Amex Platinum Trip Delay Insurance: My Experience

Amex (AIG) is the worst.. DO NOT use them for travel expenses and expect reimbursement. My AF flight broke and Amex won’t reimburse me bc the 6 hour delay was a “technical” issue,. Even though the engine broke and I missed my flights. USE CHASE OR CAP1

Well done Ben!

Many thanks for the info, as I use that card as my go-to for airline purchases for the 5x points, and I assume many around here also do the same.

I am still waiting for TAP Portugal to send me the reason of the delay from last September. The travel insurance business is broken.

@Ben (guesT) Not sure if Chase Sapphire is better for travel delay/cancellation.
My flight SQ25 JFK-FRA was cancelled last month, opened a claim 4 weeks ago with Chase/eclaimsline and I still have not heard back.

Since it is you and Ford does that mean you are eligible for $1000 in expenses because it is 2 tickets or is it capped at $500?

It's interesting to see how Amex USA and their underwriters handle this. In the UK Amex insurance is through AXA so obviously things are going to be slightly different but seem to be significantly better. We've had several claims. It's 100% online through the AXA Amex portal, and takes maybe 2-4 weeks to get paid directly into your bank.

Last year for a lost (then stolen) phone they even paid (slightly) more than we believed it was worth, and had even stated in the police report. On the whole, outstanding service. There is generally a £50 excesss for such things.

Also of note is the UK Amex doesn't require it to be paid on the Platinum, and rather just any Amex card held.

I'd say we get the better insurance, but you get better points per $, SUBs etc.

Based on a friend's experience who was denied compensation, I want to point out that you have to book your entire trip before you depart. Some people book (or voluntarily cancel and rebook) their return ticket after their outbound trip has started. (e.g. waiting for an award space to open up) This will not be considered as a valid round-trip itinerary.

My claim with Chase took forever, and I had to do multiple followup calls and emails. I eventually got the money back but I think my time ended up working out to minimum wage in the final tally of money vs. effort.

Experience exactly the same. Even stayed at the same hotel!

Cell phone screen insurance only required a single form and was approved very quickly.

@Ben - Does the business platinum have the same insurance?

I've been hesitant to book with AMEX due to the "round trip" requirement. Using the Chase Sapphire and Chase Ink Preferred (Eclaimsline) has been relatively easy and quick.

Just 2 weeks ago, I had an award flight (I paid $5.60 plus points) cancel on a Friday, causing an overnight stay. I submitted the required information on Saturday morning and received confirmation of reimbursement on Thursday. The money hit my bank account on Friday via direct deposit.

Eclaimsline has been more picky when submitting a claim with foreign currency - they usually want the card statement showing the currency conversion. They have also been picky when it comes to the common carrier statement for the reason for the delay/cancellation. This past trip, I just screenshot the cancelation and had no problems. In the past, I've had to reach out to customer service like Ben did for his trip.

I've found the AIG team that Amex works with to be unprofessional (takes weeks to respond to your point) and unhelpful. Always a pain to get this reimbursed to the point where I don't care anymore.

I don't recommend Capital One, when I looked at VentureX, they had one of the worst trip cancellation and insurance coverages I've seen. They'll cover exactly 2 situations.

I think the RT travel as well as the fact that travel has to be booked before departure needs to be emphasized more clearly here. I booked a return flight while traveling when LH space opened last minute. Subsequently denied because my trip was in flux.

In my case facing a similar delay as yours at DFW I opted to Priceline a hotel and endured the inconvenience of waiting to take a crowded shuttle bus there and back as I was unsure if the Grand Hyatt would be considered "reasonable" at four times the price as what a decently rated 3 star hotel on Priceline provides for 10 hours. But apparently AMEX does consider this "reasonable". Not sure I can justify that in my mind however. AMEX did reimburse in a similar time frame but for a fraction of the amount. I found the process pretty quick and estimate that total time spent was 30-45 minutes.

No coverage if used miles to book, doesn't matter if taxes are paid on the card or not. Exception is only if you prove that ticket was booked directly with miles earned with the card - which is impossible to prove if any mileage transfers are involved.

LOL at the hotel that AA offered you. When AA diverted me to OKC a year or so ago, AA offered me a choice of 3 hotels. I selected Home2 Suites through the link provided by AA. When I got to the hotel, they refused to accept the voucher and made me pay for the room myself, stating that they don’t work with AA. Funny, because that’s one of the three hotels that AA offered and I booked through the AA voucher “system”. Never even thought to make a claim with Amex, I do book all my flights with my plat.

The Grand Hyatt DFW plus room service, courtesy of Amex: well played, very well played! It looks like there is a Hyatt Regency there too, have you stayed in that one?

Most of my travel (I"m part of the laptop class) is personal. Maybe 2x a year I get stuck somewhere due to weather. This seems like a total hassle to go through. I typically get on PriceLine, get a great deal at an airport hotel (I will never do under 3 stars and rating under 7) usually with an airport shuttle and just eat the cost. If I'm at an airport with an AA Admirals Club (often the case) I just eat there.

Not at all. The more claims that they can avoid paying through a cumbersome and inefficient claims process, the better things are.

Last year my claim was denied. Delta's letter said "Reason for Flight Irregularity: Flight cancelled due to crew". Amex said this was not a covered event.

Ben, please clarify whether it’s good on award tickets.

I thought it was limited to the amount spent in the card (I.e taxes and fees on an award). Another poster said no coverage. Your readers use mileage awards a lot.

@grichard

Nailed it.

It's a pretty bad model when the model only works by inconveniencing the "customers" to the point the customers give up. It's a great model for the insurance companies, but it seems like a borderline scam for the ones paying for the "service" - the service that will never provide any promised benefit by wearing people down.

Exactly, my travel insurance will not pay without this last piece of document (confirmation from airline the reason for delay) and since TAP is horrible with their customer service, I paid for nothing. Even bigger joke is when Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian are working with the jokesters for their damaged luggage. That is another scam

Exactly, my travel insurance will not pay without this last piece of document (confirmation from airline the reason for delay) and since TAP is horrible with their customer service, I paid for nothing. Even bigger joke is when Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian are working with the jokesters for their damaged luggage. That is another scam

I can’t confirm how this is how it works for Amex, but when I made a similar claim on my Citi Prestige a few years back, it was $500 per covered ticket. That was important because I was delayed several days in NYC due to a snowstorm and having tickets on Southwest. We got back close to $1,000.

Two questions:
1. Did you book the Hyatt with points, as you mentioned you considered? If so, were you reimbursed for the hotel room and on what basis?
2. Is the Amex platinum business having the same coverage?

I seem to recall reading on the Amex site that the flight must originate in the US. Could be mistaken, however.

"You must charge the full amount of a Covered Trip to your Eligible Card or in combination with your Eligible Card and accumulated points on your Eligible Card or redeemable certificates, vouchers, coupons, or discounts awarded from a frequent flyer program or similar program."

This is from the term and conditions. It is not precisely clear whether frequent flyer "points" would be covered.

I carried the Chase Sapphire Reserve for many years because reviews claimed the travel insurance was so good. I have never seen Chase approve a legitimate claim

I have only filed a rental car damage claim and that was with Chase. Creates claim through their website and uploaded documents on Monday. Got an email saying claim approved on Wednesday. Money deposited to my checking account on Wednesday. The best part? Earning 3 points on the $8,000 damage charged to my card by Avis and getting to keep the points because I was refunded to my checking account.

Mine did not work, even when AA sent me an email confirming it was a mechanical issue on my flight from AUS-PHX.

I sent them all of the documentation required and they still denied me.

We booked the JW Marriott in Austin for around 200, paid around 60 for a road-trip Uber, and only spent about 80 on food for our overnight delay.

To clarify, was this experience using the American Express insurance or was it another card issuer ?

Interesting they agreed to pay for the hotel without asking for some sort of attestation that accommodation was not provided by airline.
I wonder if it was an option to book a walk-up fare on some other airline and claim that?

I would say, that non Amex insurance is even better in UK. No requirement to pay by particular card, no issue with roundtrip tickets bought during the trip, works for air miles booking and higher amount of reimbursement.

I also got stuck in DFW and wanted to stay at Hyatt but it was sold out. Some rooms were showing up at £500 but were disappearing quickly and I had to stay somewhere else. My insurance has limit of £1000 for delay. Except hotel cost, insurance also paid for rebooking separate reservation for another trip, which was beginning next day from London.

Forgot to add, they also "sponsored" my weekend in Frankfurt in 5* hotel, at the beginning of pandemics.
I had to leave Poland before all flights were grounded and cheapest option was to fly to Frankfurt, stay overnight and fly back to London next day. That was paid for disrupted travel.

Sounds quite an antiquated process! Amex UK insurance is via AXA and in fairness the claim process is all online and (in my experience claiming) pretty painless. Certainly a much quicker payout too.

PS you guys really need some sort of EU261 equivalent! If you have the same issue when covered by that then you just book your own accommodation and claim it back from the airline, no insurer required.

@ DCBanker -- No, I paid cash, since I knew I could get that reimbursed. Yes, the Amex Business Platinum also offers coverage, and you can find the Guide to Benefits for that here:
https://www.americanexpress.com/content/dam/amex/us/credit-cards/features-benefits/policies/pdf/Trip_Delay-Insurance-500_6hours.pdf

@ Beachfan -- It's my understanding that it is good on award tickets, and that taxes should be sufficient. Here's the relevant part from the Guide to Benefits:
"You must charge the full amount of a Covered Trip to your Eligible Card or in combination with your Eligible Card and accumulated points on your Eligible Card or redeemable certificates, vouchers, coupons, or discounts awarded from a frequent flyer program or similar program."

@ Sportsguy -- That is... really weird. I see that covered reasons include inclement weather, terrorist action, equipment failure, and lost or stolen travel documents. It's interesting that crew doesn't qualify. I guess Amex just assumes that's the carrier's responsibility to cover? Very strange, given that maintenance is included (which should also be the carrier's problem).

@ Regis -- I have. The Hyatt Regency is totally fine, but you can't beat the convenience of the Grand Hyatt, and I also find the service at the hotel to be excellent.

@ echino -- That's not my understanding. I'm curious, were you denied for that reason, or do you just have a different read on the T&Cs than I do?

I had the same issue. My flight was canceled due to a sick flight attendant at an outstation and my claim was also denied.

This confirms my experience. Since your business is selling credit cards, I applaud you for showing how convoluted a process this is. How many hours did this take you, how many weeks did you wait, and this is with an airline that actually makes it convenient to request a flight delay insurance statement! Just for the record, filing an rx claim took me about 5 minutes, car accident claim took me about 30 minutes, and eye glasses took maybe 10 minutes because I forgot my password. Real insurance companies don't make it deliberately difficult to file a claim.

Agree with the poster here. The full round trip travel must be purchased with the Card for claim to be accepted. It can be different tickets on different airlines, but a one way trip or an outbound trip with inbound on another card will not be accepted. Eric

Not true of my trip last year booked with Skymiles on Delta metal. Award roundtrip ticket with taxes and fees paid on Amex Platinum. Trip delayed multiple days due to the hurricane that hit Florida. Received the $500 max payout (submitted over $500 in expenses, just in case they’d payout more).

If an hour or two of work is not worth $500 to you, that’s your decision. For me, being able to book a nice hotel and a nice meal while I’m delayed is worth the effort.

Chase Sapphire Reserve insurance covered a stolen rental car in SF, overnight expenses due to a TAP airline missed Lisbon connection, and a rental car side-scrape (this was my fault), over a three-year period. I am a huge CSR fan as a result. AMeX Platinum insurance refused my one missed connection claim.

Flies first class on short haul flights, A 3 hour flight, despite not being overweight or very tall and would easily fit in economy.
Is too "high status" to be seen staying at a super 8 for free.

Spoiled much?

I hope you teach your child some humility.

Even more valuable than the article (not that it isn’t) are the comments from real readers who filed claims with Amex and Chase.

Their terms and conditions vary and there seems to be a portion of luck how strictly the claims agent interprets the rules (such as payment with miles being permitted or prove use of Amex converted points, to the required documentation).

@ staradmiral -- Thanks for your analysis, but I see things a bit differently.

First of all, first class for the entire journey from PVR to MIA cost an extra $200 over economy. I work nonstop when I fly, from the moment I board until the moment I land. I'm sure you can appreciate that one can reasonably comfortably work in a first class seat, while it can be harder to work in an economy seat. There's not room to put your arms in a comfortable position when typing, etc. I respect if you don't think it's worth it, but I do think it's worth it.

Second, even if I had accepted the Super 8, I would have still had to submit documents to request reimbursement for my rideshare to the airport, and for any meals I had. So while I'm at it, why wouldn't I just stay at the hotel I actually wanted to stay at?

I had a similarly frustrating experience. I had a Jetblue flight cancelled last year and the stated reason from Jetblue was "maintenance." Amex/AIG denied the claim because "maintenance" did not mean the same thing as "equipment failure;" as if Jetblue would have chosen to voluntarily cancel a flight to do some routine tune-ups to the plane.

Fighting with AIG is on my to-do list, but I haven't quite gotten there yet, which has to be part of their strategy!

I used AmEx platinum insurance when my flight from Lisbon to the U.S. was canceled due to weather. Had to stay an extra day and AmEx covered the hotel, food, and cab fares

From experience they do ask if you were offered and accepted accommodations, hence no double dipping. But if you decline, they will pay you

Whoa....I carry both cards and Chase insurance is much superior to Amex. I have filed probably 10 claims with them and only had an issue once. Most of my claims are for trip delay insurance and they have literally never given me any pushback. The one they didn't pay was for bag delay insurance...they have a very limited amount of "essential" items they will pay for.

Ben, not sure if you have ever used CSR trip delay insurance, but it is much superior. Almost all done online, no waiting on hold and prompt response in my experience. Additionally it is a more generous amount.

Ben, it would be super helpful if you could do a trip insurance article detailing the differences between coverages of Chase, Amex, Cap One etc. I usually book one ways - 330 days / 366 days out and I want to be the first to snag a space when it opens up - so can't wait for the return leg to be available before booking an RT especially if the trip is say 2 months long during the summer. Which card(s) would you recommend for one way points-booked trip insurance?

My only experience of using trip interruption insurance was several years ago when my family & I were stranded at a foreign airport for 3 days due to weather. Knowing I had insurance through the Chase Sapphire Reserve put my mind at ease. I simply called the closest airport hotel, got two hotel SUVs with drivers and porters to transport our considerable luggage, got nice (but not extravagant) meals and CSR reimbursed everything including tips. It was so nice not having to wait in long lines at the airport for accommodation through the airline.

Round trip travel only nixes the idea of me ever using the Amex card to purchase airline tickets.
I had a flight diverted from Cincinnati to Houston and missed my connection. It was simple to submit a claim to Chase for the hotel and dinner. Apart from waiting for United to send me a statement, the process was simple.
Years ago I had a bad accident in Nicaragua where I totaled a rental car. Chase paid the value of the car; it took awhile because they kept asking for an estimate as to the junk value of the vehicle but eventually I was able to settle the claim.
Last year I also filed a claim for the cost to repair a flat tire; that too was a paid.
Overall my experience with Chase has been good; I will not say excellent because they often ask for too much documentation.

AIG has one of the worst customer satisfaction rates of any insurance company. Shame on Amex for forcing their cardholders to endure those headaches. I cancelled my Amex Platinum as a result of their cutting the lounge guest benefit but I would have canceled had Amex required a round trip purchase to file a claim.

Tragically Capital One is just as bad and Chase is much worse. Fortunately, they arent the only card issuers offering travel protection. I have never had any trouble from the US Bank Altitude Reserve.

Hey thanks for this, a week later I had a huge delay and used this benefit and got a check for $700 in the mail. You know it was slightly clunky but they worked with me in a fair way I felt, I was able to go back and forth on email and figure out the proper amount.

Similar experience here! my flight was canceled and Amex's policy wouldn't cover it as "operational reasons" are not covered. only weather or equipment failure are covered. terrible insurance coverage!