Credit Card Trip Delay Insurance: The Ultimate Guide

Trip delay insurance reimburses eligible expenses you incur due to your trip being delayed. This can be an essential tool for one simple reason: If you travel enough, you’ll likely experience a delay. A late flight could cause you to miss a transfer, long airport security lines could mean not making it to the gate for your flight on time or a railway strike could mean your train isn’t running. There are innumerable ways your travel plans can be derailed—if you’ll excuse the pun—but no matter the reason, your insurance may refund your additional costs.

Many credit card issuers offer trip delay insurance. There are variations across issuers, but a few things are consistent. If you make a travel purchase with your eligible credit card and are delayed more than a certain amount of time, your incurred expenses due to this delay will be refunded to a set amount. This could be for a hotel, food or anything else that can reasonably be called a necessary expense while delayed. Restrictions vary by issuer, but in general, you can expect to have your travel delay expenses refunded within 90 days.

If you’re delayed, first collect the necessary documentation to make your claim. Virtually all claims require an itemized list of expenses. Remember to save any receipts from your delay. You’ll also include your ticket showing it was purchased with the credit card you’re filing a claim with.

Most importantly, you’ll need proof of delay from the company you’re traveling with. Most airlines will provide this via email to inform you of updated travel times. But if you don’t have it, be sure to contact the airline, train line, bus company, etc., to get written proof, including the reason for the delay. Also, while most issuers will give you a window to make your claim, usually around 30 days, it’s better to get the process started sooner rather than later.

Once you collect your information, you have a few options. First, you can contact your credit card issuer by calling the number on the back of your card. When you call, you’ll be directed to the proper department to make your claim. At this point, you’ll provide all necessary documentation. The card issuer will send you a claim form to fill out and return. Once this is received and approved, your claim will be processed.

Alternatively, you can file your claim online. The process will be essentially the same, except through your issuer’s website.

American Express

Amex has several cards offering trip delay insurance. Depending on the card, the exact terms of your insurance policy vary. For example:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: If you pay for a round trip with your eligible card and a covered reason delays your trip for more than six hours, you can have certain additional expenses purchased with the card reimbursed. Reimbursement is up to $500 per trip, with a maximum of two claims per card per 12 consecutive month period. Terms apply.¹
• American Express® Gold Card: You can be reimbursed for reasonable additional expenses such as meals, lodging, toiletries, medication and other personal use items because of a delay of more than 12 hours if the delay is due to a covered loss. Reimbursement is $300 per covered trip, with two claims per card per 12 consecutive month period. Terms apply.²
• American Express® Green Card*: The delay must be 12 hours or more, and you can be refunded up to $300 per trip.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: If you pay for a trip with your card and a covered reason delays your trip more than six hours, you can be reimbursed for certain expenses purchased on the same card, up to $500 per trip, with a maximum of two claims per card per 12 consecutive month period. Terms apply.¹
• Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express*: Coverage reimburses you for reasonable additional expenses such as meals, lodging, toiletries, medication and personal use items incurred for a trip delayed more than six hours if the delay is caused by a covered loss. Reimbursement is up to $500 per trip, with two claims per 12 consecutive month period.
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: If a trip is paid for entirely with the card and a covered reason delays your trip for more than six hours, certain additional expenses purchased with your same card can be reimbursed, up to $500 per trip, with a maximum of two claims per 12 consecutive month period. Terms apply.¹

Always review your card’s specific terms and conditions to see what rules apply to your card.

Bank of America

Some, but not all, Bank of America cards offer trip delay insurance. For example:

• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card: Provides up to $500 per ticket purchased for you and your eligible family members for reasonable expenses if a covered trip is delayed due to a covered hazard for more than 12 hours.
• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite credit card*: Provides coverage of up to $500 per ticket purchased for you and eligible family members for reasonable expenses incurred when a trip is delayed due to a covered hazard for more than six hours or requires an overnight stay.

Capital One

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees): Trip delay reimbursement covers up to $500 for each ticket purchased with your card, for reasonable additional expenses incurred when a covered trip is delayed for more than six hours or requires an overnight stay. The benefit is limited to one claim per covered trip.

Chase

Some Chase cards, independent of any Visa or Mastercard benefits, offer trip delay insurance. These include:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: If your trip is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: If your trip is delayed more than six hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card* and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card*: If your trip is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.
• The New United℠ Explorer Card, The New United℠ Business Card, The New United Club℠ Card and The New United Quest℠ Card: If your trip is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.
• The World of Hyatt Credit Card: If your trip is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.

Discover

Currently, Discover does not offer travel insurance. It does offer flight accident insurance, but this benefit is much more niche, and not all Discover cards offer this perk. Frankly, this perk is far less useful than delay insurance, and if you have to use it, you have much bigger problems than a missed flight.

U.S. Bank

• U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card* (No longer accepting applications): Trip delay reimbursement covers up to $500 for each purchased ticket for reasonable expenses incurred when a covered trip you purchased with your card is delayed for more than six hours or requires an overnight stay. The benefit is limited to one claim per covered trip.

Visa

Visa offers trip delay insurance to all Infinite cardholders, which covers a wide array of credit cards from several issuers. Visa will reimburse you for reasonable additional expenses incurred when a trip you’ve purchased with your eligible Visa Infinite card is delayed for more than six hours or requires an overnight stay. The benefit covers up to a maximum of $500 per ticket and includes your spouse and children under 22. Coverage won’t apply if you were notified of the delay before your scheduled travel time.

Mastercard

Mastercard doesn’t have a standardized delay insurance policy like Visa, but some World Elite Mastercards offer it through the individual issuing bank. Check your card’s terms and service to see what policies apply to your card.

Once your claim is filed, there’s not much to do other than wait for it to be processed. If you wish, you can call your issuer to inquire about the status of your reimbursement.

In general, most refunds are processed within 90 days. If three months have passed and you haven’t received your refund, contact your issuer. Be polite but persistent and know that as long as your documentation is in order, your refund will come eventually.

Travel delays are never fun, but if you have delay insurance, it can turn an otherwise unpleasant situation into an unexpected mini vacation. Stuck overnight in some random city? With a credit card that has trip delay insurance, you can get comfortable in a hotel room, order some room service, and know your credit card company will reimburse you. That might make your unexpected detour a little more pleasant.

Forbes Advisor Credit Cards Editor Dylan Pearl contributed to this article.

To view rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for American Express® Gold Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card please visit this page.
¹Up 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. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
²Up 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. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.