Name: American Express® Gold Card
Brand: American Express

Quick summary

Booking travel through online agencies or credit card travel portals can complicate resolving delays, cancellations or changes, especially during peak seasons.
Before travel, the agency or portal typically manages your reservation, but after check-in, the airline or hotel takes over responsibility for changes.
Refunds for cancellations depend on how you paid, with points-based bookings sometimes requiring extra steps to restore points instead of receiving a statement credit.
Customer service can be difficult to reach; alternative contact methods and preparation can help expedite resolution.

What to consider

For changes before departure, contact the agency or portal directly; after check-in, the airline or hotel is responsible for changes.
Refund timelines and processes differ for cash versus points bookings, so review your booking terms carefully.
Claims for travel protections are managed by third-party benefit administrators, not the card issuer, and may require detailed documentation.

What you'll miss from the article

Step-by-step strategies for navigating customer service, maximizing claim success and minimizing disruptions when booking through online travel agencies.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

The holiday season usually brings flight delays and cancellations. Also, if you're traveling through regions with snow, the chances of weather affecting your travel add a layer of uncertainty.

Along with bringing extra patience when traveling, knowing what to do if something goes wrong can also help you find a solution.

Unfortunately, that can be easier said than done. We receive emails regularly asking for help. They usually read something like this: "I booked a trip through my credit card's online travel portal. The flight was canceled, so the airline told me to contact the portal and the portal told me to contact the airline. No one is helping."

If you have problems with a booking made with an online travel agent (OTA) or a claim related to your credit card's benefits, what should you expect during this process of delays or cancellations? Also, if things aren't working, what can you do to improve the situation when it's impossible to contact the online travel agency where you originally made your booking?

Here are our best tips to get your trip back on track and help you move claims forward if you need to submit one.

What is an online travel agent/online travel agency?

Before we start, I want to ensure we're all talking about the same thing. When you book a flight directly with an airline or a hotel, you know who to talk to if your trip is canceled or delayed.

elderly friends look at a guide book and use a computer to plan a vacation — OLIVER ROSSI/GETTY IMAGES

Conversely, there can be advantages and disadvantages to using a travel agent or aggregator websites like Expedia.com, Booking.com or the travel portal from your credit card issuer. These websites function as an intermediary, selling travel reservations to you, but they aren't the ones operating the flight, hotel or cruise.

This can add a layer of complexity when things go wrong during your trip, and some of these websites have better track records than others when it comes to helping you sort out your trip during schedule changes.

There are other considerations for whether you should use an online travel agent/online travel agency (OTA), and we have several articles you can reference on that topic:

For today's purposes, let's assume you already have a reservation made through an OTA. Our goal is to help you navigate changes and cancellations to your trip and problems with any related claims when something goes wrong. This includes asking American Express, Capital One, Chase and Citi what people should do if there are problems with bookings made in their portals. Some of their tips are included below.

A trip change or cancellation before travel

The first set of issues you might encounter is a schedule change or cancellation before you depart. Depending on how drastically your trip is affected, you should receive options for alternate flights or accommodation, or possibly an option to cancel altogether for a refund.

Before your trip and checking in online, the OTA still owns your reservation. It's worth knowing that you will need to deal with the online travel agency for any changes before your trip. Contacting the airline or hotel directly will likely end with you being told to contact the portal's customer service team.

Making changes before your trip

If you receive an email saying that there was a change to your trip (or if you decide you want to make a change), the best thing to do is understand the change clearly and then see what your options are.

In addition to the options presented in the email, search online to see what else is available. Is there another flight to your destination at a time that works for you? If you can no longer stay at your hotel, did you find something nearby from the same brand?

Knowing other options available from the same company or its partners can help you know what our options are. There are probably more options than just the one or two presented in the email you received to tell you about a change to your trip. If you know what exists, you can advocate for yourself when rebooking.

a child sits on a suitcase while waiting for a delayed flight — YELLOW DOG PRODUCTIONS/GETTY IMAGES

That said, if you want a travel plan that wasn't immediately presented to you in an email or when managing your reservation online, you may need to call. Unfortunately, hold times on the phone are one of the major complaints related to bookings from an online travel agent. See the section below for tips on reaching customer service quickly.

With cruises, the cruise line should communicate changes with you before your trip, and what happens next will vary by how soon you're sailing and how significant the change will be. The cruise line may offer you a discount on a future sailing or onboard credit during your sailing if you choose to keep your booking. Significant changes may come with an offer for a refund. Changing to a different cruise with that same company may be an option if there are significant changes to the sailing you reserved, so ask about this if you're interested.

Refunds for cancellations

Assuming a trip was canceled and you should receive a refund, refunds for cash payments and refunds when you paid with points function differently.

Assuming you booked a hotel and won't be staying there, a Hotels.com cancellation or Booking.com cancellation should be refunded to the credit card used during your booking. Double-check your booking terms to see how long the refund will take. The same applies when you book a flight or cruise through an online travel agency and paid by credit card.

However, if you paid with points from a bank's travel portal, this will work differently. If you paid with points and your trip is canceled by the provider (such as an airline), American Express will process your refund as a statement credit.

However, according to a spokesperson for American Express, you can call the number on the back of your Amex card to ask for your refund to be converted to points. Conversely, Capital One will refund you in the way that you paid: credit card, miles or a mix of the two.

A Trip change and cancellation during travel

We'll consider the "you've started traveling" period to begin when you check in online for a flight.

Once you check in for a flight, the airline takes over your reservation. At that point, the airline becomes responsible for any changes — whether that's due to a canceled flight or because you decide you want to make a change.

"This limits a booking agent's ability to resolve an issue if one comes up," according to a spokesperson for American Express Travel. "If a change or cancellation is needed, contact your booking agent before you check in to avoid being bounced between customer service teams and potential fees."

A spokesperson for Chase mentioned a larger grace period but reiterated the same issue: "Chase Travel may no longer be able to make changes on the customer's behalf and only the airline can assist" within two hours of departure.

If you've checked in already or if you miss a flight, you should deal directly with the airline — not the website where you made your booking. The airline should help you make new arrangements. If the airline insists that you contact your booking portal, ask the airline to add notes to your reservation stating this.

Senior credit cards editor Matt Moffitt dealt with this problem during a flight cancellation. He had the airline put a note on his reservation saying that they approved the OTA to make changes to help him avoid back-and-forth when trying to change his flight.

a frustrated person with their head down waits in an airport — BYMURATDENIZ/GETTY IMAGES

For problems with hotels, most hotel programs have some sort of room guarantee. If you show up at a hotel and it's closed or they can't honor your confirmed reservation, the hotel should find a new place for you to stay. This should not be your responsibility.

For more details, you can read the reservation guarantee policies for Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Marriott. You may even receive compensation if your original hotel booking cannot be honored.

Cruises are very different. It's important to read the fine print and check the terms of your cruise contract. Many of these contracts indicate that a cruise itinerary can be changed and that the cruise line does not have to refund you.

Itinerary changes can happen due to mechanical failures, disasters at the port of call or other issues beyond the cruise line's control. If there is a change, the cruise line may offer you some type of perk (typically onboard credit). However, moving you to a different cruise — in the way you could change to a different flight due to schedule changes — probably isn't an option unless you choose to buy a ticket for that other cruise.

How to reach customer service quickly

Let's say that plans have gone sideways, and you need to talk to customer service to rebook or cancel your trip. Hold times can be long with any airline or hotel program and travel portals are no better. For example, consider that "impossible to contact Expedia" has a high search volume on Google.

a man makes a phone call — TOM HOLMES/UNSPLASH

If you need to reach someone quickly, consider contact methods like a direct message on Twitter, calling a number outside the U.S. where wait times may be shorter or even choosing an option for a different language from the customer support menu. For more tips on how to quickly reach customer service, consult the following:

It's worth noting that a spokesperson for Capital One Travel says their team is committed to reducing wait times on hold or redundancy created by transferring you to a different department after you call for help with an existing booking. Each agent is trained to handle any type of travel request, according to this spokesperson, to help customers reach a solution without excessive wait times.

How to use credit card protections and submit a claim

If you're having problems with a claim related to your credit card's benefits, such as rental car protections or trip delay insurance, calling the number on the back of your credit card won't help, unfortunately. That's because many of these benefits are managed by independent insurance companies.

In order to help your claim move through the claims process as efficiently as possible, there are a few things you can do. First, ensure you keep all receipts related to your claim and submit legible copies of these and any other documents you send to the claims agent.

Additionally, you should ask for documentation from your travel provider regarding any issues. If there is a cancellation, delay or accident, ask for this in writing. You may need this paper trail for claims like trip delay reimbursement or proving that expenses related to your claim were unavoidable.

a young person makes a phone call while holding a credit card — MIXMEDIA/GETTY IMAGES

What if the claims process isn't working as it should? Unfortunately, contacting the credit card issuer won't help, because you will be told to contact the benefit provider. While the benefit is attached to your credit card, it's usually offered by an outside company.

If you're having issues with a claim — such as no response to questions you send or being asked to send the same documents repeatedly — you'll still have to work with the benefits administrator to solve these issues. For American Express protections, you can find details in your complete guide to travel protections on American Express cards.

For Visa and Mastercard credit cards, many of these benefits are administered by eclaimsnline.com. We asked how to resolve some of these issues but did not receive a response at the time of writing.

Suppose you continue encountering problems and cannot get help with your claim. In that case, you may need to consult places like the Better Business Bureau or the attorney general covering the area where your claims administrator is located. For advice on these legal issues and your rights surrounding them, seek legal advice from a lawyer.

Bottom line

Our goal is to help you be as prepared as possible. In this way, you can know what to do if there's a schedule change, cancellation or mishap along the way.

Get familiar with your credit card benefits and how to use them. Know who to contact if something goes wrong and how to resolve your issue as quickly as possible. In this way, you can move forward with your trip and reduce delays.

Reducing delays should help you reduce stress and get back to what you really want: enjoying your trip.

TPG featured card

American Express® Gold Card

TPG editor's rating

at American Express's secure site.
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.

Rewards rate

Rewards rate
Rate	Category
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	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.

Intro offer

As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

Annual fee

$325

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Recommended credit

Excellent to Good

Pros + cons

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

More details

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.
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.
$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.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status 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.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
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.