My Trip Delay Coverage Didn't Apply — Reader Mistake Story
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Today, I want to share a story from TPG reader Craig, who got stuck with an unexpected hotel bill after a canceled flight:
I have a ton of JetBlue points, and got a really great redemption rate on round-trip flights for me and my husband from Boston (BOS) to Charlotte (CLT). We also have JetBlue travel bank credits, which we used to pay the $22.40 in taxes (rather than using either our Chase Sapphire Reserve or JetBlue Plus cards).
Fast forward to the weekend of our trip: North Carolina experienced atypically early snowfall, causing most flights in and out of CLT to be cancelled on the day we were supposed to fly home (including all of the JetBlue-operated flights). Fortunately, we were able to snag a hotel room downtown and extend our vacation for a day, but unfortunately, we had to pay for the hotel out of pocket. Since we used the travel bank credit to pay for the taxes on our award flights, the trip delay coverage offered by our credit cards didn't kick in!
My new rule of thumb is to pay for award taxes using a card that offers trip delay coverage if I'm traveling when delays are likely. That means anytime in the winter (given that I'm based in Boston), hurricane season when traveling to the Southeast, etc. It's obviously not a foolproof approach, but it would have helped this time!
Trip delay coverage reimburses you for a variety of expenses you might incur during a delay, such as meals, lodging, local transportation and personal items. It's a great asset for frequent flyers because you're not confined to specific hotels or restaurants like you might be with an airline voucher, and because most policies apply even in situations where airlines could decline to help (like inclement weather). Coverage isn't automatic, however; in order for the benefit to apply, you have to use your card to pay for at least some portion of your fare, even if it's just the taxes and fees on an award flight.
Consider that the next time you're redeeming an airline voucher. If the balance of your voucher is less than your airfare, then your delay coverage and other travel benefits should still kick in when you put the difference on your card. Otherwise, take Craig's approach and try to avoid using vouchers on flights that are highly susceptible to delays. Apart from weather concerns or slowdowns caused by major events, you could check the monthly list of chronically delayed flights provided by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Even if your specific flight isn't listed, keep an eye out for others involving your carrier with the same origin or destination. Delays are unpredictable, but it helps to know when the odds are a bit higher than normal.
I appreciate this story, and I hope it can help other readers avoid making the same mistake. In appreciation for sharing this experience (and for allowing me to post it online), I’m sending Craig a $200 airline gift card to enjoy on future travels, and I'd like to do the same for you. Please email your own travel mistake stories to info@thepointsguy.com, and put "Reader Mistake Story" in the subject line. Tell us how things went wrong, and (where applicable) how you made them right. Offer any wisdom you gained from the experience, and explain what the rest of us can do to avoid the same pitfalls.
Feel free to also submit your best travel success stories. If your story is published in either case, I’ll send you a gift to jump-start your next adventure. I look forward to hearing from you, and until then, I wish you a safe and mistake-free journey!
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10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023