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I write about credit card trip delay coverage — how your credit card used to purchase tickets may cover the costs you incur during a long delay, like the price you pay for a hotel room and your meals too.
This really needs to be shouted from the rooftops since travel does get messed up, people do incur costs, and most get frustrated and leave real money on the table.
Reader Gordon S. emails his experience stuck in Toronto, and getting a check for expenses thanks to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
Hi Gary — I am a big fan of your blog and enjoy the travel tips and credit card advice. You often recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, and I wanted to give you a firsthand account of my recent experience with the card’s trip delay coverage.
Briefly, my girlfriend and I were traveling back from Toronto (YYZ) to Washington (DCA). Our flight on American was cancelled due to bad weather, and we couldn’t get a flight out until the next day. The folks at the American Airlines desk informed us that because the cancellation was due to weather, they would rebook us on a different flight at no cost, but we were on our own for overnight accommodations and they would not pay for that. As a result of the extra night in Toronto, we had hotel, food, and other incidental costs.
I had purchased the original airline tickets on my Chase Sapphire Preferred card, and remembered seeing something on your blog about coverage for trip delay or interruption. I initiated a claim through them, emailed them copies of the various receipts and itineraries, and after about a week they wrote back saying they would reimburse me for the hotel and my personal meal receipts and I could expect a check in about two weeks. My girlfriend was out of luck because the benefit only covers spouses or domestic partners. But all and all it was relatively easy, and Chase will reimburse me over $200 which is not a small chunk of change.
Again, I really enjoy the blog and thought you might appreciate this account of one of the lesser known features of this credit card.
Stories like this feel really great to hear, and I appreciate when readers share them.
Chase Sapphire Preferred doesn’t just have a great signup bonus (40,000 points after $4000 spend within 3 months, plus 5000 more points for adding a no fee authorized user and making a purchase within that timeframe); strong points earning (double points on travel and dining); valuable points (here are my 9 favorite uses); and a $0 fee the first year (then $95) but it has top notch protections as well.
I walked through many of the benefits and protections of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card last month.
Charge your tickets to Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and then if your travel airline travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay (get in late, depart early morning) they’ll cover unreimbursed expenses like hotel and meals up to $500 per ticket for you and your immediate family.
If your checked bags are delayed more than 6 hours they’ll reimburse you for things like toileteries and clothing you need to buy, up to $100 a day for 5 days (or until your bags are delivered, if less).
And if your checked or carry-on bags are damaged or lost permanently, they extend coverage up to $3,000 per passenger.
Those are just a few of the benefits. So when irregular ops happen, save your receipts, because you may be able to recoup your costs through your credit card.
Interesting post!
How would you would expect them to handle the case when the card you used for the trip is was cancelled by you, but you had the same exact type card with them I.e., a second Sapphire card?
@beachfan – fascinating question, my GUESS is that as a current cardmember you could call and get transferred to the claims department and you’ll have all the documentation that you need but I’ve never dealt with this directly
What if you used miles and paid for the taxes ($11.20) with your CSP – would they still reimburese?
Could you please break down which cards offer travel protection similar to CSP? And whether the entire plane ticket must be paid on the card, or only a portion? I believe CSP and Ink offer this if just a portion (e.g. the taxes on an award ticket) are paid, but other cards require the entire amount to be paid (and thus not on awards tickets). Thanks!
How does this compare to Amex PRG? I think a lot of us charge airfare to our gold card to get the 3x points but it might be worth giving up the extra points for this coverage.
I understand that my Chase Ink cards will provide me with similar benefits even if I charge just a portion of my trip on the card (e.g., the taxes on a mileage redemption trip). But what if the charge is made to a third party, and not directly to the airline, such as to a travel agency or to your “Book your Award” company? I ask this because I am currently having your company book an award trip for me, and I probably plan to pay the taxes on a Chase Ink card and I’d like to know if I can take advantage of this travel interruption coverage if it becomes necessary.
I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that none of the AA-branded cards offer this benefit… 😀
@Betty: I’m almost positive that as long as the CSP is used to purchase any portion of a ticket, their benefits will apply. This is an important distinction between this and the Citi Prestige card that everyone says is so great (and it is, i have it as well). But their terms say that the *entire* ticket must be purchased on the Prestige card for the coverage to apply. So everyone using their Prestige card when getting award tix so that the $250 airline credit will take care of the taxes/fees/YQ will be pretty surprised to find out they won’t be covered if something happens. I called in to Citi to double check this, and they confirmed this would be the case.
I had a UA LAX-HKG ticket charged on my Chase United PP card. The pilot on the LAX-SFO walked away and we would have missed our connection. UA had no flight to offer for the nex two days and
we had to cancel the ticket. Chase did not reimburse for hotel etc. because they insisted on a letter from UA stating on which flight they had planned to put us on. Since UA said they were unable to provide such note, Chase refused despite all other documentation provided.
I have gone thru delayed flights for hours and hours, sometimes 6 hours just inside the airport at the boarding area . The weather is fine, nothing seems to be wrong and you are never compensated a dime for these. I am talking about airlines like UA & AA and Delta.
I have completely different and very positive experience with Asian airlines during delays.
Latest example is when were about to board our Asiana flight from Seoul to Singapore, the young ladies working at the counter told is flight boarding is delayed by 45 Minis and they were apologizing via loud speaker and compensated us with 10K Won per passenger that could be use for food and drinks at the airport food terminals. We were 3 and were given 30k won. It was in late evening and we bought sandwiches to eat and some to carry with us to eat as dinner when we reach our hotel in Singapore.
The US airlines suck and they are all a scam with pathetic customer service and arrogant crews and very old planes without any personal entertainment systems, etc
Would a round trip booked on multiple carriers and multiple destinations covered? I couldn’t find what their definition of “round trip” is in the benefits guide.
Hi Gary,
What happens if you miss the flight and have to have an overnight stay? Do they reimburse in that case as well?
Thanks
Rohit
I had downgraded the CSP to regular Sapphire (not available anymore). Does anyone know if it has same benefits as CSP?
@Rohit your own delay isn’t reimbursable
@Stannis: I had bad luck with the one time I tried getting reimbursed on a delayed baggage claim through the Amex PRG. They said they only reimburse for lost baggage, so definitely a disadvantage compared to CSP.
Is it only for airlines? We were on a trip in a family car and the car broke down (overheated) with major engine damage. Had to leave the car with mechanic in the nearest town, stay in town for the night and rent a car one way to bring us back home.
Any thing covered? Our trip was interrupted and I used citi thank you premier
@Betty, @Matt, @Gary – I am on a QR AA Award ticket and charged the taxes to my CSP. My baggage was delayed 24 hours and I called to start a claim. The fine print says(words to the effect of “any portion of the ticket charged to CSP” so that includes the taxes/fees on an award ticket as well as if you split the tickets onto two cards. I explicitly asked them about this.
A couple of things I am hoping to gain clarity on:
(1) the time is calculated per 24 hour period (not per calendar day) and the clock starts six (6) hours after your land. Since my bags actually arrived 28 hours later I am hoping this will extend for two days.
(2) the coverage is $100 per day. I spent about $125 as I needed clothes. QR says they will reimburse me $75. It will be interesting to see if CSP gives me $25 or $50.
I will report back… but I expect this to take some time :-/
In my experience, the outsourced group that processes Chase benefits is IMPOSSIBLE to deal with.
Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP)
I received this card within the past month.
Trip booked at end of January. Only $26 of boat tickets were paid via CSP (the rest was paid with a gift card).
Return trip delayed because of weather.
$687 Trip Delay insurance claim with all paperwork submitted 2/3/16.
Check for about $610 mailed to me today 2/10/16 per customer service.
Tips: Read the fine print. And save all your receipts, reservations, itineraries, confirmations, etc.