I Got $170 Back After a Flight Delay — All Thanks to This Credit Card

Having the right credit card can come in clutch when travel plans don’t go as expected. The Chase Sapphire Reserve^® offers premium travel benefits, including trip delay reimbursement that can help pay for lodging, meals, and other expenses during a travel delay.

I experienced a delayed flight and got reimbursed for more than $170 in airport accommodation costs using my Chase Sapphire Reserve card benefits. Instead of enduring an uncomfortable night camped out at the gate, my family could rest in private Minute Suites rooms, and it was entirely covered by my Chase Sapphire Reserve card benefits.

Read on for my experience using the Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s trip delay benefit, how it covered our expenses, and how I made the claim and got reimbursed for my expenses.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Overview

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is one of the best travel credit cards, earning 10x points on hotels and car rentals and 5x points on flights booked with Chase Travel, 3x points on other travel and dining, and 1x points on all other purchases.

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

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.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

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.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$550

APR

20.24% - 28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent

Why We Like This Card

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!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel^SM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
• 5x points on airfare booked through Chase Travel^SM
• 3x points on all other travel and dining purchases; 1x point on all other purchases

Cons

• $550 annual fee
• Does not offer any hotel elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.24% - 28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

You’ll earn Ultimate Rewards points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. These points are worth 1.5 cents when you redeem them with Chase Travel, but we value Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents each because you can get more value from them by transferring your points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is packed with perks for frequent travelers. Cardholders can take advantage of benefits including expedited security membership airport lounge access, car rental privileges, elite hotel benefits, and comprehensive trip protection — including trip delay reimbursement.

How Chase’s Trip Delay Insurance Benefit Works

It’s also no surprise that the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is one the best credit cards for travel insurance, offering extensive travel protection benefits, including trip delay insurance. Cardholders can use trip delay benefits to get reimbursed up to $500 per traveler for reasonable expenses on a qualifying travel delay.

Covered expenses include meals, lodging, toiletries, and medication. The $500 limit is for each eligible traveler on your itinerary, and the coverage kicks in when you’re delayed 6 or more hours or overnight. Eligible travelers include the cardholder, your spouse or domestic partner, and legally dependent children 26 and under.

You’re eligible for trip delay benefits if you charge all (or even a portion) of your fare to your card or use a rewards program associated with your account. Qualifying delays include equipment failure, inclement weather, strike, hijacking, or skyjacking.

You must file a trip delay benefit claim within 60 days of the incident and must provide documentation to the benefits administrator within 100 days of the incident. You’ll be reimbursed up to the limit for all qualifying expenses.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card also includes complimentary trip delay insurance and comes with a lower $95 annual fee. It also covers up to $500 per traveler for delays, but only if the delay exceeds 12 hours or requires an overnight stay. In comparison, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card kicks in after just a 6-hour delay.

BEST BEGINNER CARD

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 28.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

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.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
• 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 28.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Trip Delay Insurance: My Personal Experience

I booked a January 2025 Frontier Airlines flight for my family from my home airport, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) to Orlando International Airport (MCO). I prefer morning departures with Frontier since, in my experience, earlier flights tend to be more reliable. For this trip, though, we had to fly out around 9 p.m.

We got to the airport, settled in for a quick dinner, and I checked the Frontier app to confirm our departure gate. The gate was the same, but the departure time wasn’t — instead of boarding at 8:45 p.m. as we expected to, we wouldn’t fly out until 2 a.m.

IAH more or less shuts down around 9 p.m., with most lounges and restaurants closing around that time. It wasn’t worth going home, but I also didn’t want to entertain tired kids for 5 hours in a quiet airport.

The Houston Airport Marriott at George Bush Intercontinental Hotel was an option, but it’s outside of the secure area, and all of IAH’s TSA security checkpoints closed at 1 a.m. when we would have returned to our departure terminal. It was a safer bet to remain airside, as the area after security is called.

Then, I realized the IAH Minute Suites location was about a 5-minute walk from our departure gate and it was a perfect fit. We got 2 suites and rested for about 3 hours on comfortable sofa beds instead of camping out at the gate.

My Chase Sapphire Reserve card helped me access Minute Suites in 2 ways: first, by giving me a free hour thanks to the complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership, and then by covering the additional hourly charges with trip delay reimbursement insurance.

My husband — an authorized user on my card with his own Priority Pass Select membership — booked a second suite for an hour. Suites are usually $65 per hour or $215 overnight, but Priority Pass members get an hour free and a discounted rate of $40 for each additional hour.

We stayed for 3 hours total, so I paid for 2 hours in 2 suites (4 hours total) using my Chase Sapphire Reserve card. It was $173 total, including tax. We got 2 hours for free and a discounted rate on the hours we paid for, but we would have paid more than $400 without Priority Pass benefits.

Once we got home about a week later, I submitted a trip delay claim with Card Benefit Services using the online portal. I filled out the form and provided details about the delay and why we stayed at Minute Suites. I also uploaded documents to support my claim, including:

• My original and delayed flight itineraries
• My Chase Sapphire Reserve card statement showing the ticket purchase
• A receipt for my Minute Suites transaction and a card statement showing the transaction

The claims process was simple and took about 10 minutes. I received a confirmation message after submitting my claim, then received an approval email 25 days later.

I received a separate email that indicated I had a payment available. I registered to accept the payment as a deposit to my bank account, and once I entered my bank account information, I received the full $173 payment the same day.

Final Thoughts

My Chase Sapphire Reserve card benefits saved my family from a tired night at the airport. The card’s benefits, particularly trip delay reimbursement, made it easy to rest at Minute Suites for a few hours just steps away from our departure gate.

It was simple to submit a claim online and upload the required documents, and I was fully reimbursed less than a month after making the claim. Between Priority Pass free and discounted hours and the trip delay reimbursement benefit, we got more than $400 in value from my Chase Sapphire Reserve card — nearly offsetting the card’s $550 annual fee.