Planning months in advance for a vacation can be a smart way to save money with airfare deals that may not be around in the weeks before your trip. One drawback, however, is you can lose most or all of that nonrefundable expense if you have to cancel the trip because you’re ill or have to deal with some sort of emergency.
If you used a credit card to pay for the flight or hotel accommodations — which is the main way to make reservations — then you may be covered if your credit card offers free travel insurance as a perk of being a customer. If you’re like me, at this point you’re probably thinking, ‘Wait, does my credit card have travel insurance?'” How to check on this valuable perk will be detailed in the article below, and we’ll also explore some of our top choices for credit cards with travel insurance.
Check Issuer Restrictions | Top Cards with Travel Insurance
Check the Restrictions With Your Issuer
Checking if your credit card provider offers trip cancellation insurance is pretty easy: Just call the customer service phone number on the back of your credit card and ask.
There are a range of travel insurance types offered by credit cards, with the actual benefits varying greatly by card. Most cards offer basic secondary rental car collision coverage and travel accident insurance, while others include more specific benefits like lost luggage reimbursment and cellphone replacement. Some of the best cards will even offer reimbursement for expenses if your baggage is severely delayed.
However, of all the travel insurance packages offered, one of the most valuable type when planning a trip is trip cancellation or interruption insurance. Like other benefits, the exact coverage of your trip cancellation/interruption insurance will vary by card, but most will reimburse up to $10,000 in nonrefundable travel expenses if you have to cancel or cut short your trip due to covered events.
Events that are considered to be covered under most plans include:
- death of an immediate family member
- serious illness or injury that prevents you from flying
- extreme weather
Not all events are covered, of course. Some cards won’t cover your if a pre-existing condition flares up or your destination becomes a war zone, for example, and the types of weather events that qualify may be limited. In some cases, you may need to provide documentation from a medical professional.
Credit Cards With Travel Insurance
A few cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, offer trip cancellation and interruption insurance for severe weather.
According to the Chase website, “If your trip is cancelled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours, and hotels.”
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Another option from Chase with trip cancellation insurance benefits is the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card, which offers the same insurance protection as the cards above.
Most of the higher limits for trip reimbursement are offered on Chase credit cards.
Only one Citi credit card — the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi — offers travel accident insurance as well as travel and emergency assistance.
Select American Express cards offer trip cancellation and interruption insurance on its credit cards. Terms vary by card. For example, The Platinum Card® offers trip cancellation insurance of up to $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per eligible card in a 12-consecutive-month period.
Read the Fine Print
Whichever credit card you use to pay for a flight, remember its travel insurance shouldn’t be a replacement for more comprehensive coverage you can buy yourself from a travel agent or travel insurance company. Read the fine print of your credit card’s travel coverage and make sure any exclusions are covered by your own policy.
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