Credit Card Flight Delay Insurance

It’s not uncommon to have a delayed flight. It could be as simple as taking a few extra minutes to land because of busy air traffic or poor weather conditions. If your flight is delayed one hour, you might think it’s not a big deal. But when the delay increases to multiple hours, it can be both tiring and costly. You may have to pay additional costs for accommodations and meals just waiting for your flight to depart. In this situation, you might benefit from having travel insurance on your rewards credit card. More specifically, flight delay insurance is there to help you with the unexpected expenses added to your trip.

 

What is flight delay insurance?

Flight delay insurance provides coverage for the unexpected expenses that arise with a delayed flight. It’ll usually cover up to a fixed amount in expenses that can range from meals to accommodations.

What is covered under flight delay insurance?

You’re covered when your flight is delayed beyond a certain time period. You may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses including sundry items, meals and refreshments, and accommodations.

Many insurance policies also outline accepted causes for the delay. Possible causes include:

• Severe weather conditions
• Equipment failure of common carrier (in other words, the airplane)
• Strike or other job actions by employees of the common carrier
• No alternative transportation was made available to you within the first four hours of original departure time

 

What isn’t covered under flight delay insurance?

Although this is a great perk to have included, not all circumstances will be covered under your insurance plan. Here are some of the exclusions your insurance provider may outline in its policy:

• Circumstances you were aware of when you booked the trip
• Pre-existing medical conditions (six months if under 65 and 12 months if you’re over 65)
• Pregnancy
• Riot or civil disorder, committing or attempting to commit a criminal offense
• Intentional self injury, suicide or attempted suicide while sane or insane
• Abuse of any medication or non-compliance with prescribed medical treatment/therapy
• Mental, nervous, or emotional disorders that don’t require immediate hospitalization
• Any injury or accident occurring while the insured person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Any chronic illness or hospitalization related to, or exacerbated by, the habitual use of alcohol or illegal drugs
• The insured person is voluntarily and knowingly exposing himself or herself to risk from:
  • An act of war, whether declared or undeclared
  • An act of war, whether declared or undeclared
  • Rebellion or revolution
  • Hijacking or terrorism
  • Any service in the armed forces %li Participation in professional sports, any speed contests, scuba driving, hang gliding, skydiving, parachuting, bungee jumping, parasailing, spelunking, mountaineering, or rock climbing
• Any trip commenced or continued against the advice of the insured person’s physician
• Failure of any travel supplier or of any travel agent, agency, or broker
• Non-presentation of required travel documents (visa, passport, etc.)
• Death or serious illness or a person when the purpose of the trip is to provide and physical care for them

 

 

What is reimbursed by flight delay insurance?

If your credit card has flight delay insurance, you’re eligible to receive reimbursement for all necessary expenses including accommodations and meals. Your insurance provider will often outline that you can be reimbursed up to a maximum amount per person, per day, and per trip.

How do you make a flight delay insurance claim?

As with any insurance claim, you should notify your insurance provider as soon as possible. Some companies require you to notify them within a certain period of time. You’ll likely be asked to provide:

• The plane ticket or credit card receipt for ticket
• A written statement from airline verifying the delay
• Itemized original receipts of necessary and reasonable expenses

 

The devil is in the details

As with any insurance plan, read over the details outlined for flight delay insurance. You’ll want to have a thorough understanding of what coverage you can receive before finding yourself in a situation where you need to file a claim. The important thing to note with flight delay insurance is the length of time your flight must be delayed to receive coverage and what purchases are eligible for reimbursement. Also, note what your insurance provider requires for you when making a claim. Having a credit card with flight delay insurance will make your delay a little more enjoyable and a little less worrisome.