My vacation in New York City was coming to an end, and I decided to take one last trip aboard the Staten Island Ferry. Just as I boarded, my phone vibrated with a message from American Airlines. I paused abruptly. The airline informed me that my flight had been cancelled because of bad weather conditions. Surely this has to be some sort of error, I mused, glancing about nervously.
The skies were clear. It was only a few hours before my flight, and I was just about to leave for the airport. Instead, I called American Airlines.
For some, an unplanned overnight delay in one of the priciest urban centers globally It would have been quite cumbersome. However, as a personal finance journalist with a penchant for experimenting firsthand, I had no urgent reason to rush back home and had reserved my ticket beforehand. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card* with its The travel delay reimbursement benefit made me incredibly happy; I couldn't be more satisfied.
A customer service agent verified the flight delay, and shortly after, I got another message asking me to reschedule my trip for the following day. Several hours passed, and sure enough, heavy rainfall began, aligning with what the airline had forecasted.
Dear reader, trust me when I say — I was excited .
Key aspects of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s travel delay insurance benefit you should be aware of
Some of the top attributes of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card with an annual fee of $95 are its travel protections .
They include trip cancellation/interruption insurance , reimbursement for lost luggage, insurance for delayed baggage, travel accident insurance, coverage for car rentals, and assistance with trip delays — the benefits I utilized during this journey.
If your (or another insured person’s) public transportation journey is postponed for over 12 hours or necessitates an overnight stay due to a covered event, Chase will cover up to $500 of eligible costs (for each insured individual, per trip) incurred during this delay that your airline or other entities do not compensate. travel insurance policies .
According to the terms and conditions , 'Covered Reasons' encompass equipment breakdowns, severe weather conditions, labor strikes, or hijackings/skyjackings. ‘Reasonable Expenses’ cover costs for food, accommodations, personal hygiene items, and necessary medications. This insurance starts when you depart on your journey and concludes upon completing your trip.
To enable this feature along with the other travel protections offered to Preferred members, make sure you use your card to purchase your ticket. Additionally, hold onto all your receipts – they will be necessary when submitting your claim.
How I Utilized My Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for an Extra NYC Getaway
Once I verified with the airline that my flight had indeed been cancelled, I proceeded to thoroughly read the terms and conditions Regarding the trip delay reimbursement benefit, I reached out to Chase customer service to clarify several points I was uncertain about.
Initially, I questioned whether my scenario qualified as a covered delay. Given that my flight was canceled and rescheduled onto another, I was uncertain if this counted as an official "delay." (As it turns out, it did.)
Secondly, how was a "reasonable" cost for meals defined? The customer service agent proposed a cap of $50 per meal. (Simple enough.)
Third, was I still qualified for coverage despite my previous actions? redeemed my airline miles for the flight booking And I covered only the taxes and fees using my SapphirePreferred card? (No issues arose from this decision either.)
Now that my queries were addressed, I decided it was appropriate to treat myself -- within reason -- at Chase’s expense.
I reserved a bed in a dorm room at a hostel for roughly $75 per night before going out for dinner and treating myself with a sashimi platter along with a beverage. and Dessert. The total came out to about $48 after including taxes and tip, making it the priciest meal I've had in some time. However, it was absolutely delightful, plus since Chase footed the bill, every bite seemed even more enjoyable.
I ended my day with a pleasant walk in Central Park. By then, I was quite contented. Free from concerns over additional expenses, the postponement seemed more like an unexpected holiday rather than an annoyance.
The following morning, I stopped by a nearby bagel store and picked up breakfast for $17 before heading to the airport.
It all proceeded without issues until storm clouds began moving in as the aircraft sat on the runway. They informed us that departure would be pushed back by thirty minutes, followed by yet another delay of thirty more minutes, and this pattern continued repeatedly until eventually canceling the flight after numerous hours had passed. Upon getting the hyperlink to reschedule, the earliest alternative was scheduled two days afterward. Consequently, I found myself stranded in New York City for an additional pair of evenings.
Once I retrieved my bags from the disorganized chaos of the baggage claim area, I rewarded myself with an extravagant poke bowl priced at $21 as a form of compensation.
Since there were no flights available the following day, I decided to explore downtown New York City instead. I ended up at a taco joint where I enjoyed a tasty meal costing me $23. Despite having an enjoyable experience, I found myself approaching the $500 cap for my travel delay reimbursement and began feeling homesick.
Fortunately, the sky was clear the following day. My departure went smoothly, allowing me to finally exit New York -- three days later than planned.
Filing the claim
After I got back home, I began to submit the insurance claim. chasecardbenefits.com I completed a document including the following details:
- Traveler's name and information
- The initial flight date along with the delayed date
- The date when the initial flight ticket was bought
- The level of compensation I was seeking
- The level of compensation I got from the insurer or various insurance policies
- The cause of the flight delay
I have also uploaded the following documents:
- The ticket for my initial flight
- The travel plans of my initial flight along with the later rescheduling options
- The credit card statement indicated that I had covered both the taxes and fees associated with my flight using my Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
- Invoices for all the expenditures I sought compensation for
The entire procedure was quite user-friendly. The portal from Chase offered straightforward guidance on the necessary information and paperwork along with their specific locations. It took me roughly one hour to sort through my documents, sum up my expenditures, and complete the claim forms.
However, Chase required some additional persuasion.
After eight days, I got an email requesting extra paperwork. Chase needed a declaration from the airline about the duration and cause of the delay. I reached out to American Airlines and a couple of days afterward, obtained an official message through email, which I then submitted to the claim website.
They additionally requested evidence that I had used my Chase Sapphire Preferred card for the initial ticket purchase. Although I had submitted my credit card statement with my original complaint, it seems like there might have been some misunderstanding caused by the way I initially reserved my flight.
I had reserved an American Airlines trip via the Qantas website, which is part of their partnership network, utilizing Qantas loyalty points with what’s called a codeshare arrangement.
The initial ticket I received was from Qantas, and my credit card statement reflected a payment (for taxes and fees) directed to Qantas. However, the flight itself was managed by American Airlines, and all documents related to the delay were provided by American Airlines.
It appeared as though the flight I partly paid for using my Sapphire Preferred card was not the same one that experienced delays. I resubmitted all pertinent documents through the portal and included a short explanation of how code-share flights operate.
A week and a half after sending over the extra paperwork, I received an email stating that my claim was accepted and inquiring about my preference for receiving the refund. verifying that the email was genuine I opted for direct deposit and completed a form providing my banking details.
I got the funds two days later for the claimed reimbursement. The amount totaled around $380, covering all my costs related to food, accommodation, and travel during the delay — significantly more than the card’s limit of $95. annual fee .
Advice for getting the most out of your credit card’s travel insurance
The claims procedure went fairly smoothly, though I did pick up some valuable insights throughout. Should you ever have to utilize your credit card’s travel insurance coverage, consider these suggestions from my experience:
- Go through the terms and conditions prior to taking any action. Thoroughly review the terms and conditions outlined in your credit card’s benefits handbook to understand which scenarios are protected under your card’s travel coverage, including their limitations and required documentation. Should you have any doubts similar to mine, contact either your credit card company or travel insurance provider for clear explanations. before spending any money.
- Avoid using up your allowance too fast. if your delay ends up being more significant than anticipated. Reflecting on it now, I'm happy I opted for a budget-friendly hostel rather than a pricier hotel. Initially, when my first flight got canceled, I had no clue the delay would stretch over three long days. Had I reserved a room in New York at those rates, I likely would have surpassed the $500 reimbursement cap and been stuck with additional expenses myself.
- Structure your documents as you progress. Each time I covered a reimbursable cost due to the travel holdup, I promptly captured an image or screenshot of the receipt and stored it within a specific folder on my mobile device. Additionally, I screen grabbed all correspondences from the airline along with updates on my flight’s status page whenever there were changes or further delays. Keeping this documentation organized throughout proved quite helpful. so It became much simpler when I had to submit my claim.
- Have an emergency fund. Although trip delay insurance will refund your costs, there'll still be a gap between when you pay these expenses and receive reimbursement. It's advisable to allocate extra funds in your travel budget or secure alternative coverage. emergency fund So you can cover any unforeseen expenses without getting into debt if your refund takes some time.
Final thoughts
I've always enjoyed the Chase Sapphire Preferred card for its good rewards rates and transfer partners However, this experience demonstrated to me just how crucial its travel protections can be.
Even though I would never consciously wish For an issue to occur simply for testing the card’s travel insurance, understanding these safeguards allows me additional serenity during travels—while also reducing my anxiety and expenses should anything go awry. do go wrong.
*All details regarding the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card have been gathered independently by Massima and have not been reviewed by the issuing party.