Travel Insurance Saved Our Vacation — Reader Success Story
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Today I want to share a story from TPG reader Noah, who got massive value from one of his credit card benefits:
My wife and I take one big trip and a few small trips every year. We wanted a card that earns bonus points on travel purchases, along with no foreign transaction fees, lounge access, and most importantly for this story, travel insurance. After a lot of research at the beginning of last year, we determined the Chase Sapphire Reserve best aligns with our wants and needs. A week after getting the card, we booked a big trip to Southeast Asia over the holidays after I found a great business class fare. Over the course of six months, we booked a few regional flights, hotels, tours, etc., and waited excitedly for our adventure.
Fast forward to 10 days before we were supposed to leave: I got a call from my wife saying she was in an accident at work and was headed to the emergency room. She sustained a serious chemical burn to her eye, and we spent five hours there while they flushed out as much as possible. Five days later (on Christmas Eve), a specialist told us we had to cancel our trip. My wife needed to be closely monitored, with appointments every two days for a couple of weeks and possibly surgery. Her health was the top priority, but our hearts sank as we realized our trip was ruined. The only comfort was knowing that we had travel insurance through the Sapphire Reserve.
When we got home from the doctor, I called customer service and spent the next couple of hours asking questions and filing a claim — I was advised to do this as soon as possible, since you need to contact travel suppliers within 48 hours of a doctor determining travel is not medically permitted. I spent the following weeks getting the proper paperwork filled out by doctors, talking for countless hours on the phone with Chase and the insurance representatives, and gathering all the information I needed to submit.
And the results? After two months, my wife is expected to make a full recovery and we are about to leave on our (doctor approved) adventure to Southeast Asia thanks to our Sapphire Reserve benefits. While many travel suppliers were willing to issue a refund after we provided a doctor's letter, not all of them agreed. In those instances, the travel insurance cut us a check to make us whole. To put it into perspective, the amount we recovered could pay the $450 annual fee [increased to $550 as of Jan.12, 2020] for our card for almost a decade! Fingers crossed that I never have to use it again, but I am glad I have it for peace of mind.
'Travel insurance' encompasses a variety of benefits, ranging from baggage delay protection and emergency evacuation coverage to the trip cancellation protection Noah used. When a covered event (like illness, injury or weather) keeps you from traveling as planned, this benefit can reimburse you for non-refundable expenses like flights or pre-paid hotel reservations. The Sapphire Reserve card offers coverage up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip (with a cap of $40,000 in any 12-month period). As Noah points out, you hope to never need cancellation protection, but the strength of the Sapphire Reserve coverage compared to other travel rewards cards is an underappreciated reason to use it for travel purchases.
Like most credit card benefits, you'll need to abide the rules and restrictions for your claim to be approved. Apart from needing to act quickly after receiving a doctor's advice not to travel, you'll have limited time to file a written claim, and you'll likely need to include abundant supporting documentation. In short, the claims process isn't simple, but as Noah's story shows, it should still be worthwhile if you're facing significant losses.
Credit card travel insurance is convenient because you don't have to sign up for it independently — the benefit applies so long as you use your card to pay for your trip and meet the other requirements. However, it's worth considering whether your coverage is a good fit for your plans. If your trip doesn't qualify for protection (for example, if it's more than 60 days in duration) or if you're traveling with a large group and worried about running up against coverage limits, you may want to invest in travel insurance independent from whatever protection is attached to your card.
I love this story and I want to hear more like it! In appreciation for sharing this experience (and for allowing me to post it online), I'm sending Noah a $200 airline gift card to enjoy on future travels, and I'd like to do the same for you. Please email your own award travel success stories to info@thepointsguy.com; be sure to include details about how you earned and redeemed your rewards, and put "Reader Success Story" in the subject line. Feel free to also submit your most woeful travel mistakes, or to contribute to our new award redemption series. If your story is published, we'll send you a gift to jump-start your next adventure. Due to the volume of submissions, we can't respond to each story individually, but we'll be in touch if yours is selected.
Safe and happy travels to all, and I look forward to hearing from you!
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.