Questions and Answers

Looking for some advice. My family and I had planned on flying into Taipei then onward to HK and coming back direct, non stop from HK, around US Thanksgiving.

Have been looking at buying tickets (Air Canada) for a month now and would normally buy soon but given what’s going on, if we buy now, should we get some kind of extra trip insurance? Would that cover things like what’s going on in HK, should it continue and either we decide not to go or our flights get cancelled?

For the TPE to HK portion I was going to take advantage of the Amex transfer bonus to Avios and use points for Cathay Pacific. What are the rules for changing or cancelling after we book using Avios?

Was going to put the pay tickets on my Amex Plat but do you recommend Chase Reserve? I think I recall Ben saying the Reserve has better insurance but again not sure if it would cover this sort of thing.

Thanks!

Amex Platinum doesnt have any sort of travel protections included with the card. CSR does but it’s good to call them and find out what is and isnt covered. I skimmed thru a post of OMAAT’s yesterday and it seems very flight-focused, and prepaid hotel stays may not be covered.

I think in a situation like this, travel insurance is a small amount to pay to get coverage. Again, just find out from the insurance carrier what is and isnt covered before purchasing.

With Avios, if the airline cancels the flight, BA/the airline should work with you to get you and your family rebooked or refunded with no fees, since it’d be out of your control.