Several American Express Cards Offer travel protections that can relieve your vacation headache. However, the coverage you get (and the limits of that coverage) differ by card. Instead of trying to remember all of this on your own, we’ll walk you through the travel protections that American Express cards offer.
This guide provides a complete overview of the travel protections available across the entire American Express card portfolio. Each section describes a type of coverage and the cards that offer it. We have also included coverage limits and any additional warnings to be aware of.
Here’s what you need to know about American Express travel insurance coverage.
Travel delay insurance
Travel delay insurance covers you when you experience travel delays. This could be a delayed flight due to mechanical issues or an unexpected overnight stay due to a weather-related cancellation.
Other reasons are covered, but individual policies vary in what they do and do not cover. If the reason for your delay is not specifically mentioned in your policy, assume you are not covered.
With travel delay protection, there are two different “levels” of coverage, depending on which card you have.
Tier 1: high-end cards
Some major American Express products offer travel delay reimbursement of up to $500 per covered trip delayed more than six hours, with a limit of two claims per eligible card every consecutive 12 months.*
This protection becomes effective when purchasing a ticket using any of the following cards:
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*Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company.
**The information on these cards has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Tier 2: mid-tier cards
Other American Express cards offer travel delay reimbursement of up to $300 per covered trip delayed more than 12 hours, with a limit of two claims per consecutive 12 months.*
Below we detail the cards that include this protection when you use them to purchase your tickets:
*Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company.
**The information on these cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
This type of coverage is for situations where your trip is canceled or interrupted (that is, you started the trip but must finish it to return home). As a result, you will be forced to forfeit prepaid and non-refundable reservations. Again, make sure your policy mentions the specific reason you are covered.*
All Amex cards with this benefit provide the same level of protection. If your trip is canceled or interrupted for a covered reason, you can receive a maximum of $10,000 per covered trip and a maximum of $20,000 per eligible card in a 12-month period.
These are the cards that include this protection when you use them to purchase travel:
*Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company.
**The information on these cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Global Support Hotline
Eligible cardholders can rely on Global Assist’s 24/7 hotline for coordination and assistance of select medical, legal, financial, or other emergency services while traveling more than 100 miles from home.*
The Global Assist Hotline coordinates services, but is not the service provider. Any third party service costs may be your responsibility.
These are the cards that include this protection when you use them to pay for your tickets:
*Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Cardholders are responsible for any costs charged by third party service providers.
**The information on these cards has been independently compiled by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Premium Global Support Hotline
Like the previous benefit, cardholders eligible for certain premium Amex cards can rely on the Global Assistance Hotline 24/7 for select medical, legal, financial or other emergency assistance and coordination services while traveling more than 100 miles from home. With the Premium benefit, emergency medical transportation assistance and related services can be provided at no cost.*
If approved and coordinated by the Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided to you at no cost to you. Otherwise, third-party service costs may be your responsibility.
These are the cards that include this protection when you use them to pay for your tickets:
*Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In all other circumstances, cardholders are responsible for any costs charged by third party service providers.
**The information on these cards has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Luggage insurance plan
Baggage insurance applies to covered persons for eligible baggage lost, damaged or stolen during travel on a common carrier vehicle (such as an airplane, train, ship or bus) when the full fare of a ticket on the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible card.
This benefit has two different “levels” of coverage, depending on the card you have.
Tier 1: high-end cards
Some of American Express’ top products offer baggage insurance coverage of up to $2,000 for checked bags and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on bags. This coverage exceeds the coverage provided by the common carrier. Coverage is subject to an aggregate limit of $3,000 per covered trip.*
For New York State residents, there is a limit of $2,000 per bag/suitcase for each covered person, with a maximum of $10,000 added for all covered persons per covered trip.*
This protection becomes effective when purchasing a ticket using any of the following cards:
**The information on these cards has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Tier 2: mid-tier cards
Other American Express cards offer baggage insurance coverage of up to $1,250 for carry-on luggage and up to $500 for checked luggage. This coverage exceeds the coverage provided by the common carrier.*
For New York State residents, there is a maximum of $10,000 added for all covered persons per covered trip.*
Below we detail the cards that include this protection when you use them to purchase your tickets:
*Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**The information on these cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Car rental loss and damage insurance
Rental vehicle loss and damage insurance applies to theft or damage to most rental vehicles when you use an eligible card to reserve and pay for the full rental of the eligible vehicle and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the rental car company. Please note that this product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered and geographic restrictions apply.
This benefit has two different “levels” of coverage, depending on the card you have.
Tier 1: high-end cards
Select American Express leading products offer rental vehicle loss and damage insurance up to $75,000 for theft or damage to eligible rental vehicles.*
These are the cards that include this protection when you use them to pay eligible rentals:
Tier 2: mid-tier cards
Other American Express cards offer rental vehicle loss and damage insurance up to $50,000 for theft or damage to eligible rental vehicles.*
These are the cards that include this protection when you use them to pay eligible rentals:
*Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
**The information on these cards has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
In a nutshell
Understanding what benefits your card has to protect you when something goes wrong during a trip can help reduce headaches. To that end, American Express offers multiple travel protections on many of its card products.
Coverage limits within the same benefit may vary depending on the card you have, so check the amex benefits guide for full details on what your card offers.
Related: The best American Express cards
