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While scrolling through photos of award travelers reclining in a business class seat booked using miles, it’s easy to forget that some of the best money-saving tips for travel have nothing to do with earning and redeeming points and miles.
Many rewards card offers ancillary benefits, ranging from purchase protection and extended warranty coverage to roadside assistance and a variety of travel insurance perks. One of the most valuable of these benefits is trip delay reimbursement, which can cover your expenses if your flight is delayed or canceled for a covered reason.
Policies differ between credit card issuers, particularly regarding the length of the delay required before coverage kicks in. However, coverage is activated for all providers if an overnight stay is required. So, how do you use trip delay reimbursement on a credit card, and which cards offer the best version? Here's what you need to know.
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What Is Trip Delay Reimbursement and How Does It Work?
Trip delay protection reimburses you for expenses incurred due to a delayed or canceled flight, train, bus — virtually any scheduled land, air, or sea-based transport — designed to take you directly from point A to point B.
- How long of a delay is required? The minimum delay before coverage kicks in varies by provider. The best policies kick in after six hours, while others require a 12-hour delay.
- How much is covered? Coverage can range from $300 to $500 per passenger per covered incident.
- What's covered? Most trip delay policies cover meals, accommodation, and any personal necessities travelers may require due to the delay. Note that policies generally only cover costs while you wait and don't cover alternative transportation to your destination.
- What types of delays are covered? While the coverage is different for each provider, covered delays can include:
- Equipment failure
- Extreme weather and natural disasters
- Lost or stolen passport or travel documents
- Labor strikes
- Unable to board because of overbooking
- Hijacking or skyjacking
Your card's Guide to Benefits details the exact policy for your card. It'll also explain whether you need to charge the full cost of your travel to the card to obtain coverage. Some cards require paying only a portion (for example, taxes and fees), with the rest covered by points or miles. This can have a big impact on which card to choose.
Best Credit Cards That Offer Trip Delay Reimbursement
Dozens of credit cards offer trip delay reimbursement. However, we are only including cards in our roundup that offer coverage that kicks in after a six-hour delay and reimburses you up to $500. Similarly, each card on this list should provide coverage whether you use your card to pay the full ticket amount or only the taxes and fees on your award redemption. However, always check your benefits guide for the most accurate information.
Best card for air travel: American Express Platinum Card®
(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.
American Express offers more cards with top-tier trip delay protection than any other card issuer. Of these, the American Express Platinum Card® and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express are your best options if you want to earn Membership Rewards points and enjoy a suite of travel benefits. The list of perks, statement credits, elite status benefits, and lounge access associated with the Platinum Card® is far too long to name each individually.
However, if you're interested in travel protections, you'll also enjoy trip cancellation and interruption insurance and a secondary car rental collision damage waiver. The Platinum Card® might not offer the best overall travel insurance of any card on this list, but the 5X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines and extensive lounge network make it a worthy option when you're ready to book your next flight.
American Express offers several other cards with the same great trip delay protection through its co-branded partnerships. If the Platinum Card®‘s $895 annual fee (Rates & Fees) scares you away and you're loyal to Delta, Marriott, or Hilton, these co-branded cards are fantastic options.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
$650Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1X miles on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
$650Rates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
- 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
$550Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio
- 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly through select rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants
- 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card
Best for comprehensive protection: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- 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
Chase consistently offers the best travel protections on the market. It's surprising that only the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ offer trip delay insurance for delays of six hours. That's significantly shorter than other Chase products — like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — where the delay insurance only kicks in after 12 hours.
But the card covers much more than travel delays. Among the comprehensive Chase Sapphire Reserve travel and shopping protections, cardholders enjoy:
- Primary rental car coverage
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance (up to $20,000 per trip)
- Baggage delay insurance (up to $500)
- Lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000)
If you've ever had a travel mishap, you know that when it rains, it pours. Somehow, when your trip gets delayed, the airline inevitably misplaces your suitcase, and then all of a sudden, you get sick. By putting your purchases on the right card, you're completely covered.
Related: How to Use Chase Trip Delay Insurance to Get Reimbursed for Flight Delays
- 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
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the most affordable premium credit card on the market, and it offers a competitive trip delay policy. It's easy to justify a place in your wallet for the Capital One Venture X — the $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles on every account anniversary already outweigh the $395 annual fee. Add in access to Capital One's 22 excellent transfer partners, and it's a fantastic card.
Plus, you'll earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 2X miles on other eligible purchases.
This is the card to use if you're booking a train or bus ticket and want to earn as much as possible while also being covered for delays. Note that you will receive coverage only if your card is issued as a Visa Infinite card. If your card is a Mastercard, you will not receive any trip delay coverage. Business owners can consider the Capital One Venture X Business, which offers the same trip delay policy.
Best mid-tier option: Citi Strata Premier® Card
- 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
If you haven't already noticed, most cards on this list have a high annual fee. While plenty of mid-tier cards offer trip delay protection, the policies either require a longer delay or offer a lower coverage limit.
If you want top-tier coverage at a mid-tier price, your best option is the Citi Strata Premier® Card. It offers essentially the same policy as cards that charge a premium annual fee, but it charges just $95 each year.
While you won't receive nearly the same travel benefits that premium cards offer, the Citi Strata Premier offers a $100 credit for a hotel stay of $500 or more booked through Citi Travel, which is easy enough to use for a weekend trip.
Long-time readers may remember that Citi removed all travel protections back in 2019. However, the card issuer restored many of these in 2024 during the (re)launch of the Citi Strata Premier.
Other Citi credit cards that offer trip delay protection include:
- Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®
- Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- 12X – Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
- 1.5X – Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
Overview of Credit Cards Offering Trip Delay Protection
While we highlighted our favorite cards above, many other travel rewards cards offer trip delay reimbursement as a benefit. Here's a sortable, searchable list of the cards issued by Amex, Chase, Citi, Capital One, and Bank of America that offer this protection:
How To File a Trip Delay Claim
To file a trip delay claim, you’ll need to submit:
- Completed claim form
- Copy of your account showing the fare paid
- Copies of the travel tickets
- Statement from the carrier indicating why travel was delayed
- Receipts for all expenses
- Any other documentation required by your card provider
Initial contact must typically be made within 60 days of the delay, and all requested documents must be returned within 120 to 180 days, depending on your provider. Contact your benefits administrator for more information on filing a claim.
Final Thoughts
Trip delay reimbursement is one of the most valuable benefits offered by credit card providers, covering you for expenses incurred due to transport delays and cancellations. Each credit provider offers different coverage; you must review the details of each card to determine which is best for your situation.
Echoing reviews of other ancillary benefits we’ve covered, the Citi Strata Premier takes the top spot for trip delay coverage, with a policy that covers delays of six hours or more with a sub-$100 annual fee.
- 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
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees), American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees), American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Aeroplan® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), United℠ Business Card (Rates & Fees), United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees), United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees), United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Premier® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
