If your credit card offers trip protection, it can be a lifesaver when your travel plans go awry. Whether your flight is delayed, you’re stranded overnight, or your luggage gets lost, your card’s protection can help reimburse some of the expenses. This can range from meals and lodging to replacing personal items. It can also function like basic travel insurance, covering prepaid and nonrefundable expenses like airfare and hotels if your trip gets interrupted or canceled.
That said, there are key exclusions to remember—instances where trip protection might not cover you, even if you’re using a card with these benefits. Here’s what to watch out for:
Medical emergencies
Although your credit card’s trip insurance will be helpful for trip delays and cancellations due to medical issues, it’s still not the same as travel medical insurance. If you have a medical emergency during your travels and need a doctor’s care, hospitalization, or need to be transferred to another facility via helicopter or plane, the insurance from your credit card probably won’t cover you; you’ll need a separate medical insurance policy. You may also not be covered if you have a pre-existing condition, which might include pregnancy, or if your injury was self-inflicted.
If you rebook
A credit card’s trip protection covers expenses paid at the time of the interruption or cancellation. That includes nonrefundable hotel nights, airfare, or tour fees. However, if you rebook, you can’t claim reimbursement for the cost of a new flight or future itinerary.
Missing or unusable documentation
Forgot to renew your passport? Or your passport looks like this and they won’t let you use it? Didn’t get the visa you need to enter “X” country? You’re out of luck – your credit card’s insurance won’t cover you for doing (or not doing) things that you shouldn’t/should have done.
High-risk travel
Your credit card’s travel protection is meant to cover you for what would be considered “normal” travel. If your travels include a visit to a conflict zone (say, Ukraine) or where there’s civil unrest (like in Haiti at the moment), you won’t be covered.
Your travel companions
Your credit card protection obviously covers you and, often, also covers immediate family members traveling with you. However, it won’t cover travel companions who are not related to you.
Small, miscellaneous reasons
Even if your travel credit card offers travel protections, some small, more unusual things might affect your eligibility for coverage. So you might not be covered if:
- You didn’t use your card to pay for your entire trip.
- You’re traveling for an extended period of time, and the length of the trip exceeds the coverage given.
- Your destination isn’t covered (never mind high-risk travel, some coverage only applies when you travel domestically).
- The cause of your trip delay, cancellation or interruption isn’t among the covered reasons (read the fine print and the Terms & Conditions!).
Trip protection can be a lifesaver when things go wrong, but it’s important to know exactly what’s covered and what’s not. Before you hit the road, take a moment to read through your card’s policy so you’re prepared for the unexpected.
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1 comment
Speaking as an insurance risk manager and a moonlighting travel agent who has many years of experience in points, miles, and travel in general…Insurance is an intangible product. Insurance is something that is designed to protect you or transfer risk away from you in the event that bad things happen. Part of what you buy with insurance is peace of mind. Credit card “insurance” is a low-level product that can be great to pay for trip delay events but it really doesn’t properly protect you from big events like medical emergencies, car accidents, etc. After trying to rely on credit card insurance for things like car rentals or travel emergencies I’ve started buying travel policies for big, risky or expensive trips. I’ve also started buying car rental coverages for rentals outside of the US or Canada (Where your personal car insurance doesn’t cover you). The main reason is peace of mind. If you’ve ever tried to turn in a claim to Chase or AMEX you find that it can be a difficult process and there is usually a delay in getting reimbursed.
My point is that for some trips you should buy a standalone policy to help you enjoy the travel, enjoy driving around without worry, etc. It can help your peace of mind.