The Best Credit Cards for Trip Delay Insurance and Coverage [2024]
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What is Trip Delay 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 supplemental 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 than 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 trip.
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 Best Credit Chase Credit Cards for Trip Delay Coverage
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.
Here are some of the Chase cards that provide trip delay reimbursement and the level of benefits each card provides:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Best Sub-$100 Annual Fee Card)
If your trip is delayed 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 travel insurance.
A fantastic travel card with a great 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.
- 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
- 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
- 5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
- $95 annual fee
- No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
- 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.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
- Member FDIC
- APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
Your trip delay of more than 6 hours is covered for up to $500 in reimbursement per ticket purchased.
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!
- 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
- 10x points on Lyft purchases March 31, 2025
- 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025
- $550 annual fee
- Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
- $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 $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Member FDIC
- APR: 22.49%-29.49% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Coverage for 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.
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.
- 3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on internet, cable and phone services, shipping expenses, travel, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
- Cell phone protection
- Purchase protection
- No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access
- Earn 120k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,200 cash back or $1,500 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Member FDIC
- APR: 21.24%-26.24% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Marriott Bonvoy-Branded Credit Cards
You or your family may receive up to $500 per ticket purchased partially or in full with your qualifying card. Coverage becomes effective after a delay of more than 12 hours or if an overnight stay is required.
Specifically, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card offers complimentary trip delay reimbursement.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
The World of Hyatt Credit Card covers expenses up to $500 due to a covered trip delay of 12 hours or more or one requiring an overnight stay.
United-Branded Credit Cards
United Airlines-branded credit cards provide a $500 benefit for reimbursement of expenses due to an overnight delay or one exceeding 12 hours.
Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — Chase
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
Submitting a Trip Delay Claim to Chase
While you have 60 days to report the incident, you’ll want to call the benefits administrator as soon as possible after a trip delay occurs. They will take down some initial claim information 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.
The Best American Express Credit Cards for Trip Delay Insurance
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.
The following American Express cards have Trip Delay Insurance that provides up to $500 per trip if your trip is delayed more than 6 hours:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express (our preference)
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
The following American Express cards offer Trip Delay Insurance that provides up to $300 per trip if your trip is delayed more than 12 hours:
- American Express® Gold Card
- American Express® Business Gold Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
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.
Coverage Details, Conditions, and Process — American Express
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 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.
The information regarding the Corporate Platinum® Card and Corporate Platinum® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.