Many travel-oriented credit cards carry some form of travel insurance. The terms of that kind insurance are often crammed into several pages of fine print and many cardholders never read them. That can be a mistake. If something happens while you’re on the road, that insurance can be very useful. Even when you’re planning a trip you may need to know what coverage you have and what you’ll need to buy.
American Express is known for offering high-end benefit packages with its travel-oriented cards and many of their cards offer extensive travel insurance packages. Recently, American Express made changes to its insurance packages taking effect on Jan 1, 2020. Some benefits have been added to some cards, including insurance coverage for trip cancellation, interruption and delay. Let’s look at what’s new!
Travel often requires substantial upfront expenses: tickets, hotel reservations and more. Travel insurance often includes coverage that protects you if your plans are changed by unexpected circumstances:
Most travel insurance policies provided by credit card companies apply only to costs that were booked on the credit card that carries the policy. These policies are also often secondary in that they cover costs over and above what your other travel insurance policy covers if you have one.
Benefits and coverage offered by trip cancellation and interruption insurance may vary with the card you use and will be constrained by the issuer’s terms and limitations.
American Express introduced rip cancellation, trip interruption and trip delay insurance starting on Jan 1, 2020. This coverage was not previously offered by American Express. Not all American Express cards include this coverage.
These American Express cards include trip cancellation, interruption and delay insurance.
| Card | Annual Fee | Coverage |
| American Express Green Card | $150 | Trip Delay |
| Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card | $250 | Trip Delay |
| Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card | $250 | Trip Delay |
| American Express Gold Card | $250 | Trip Delay |
| American Express Business Gold Card | $295 | Trip Delay |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card | $450 | Trip Cancellation, Interruption, and Delay |
| Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express | $450 | Trip Cancellation, Interruption, and Delay |
| American Express Corporate Platinum Card | $550 | Trip Delay |
| Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card | $550 | Trip Cancellation, Interruption, and Delay |
| Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card | $550 | Trip Cancellation, Interruption, and Delay |
| The Platinum Card from American Express | $550 | Trip Cancellation, Interruption, and Delay |
| The Business Platinum Card from American Express | $595 | Trip Cancellation, Interruption, and Delay |
The benefits offered by these cards may vary. The more expensive card will typically offer a wider range of coverage and higher maximum coverage amounts.
Like most insurance policies, the coverage applies to some cases and may not apply in others. American Express trip cancellation or trip interruption insurance applies to delays and cancellations for these reasons:
There are also specified cases that the insurance will not cover, including these.
There are other events that are not covered: check your card’s policy or this summary from American Express for full details.
Travel delay insurance from American Express typically covers delays due to weather, terrorist action, carrier equipment failure, or loss or theft of passports, or other documents.
You must inform American Express of your claim within 60 days of the event that caused the claim. You must also notify the supplier involved with the claim, if any (for example, the airline that caused a travel delay) and complete its claim procedure.
You can open a claim with American Express by calling 1-844-933-0648. American Express will tell you what documentation will be required to process your claim. You may need these or other documents:
Remember that you can only make claims for trips that you paid for with your eligible American Express card. If you have a card that provides this coverage, be sure to use it. [Section source: 8, 9]
American Express trip cancellation, interruption and delay insurance coverage are valid up to these limits.
These are the maximum coverage amounts. Some cards may offer lower coverage amounts.
All American Express trip cancellation, trip interruption and trip delay coverage is secondary. This means that it covers expenses left after benefits provided by other coverage, such as that provided by your carrier or travel service provider, are paid. [Section source: 10]
Baggage insurance is not a new addition to the American Express travel insurance package, but lost baggage is a common enough problem that it’s worth a quick review. If you use an eligible American Express card to book your ticket, you are entitled to receive compensation from American Express as well as from your carrier.
Baggage insurance coverage may extend to these individuals:
Reimbursement limits may vary with your card. The coverage is also secondary: it covers losses over and above the compensation provided by your carrier. Some high-value items may have separate coverage under your card’s policy. [Section source: 11]
Most business and pleasure trips come off without incident, but if you travel regularly, you’re likely to run into a problem sooner or later. When that happens, travel insurance can provide a vital lifeline.
The insurance provided by eligible American Express cards may not be a substitute for a travel insurance policy, but it can provide valuable protection against loss. If you have several credit cards, it’s worth making the effort to use the one with the best insurance coverage to book your tickets and travel services. Knowing what coverage your cards have can help you choose the best card to use for travel and may help you decide what level of additional insurance you need.