The Ultimate Guide To Credit Card Baggage Delay Insurance (2024)

Credit card baggage delay insurance covers the cost of replacing necessities like toiletries, clothing or other essentials when your baggage is delayed, usually for more than six hours.

Note that this type of insurance differs from lost baggage insurance, which covers replacing items when luggage is lost, stolen or damaged during a trip. In contrast, baggage delay insurance handles the expenses you incur when your bag is held up.

Expect baggage delay insurance to cover only the necessities—it won’t cover every single item in your delayed suitcase. It’s there to help you buy key clothing items or things like shampoo or a phone charger to hold you over until your luggage gets back to you.

In most cases, each credit card that offers this type of insurance has a specific policy that states what items are excluded, the maximum amount covered per day and the number of days you’re covered until you and your luggage are reunited.

Generally, in order to claim coverage, you need to have booked your trip on a common carrier (or paid the taxes and fees on an award ticket) with the card that provides the coverage. In some cases, immediate family members are also covered, even when the primary cardholder isn’t traveling.

If your luggage is lost and you are shopping for new items, it’s important to understand which items are and aren’t covered. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® benefits guide states that the following items are excluded from baggage delay reimbursem*nt, so it’s best to pack these items in your carry-on baggage:

• Hearing aids
• Artificial teeth, dental bridges or prosthetic devices
• Tickets, documents, money, securities, checks, traveler’s checks and valuable papers
• Business samples
• Jewelry and watches
• Cameras, video recorders and other electronic equipment
• Recreational equipment
• Any loss caused by or resulting from situations like war, insurrection, rebellion or revolution

Make sure to read the fine print for each policy to understand all the coverage details: what items are and aren’t covered, the amounts covered so you don’t overspend, and how many days coverage lasts.

Although the exact process varies by credit card company, you should first begin with the airline (or other common carrier) claims process. Don’t misplace this paperwork, as you’ll need to submit it. Then, you may have to call a benefits administrator or make an online query in order to get the proper forms from your credit card company. Once you fill out these forms, you can send them to the credit card company before the required deadline, along with any other required documentation, like the airline claim, your travel itinerary and your purchase receipts.

Once you’ve submitted the required documentation, you’ll have to wait for the credit card company to reimburse you for the covered expenses.

Baggage delay insurance coverage varies significantly among issuers and by actual credit card. If you’re looking for a credit card offering baggage delay insurance, here are the best options, along with their general policies and coverage limits, so that you can find the right one for you.

American Express

American Express cards don’t come with baggage delay insurance, though many do come with lost luggage insurance. If you’re looking specifically for baggage delay coverage, it’s best to choose another issuer.

Bank of America

A few of Bank of America’s premium cards offer baggage delay insurance.

• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of five days for cardholders.
• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite credit card*: Coverage is provided in excess of other insurance to reimburse you for the emergency purchase of essential items if your baggage is delayed.

Barclays

While Barclays has co-branded credit cards with Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, and Emirates, the issuer’s American Airlines co-branded card comes with baggage delay protection.

• AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®*: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders.

Chase

Several Chase cards offer baggage delay coverage benefits, from premium cards to cards for good credit and even business cards. Here are some of the best.

• Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• Aeroplan® Credit Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• British Airways Visa Signature® Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of five days for cardholders and immediate family members (however—the fine print specifies just one cellphone charger will be covered)
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of five days for cardholders and immediate family members
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of five days for cardholders and immediate family members
• Iberia Visa Signature® Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card*: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• United Club℠ Infinite Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• United℠ Explorer Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• United Quest℠ Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• United℠ Business Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• United Club℠ Business card*: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for cardholders
• The World of Hyatt Credit Card: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of five days for cardholders

Discover

Unfortunately, none of Discover’s credit cards offer baggage delay insurance.

Capital One

Capital One’s credit cards generally don’t have a baggage delay reimbursem*nt benefit, see your offer terms for details.

Citi

While some of Citi’s co-branded American Airlines cards offer lost baggage insurance, like the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®*, they don’t include baggage delay insurance.

Other Issuers

Most cards from Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank don’t have baggage delay insurance directly. But it’s worth checking if your desired card is a Visa Signature or Visa Infinite credit card because you may be able to claim baggage delay insurance benefits through those programs.

Visa Signature and Visa Infinite

Many Visa Signature and Visa Infinite cards have baggage delay insurance if your bag is delayed for a minimum of four hours. These cards offer up to $500 of reimbursem*nt for the purchase of essential items, but only on the way out, not on the way home from your trip.

Note that certain cards, like the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card*, are part of the Visa Signature program. While this card doesn’t directly offer the delayed luggage benefit through Wells Fargo, since it’s a Visa Signature Card, you may be able to claim the benefit through the Visa Signature benefits. The best thing to do is to carefully read your card’s guide to benefits before traveling so you know whether or not your card comes with this feature. Or, if you want to be sure your card definitely comes with baggage delay insurance, consider some of the cards specified above.

Delayed luggage doesn’t have to ruin a vacation. The best thing you can do is pack anything vital or that you need right away in your carry-on bag to avoid adverse situations if your checked bag is delayed. And, if you pay for travel using a credit card that offers baggage delay insurance, you can submit a claim for purchases of essential items you may need while you wait for your bag to arrive.