purchase your tickets using the card
Priority boarding for yourself and your companions on the same reservation
2 complimentary United Club 1-time passes per year
$100 travel credit on United after making 7 United flight purchases of $100 or more every cardmember year
25% statement credit on United inflight purchases
Better-together bonus of 5,000 miles after every cardmember anniversary when you have a personal United credit card along with the United Business card

To wrap up on the United Business card, you’ll also get access to the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, purchase protection, extended warranty, great travel insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and fee-free employee cards.

Why We Like Earning United MileagePlus Miles

By our accounts, United MileagePlus miles are each worth 1.3 cents. With a maximum earning potential of 2x miles, that’s equal to a cap of 2.6% return on spending.

To ensure that you get better value, redeem your miles for international premium cabin flights on partners like EVA Air and Lufthansa!

4. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

The Delta Reserve Business card is one of the only credit cards that can help you get closer to top-tier airline elite status with spending and purchases.

Indeed, this credit card is jam-packed with Delta-specific perks, but let’s first start off with the trip delay insurance, which is up to $500 after a delay of more than 6 hours. This matches the Amex Business Platinum card’s trip delay insurance.

But this card is most useful for Delta loyalists; if you happen to fly on other airlines frequently, you might not get as much value from this card as you might from the Amex Business Platinum card.

You can expect to earn up to 3x SkyMiles:

3x SkyMiles on purchases made directly with Delta
1.5x SkyMiles after you spend $150,000 on your card in a calendar year
1x SkyMiles on all other purchases

The real reasons why you’d get the Delta Reserve Business card are the Delta-specific perks:

The ability to earn 15,000 MQMs when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year (up to 4 times every calendar year) through Status Boost
Complimentary Delta Sky Club access when flying on Delta same-day
Exclusive per-visit rates at Delta Sky Clubs for up to 2 guests ($39 per person)
Complimentary access to Centurion Lounges and Escape Lounge – The Centurion Studio Partner when you purchase a Delta flight with your Delta Reserve Business card
2 Delta Sky Club 1-time guest passes per year
A complimentary round-trip companion certificate after each renewal year good for domestic first class, Comfort+, or Main Cabin
First checked bag for free for yourself and up to 8 traveling companions on the same reservation
Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding for yourself and up to 8 traveling companions on the same reservation
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit

As you can see, most of this card’s benefits are applicable when flying Delta, but there’s also travel insurance, cell phone protection insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, no foreign transaction fees, and fee-free employee cards (rates and fees).

5. American Express® Business Gold Card

The very last business card we’ll be including in this article is the Amex Business Gold card.

With this card, you are covered for eligible delays of 12 hours or more for up to $300 per trip.

In addition to the generous welcome bonus, the Amex Business Gold card allows you to earn up to 4x Membership Rewards points on the first $150,000 in eligible purchases every calendar year in the top 2 business categories where your business spent the most every billing cycle from this list below (after that, 1x points):

Airfare purchased directly from airlines
U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
U.S. purchases at gas stations
U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
U.S. purchases for shipping

Earning 4x Amex points is equal to an 8.8% return on spending, which is why you should definitely take this card seriously.

The Amex Business Gold card offers access to The Hotel Collection, a 25% airline bonus when using Pay With Points (up to 250,000 points back per calendar year), no preset spending limit, travel insurance, and no foreign transaction fees (rates and fees).

Lastly, there are no annual fees for employee cards after the first employee card of $50 per year (rates and fees).

Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — Chase

Flight screen with flight information — Image Credit: Matthew Smith via Unsplash

Who Is Covered?

Chase defines covered persons for its trip delay reimbursement as being the cardholder, their spouse, and dependent children under the age of 22.

Conditions for Chase Trip Delay Reimbursement Coverage To Be Valid

Must be round-trip travel of 365 days or less to a destination that is not your city of residence
A portion of the trip must be paid for with an eligible Chase credit card
Expenses reimbursed or provided for free by other parties are not covered
Trips in taxis, limousines, commuter rail, buses, or rental vehicles are not covered

Bottom Line: Most Chase cards that provide trip delay insurance require the covered delay to be more than 12 hours. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card, however, has trip delay coverage that kicks in after a covered delay of more than 6 hours for coverage to be effective.

Submitting a Trip Delay Claim to Chase

While you have 60 days to report the incident, you’ll want to complete your claim online at eclaimsline.com or call the benefits administrator as soon as possible after a trip delay occurs. The phone agent will take down some initial claim information and then send you a claim form to complete.

The documentation you can expect to be asked to provide will include:

The completed claim form
Receipts showing that at least a portion of the trip was paid for with your qualifying card
A copy of your ticket
A statement from the carrier which includes the reason for the delay
Copies of receipts for qualifying purchases
Other documentation the benefits administrator deems important

You will have 100 days from the date of the trip delay to submit the completed claim form and associated documentation.

Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — American Express

Pay for your entire trip ticket with your eligible American Express card, Membership Rewards points, or a combination of points, vouchers, or certificates to receive trip delay reimbursement coverage.

Trip delay coverage reimburses for incidental expenses you incur as the result of a covered delay, such as lodging, meals, and toiletries.

As a general rule of thumb, American Express cards with annual fees of $450 or more have trip delay insurance that provides up to $500 per trip if your trip is delayed more than 6 hours, while any other eligible cards that offer trip delay insurance at all provide up to $300 per trip if your trip is delayed more than 12 hours.

Bottom Line: American Express offers 2 levels of trip delay insurance. Several premium American Express cards offer trip delay coverage with a benefit that can payout up to $500 for a covered delay of over 6 hours. A reduced benefit level of $300 for delays of 12 hours or more is offered on several other American Express-issued cards.

Who Is Covered

Eligible travelers are defined as the cardholder, travel companions, and family members, including a domestic partner. Additionally, unmarried dependent children (up to age 19 or 26 if a full-time student) are considered eligible travelers.

Conditions for American Express Trip Delay Coverage To Be Valid

The round-trip common carrier ticket must have been purchased in full with the eligible card or a combination of points, vouchers, certificates
The trip cannot exceed 365 days away from the traveler’s city of residence
Coverage is secondary to other insurance that might apply
There is a limit of 2 claims per 12-month period

Submitting a Trip Delay Claim to American Express

You must notify the benefits administrator at 844-933-0648 within 60 days of a covered loss event.

The following items could be requested:

Documentation from the common carrier that the trip was delayed
Copies of your ticket
Charge statements showing that the card was used to pay for the trip
Receipts for the incurred expenses
Other necessary documentation

You’ll have 180 days from the date of the loss to submit the required documentation.

Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — Capital One

Who Is Covered

Eligible travelers are generally determined to be the primary cardholder, the cardholder’s spouse, and any dependent children under the age of 22 years old.

Conditions for Capital One Trip Delay Coverage To Be Valid

The common carrier ticket or a portion of the entire ticket must have been purchased with the eligible card and/or the rewards program associated with the covered account
Coverage is secondary to any other insurance that might apply
The period of travel does not exceed 365 days
There is a limit of 1 claim per covered trip

Submitting a Trip Delay Claim to Capital One

You must notify the benefits administrator within 30 days of the covered delay event.

You’ll be asked to provide documentation including:

Signed and completed claim form
Copies of your original tickets
Billing statements showing that the card was used to pay for a portion of the ticket
A statement from the common carrier explaining the reason for the delay
Copies of itemized receipts for all claimed expenses (itemized receipts are only required for bills of $50 or more per covered traveler)
Other necessary or requested documentation

You have 90 days from the date of the delay to submit all of the required documentation.

Final Thoughts

While you wouldn’t select a travel rewards credit card based solely on the fact that it comes with complimentary trip delay coverage, you may consider a card that has a whole package of travel protections, such as the Amex Platinum card, CapOne Venture X card, Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

These travel rewards cards come with additional benefits such as complimentary worldwide lounge access, hotel elite status, travel statement credits, and other valuable benefits that can result in an entire value-added package for the frequent traveler.

If you’re looking for more travel rewards cards and want to focus more on benefits, explore our article on the best travel rewards cards to compare your options.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For the trip delay insurance benefits of The Platinum Card® from American Express, up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the cell phone protection benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefits of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the trip delay insurance benefits of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the cell phone protection benefit of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefits of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the trip delay insurance benefits of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the cell phone protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefits of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the trip delay insurance benefits of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the cell phone protection benefit of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefits of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the trip delay insurance benefits of the American Express® Business Gold Card, up to $300 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees for the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.

2 comments

Michael February 23, 2021

Thanks for this info. Where do you see that the JetBlue Plus card has trip delay insurance? I opened my account in November and don’t see mention of this in the benefits guide.

- Jarrod West February 23, 2021
  
  Hi Michael,
  
  Thanks for pointing that out! It seems that benefit has been removed from the JetBlue Plus card so I’ve updated the post to reflect that.

What Is Trip Delay Coverage?

The 5 Best Personal Cards for Trip Delay Coverage

Card Summary

1. The Platinum Card® from American Express

Why We Like Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points

2. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Why We Like Earning Capital One Miles

3. Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Why We Like Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

4. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

Why We Like Earning Delta SkyMiles

5. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The 5 Best Business Cards for Trip Delay Coverage

Card Summary

1. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

2. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

3. United℠ Business Card

Why We Like Earning United MileagePlus Miles

4. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

5. American Express® Business Gold Card

Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — Chase

Who Is Covered?

Conditions for Chase Trip Delay Reimbursement Coverage To Be Valid

Submitting a Trip Delay Claim to Chase

Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — American Express

Who Is Covered

Conditions for American Express Trip Delay Coverage To Be Valid

Submitting a Trip Delay Claim to American Express

Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — Capital One

Who Is Covered

Conditions for Capital One Trip Delay Coverage To Be Valid

Submitting a Trip Delay Claim to Capital One

Final Thoughts

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best card for trip delay coverage?

How does trip delay coverage work?

What is the difference between trip delay and trip interruption coverage?

Does trip delay insurance cover me if I miss my flight?

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