Many things can go wrong when you travel these days. Unfortunately, flight-related issues abound as carriers try to keep up with booming demand while dealing with staffing shortages and weather headaches.
However, if you’re facing a lengthy delay or a canceled flight, you may be eligible for reimbursement if you used the right credit card for your trip.
We know there are travel credit cards that come with rewards-earning opportunities, such as the bonuses you can earn from various categories of purchases. But most cards include a number of decidedly less-glamorous perks, such as trip delay protection, that can be quite valuable to have in the current travel universe.
In short, trip delay protection can come to the rescue when things go wrong.
Below, we list which cards have this important benefit to help you navigate trip delays you might encounter during your current or upcoming trips.This is where the trip delay protection offered by select credit cards can help you keep money in your pocket. At its most basic level, this protection ensures that you won’t be responsible for additional (reasonable) expenses that occur as a result of a lengthy trip delay. Although you’ll need to pay for the expenses upfront, you may be eligible for reimbursement afterward if you paid for your common carrier travel with an eligible card.
Here’s an example of what this includes on the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (according to the card’s benefits):
This benefit applies to reasonable expenses incurred during Your delay not otherwise covered by Your Common Carrier, another party, or Your primary personal insurance policy. You will be refunded the excess amount (up to the maximum) once all other reimbursement has been exhausted up to the limit of liability.
The key word there is reasonable, as you won’t be able to book a room at the Four Seasons, then charge $500 worth of room service, and expect to be reimbursed. In addition, all cards that offer this coverage do impose a limit per ticket, person or trip, so be sure to read the specifics of your card’s benefit.
Finally, this coverage is secondary — meaning that it only kicks in after you receive compensation from the primary entity (in this case, the airline). As a result, if an airline provides food vouchers during a lengthy delay, you can’t request to be reimbursed for those items. However, if you’re forced to book a hotel room at your own expense (not covered by the airline), that should be eligible for trip delay reimbursement.
Related: The best credit cards that offer trip cancellation and interruption insurance
Comparison of the best cards with trip delay protection
Card Required length of delay Maximum coverage amount Annual fee
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card 6 hours or overnight. $500 per ticket. $395.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® 6 hours or overnight. $500 per ticket. $550.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card 12 hours or overnight. $500 per ticket. $95.
The Platinum Card® from American Express* 6 hours. $500 per covered trip, 2 claims per card per 12 months. $695 (see rates and fees).
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card* 6 hours. $500 per covered trip, 2 claims per card per 12 months. $550 (see rates and fees).
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card* 6 hours. $500 per covered trip, 2 claims per card per 12 months. $650 (see rates and fees).
World of Hyatt Credit Card 12 hours or overnight. $500 per ticket. $95.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card 12 hours or overnight.
$500 per ticket. $95.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card 12 hours or overnight. $500 per ticket. $0.
United Club℠ Infinite Card 12 hours or overnight. $500 per ticket. $525.
United℠ Explorer Card 12 hours or overnight. $500 per ticket. $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
As you can see, this is a pretty consistent benefit among the cards that offer it. Again, be sure to review the detailed policies for the card(s) in your wallet to make sure you understand what is – and is not – covered. Amex provides benefit guides on its website for all of its cards that provide trip delay protection, including some cards that aren’t included in this guide because they provide lesser coverage.
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