Travel disruptions are stressful enough without having to worry about the potential extra expenses associated with waiting for a later flight. Depending on what credit card you used to pay for the trip, you may be protected. Many of the best travel credit cards come with built-in trip delay insurance. This coverage reimburses the cardholder when a trip is delayed — regardless of whether the delay was within the travel provider’s control — and covers expenses such as meals, hotels, toiletries and transportation. And it doesn’t only apply to delayed flights — all sorts of land, water and air bookings qualify. If you’d like to know more about this benefit, CNBC Select has the details on how this travel protection works and the best credit cards to get if you want trip delay insurance.
Best credit cards for trip delay insurance
Best overall
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Learn More On Chase’s secure site Rewards Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3X points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases plus, 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
Welcome bonus Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Annual fee $550
Intro APR None
Regular APR 22.24% – 29.24% variable
Balance transfer fee 5%, minimum $5
Foreign transaction fee None
Credit needed Excellent Terms apply.
The Platinum Card® from American Express Learn More On the American Express secure site Rewards Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, 1X points on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Annual fee $695
Intro APR None
Regular APR See Pay Over Time APR
Balance transfer fee N/A
Foreign transaction fee None
Credit Needed Excellent/Good See rates and fees, terms apply.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Learn More Information about the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication. Rewards 10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars, 5 Miles per dollar on flights when booked via Capital One Travel; unlimited 2X miles on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Annual fee $395
Intro APR None
Regular APR 21.99% – 28.99% variable APR
Balance transfer fee 0% at the regular transfer APR
Foreign transaction fees None
Credit needed Excellent Terms apply.
Best for low (or no) annual fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Learn More On Chase’s secure site Rewards $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3X points on dining, 3X points on select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Annual fee $95
Intro APR None
Regular APR 21.24% – 28.24% variable on purchases and balance transfers
Balance transfer fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee None
Credit needed Excellent/Good Terms apply.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card Rewards Earn up to 14X total points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy ® hotels, 2X points on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains) and 1X point on all other purchases
Welcome bonus Earn 50,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from your account opening. Plus 50,000 Bonus Points after you stay 6 eligible paid nights at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy ® through 1/31/24.
Annual fee $0
Intro APR None
Regular APR 20.99% – 27.99% variable on purchases and balance transfers
Balance transfer fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee None
Credit needed Excellent/Good Terms apply. Information about the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
You don’t need a rewards credit card loaded with luxury perks (and a big annual fee) in order to have access to trip delay insurance. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has a reasonable $95 annual fee and comes stocked with all sorts of travel protections, including a trip delay benefit. And the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card comes with trip delay insurance and no annual fee. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card : You can be reimbursed up to $500 per ticket for reasonable expenses resulting from a covered delay of 12 hours or more, or a delay that requires an overnight stay. Coverage applies to the cardholder, spouse and dependent children under 26 years old.
You can be reimbursed up to $500 per ticket for reasonable expenses resulting from a covered delay of 12 hours or more, or a delay that requires an overnight stay. Coverage applies to the cardholder, spouse and dependent children under 26 years old. Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card: You can be reimbursed up to $500 per ticket for reasonable expenses resulting from a covered delay of 12 hours or more, or a delay that requires an overnight stay.
Best for businesses
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Learn More On Chase’s secure site Rewards Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines), 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
Welcome bonus Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Annual fee $95
Intro APR None
Regular APR 20.99% – 25.99% variable
Balance transfer fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee None
Credit needed Good/Excellent Terms apply.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Learn More On the American Express secure site Rewards Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Also, earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
Welcome bonus Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership
Annual fee $695
Intro APR N/A
Regular APR 19.24% – 27.24% variable
Balance transfer fee N/A
Foreign transaction fee None
Credit needed Excellent/Good See rates and fees, terms apply.
To qualify for a small business credit card, you need to run a small business, side hustle or have a freelance gig. The quality of your trip delay coverage depends on which business travel credit card you have. The Chase Ink Business Preferred has a lower $95 annual fee, but its trip delay insurance only kicks in after a delay of 12+ hours (or an overnight stay). The American Express Business Platinum card has more robust coverage that applies for delays of 6+ hours, but it has a higher $695 annual fee (see rates and fees). Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card : You can be reimbursed up to $500 per ticket for reasonable expenses resulting from a covered delay of 12 hours or more, or a delay that requires an overnight stay. Coverage applies to the cardholder, spouse and children under 22 years old.
You can be reimbursed up to $500 per ticket for reasonable expenses resulting from a covered delay of 12 hours or more, or a delay that requires an overnight stay. Coverage applies to the cardholder, spouse and children under 22 years old. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Cardholders and eligible family members, can be reimbursed up to $500 per covered trip (up to two claims per 12 months). Eligible family members include spouses and domestic partners and unmarried dependent children up to 19 years old (under 26 years old for full-time college students). Coverage applies to an eligible trip that is delayed more than six hours. Terms apply.
How trip delay reimbursement works
Credit card trip delay insurance reimburses you for eligible expenses you incur when a covered delay occurs on a trip you paid for (all of or part of the trip, depending on the coverage) with a card that has this benefit. This includes award travel when you pay with the points associated with that specific card. Your booking just needs to be operated by a “common carrier” to qualify, which includes commercial airlines, trains, cruises and buses. The only major exceptions are local buses and trains, as well as rental vehicles. You’ll typically be reimbursed up to a certain amount per ticket and the coverage applies to the cardholder, spouse or domestic partner and eligible dependents. You can be reimbursed for reasonable expenses that aren’t covered by the travel provider or other insurance, including lodging, meals, medications and toiletries. However, this type of coverage won’t reimburse you for prepaid expenses. Trip delay coverage only applies to covered delays. Covered delay reasons include anything from inclement weather to mechanical issues to system outages. In order to be reimbursed for extra expenses, the delay typically must require an overnight stay or be at least 6 hours or 12 hours long (depending on the card). In addition, any delay due to a covered hazard that was made known or was public prior to departure is not eligible for coverage.
How to file a trip delay claim
Whenever you have a qualifying trip delay, you’ll want to be on top of collecting all of the right documentation. The first step is to call your card issuer to have them put you in touch with a trip delay insurance benefits administrator. The benefits administrator can provide you with a detailed list of exactly what you need to submit when you file a claim. You’ll typically need the following: Proof the trip was charged to your card
Receipts for the additional expenses
Documentation from the travel provider with the reason for the delay
A copy of your ticket or original itinerary Be sure to ask how long you have to file a claim and submit the necessary documentation. You’ll typically have to contact the claims administrator within 30 to 60 days and submit your documentation within 100 to 180 days depending on the card issuer.
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FAQs
What is the difference between trip interruption and trip delay insurance?
Trip delay coverage only covers costs from temporary setbacks, whereas trip interruption insurance covers unused prepaid expenses if you have to end your trip early. Trip interruption insurance may also reimburse you for additional travel you need to book.
How do I prove my flight delay for insurance?
When you file a trip delay claim you will need documentation of the delay, such as your original boarding pass and the boarding pass showing the new departure time. You’ll also want a statement of delay form from the travel provider that details the reason for the delay because you’ll need to be able to prove it was a covered delay.
What is covered by trip delay insurance?
Trip delay insurance reimburses you for reasonable expenses you incur during a covered delay up to the maximum coverage amount. Covered expenses typically include meals, lodging, toiletries and medication.
Bottom line
Depending on what credit card you have, you may not need to pay extra for travel insurance. Some credit cards have built-in protections such as trip delay insurance. When you pay for your travel with a credit card that has trip delay insurance, you’re automatically protected. That means you can be reimbursed for eligible expenses if your travel is delayed.
Our methodology
To determine which cards are best for trip delay protection benefits, CNBC Select analyzed over 230 of the most popular credit cards available in the U.S. We compared each card on a range of features, including: rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fee and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is for the consumer to redeem points. Catch up on CNBC Select’s in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date. For rates and fees of the Platinum Card® from American Express, click here. For rates and fees of the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here. *For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply *For the American Express products listed on this page, the maximum benefit amount for Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 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.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.