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When traveling, lost and damaged luggage can be a major inconvenience. Whether your bag turns up at the carousel sporting fresh battle scars or doesn't turn up at all, you have to spend time reporting to the airline, filling out forms, and, in the case of lost luggage, dealing with the loss of your bag and its contents. All of this comes at the expense of wasted time that you're supposed to be spending on vacation.
While aircraft safety is top-notch, the same can’t be said for your bags, which tend to endure much harsher treatment than their owners. After flight delays and cancellations, lost and damaged luggage is the most common issue passengers face during air travel. While the good news is that airlines mishandled just 0.51% of luggage in 2025, that's of little comfort when you're left empty-handed at baggage claim.
If you’re one of the unlucky millions finding yourself sans-bag when you arrive at your destination, the knowledge that you paid for your flight with a credit card featuring lost luggage reimbursement can take the sting out of an unfortunate situation.
The list we've put together doesn't cover every card providing lost luggage protection. Instead, we’ve broken down the coverage by credit card network and recorded specific details for each provider.
Page Contents
What Is Lost Luggage Reimbursement and How Does It Work?
Lost luggage reimbursement covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the personal belongings it contains if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
What constitutes a covered trip varies by credit card provider, but it typically covers airline, train, bus, and marine transport charged to your eligible credit card. Lost luggage insurance is secondary to any reimbursement from the airline or travel provider, and coverage from your credit card typically applies to both your checked and carry-on baggage. Coverage lasts from the moment you check in until you pick up your bags at the other end of your journey and walk out of the terminal.
What items aren't covered by lost luggage protection?
Lost Luggage policies typically cover both your checked bags and carry-on luggage, including their contents, but each card also excludes certain items. The lists below aren’t exhaustive; confirm the details of your specific card with your Benefits Administrator.
- Amex: Cash, cards, and cash equivalents, travel documents (including passports and visas), securities, tickets and documents, living plants and consumables, eyewear, medical aids, or similar items.
- Capital One: Medical items, cash and cash-like items, travel documents, freight shipments, and items for business use.
- Chase: Documents or valuable papers, money, securities, tickets, checks, traveler’s checks, or furs.
Something to be aware of before pulling out your card to pay for a fare is that some cards offering lost luggage protection require you to charge the entire fare to the card to qualify for coverage, whereas others cover you when you pay with points from that bank's own program (but might not be covered if you pay with miles from an airline program not owned by the card issuer).
For example, Chase covers Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders if “You charge all or a portion of the cost of the Common Carrier fare to Your Covered Card and/or use redeemable Rewards.” You could pay for an award ticket with United MileagePlus miles, pay the taxes and fees with your Sapphire Reserve, and you’d still qualify for lost luggage coverage.
Related: Which Credit Card Should You Use To Pay Award Taxes and Fees?
The difference between lost and delayed luggage
Lost luggage is when your suitcase goes missing and is never found. Your belongings are gone, and you have to replace them. Delayed luggage is when your suitcase doesn't show up at the carousel, but you are eventually reunited with your belongings. Although most travel rewards cards offer lost luggage insurance, only a handful offer baggage delay insurance.
I misunderstood this benefit a few years ago. When my suitcase didn't arrive with me in Vienna, I contacted American Express, and they told me I would be reimbursed up to $500 to replace my belongings since I used my Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card to book my flight. However, after four days, my suitcase was delivered to my apartment, which meant I no longer qualified for coverage.
Related: Which Credit Cards Offer the Best Baggage Delay Coverage?
Credit Card Lost and Damaged Luggage Policies
As an example of how the policies and exclusions differ between providers, we’ve collated lost luggage protection policy details provided on World Mastercard, Visa Infinite (the benefit is also included on select Visa Signature cards), and American Express cards below, but make sure you check the specific policy on your card before assuming you'll be covered.
Visa card lost luggage policy
Visa's lost luggage policy generally covers up to $3,000 per person per trip ($2,000 for New York residents), including up to $500 for high-risk items such as jewelry, watches, electronics, and cameras.
Lost luggage insurance is one of the seemingly endless benefits provided on Visa Infinite cards — which includes the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), the United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees) and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (though this can be issued as a Mastercard sometimes).
This coverage is also featured on select Visa Signature cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees) and the United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees).
- Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music - all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 - a value of $288 annually
- Member FDIC
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
Related: From Travel Perks to Free Wine and Discounted Golf: All of the Benefits of Visa Infinite Cards
Mastercard lost luggage policy
Mastercard offers lost baggage protection on many of its World and World Elite Mastercard products, and you can find your policy details here. Similar to the Visa coverage above, the Mastercard policy covers up to $3,000 per person per trip (again, $2,000 for New York residents), up to a total of $10,000 for all covered travelers per trip.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
American Express lost luggage policy
Baggage insurance is provided on many business and consumer Amex cards — over 40 cards, to be clear. To qualify for baggage insurance, the entire fare must be paid with your Amex card, Membership Rewards points, or the Amex Pay with Points program, and the terms specifically exclude tickets paid with points from another program or with gift cards or vouchers.
Amex offers different tiers of baggage insurance depending on the card you hold, for example:
American Express® Gold Card coverage includes:
- Up to $1,250 per person for carry-on baggage
- Up to $500 per person for checked baggage
- Maximum benefit of $250 on high-risk items like jewelry, sporting equipment, electronics, etc.
- Claims cannot exceed $1,250 per person total per covered trip
American Express Platinum Card® coverage includes:
- Up to $3,000 per person for carry-on baggage
- Up to $2,000 per person for checked baggage
- Maximum benefit of $1,000 on high-risk items like jewelry, sporting equipment, electronics, etc.
- Claims cannot exceed $3,000 per person total per covered trip
If you want to know what level of coverage your Amex card offers, head to the Retail and Travel Benefits page on the Amex website, click on the “Eligible Cards” button under Baggage Insurance Plan, and you’ll find a full list of Amex cards and the coverage they provide.
(Terms apply)
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 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.
- Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges.* As of 07/2025.
- $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
- $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
- $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® to make eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you.
- $209 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
- $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That's up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
- 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.
- $895 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
Final Thoughts
Free travel and aspirational redemptions are the poster perks for most members of the points-and-miles community, but gaining an intimate understanding of your credit card insurance coverage can also provide significant value. That's especially true when travel doesn’t go as planned.
It’s common knowledge that top-tier rewards cards like the Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture X provide exceptional travel protections, including lost/damaged baggage protection. Still, the benefit is also featured on mid-tier cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. In fact, its lost luggage protection is on par with that of premium credit cards with much higher annual fees.
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per $1 on flights when booking via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees)
