Best travel delay/cancellation policy? CSR, CSP, Amex, Premier, Prestige?

[wasCB14]

Many cards offer cancellation protection of some sort. Chase's policies are the most favorable when it comes to covering award travel.

The cards that require a 6-hour delay are mostly ~$450 AF products: Prestige, AA Exec, CSR, Ritz, Altitude Reserve. There may be others. United Club requires 12 hours, despite its AF.

True, the allowed reasons for cancellation vary between issuers.

Amex requires customers to purchase these policies with cash, in advance, for any particular trip.

Citi added a "close connections" exclusion a while ago. It applies even on Premier's 12-hour coverage:

There is no benefit if "the Covered Traveler(s) is delayed due to a missed connection of their Common Carrier, but the delay that caused the missed connection does not meet the required time period of 12 hours." Some people were booking close connections and AA Exec and Prestige before this, when those cards just required 3 hour delays. This change of terms makes Citi's delay coverage less attractive.

[digitek]

The Altitude Reserve has Trip Delay?.......oh man I might lose CSR and go for it, I want to try mobile wallet but didn't want to pay for 2 premium cards....

[Anonymous]

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@digitek wrote:

LOL man you're the one with the WF Propel card you tell me =D

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no clue, lol, I have never used these benefit on any of my trips before. yeah I got trip cancellation due to snowmagaden before, but usually Delta refund the money (even if ticket is non-refundable). Sometime Delta also offer extra skypesoes for long delays.

I will call wells and let you know what I can find out, lol

UPDATE: Wells CSR said there is no cancellation protection, lol, seems entire Amex network cards are lacking in this area.

[wasCB14]

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@digitek wrote:

The Altitude Reserve has Trip Delay?.......oh man I might lose CSR and go for it, I want to try mobile wallet but didn't want to pay for 2 premium cards....

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I've considered it. I'm pretty well set as far as miles/points, so a bit of "travel cash" might be nice.

I just get uneasy that they might nerf it sometime. The card does offer a nice bonus, at least.

A summary of AR benefits: https://benefits.usbank.com/personal/benefits/benefits-us-bank-altitude-visa-infinite.html I've not read the full text to check for any weird conditions.

[digitek]

You know I wondered the same about the Altitude card, but I'm not sure a nerf will come.  I think in the case of this card the reduced amount lost to fraud by using mobile wallets helps to pay for the x3 benefit.  That and the fact that I bet a bunch of people with the card don't even use a mobile wallet at all and just use it is a premium travel card for whatever reason.

I'm gonna do it =D

It also gives me a reason to get a Samsung Gear S3 Frontier watch...just a heads up that the newest Samsung watch, the Galaxy, does not actually have a Samsung Pay hardware coil in it like the phones.  You can only use it at NFC terminals, whereas with Samsung Gear S3 it actually has the coil in it so you can use it for all terminals like the phone.  They said they took it out because it crushed the watch battery life, which isn't a good sign...

[Anonymous]

Altitude Reserve is nice, but it only covers up to 2k per trip! I think others cover up to 5k or more. The delay is also nice because it kicks in at 6+ hours. 

I don't think the propel offers it as it is an American Express, and, as far as I know, they do not offer the travel protection. However, your Wells Fargo Visa Signature actually has a lot of travel benefits and protections. Heck it even has price protection. 

Sometimes it is kind of difficult to find exactly the benefits that come with your card, but it is important to read up to make sure you are adequately informed. Knowledge is power! These card benefits can be extremely helpful, you just need to figure out how/when to use them.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Altitude Reserve is nice, but it only covers up to 2k per trip! I think others cover up to 5k or more. The delay is also nice because it kicks in at 6+ hours. 

I don't think the propel offers it as it is an American Express, and, as far as I know, they do not offer the travel protection. However, your Wells Fargo Visa Signature actually has a lot of travel benefits and protections. Heck it even has price protection. 

Sometimes it is kind of difficult to find exactly the benefits that come with your card, but it is important to read up to make sure you are adequately informed. Knowledge is power! These card benefits can be extremely helpful, you just need to figure out how/when to use them.

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right, wells visa siggy copvers up to 2k for sickness related cancellations. This is something that I may be able to use.

[wasCB14]

Keep in mind you can (usually) only use one card per purchase. I like CSR in part because it gives very broad travel protections.

Price protection is great, and I have made at least a hundred such claims with Citi...but I don't need those perks on a travel card.

Agreed, $2k max per trip isn't much, especially on a $400 AF card. I get 10x that (5x for solo travel). Guess that's part of why the net AF is relatively low...and some people have complained about travel redemption hassles.

[Anonymous]

BankAm has 6hr delay and 10k cancellation

I did a comparison for myself recently and Citi Costco has most covering cancellation and interruption (incl. pet sick), and not only for air travel. They dont have trip delay cover though.

Trip delay only gives some incidentals, like a meal or toiletry, right?

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymous wrote:

BankAm has 6hr delay and 10k cancellation

I did a comparison for myself recently and Citi Costco has most covering cancellation and interruption (incl. pet sick), and not only for air travel. They dont have trip delay cover though.

Trip delay only gives some incidentals, like a meal or toiletry, right?

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It can cover a hotel room. If the airline cancels a return flight long before you go to the airport (like in advance of a major snow storm) and you have to rebook, it can mean a slightly extended vacation. An airline might not pay the cost of the room when they've given that kind of advance notice.