Best Credit Cards for Flight Delay Insurance

Travel disruptions can be a real headache, and flight delays are one of the most frustrating ones. Whether you’re heading to a vacation destination or traveling for business, a delayed flight can throw off both your plans and your budget. Fortunately, flight delay insurance offered by different credit cards can help ease some of that inconvenience. Let’s take a look at which cards stand out in this area!

What Is Flight Delay Insurance?

Flight delay insurance generally covers a wide range of expenses caused by flight delays or cancellations. Whether it’s air travel, trains, buses, or any other transportation service that gets you from A to B, delay insurance can provide some protection. What many people may not realize is that a lot of credit cards already include this kind of coverage—you don’t need to buy it separately. You just need to pay for the eligible purchase with your credit card.

A few key points to note

• Minimum delay length: Most credit cards that offer flight delay insurance require a delay of 6 to 12 hours.
• Maximum coverage: Typically, the insurance reimburses up to $500 per person.
• What’s covered: This type of insurance usually includes meals, lodging, and other personal expenses incurred because of the delay.

Of course, delay insurance should not be abused. For example:

• Using a “flight delay” to game the system: woman suspected of insurance fraud involving more than RMB 3 million

Which Credit Cards Offer the Best Flight Delay Insurance?

Here are some credit cards that offer strong flight delay insurance and provide better protection, adding extra value for cardholders:

The better delay insurance policies offer compensation after delays of more than six hours, with up to $500 in reimbursement. We especially want to highlight the Citi Strata Premier, which has an annual fee of only $95, while the other cards are all premium cards with annual fees of $300 or more. You could say it’s the most cost-effective card for flight delay coverage. Listed by card issuer:

• Citi Strata Premier, Citi AAdvantage Executive: 6+ hour delay, up to $500 reimbursement
• Capital One Venture X, Capital One Venture X Business: 6+ hour delay, up to $500 reimbursement
• AMEX Platinum (and all versions), AMEX Platinum Business, AMEX Hilton Aspire, AMEX Marriott Brilliant, AMEX Delta SkyMiles Reserve, AMEX Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business: 6+ hour delay, up to $500 reimbursement
• US Bank Altitude Reserve: 6+ hour delay, up to $500 reimbursement
• Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Ritz-Carlton: 6+ hour delay or overnight, up to $500 reimbursement

A slightly less generous option offers compensation for delays of 12 hours or more. Common useful cards include:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP), Chase UA, Chase UA Business, Chase UA Club, Chase Hyatt, Chase Marriott, Chase Marriott Business, Chase Ink Business Preferred: 12+ hour delay or overnight, up to $500 reimbursement
• AMEX Gold, AMEX Green, AMEX Gold Business, AMEX Delta Platinum, AMEX Delta Platinum Business: 12-hour delay, up to $300 reimbursement

How to Pay to Qualify for Reimbursement

Each card has different requirements. For example, the travel insurance offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve requires you to pay for all or part of the airfare with this card or with Chase Ultimate Rewards. Also, in addition to you, your family members, including your spouse and children, are covered under the insurance.

• Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefit Guide

The Citi Strata Premier requires that the entire trip be covered by this card, or that the ticket be issued using vouchers or points associated with the account linked to the card. In other words, if you book an award ticket, the taxes and fees paid with this card may also be reimbursable. In addition to you, your family members, including your spouse and children, are covered under the insurance.

• Citi Premier Strata Benefit Guide

The AMEX Platinum works similarly to Citi’s policy. It also requires the trip to be fully covered by this card, or for the ticket to be issued using vouchers or points associated with the account linked to the card. In other words, if you book an award ticket, the taxes and fees paid with this card may also be reimbursable. In addition to you, authorized users and your family members, including your spouse and children, are covered under the insurance.

How Do You File a Flight Delay Claim?

If your flight is delayed, you’ll need to submit the following materials to file a claim:

• A completed claim form (it’s usually best to call the number on the back of the card; they’ll email it to you)
• A billing statement showing the airfare was paid (downloadable from the billing statement)
• Travel documents (such as the ticket or email confirmation)
• A delay explanation from the airline (try to request this at the airport or at the counter as soon as possible)
• Receipts for all expenses (be sure to keep receipts for meals, essential clothing purchases, lodging, etc.)
• Any other documents requested by the credit card issuer

One thing to note: flight delay insurance generally requires that the ticket be purchased with the eligible credit card. Other reimbursable expenses do not necessarily need to be charged to that same card—you just need the receipts.

In addition, many issuers allow you to submit claims through their websites.

• Citi claims can be submitted at www.mycardbenefits.com
• Chase, Capital One, and US Bank claims can all be submitted at www.eclaimsline.com

In general, you should contact the claims administrator within 60 days of the delay, and all documents must be submitted within 120 to 180 days. My suggestion is to contact the credit card issuer immediately after the delay occurs and confirm which documents are required and what expenses are eligible. For specific claim examples, you can check the two articles below—one about AMEX and one about Chase cards. They explain the process very clearly, so I won’t repeat everything here.

• AMEX trip delay insurance claim experience
• A complete walkthrough of using a U.S. credit card “trip delay insurance” claim in China

What Else Can We Do?

In addition to the insurance that comes with credit cards, you can also seek compensation from the delayed airline. For details, see the post we shared earlier:

• How to seek compensation for flight problems (cancellations, delays, equipment issues)

Conclusion

Flight delay insurance is one of the most valuable benefits offered by credit cards, and it can help cardholders reduce losses caused by flight delays. Before choosing the right credit card, be sure to read the terms carefully and make sure you pick the protection that best fits your needs. Overall, the Citi Strata Premier Card currently offers relatively strong coverage and a reasonable annual fee, making it the best choice! If you want to buy tickets for your family, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a good option.