What Amex Trip Delay Coverage Paid for After My Canceled Flights
Experienced travelers generally fare better during flight disruptions. Knowledge, miles, points, and status can be advantages that help resolve the situation and expedite the journey to your destination.
Occasionally, the situation can be so dire that all of that experience, miles, points, and status won’t rectify the disruption. Such was the case during one of the worst northern Michigan snowstorms ever, while I was returning from a weekend trip to Florida.
Fortunately, I had paid for my round-trip flight with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and was reasonably confident I could recoup some of the trip-delay costs. Here’s exactly how the situation unfolded, how the claim process went, and the result.
Weather Emergency Situation
On my return trip from Tampa International Airport (TPA), I had a quick connection in Chicago O’Hare (ORD) before arriving at my home airport at Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) in northern Michigan.
However, my first flight to Chicago was canceled, so I was rerouted through Charlotte (CLT) and had to spend the night there. But even when I made it to ORD the next day, the cancellations continued, as the forecast at home called for 36 inches of snow and 40-mph winds.
It was obvious I wouldn’t make it home anytime soon.
TVC airport was closed, and the roads were impassable for the first 2 days. There were no rental cars available until the third day, and the drive to my home airport could take 7 hours. By then, there were signs that the airport would open.
I went standby on each available flight for 3 days, until each was canceled, mostly at the last minute.
On the fourth day, I was able to fly home on the 42-minute evening flight, but only after 4 days of canceled flights, standing by on several flights each day, and spending 3 nights in hotels.
My Expenses
In total, I paid just over $500 for 3 hotel stays. Due to demand and limited availability, using hotel loyalty points wasn’t an option for 2 of those nights. Also, by paying for the stay with a credit card, I hoped to be reimbursed for the expense, which would not have been possible using hotel loyalty points.
Coverage would also apply to meal expenses, but the cost was minimal as I spent most of my days and evenings waiting for flights in the airport lounges.
How American Express Trip Delay Coverage Works
There are several covered reasons when American Express trip delay coverage could apply to a loss. These include inclement weather, common carrier’s equipment failure, terrorism or hijacking, and lost or stolen passports or travel documents.
However, coverage only applies if you paid for your trip using your card. Here are some of the best American Express cards with trip delay coverage:
Hot Tip: Apply and find out if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of as high as 175,000 points with the Amex Platinum. Welcome offers may vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer as high as 300,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum card. Find out your offer. Terms Apply.
Payment Requirements
In general, you must pay for the trip with an eligible card for trip delay insurance to apply. Some card issuers require at least partial payment, while others, including American Express, require you to pay for the entire trip with the card:
“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 or similar program.”
American Express defines a covered trip as a “round-trip period of travel to one or more destinations.” Round-trip travel can consist of “round-trip, one-way, or combinations of round-trip and one-way tickets.”
I typically always purchase one-way tickets, even with 2 different airlines, but in this case I paid for the entire round trip with my Amex Business Platinum card.
Weather Disruption Coverage
If the cause of the trip delay is “inclement weather, which prevents a reasonable and prudent person from traveling or continuing on a covered trip,” Amex trip delay coverage may apply.
Coverage reimburses for “reasonable additional expenses (including but not limited to meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and other personal use items) incurred for a covered Trip that is delayed more than six (6) hours.”
Because my delays were overnight, coverage applied.
Coverage Limits
American Express trip delay coverage on the Amex Business Platinum card is limited to $500 per covered trip and a maximum of 2 trip delay claims per consecutive 12-month period.
Coverage is also secondary to any reimbursement, meals, refunds, or other compensation received from the airlines or other insurance.
Amex Trip Delay Insurance Claim Process
Submitting a trip delay claim with American Express was rather easy, gathering the necessary documentation took more time.
While I was overnighting in Chicago, I obtained the necessary letters from American Airlines stating that the cancellations were due to weather and that the airline was denying reimbursement for hotel expenses.
On March 19, I submitted my claim to American Express with 13 pages of documents, including:
- Boarding passes for canceled flights
- Letters from American Airlines stating that flight cancellations were due to weather, and that American would not provide a hotel
- Copies of hotel folio statements
- Copy of the entire flight itinerary
- My Amex Business Platinum card statement showing the initial flight purchase
AIG Travel Guard handled the claim. On April 24, more than a month after the initial filing, I received a request for missing information: the American Express statement showing the flight purchase. Although I included the statement in the initial claim filing, I quickly resubmitted it and received a confirmation email.
Hot Tip:
Instead of asking the airline for a letter stating that your flight cancellation was due to weather, submit a request for hotel reimbursement through its website. It took me 3 days to receive a letter acknowledging that the flight cancellation was due to weather. I received an email from the airline within hours after my request for hotel reimbursement, declining to pay for the hotel because the weather caused the cancellation.
Resolution
On May 13, I received an email that AIG approved my claim for $386.88. The amount was not the full $500 because the total did not include 1 of the 3 hotel nights in the reimbursement. I initially submitted a request for reimbursement for 2 nights because American Airlines said they would cover 1 night, but that didn’t end up being the case.
Unfortunately, the supplemental request for that night did not get addressed.
It took nearly 2 months, but in the end, I received reimbursement for most of my hotel expenses. I could also have included meals, but I mostly ate the hotel’s complimentary breakfast and in the Admirals Clubs.
Although the process took a long time, the outcome was positive, even though it fell short of my actual expenses. I should have submitted all 3 hotel bills initially rather than waiting for American Airlines to decline the request for the 1 hotel night and then adding it to the claim while it was in progress.
Final Thoughts
Trip delay coverage can ease the financial and emotional stress when a flight is disrupted by weather or equipment failure and the airline does not provide accommodations. Knowing you have coverage for lodging and incidentals can ease a stressful situation.
When the first cancellation occurred, I started printing boarding passes, requesting documentation from the airline, and saving hotel folios. It was much easier to gather documentation during the event than it would have been after the fact.
It takes effort and persistence to file a claim for credit card travel insurance, but it can be worth it. It’s good to receive value for the considerable annual fees we pay for our premium travel rewards cards.
