Have you ever read the details of your American Express flight delay insurance provided by your credit card?
Understanding flight delay insurance can be beneficial when your flight is delayed or cancelled. I have worked with many clients who have encountered long delays, including overnight delays, that have been made for more comfortable because we could leverage their flight delay insurance to recover significant costs incurred due to a flight delay.
I have summarized important details about the flight delay insurance provided by your American Express credit or charge card.
The following credit cards have the flight delay insurance with American Express:
- American Express Platinum | Certificate of Insurance
- American Express Gold Rewards Card | Certificate of Insurance
- American Express Cobalt | Certificate of Insurance
- American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card | Certificate of Insurance
- American Express Aeroplan Card | Certificate of Insurance
- Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card | Certificate of Insurance
- SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express | Certificate of Insurance
Other insurance benefits information for being a RBC credit card holder is available here:
- American Express Out of Province and Country Emergency Medical Insurance
- American Express Car Rental Insurance
The information listed below is my interpretation of the insurance policy.
When to use flight delay insurance?
Flight delay insurance provides coverage for reasonable living expenses such as accommodations and other travel expenses when your flight is delayed due to a covered reason. In many scenarios, it might be difficult to get compensation from the airlines so credit card insurance might be easier to work with.
The flight delay insurance takes into effect when your scheduled flight departure is delayed by more than 4 hours.
Coverage Eligibility
The following conditions apply prior to being eligible to use the flight delay insurance:
- The full cost of the delayed flight was charged to the credit card, or the credit card rewards were used for the purchase of the flight ticket.
- The delayed flight is a scheduled service by an airline.
The following credit cards have a maximum coverage amount of $500 per occurrence for all covered person:
- American Express Gold Rewards Card
- American Express Cobalt
- American Express Aeroplan Card
- Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
- SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express
All other American Express credit cards have a maximum coverage amount of $1,000 per occurrence for all covered persons.
Who is covered?
American Express covers the following individuals, regardless if they are traveling together:
- The cardholder, either primary or supplementary, or,
- The spouse of the cardholder, either primary or supplementary, or
- The dependent children of the cardholder, either primary or supplementary,
Claim Information
If you find yourself needing to use the American Express flight delay insurance, you can initiate a claim online here.
You should initiate the claim within 30 days of the flight delay and you will need the following documents to complete your claim formalities:
- Itemized original receipts for actual expenses incurred.
- A copy of the travel agent’s invoice/itinerary, and a copy of the account statement in which the full fare expense appears, showing the Card as the method of payment.
- Alternate boarding pass or flight delay report from airline
As usual, the claims administrator might request for additional details at their discretion.
Conclusion
The flight delay insurance has been incredibly valuable during any delays. I have made multiple successful claims, and it has been a blessing during bad travel days, that often impact all of us at some point in time.
I love that American Express does not impose any reasons for a flight delay. If your flight is delayed by more than 4 hours, you will be eligible to use the flight delay insurance. However, the maximum coverage is limited in aggregate across everyone, so it is more beneficial to use American Express when traveling alone.
