Best Credit Cards For Travel Insurance for August 2022
It’s the holiday season and with that has arrived the baggage crisis at airports. It’s not always necessary for you to purchase an additional travel insurance policy for an upcoming journey if you know which credit card to use to pay for the trip.
While credit card travel insurance generally isn’t as comprehensive as getting a specific one, it might just give you the adequate coverage you need for that particular trip. Plus, it saves you the hassle and additional paperwork.Chase Sapphire ReserveThe Chase Sapphire Reserve card is perhaps the most comprehensive travel insurance coverage of cards on the list. In addition to this, the card also offers coverage of medical expense coverage and also offers coverage for trip cancellation and interruption, trip delay, lost and damaged luggage, delayed luggage, emergency evacuation and primary rental car insurance coverage.
The card also offers a Priority Pass airport lounge membership, including benefits at airport restaurant locations. So when you fly, you’ll be able to enjoy hospitality at over 1,200 airport lounge locations worldwide as long as you enroll, which could save you the exorbitant prices charged at airports for food and drink.
United Club Infinite Card
The United Club Infinite Card is very close to the benefits offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve, except for the medical expense coverage. You get lounge membership that includes access to Star Alliance lounges when you fly with a Star Alliance member airline on the same-day.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers premium credit card perks with a lower annual fee and still-solid travel insurance benefits. However, one of the biggest downsides of the Venture X’s travel protections is that it will only cover transportation costs if a trip needs to be canceled, whereas many other cards on this list will cover all prepaid expenses up to the coverage maximum.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers the best travel insurance for a card with an annual fee under $100. You get access to trip cancellation and interruption, trip delay, lost and damaged luggage, luggage delay and rental car coverage.
The Rewards are both flexible and valuable to a user. Cardholders can transfer Ultimate Rewards to a variety of airline frequent flyer programs and hotel chains, such as United Airlines and Hyatt.
United Explorer Card
If you’re looking for another low-annual fee option, this card may just be the perfect one for you. While we think the Sapphire Preferred offers more value overall, you may receive more value from the United benefits this card offers in addition to the travel insurance coverage. It comes at a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. If you’re a regular United flyer, but not regular enough to earn status you can benefit from the free checked bag you’ll receive when you use your United Explorer card to book your United flights.
TL;DR
Having a travel insurance policy with you is always beneficial. But knowing you have travel insurance benefits through a credit card can provide additional peace of mind. Before you make that decision, you need to ensure the following:
- What kind of travel insurance do you actually need? While some cards might feel so amazing with so many benefits, you need to make sure that it is relevant to you.
- How much coverage is enough? Even if two credit cards offer trip cancellation insurance, it may not be equal. Consider all the factors and then see if you’ll need a top-up insurance to cover it all.
- When will your coverage apply? Just because you have coverage doesn’t mean that it will always apply. Does your card have a cooling off period or a capping on the benefits? Answering these questions can help you plan things better.