Hi there, it's Ernest from Trip Astute. In this video, we're discussing baggage
losses and delays, and how to use protections and benefits on your travel
credit cards.
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One of the worst feelings when traveling is waiting at baggage
claim and realizing that your bag didn't make it to your destination. For some
reason, this seems to often happen when the delay has serious consequences, like
not having access to specific clothing that you might need for an event or
business meeting. Even worse, the airlines can sometimes lose your luggage
altogether or damage it while traveling. While the airlines will normally
compensate you for lost luggage or delays, it often doesn't help the
situation in the moment. Luckily, many of us have travel credit cards which offer
some level of protection in these situations. As long as you book your trip
using your card, you should receive the protections and benefits. For situations
where your luggage is lost or delayed, you want to first notify the airline of
your lost luggage and file a claim at the airport. You want to get some sort of
documentation from the airline acknowledging your report and showing
the steps that they're taking. Once you have all the documentation, you can go
ahead and start purchasing items that you need in order to get through the
baggage delay. However, you want to keep all your receipts as you'll need them
later once you want to file a claim. The important thing to note is that every
card has their own rules around what qualifies as a delay. For example, the
Citi Prestige and the AAdvantage Executive World Elite card only require
three hours to kick in. However, cards like the Chase Sapphire
Reserve and Preferred require six hours, and the Barclaycard Arrival Plus
requires twelve hours. I'll include a Points Guy article that shows the total
time frame and reimbursement amounts for some of the major travel credit cards.
For situations where your luggage is completely lost or damaged, you want to
do the exact same thing in terms of reporting it with the airline and
getting documentation before leaving the airport. One thing to note though is that
for lost luggage coverage, the amounts of reimbursements are generally higher,
usually around $2000-$3000 per
person. However, there are certain limitations for high-risk items like
electronics, jewelry, and sporting equipment. For example, both the Chase
Sapphire Reserve and Preferred card offer up to $3,000 in coverage for lost
and damaged luggage, but will only reimburse $500 for high-risk items like
cameras, watches, and jewelry. So before going on your next trip, you may want to
be aware of your timelines and limits for your baggage coverage.
I recommend calling your issuer if you have any questions on the coverage. That
way, you're not having to search for the information when you're in the moment.
In addition, here are some tips to keep in mind. Number 1: Reward redemptions are
usually covered under the benefit. Travel booked via reward redemptions are
covered under this benefit. Just make sure you keep any documentation showing
that you transferred points or paid any taxes or fuel charges. Even if you only
paid a few dollars for your rewards tickets, that should be enough to trigger
the benefit and prove that you used the card. Number 2: Coverage is usually
secondary. Most of these policies are secondary coverage policies, so if you
purchased a separate travel insurance policy, the credit card benefit will only
cover anything above the travel insurance. Also, any compensation
provided by the airline is taken into account when paying your claim. Number
3: American Express only covers baggage loss (not delays). While American
Express generally has some of the most generous travel benefits and rewards,
they don't cover baggage delays by default. You're required to purchase the
protection separately by calling their customer service before your trip.
However, baggage loss or damage is covered. So, I hope this video helps to
break down this card benefit. It's something that I hope you never have to
use, but it can really help make the situation better. Being able to buy
clothes and toiletries while you wait for your luggage can really save the day.
We're going to continue doing deep dives into some of these common travel credit
card perks. We did one recently on trip delays, so check it out if you're
interested. Also, if there's a perk or benefit that you want us to explore or
explain, let us know in the comment section below. We've included referral
links to some of the popular Chase cards. Trip Astute does get a commission if
you use our links. It doesn't cost you anything extra, but it helps us
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