topic Re: Trip Delay Protection! in Credit Cards

Trip Delay Protection!

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 15:25:05 GMT

Are there any credit cards OFF the beaten path that offers trip delay insurance? I know some of the big brands offer it on some of there cards like Chase and Citi. I don't think I see any with Amex. I'm going on a big trip for my honeymoon late December early January. I'm in the garden so I wont be applying until maybe September or November but want to get ideas.

Reason I said off the beaten path is because Citi cut all cards for AA in this past December so I figure I wait a year plus before going to them again, IF I do go at all. Chase, I'm far over 5/24 so its a no go there. I'm cool with Amex and discover and navy but no card offers it or atleast I cant find any info.

Any idea who does off the beaten path?

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 18:46:34 GMT

Barclay's has trip delay on its Arrival Plus and Arrival cards. If you garden and clear up anything/or distance yourself from what caused the Citi AA, you may be in line for one of their cards.

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 18:55:28 GMT

Cool, I will try to do more research on them. I know they pull TU and that is my cleanest profile with no collections and just 1 30 day late from 2012 and thats all. I suspect That score to be around 750 come Sept/Oct I know I applied for them back and Aept of last year and they said too many inquiries and I added a ton more since then sooooo fed gonna give it a rest until then lol.

Any more options just in case? I didnt know they had cards like that I never heard of them. Learning new stuff!

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

wasCB14 — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 20:05:24 GMT

With Amex, you must purchase it in advance on a per-trip basis for US-issued cards.

Barclays Aviator Red also has trip delay protection, but consider:

The benefits an issuer offers are only part of the valuation. The other part is the claims process. Barclays has a relatively poor reputation in this respect. The claims process may be more unpleasant than the original delay.

I use CSR.

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 20:24:02 GMT

Yeah I want the CSR but it will be another 1 year and maybe 10 months before I can get one I'm sure. Since the honey moon is a year beforr I'm eligible I was looking for other options.

I might check on the Amex per trip thing. Do I just call them and ask? Is it on all cards or just something like the plat? I only habe Hilton Honors no AF, Delta Blue and Business SPG.

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

jdbkiang — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 22:11:56 GMT

I believe the US Bank Altitude Reserve has trip delay as well. But with CSR, paying any part of the trip triggers insurance, while you have to pay the whole trip with the Altitude Reserve.

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

wasCB14 — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 22:12:05 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Yeah I want the CSR but it will be another 1 year and maybe 10 months before I can get one I'm sure. Since the honey moon is a year beforr I'm eligible I was looking for other options.

I might check on the Amex per trip thing. Do I just call them and ask? Is it on all cards or just something like the plat? I only habe Hilton Honors no AF, Delta Blue and Business SPG.

I think it's available on all cards.

As to whether it would be advisable or not, I'd need to know the cost of the policy and the price and complexity of your trip. Trip delays are common but often not terribly expensive. Same for baggage delays. Trip interruption/cancellation may be more important, and for some trips medical evacuation coverage be worth considering

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

wasCB14 — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 22:17:05 GMT

@jdbkiang wrote:
I believe the US Bank Altitude Reserve has trip delay as well. But with CSR, paying any part of the trip triggers insurance, while you have to pay the whole trip with the Altitude Reserve.

Yes, Altitude Reserve has it. It requires a six-hour delay.

Note that AR has comparatively stingy Trip Cancellation benefits with a $2k maximum per trip. By contrast, CSR cover $10k for an individual or $20k for a group.

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 22:47:47 GMT

CSR, hands down.

US Bank Altitude Reserve, close second.

I'd stay away from sir Barclays, he doesnt like to go on trips.

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 23:54:45 GMT

Thanks everyone! I’ll try us bank with prequalified in November.

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 00:42:24 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
CSR, hands down.
US Bank Altitude Reserve, close second.
I'd stay away from sir Barclays, he doesnt like to go on trips.

I think trip delay is mostly the same. $500 if you are delayed more than 6 hours. Where the Altitude Reserve severly lacks is cancellation protection. They only offer 2k max per trip! I can get more on my Citi Premier and I think Freedom and the Double Cash is only $500 less!

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

imaximous — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 02:14:23 GMT

If you want a card without a very high AF, you could try the BofA Premium Rewards card. AF is $95 but you get $100 back in travel incidentals plus Global Entry / TSA credit.
The PR offers pretty much all the travel protections.

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

wasCB14 — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 02:36:50 GMT

@imaximous wrote:
If you want a card without a very high AF, you could try the BofA Premium Rewards card. AF is $95 but you get $100 back in travel incidentals plus Global Entry / TSA credit.
The PR offers pretty much all the travel protections.

https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit-cards/premium-benefits/

Not on the CSR level, but reasonable delay/cancellation coverage for a no-net-AF card.

Delay must be 12+ hours. Also has $5k per person cancellation coverage.

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

imaximous — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 03:30:14 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:
@imaximous wrote:
If you want a card without a very high AF, you could try the BofA Premium Rewards card. AF is $95 but you get $100 back in travel incidentals plus Global Entry / TSA credit.
The PR offers pretty much all the travel protections.
https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit-cards/premium-benefits/

Not on the CSR level, but reasonable delay/cancellation coverage for a no-net-AF card.

Delay must be 12+ hours. Also has $5k per person cancellation coverage.

It's not bad at all for a low-fee card that actually nets you $5 a year if you can use the $100 credit, which btw, applies on a calendar year basis. I used last year's credit in November and this year's a week ago. Plus, you get GE/TSA for free.

Earnings isn't that great even if you have Plat. Honors level, but I keep hoping they'll add transfer partners one day. If Cap One was able to without having any airline associations, I don't see why BofA can't.

One thing I noticed about the Altitude Reserve when I was reading the benefits guide is that the travel protections apply even if you redeem points to pay for travel. The coverage isn't as good as the CSR's, but I don't think the CSR works like that. I'd have to check the docs again, but if I remember correctly, you have to charge the trip on the card to trigger the benefits.

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

ridgebackpilot — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 03:36:31 GMT

Although I have the CSR and other credit cards that offer various forms of travel insurance, I would strongly counsel against relying on them for anything other than airline ticket and lodging refunds. If you want real travel insurance, you need to look elsewhere.

Since my staff and I travel a lot internationally on business, we carefully examined the travel insurance marketplace. We looked at Travel Guard, Global Rescue, Travelex, Allianz, etc. For a variety of reasons, we settled on Global Rescue. It was the only company that offered really good coverage for three important risks: trip interruption/cancellation, medical evacuation, and security (kidnap/ransom/hostage).

The way Global Rescue works is that you purchase a membership first. There are several levels so that you can buy the coverage you need. Then you purchase specific travel insurance for each trip, which varies in price depending on the cost, location, and length of your trip.

How do I know that medical evacuation coverage is important? Years ago, one of my colleagues fell ill while on a business trip in a remote part of Mexico. She was bitten by something; we still don't know what, probably a venomous snake or spider. She went into anaphylactic shock and was taken to a local hospital. When her condition didn't improve, we called for her to be medevaced to Houston for advanced treatment. The travel insurance company sent a LearJet with a flight nurse and crew. In flight to the U.S., my colleague's heart stopped twice and she had to be resuscitated. If we had not purchased medevac coverage for our staff, she likely would not have survived. Your U.S.-based medical insurance doesn't usually cover medevac from other countries! It may also not cover your medical bills for treatment overseas.

The moral of this story: If you travel a lot, particularly overseas, don't rely on solely on credit card issuers for insurance; make sure you're adequately protected. You never know when you're going to need it...

Re: Trip Delay Protection!

digitek — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 14:37:22 GMT

I think the important thing to learn from that story is to get the level of insurance that makes sense for the trip. I probably don't need a membership for a trip insurance group that then allows me to purchase medevac insurance for a trip that is just down to Florida for the weekend.

The delay/interruption that comes standard on any card that offers it is probably adequate for close to 90% of travel. If it is a complicated or expensive trip then just pay a few extra bucks for more comprehensive coverage. And don't forget that not everything is covered by cancellation insurance. You can't just say "oh a meeting came up and I can't make the trip", it is pretty specific about what qualifies.

CSR really does rule in its benefit coverages and limits. It has so many different forms of insurance that it is hard to discern the difference between them all!