Credit card travel insurance can save travelers thousands of dollars while offering peace of mind during and after their trip. While coverage varies according to card, always read through and understand its terms before applying.
Look for a travel card with primary rental car coverage as well as additional travel-related benefits like concierge service and airport lounge access. Also take into consideration its annual fee when considering travel card options.
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Sapphire Preferred stands out as the ideal travel insurance card, featuring double points on dining, travel and Lyft rides while providing access to premium lounges, a $300 annual credit and primary rental car collision damage waivers. Although this card carries an annual fee, its benefits more than make up for this disadvantage. You’ll earn twox points when dining, traveling and using Lyft services – plus premium lounge access plus rental car collision damage waiver coverage from primary rental car collision damage waivers!
This card also provides purchase and travel protections, such as extended warranty coverage on eligible purchases (up to one year of coverage) and primary baggage delay, loss, and delay coverage. Furthermore, it’s the only card on this list with trip cancellation and interruption insurance, providing cover against nonrefundable travel arrangements in case your trip needs to be altered or postponed.
Other cards offering travel rewards and protections such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card may have lower annual fees, yet don’t provide access to Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners, or offer TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee reimbursement benefits.
2. Chase Sapphire Reserve
If you want to maximize the premium travel benefits and amenities, look no further than the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. It provides excellent travel insurance as well as rewards points which can be redeemed for travel, gift cards or cash back.
Trip cancellation insurance reimburses for qualified nonrefundable travel arrangements (up to $10,000 per person), while baggage delay reimbursement provides up to $100 a day for five days if your bags are delayed more than six hours on common carriers. Furthermore, primary rental car coverage features collision damage waiver and personal effects insurance that is unique among credit card travel benefits.
This card’s $550 annual fee may seem steep, but its travel protections more than make up for its expense. Furthermore, this premium travel rewards credit card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred 1:1 onto hotel and airline loyalty programs.
3. American Express Platinum
Travel disruptions can be both inconvenient and costly, particularly if they come at an inopportune moment in your journey. Luckily, credit card companies typically provide protections that allow travelers to recoup some of the expenses related to interrupted or cancelled journeys.
American Express Platinum stands out among premium cards by providing a comprehensive set of travel and purchase protection benefits, such as trip cancellation/interruption coverage that reimburses up to $10,000 of nonrefundable airfare, train, bus tickets and tours purchased with their card as well as secondary rental car collision damage waiver protection and lost baggage reimbursement.
This card provides an annual $200 airline fee statement credit and access to Amex Global Assist hotline as well as premium travel perks like airport lounge access and room upgrades, but has an annual fee that’s higher than many competing cards; though rewards and other card benefits may help offset it; for more details see full card details.
4. Bank of America Premium Rewards
Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card is an ideal option for travelers who desire the benefits of an above-average travel card without being interested in transferring points to frequent flyer accounts. With up to 3.5 points earned on most travel and dining spending and no foreign transaction fees charged, this card offers excellent rewards rates on most spending categories (up to 3.5 points per dollar), no foreign transaction fees charged and can even help participants in Bank of America Preferred Rewards earn 25%-75% more points compared with nonparticipants! Furthermore, Bank of America Preferred Rewards program supercharge rewards rates by participating and earn 25%-75% more points overall! Additionally, this card also provides traveler protections, traveler protections as well as purchase protections; lost items charged against it can either repaired, replaced or reimbursed as long as charged against it using this card!
This card’s signature feature is its trip delay coverage, providing up to $2,500 of reimbursement in unutilized prepaid travel expenses such as air fares, cruise fares, bus or train tickets booked through tour operators as well as hotel costs booked directly through an agent. Additional perks include a $200 airline fee statement credit annually as well as $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits every four years.
