Seven Things Your Credit Card Travel Protection Doesn’t Actually Cover
One of the best benefits of a travel credit card is travel protection: reimbursement for expenses incurred during a trip delay, such as meals or accommodation if you’re stranded overnight during a flight, or essential personal items if your luggage is late or sent to the wrong address. . These policies will also act as basic travel insurance, replacing money lost on prepaid and non-refundable expenses such as hotels and airfare if your trip is interrupted or cancelled, but not in all circumstances.
Trip interruption and cancellation insurance usually kicks in if you become ill or injured before or during your trip (and have been advised by a doctor to cancel your plans); if there has been a serious illness, injury or death in your family; if your plans are affected by severe weather or a named storm; or if you have received military orders or legal notice that affect your travel. Your policy may have other covered circumstances, so be sure to read it carefully and note that you will have to pay for some or all of your trip with your card to receive benefits.
Here’s what’s typically not covered by your credit card’s travel protection plan (and may require additional travel insurance).
Overbooked flights or hotels
Trip protection covers expenses already paid at the time of interruption or cancellation, such as non-refundable hotel nights, airfare or tour fees. You will not be able to claim a refund for a new flight or future itinerary if you are overbooked.
Travel companions
Your credit card protection policy will obviously cover your losses and, in many cases, also provide coverage for losses suffered by immediate family members. This will likely not apply to unrelated travel companions even if they experience the same cancellation or interruption.
Missing Documentation
If you forget to renew your passport or don’t get the required visa on time, you’ll be out of luck securing your trip. This does not cover you if you have to cancel your reservation due to missing travel documents.
Some medical problems
While trip protection will pay for expenses due to unexpected illness or injury before or during your trip, it likely won’t cover trip interruption or cancellation due to pre-existing medical conditions (be sure to read your policy to understand the details). You can also exclude pregnancy-related interruptions or cancellations.
High risk travel
Travel protection does not apply to trips that by their nature have a higher likelihood of interruption or cancellation, such as travel to conflict zones (or the cardholder’s “reluctance to travel due to civil unrest,” according to Chase) or high-risk adventure travel. activity. Some travel insurance policies allow you to add adventure sports cover if you plan to do things like skydiving or scuba diving.
Emergency evacuation
Your credit card protection is not a complete replacement for medical insurance or travel medical insurance, which can be purchased separately to cover major expenses such as emergency evacuations. If you have health problems, engage in high-risk activities, or travel to an area with limited medical services, you may want to consider supplemental coverage.
Cancellation for any reason (CFAR)
Obviously, credit card travel protection has limitations and exclusions, and it won’t reimburse you if your financial circumstances change, you have a schedule conflict, or you simply decide not to travel. (A standard travel insurance policy can’t do this either.) If you want to make sure you get your money back for sunk costs no matter what, you need to get Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) travel insurance .