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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.
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.
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 |
| Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
| Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® |
| Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card |
| Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
| Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more |
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThis card is undoubtedly the #1 card for luxury travel benefits. From the best lounge access (of any card) to statement credits, to complimentary elite status, you can’t go wrong.
When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
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:
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:
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)
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.
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThe Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.
Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.
Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.
Our runner-up choice is the famous Capital One 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 Capital One 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:
Seeing as how the Capital One 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, an $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.
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.
A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.
If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best options out there.
The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.
Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!
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:
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.
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 the Chase 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.
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesDelta loyalists will love the fast track to Delta elite status, lounge access, baggage benefits, and upgrade priority with the Delta Reserve card.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is a stellar option for frequent travelers who always fly with Delta thanks to its lounge access, status boost, annual companion certificate, and many other great benefits.
Here is a full look at everything the Delta Reserve card can offer to you to help you decide whether the card deserves a place in your wallet.
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, Capital One Venture X card, and Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
This special card product is the only one that offers airline-specific benefits:
*Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 10 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
**Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available.
To boost your earning potential, you’ll get up to 3x Delta SkyMiles on 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).
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.
A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.
Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.
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:
It doesn’t end there because you can leverage one of the most unique perks from this card: a 10% anniversary rewards bonus.
And remember, we value Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents each, which makes earning 5x points equal to a return on spending of 10%. 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, Capital One Venture X card, Chase Sapphire Reserve card, Delta Reserve card, and Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
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 |
| Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours |
| Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card |
| Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more |
| United℠ Business Card |
| Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card |
| Up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours |
| American Express® Business Gold Card |
| Up to $300 if your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more |
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThis card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is a premium travel rewards card tailored toward business owners who are frequent travelers with a high number of annual expenses.
When you factor in the large number of perks that the card offers like the best airport lounge access at over 1,400 lounges, along with tons of annual credits, it’s easy to see why this card can is a top option for frequent traveling business owners.
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 170,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum. The current public offer is 120,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
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:
The most memorable benefits of this card will be:
Plus, the Amex Business Platinum card has statement credits galore:
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).
The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a powerhouse for earning lots of points from your business purchases, especially for business owners that spend regularly on ads.
Plus the card offers flexible redemption options, including access to Chase airline and hotel transfer partners where you can achieve outsized value.
Business owners will also love the protections the card provides like excellent cell phone insurance, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and more.
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):
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.
A business card from Chase for United loyalists with benefits such as free checked bags and discounts on inflight purchases.
The United Business card is a compelling option for traveling business owners that are also frequent United flyers. Not only will the card help you earn more United miles, but it also offers great perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding, a discount on inflight purchases, and much more.
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:
If you’re a frequent United flyer, you’ll love the below perks:
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.
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!
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesReceive priority boarding, complimentary access to Delta Sky Club and Centurion Lounges, concierge support, and an annual companion certificate.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card is a premium card option for small business owners who are both frequent travelers and Delta loyalists.
While the annual fee may be steep, the card comes loaded with perks and benefits that all frequent Delta flyers are sure to love. Let’s take a look at what makes the card unique, and why it may be a great fit for your wallet.
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:
The real reasons why you’d get the Delta Reserve Business card are the Delta-specific perks:
*Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 10 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
**Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available.
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).
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesGet 4x points in 2 select categories where your business spends the most each month (on your first $150,000 spent each year).
The American Express® Business Gold Card is excellent at racking up rewards for your business spend.
The card earns a whopping 4x points per $1 in the 2 categories (from a list of 6) that your business spends the most money on each month. With no need to opt-in or preselect your categories, so you can focus on what matters most — running your business.
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 110,000 points with the Amex Business Gold card! The current public offer is 70,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 110,000 points with the Amex Business Gold card! The current public offer is 70,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
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):
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, 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).
Chase defines covered persons for its trip delay reimbursement as being the cardholder, their spouse, and dependent children under the age of 22.
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.
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:
You will have 100 days from the date of the trip delay to submit the completed claim form and associated documentation.
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.
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.
You must notify the benefits administrator at 844-933-0648 within 60 days of a covered loss event.
The following items could be requested:
You’ll have 180 days from the date of the loss to submit the required documentation.
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.
You must notify the benefits administrator within 30 days of the covered delay event.
You’ll be asked to provide documentation including:
You have 90 days from the date of the delay to submit all of the required documentation.
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, Capital One 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.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Enrollment required through Capital One website or mobile app. Upon enrollment, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
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/
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/
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/
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/
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/
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of 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 for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
The best credit card for trip delay coverage could most likely be a premium travel rewards card such as the Amex Platinum card, Capital One 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.
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.
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.
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.
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Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.
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3 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.
Stephen Flynn
September 06, 2023
The Bilt card has a 6 hour trip delay coverage and it has no annual fee.
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