Best Credit Cards With Trip Delay Coverage

As much as points and miles enthusiasts like ourselves enjoy careful planning, travel is inherently unpredictable.

Stormy weather, mechanical issues and crewing problems are just some of the reasons why your trip might be delayed.

However, with the right credit card on hand, you can be reimbursed for reasonable costs that result directly from trip delays. Credit card travel insurance, and specifically trip delay insurance, can come to the rescue when common carriers abandon you. This underrated credit card perk could save you hundreds of dollars when bad weather or other events hit.

Let’s run through how trip delay insurance works and some of the best trip delay insurance credit cards.

Top Cards Offering Trip Delay Coverage

Here’s an overview of the best credit cards offering trip delay coverage:

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

One of the most beloved premium travel rewards credit cards also offers some of the best trip delay insurance available.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card offers up to $500 worth of reimbursement per ticket for reasonable expenses. You can take advantage of trip delay coverage as soon as a delay exceeds six hours.

You and your family members, including your spouse/domestic partner and legally dependent children under the age of 26, are all covered as long as you charge at least a portion of your common carrier fare to your card. This extensive coverage makes this card perk highly valuable.

You’ll need to contact your benefits administrator within 60 days and submit all required documentation within 100 days to be eligible for compensation.

Pros

• $300 annual statement credit for travel purchases
• 5X points on flights when purchased as travel via Chase Travel℠ (applies after the first $300 is spent on annual travel purchases)
• 10X points on car rentals and hotels booked through  Chase Travel℠ (applies after the first $300 is spent on annual travel purchases)
• 3X points on eligible delivery service purchases, takeout and dining out
• 3X points on travel purchases (applies after the first $300 is spent on annual travel purchases)
• 10X points on Chase Dining purchases via Ultimate Rewards
• $120 statement credit reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee, every four years
• Complimentary Priority Pass Select^TM membership
• Redeem points for 50% more value when used for travel purchases through Chase (1.5 cents per point).
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• High annual fee

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The all-rounder Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers some of the best trip delay insurance for a relatively low annual fee of just $95.

It offers the exact same trip delay insurance policy as its higher annual fee sibling—the Chase Sapphire Reserve—with the only difference being a minimum delay duration of 12 hours, rather than six.

Pros

•  Receive up to $50 in statement credits for hotel stays purchased through  Chase Travel℠, every account anniversary year.
•  5X total points on travel purchases, when purchased through  Chase Travel℠ (points will not be earned on hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 annual hotel credit)
•  3X points on eligible delivery service purchases, takeout and dining out
•  3X points on online grocery purchases (excludes Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs)
•  3X points on select streaming service purchases
•  2X points on eligible travel purchases
•  1X points on all other purchases
•  Earn an annual account anniversary point bonus equivalent to 10% of your total yearly expenditure.
•  Redeem your points for 25% more value when purchasing travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards (1.25 cents per point).
•  No foreign transaction fees

Cons

•  No lounge access or Global Entry perks

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers lucrative trip delay insurance, among other perks.

You can receive up to $500 back per ticket for reasonable expenses incurred due to delays of six hours or more.

The benefit covers you and your family members, including your spouse/domestic partner and your legally dependent children under the age of 22. You’ll need to contact your benefit administrator within 30 days of your delay and submit all accompanying documentation within 90 days to be eligible for reimbursement.

Capital One is also one of the only card issuers to include strikes as a valid reason for trip delay reimbursement.

Pros

•  Up to $300 annual statement credit when booking travel through Capital One Travel
•  10X miles on rental cars and hotels when booked through Capital One Travel
•  5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
•  2X miles on all other purchases
•  Complimentary access for you, your authorized users and up to two guests for Priority Pass Select, Capital One and Plaza Premium Group lounges (enrollment required)
•  Enjoy cardholder benefits, including experience credits and room upgrades, when staying with the Premier or Lifestyle Collections.
•  No foreign transaction fees
•  Receive 10,000 bonus miles every year on your account anniversary.

Cons

• 10X miles on rental cars and hotels is available when booked through Capital One Travel only.

United℠ Business Card

For small business owners wanting premium benefits while flying with United Airlines, the UnitedSM Business Card is a perfect fit that also offers competitive trip delay insurance.

It shares the exact same policy as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, reimbursing you up to $500 per ticket for delays of 12 hours or longer. You’ll need to contact your benefits administrator within 60 days and submit all required documentation within 100 days to be eligible for compensation.

Pros

• 2X miles on dining, including eligible delivery services
• 2X miles at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting purchases
• 1X miles on all other purchases
• First checked bag free for you and up to one companion on the same reservation
• $100 annual statement credit for eligible United purchases
• Two annual United Club one-time entry passes
• 25% discount, given as a statement credit, for in-flight purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks
• Priority boarding for you and all companions on the same reservation
• 5,000 bonus mile annual boost each year you hold the United Business Card and a personal Chase United card
• No foreign transaction fees
• $100 United travel credit after making seven United purchases, each with a value of $100 or more, within your card anniversary year
• 25 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) for every $500 spent on purchases with your card, up to 1,000 PQPs per calendar year

Cons

• Lounge access is limited to two visits per year.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The juggernaut of travel rewards credit cards—The Platinum Card® from American Express—comes with excellent trip delay coverage.

If your delay exceeds six hours, you can be reimbursed up to $500 per trip. You and your family members, including your spouse/domestic partner and your legally dependent children up to 19 years old (or 26 years old if enrolled full-time at an accredited college), are covered.

You’ll need to contact your benefits administrator within 60 days of your delay, and submit all documentation within a maximum of 180 days to be eligible for compensation. Amex allows you to make a maximum of two claims every 12 months for trip delay reimbursement.

Pros

• 5X points on eligible flights booked with American Express Travel or directly with the airline, on up to $500,000 in charges per calendar year
• 5X points on eligible prepaid hotel reservations when booked on amextravel.com.
• $200 hotel credit on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings made through American Express
• Travel, when you book for a minimum of two consecutive nights
• Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection
• Access to the Fine Hotels and Resorts® Collection for bookings made through American Express Travel
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold and Hilton Honors Gold elite status (enrollment required)
• $240 digital entertainment credit, issued in $20 monthly statement credits for eligible purchases (enrollment required)
• $300 Equinox credit, given in the form of statement credits
• $155 Walmart+ membership statement credit, given in $12.95 monthly credits
• $199 per year in statement credits toward a CLEAR Plus membership
• $200 in airline incidental fee credits, given in the form of statement credits
• $200 Uber Cash, issued in increments of $15 per month with a bonus $20 in December (to receive this benefit you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible The Platinum Card® from American Express must be a method of payment on your Uber account. The Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States.)
• Receive either a $120 statement credit every four years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck application fee (when applying through a TSA official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum card.
• Complimentary premium status for multiple car rental companies (enrollment required)
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• High annual fee
• Bonus categories are for spending through Amex Travel only

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

For Hilton loyalists, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers solid trip delay insurance. If you experience a flight delay on the way to your favorite Hilton resort, you can rest assured that you’ll be reimbursed for at least some of the charges.

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card shares the exact same trip delay insurance policy as the Amex Platinum card, including up to $500 in reimbursement per trip and a maximum of two claims every 12 month period, for delays greater than six hours.

Pros

• 14X points on eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
• 7X points on flights booked directly with airlines or via AmexTravel.com, as well as car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies
• 7X points at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
• 3X points on all other eligible purchases
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status
• Up to $400 annual statement credit, issued in $200 semi-annual increments, for eligible purchases at Hilton resorts
  Annual free night reward (receive a second free night after spending $30,000 within a calendar year and a third free night after spending $60,000)
• $199 statement credit for CLEAR Plus membership
• $100 on-property credit for qualifying charges at participating Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts, when you book a two-night stay
• Up to $200 annual statement credit, issued in quarterly $50 increments, for qualifying airline charges made directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• High annual fee

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

For Delta loyalists wanting premium card benefits including excellent trip delay coverage, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is a solid choice.

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card shares the exact same trip delay insurance policy as the Amex Platinum card, including up to $500 in reimbursement per trip and a maximum of two claims every 12 month period, for delays greater than six hours.

Pros

• 3X miles on direct purchases with Delta
• 1X miles on all other purchases
• Annual Delta Companion Certificate for First Class, Delta Comfort+® or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean or Central American round-trip flights each year after renewal of your card. Taxes and fees of no more than $80 for round-trip domestic flights and no more than $250 for round-trip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments), as well as baggage charges and other restrictions apply.
• $120 annual statement credit for U.S. rideshare purchases, given in $10 monthly credits (enrollment required)
• $240 annual statement credit for U.S. Resy restaurant purchases, given in $20 monthly credits (enrollment required)
• $200 annual statement credit when you book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays
• One Medallion Qualification Dollar for every $10 in purchases charged to your card in a calendar year
• 2,500 MQD boost each Medallion Qualification Year
• First checked bag flies free.
• $50 discount for every 5,000 miles you redeem for flights, using Pay with Miles on delta.com
• 20% savings on Delta in-flight food and beverage purchases, given as a statement credit
• Hertz President’s Circle status (enrollment required)
• Either a $120 statement credit every four years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck application fee (when applying through a TSA official enrollment provider), in each case when charged to your eligible card
• Upgrade priority over other Medallion members in the same Medallion level and fare class grouping
• 15% discount on award travel booked through Delta (not applicable to taxes, fees or partner-operated flights)
• Complimentary Delta Sky Club access in addition to four one-time guest passes per calendar year*
• Complimentary Centurion Lounge access
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Delta Sky Club access will be changing as of Feb. 1, 2025.

* Effective from Feb. 1, 2025: Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card members will receive 15 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. To earn unlimited access from Feb. 1, 2025, the total eligible purchases on your card must be equal to at least $75,000 or more between Jan. 1, 2024 and Dec. 31, 2024, and each calendar year thereafter. Once all 15 visits have been used, you can purchase additional Delta Sky Club visits (including Grab and Go for $25) at a per-visit rate of $50 per person using your eligible card.

American Express® Gold Card

The American Express® Gold Card is unparalleled when it comes to earning on grocery shopping and dining in the U.S. It also comes with a range of travel insurance benefits, including trip delay coverage.

You can be reimbursed by up to $300 per trip when a delay exceeds 12 hours. As with all Amex Cards, you and your family members, including your spouse/domestic partner and your legally dependent children up to 19 years old (or 26 years old if enrolled full time at an accredited college) are eligible for coverage under the trip delay policy.

For your compensation claim to be approved, you’ll need to contact your benefits administrator within 60 days of your delay and submit all documentation within a maximum of 180 days.

Pros

• 4X at restaurants up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x
• 4X points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; 1X points thereafter
• 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com
• 1X points on all other purchases
• Up to $120 Uber Cash, given as Uber Credits, issued in $10 monthly increments, when you add your card to your Uber account for Uber Eats order or Uber rides in the U.S. (enrollment required). An Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
• Up to $120 annual dining credit, issued in $10 monthly statement credits, when you pay with your card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com and Five Guys (enrollment required)
• $100 experience credit (minimum stay of two nights required) when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• 4X points on U.S. supermarket purchases is capped at $25,000 per calendar year.
• Annual dining credit is available for a limited range of merchants only.

What Is Trip Delay Protection?

When the unexpected happens, credit card trip delay insurance has your back.

Trip delay reimbursement covers you for eligible costs incurred as a direct result of a covered reason for a common carrier delay.

Covered reasons for common carrier delays typically include:

• Inclement weather
• Terrorist action including highjacking
• Equipment failure on the part of the common carrier, such as mechanical issues
• Stolen or lost travel documents, such as passports

Certain card trip delay insurance policies even cover delays caused by strikes, such as that offered on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

Just like credit cards with travel medical insurance, trip delay insurance steps in when you need it most.

For example, airlines aren’t legally required to compensate you for additional costs incurred due to delays. Although they often do provide meal vouchers and, in the event of overnight delays, complimentary accommodation, this tends to be in the event of controllable delays only—in other words, delays caused by foreseeable factors that the airline could’ve prevented.

However, in the event of uncontrollable delays—due to inclement weather or unforeseen mechanical issues—airlines tend not to offer anything in the way of reimbursement.

That’s where credit card trip delay insurance comes to the rescue, reimbursing you for the costs of accommodation, meals, toiletries and other personal items incurred due to covered delays. In such situations, trip delay insurance works effectively as credit card flight delay insurance.

How Does the Trip Delay Insurance Work?

For trip delay insurance to kick in, you’ll need to first charge at least a portion, if not all, of your common carrier fare to your eligible credit card. That means you’ll be eligible to receive reimbursement in the event that a covered delay occurs.

For example, Amex specifies that the full fare must be charged to your eligible card or in combination with points. In contrast, both Chase and Capital One specify that either the full amount or a portion of the fare must be covered by an eligible card.

You’ll also need to ensure that the delay incurred is of the minimum duration required for trip delay insurance to be triggered. On premium credit cards, delays greater than six hours will make you eligible to receive reimbursement for additional eligible costs incurred. On other cards, delays typically need to be of at least 12 hours to trigger compensation benefits.

Keep in mind that you’ll typically need to charge all costs to your eligible credit card for them to be covered by your trip delay insurance policy.

Likewise, trip delay insurance policies specify that only “reasonable expenses” can be reimbursed. That means opting for the most expensive hotel during an overnight delay may make you ineligible for reimbursement if cheaper options were available.

Credit card trip delay insurance also typically covers only round-trips of a maximum of 365 days or less which begin and end in the same destination.

After your trip is over, you can go ahead and call your card issuer’s benefit administrator to kick start the reimbursement process. You’ll need to submit certain documents as evidence for compensation eligibility.

What Is Covered With Trip Delay Insurance?

Trip delay insurance covers reasonable essential expenses including accommodation, meals, toiletries and personal items.

Coverage is provided either per eligible common carrier ticket or per eligible trip up to a specified dollar amount. Coverage typically extends to the cardholder’s family members, including their spouse and dependent children up to a certain age. Certain card issuers, such as Amex, increase the age limit for dependent children enrolled full time at an accredited college.

Trip delay insurance provides secondary coverage. That means if the airline or common carrier provides reimbursement for delays, you won’t be able to have these expenses reimbursed again by your credit card issuer.

What Is Not Covered?

While trip delay insurance can save you where other insurances won’t, it doesn’t cover you in every situation.

Delays caused by intentional acts on your part typically aren’t covered by credit card trip delay insurance policies. Getting stuck in traffic on your way to the airport, forgetting to set an alarm or simply not turning up at the time of departure won’t make you eligible for coverage.

Similarly, if covered reasons—such as bad weather—are made known to you well before your time of departure, you won’t be eligible for trip delay reimbursement.

Likewise, while Capital One covers delays due to strikes, neither Chase nor Amex include this as a covered reason. That’s why it’s essential to check the conditions and limitations of your trip delay protection policy.

How to Choose a Credit Card With Trip Delay Coverage

Credit card trip delay insurance is a key card perk that’s often overlooked. However, it’s important to consider credit cards holistically, focusing on the overall benefit package they offer.

You’ll first want to consider the conditions and limitations of each potential trip delay protection perk offered by various credit cards. The choice will be between cards that offer $300 or $500 in reimbursement and with delay durations of six or 12 hours.

Typically, the more you travel, the more value you’ll receive from a higher coverage limit with a lower delay duration. Once you’ve decided on the policy you want, the usual factors in card choice apply.

You’ll want to select a card that best fits your spending habits and travel goals. Think about perks you’ll use frequently and bonus spending categories that will give you the greatest return on your spending.

By selecting a card based on these categories, you’ll be in the best position to offset annual fees and reap the most value possible from the card.

How to File a Trip Delay Claim

Filing a successful trip delay reimbursement claim begins with solid housekeeping. Specifically, you’ll want to ensure you keep the receipts from all expenses incurred as a result of the delay.

To begin, you’ll want to contact your card issuer’s benefit administrator. This needs to be done within 60 days of the delay for Chase and Amex cards, while for Capital One cards you have a maximum of 30 days to file your compensation claim.

You can either call them or contact them through your card account website.

Once you’ve made contact, you’ll need to fill out claim forms issued by your benefits administrator. You’ll then need to submit accompanying proof of loss. Proof of loss consists of documents including but not limited to:

• An official statement from your common carrier clarifying that your trip was delayed
• Receipts of expenses incurred as well as evidence that the fare was charged to an eligible card
• Evidence of your common carrier tickets

You’ll need to submit these documents within 90 days for Capital One, 100 days for Chase and 180 days for Amex for your compensation request to be approved.

Once you’ve submitted the necessary documents, you’ll need to sit tight and wait. Reimbursement can take up to 90 days, which is why it’s good to get the ball rolling as soon as possible.

Protect Against the Unexpected With the Right Credit Card

While we can’t predict the unexpected, we can certainly plan for it.

Equipping yourself with credit card trip delay insurance is a solid step toward insuring yourself against the unexpected. Consider how much you travel to determine the amount you want to be reimbursed in the event of a delay. Once you’ve decided on that, select a card that best matches your spending habits and travel goals.

Once you’ve equipped yourself with the right credit card travel insurance, stay up to date with 10xTravel for more insider travel and credit card tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you claim flight delay on a credit card?

In the event of an airline delay, credit card trip delay insurance can help you. If you meet your card issuer’s eligibility criteria, you can be reimbursed for reasonable expenses up to a specific dollar amount. This typically requires the delay to be a certain minimum duration and for you to have charged your common carrier ticket to your eligible credit card with trip delay insurance.

What expenses can I claim for flight delay?

You claim what credit card issuers define as reasonable expenses. This can include accommodation, meals, toiletries and other personal items. However, keep in mind that opting for the most expensive option when cheaper alternatives are available may make you ineligible for reimbursement.

What is the difference between trip interruption and trip delay insurance?

Trip interruption insurance—also known as trip cancellation insurance—reimburses you up to a specific dollar amount for non-refundable travel costs, in the case that unforeseen events disrupt your trip. These can include sickness, bad weather, injuries and natural disasters. In contrast, trip delay insurance reimburses you for reasonable costs incurred due to a delay in a common carrier’s departure time.

¹ Up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

² Up to $300 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.