One of the best benefits of a travel credit card is trip protection: reimbursement for expenses incurred during travel delays, such as meals or lodging if you get stranded overnight while flying, or personal items needed if your bags are late or misdirected. These policies will also act like basic travel insurance, reimbursing money lost to prepaid and nonrefundable expenses, such as hotels and airfare, if your trip is interrupted or canceled—but not under all circumstances.
Trip interruption and cancellation coverage usually kicks in if you get sick or hurt before or while traveling (and are advised by a doctor to cancel your plans); if there is a serious illness, injury, or death in your family; if your plans are affected by severe weather or a named storm; or if you receive military orders or a court notice that impact your travel. Your policy may include other covered circumstances, so be sure to read it carefully, and note that you have to pay for some or all of your trip using your card in order to receive benefits.
Here’s what generally isn’t covered by your credit card travel protection plan (and may require additional travel insurance).
Rebooked flights or hotels
Trip protection applies to expenses already paid at the time of the interruption or cancellation, like nonrefundable hotel nights, airfare, or tour fees. You cannot claim reimbursement for the cost of a new flight or future itinerary if you rebook.
Travel companions
Your credit card protection policy obviously covers your losses and in many cases will also provide reimbursement for those incurred by immediate family members. It probably will not cover unrelated travel companions, even if they experience the same cancellation or interruption.
Missing documentation
If you forget to renew your passport or you don’t receive a required visa in time, you are out of luck on trip protection. It will not cover you if you have to cancel due to missing travel documents.
Certain medical issues
While trip protection will reimburse expenses due to unexpected illness or injury before or during your travels, it probably won’t cover interruption or cancellation related to pre-existing health conditions (be sure to read your policy to get clear on the specifics). It may also exclude interruption or cancellation related to pregnancy.
High-risk travel
Trip protection does not extend to travel that by nature has a higher likelihood of interruption or cancellation, such as trips to conflict zones (or a cardholder’s “disinclination to travel due to civil unrest,” according to Chase) or adventure travel with high-risk activities. Some travel insurance policies allow you to add adventure sports coverage if you plan to engage in things like skydiving or scuba diving.
Emergency evacuations
Your credit card protections are not a catch-all replacement for health insurance or travel medical insurance, which can be purchased separately for major expenses like emergency evacuations. If you have health issues, are engaging in high-risk activities, or are traveling to an area with limited medical care, you may want to consider additional coverage.
Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR)
Obviously, your credit card trip protection has limitations and exclusions, and it won’t reimburse you if your financial circumstances change, you have a scheduling conflict, or you simply decide not to travel. (A standard travel insurance policy may not either.) If you want to ensure you get your money back on nonrefundable expenses no matter what, you’ll need to get Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) travel insurance.
