Insurance: How does credit card flight delay insurance work?

Credit cards can offer flight delay insurance.

With this coverage, you may get a refund for some of your expenses that arise with a delayed flight.

The flight delay insurance from credit cards protects:

• credit card holder
• Close family travelling with the credit card holder (will vary depending on each credit card)

As a general rule, insurance may apply to the principal holder, their spouse and their dependent child or children.

To be protected by theflight delay insurance on your credit card it is mandatory to have paid for the full airfare with your credit card ((except for certain cards such as the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^®, which requires partial payment, or the Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card, which requires 75% of the airfare to be charged to the card).

The flight delay insurance offered by credit cards usually COVER the following situations:

• A strike by airline staff
• Forty
• Civil unrest
• A hijacking
• A natural disaster
• Bad weather
• A mechanical failure
• Refusal to board due to overbooking

The coverage offered by your credit card will vary depending on each card.

Generally, credit cards flight delay insurance will reimburse the card for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred within 48 hours of the delay or denied boarding for:

• Accommodation in a hotel
• meals at the restaurant
• drinks
• essential items
• various articles (magazines, paperbacks and various small articles)

Compensation will vary depending on credit cards

• $500 to $2,500 per insured person
• with a maximum amount for the whole family

Is your flight delayed? Our first tip is to check your credit card brochure to find out what you are entitled to. If you can, call the issuer at the number on the back of your card.

When you return home, open a claim procedure. Make sure you have all supporting documents on hand:

• Flight tickets
• Hotel reservations
• Taxi invoices / Uber
• Restaurant notes
• Purchase bills (prefer airport purchases)
• credit card bank statement

Not all credit cards are equal to flight delayinsurance.

As a general rule, credit cards offering flight delay insurance will stand out in three areas:

• Coverage (types of purchases allowed)
• The amount covered (per person, per trip)
• Booking conditions (total or partial amount on the card)

Here are 3 credit cards we recommend for flight delay insurance, based on different income levels:

The main advantage of the Scotiabank Platinum American Express^® Card is that it charges no conversion fees for foreign currency transactions. So you can charge your travel purchases like car rentals or airline tickets abroad without paying the 2.5% conversion fee charged by most credit cards!

The Scotiabank Platinum American Express^® Card requires an income of only $12,000. This is one of the cards offering the broadest coverage, reimbursing “.reasonable and necessary expenses incurred for hotel accommodations, restaurant meals, beverages, essentials and miscellaneous items (such as magazines, books and various small items).”

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® is one of the only credit cards to offer partial payment coverage. This is handy for those who use points!

Its special feature is to be valid, even if only part of the trip has been taken to account. Reimbursable expenses arereasonable additional expenses incurred for Your accommodation and travel. However, these costs must be incurred as a result of the delay.“.

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card charges no conversion fees for foreign currency transactions. This means you can charge your travel purchases such as car rentals and flight tickets abroad without paying the 2.5% conversion fee charged by most credit cards!

In addition, you get six complimentary visits to VIP airport lounges. Enough to wait comfortably for your plane in the event of a flight delay.

Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card requires an income of $60,000. This is one of the cards offering the broadest coverage, reimbursing “.reasonable and necessary expenses incurred for hotel accommodations, restaurant meals, beverages, essentials and miscellaneous items (such as magazines, books and various small items).”