by When most people think the epidemic is over, the Covid-19 Delta type threatens fall and winter travel plans. But if you book a trip with a credit card that offers travel insurance, you will be able to reimburse some of your expenses.
For example, if your trip is canceled or interrupted, your card may offer some coverage and may cover the cost of delayed or lost luggage.
In general, premium reward cards – which normally charge an annual fee – offer good coverage.
Protection usually begins when events that affect your trip get out of your control, said Nick Ewen, a travel awards expert at The Points Guy, a consumer travel website.
For example, suppose a flight delay causes you to miss a night in a hotel room that you had reserved with advance, non-refundable payment. If you pay for a room with a credit card that includes travel insurance, the card will cover your losses. But if you decide that you don’t want to go on a trip anymore कदाचित perhaps because of the worries of Covid-19 प्रवास your card’s travel insurance probably won’t cover your losses.
Not all cards are created equal.
The Chase Sapphire reserve card (annual fee $ 550) offers cancellation / interruption coverage of up to $ 10,000 per person, for example, the American Express Platinum card (annual fee for new cardholders $ 695) provides up to 10,000 per trip.
Most travel insurance paid by credit card is secondary to any coverage provided by the airline or hotel. For example, if an airline pays you $ 2,000 to cover the cost of lost luggage and your credit card’s lost luggage coverage is limited to $ 2,000, your claim will be denied. If your card’s lost luggage coverage exceeds that amount, you can get a difference between $ 2,000 and the card’s coverage limit.
If you’re not sure what type of travel insurance your card offers, log in to your credit card account and read the benefits guide. The guide usually provides a toll-free number that you can call if you have additional questions.
Or, if you find that your card does not offer travel insurance or has some benefits, consider buying one with good rewards. See a list of Kiplinger’s Top Reward Cards at Kiplinger.com/kpf/cards21.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
