American Express Credit Card Travel Insurance: Coverage & Limits
Key Takeaways
- Several American Express cards include travel insurance that can reimburse you for travel disruptions, like cancellations, delays, and lost luggage, but coverage inclusions and limits vary by card.
- The biggest drawback to travel insurance from Amex cards is that none of them cover medical expenses, which leaves you at risk of an expensive hospital bill when travelling abroad.
- We recommend opting for third-party comprehensive travel insurance plans, which include medical coverage and can offer broader protections at higher limits.
- Compare travel insurance plans and policies using our travel insurance comparison tool.
Does Amex Offer Travel Insurance?
Yes, Amex travel insurance comes in two forms:
- Amex credit card travel insurance
- Standalone travel insurance policies through American Express
Your Amex credit card insurance is different from American Express’s standalone insurance policies. Travel insurance is a complimentary, “hidden” perk of American Express credit cards that you get just by making qualifying purchases with your card. Amex’s standalone policies, on the other hand, typically offer more comprehensive protection for an additional cost.
How Does Amex Credit Card Travel Protection Work?
Amex offers credit card travel protection as a complimentary benefit that you activate by charging the entire cost of your trip to your card. If something goes wrong with your trip, such as a cancellation, delay, or lost luggage, and your card’s policy covers it, you can submit a claim to get reimbursed for eligible expenses.
Does My American Express Credit Card Cover Travel Insurance?
Most Amex credit cards some form of basic travel protections, but coverage varies a lot by card. Amex cards essentially fall into three tiers with varying levels of benefits and protection, as outlined below.
| Included | Not included | |
| Tier 1 |
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| Tier 2 |
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| Tier 3 |
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Tier 1 Cards
Amex’s highest tier consists of luxury cards that have the full suite of Amex travel protections, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance.
- American Express Platinum Card
- American Express Business Platinum Card
- Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
Tier 2 Cards
Mid-tier Amex cards don’t offer trip cancellation protection, but do have trip delay and baggage protection.
- American Express Gold Card
- American Express Business Gold Card
- American Express Green Card
- Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Tier 3 Cards
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
- The American Express Blue Business Cash Card
- The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express.
- Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Card
What Does American Express Credit Card Travel Protection Cover?
If you have one of the highest-tier Amex cards, like the Platinum Card or the Delta Reserve, you’ll get coverage for a range of travel disruptions, including trip cancellations and interruptions, travel delays, lost luggage, and damage to your rental car.
One standout benefit for luxury cardholders is unlimited Medical Evacuation coverage through Amex’s Premium Global Assist hotline. Evacuations can cost $100,000 or more, depending on your location. Travel insurance policies usually put a cap on this coverage.
Lower-tier cards, on the other hand, have much more limited travel protections. In the lowest tier, you’ll only get coverage for rental cars and travel emergencies.
The table below compares the travel isurance coverage found on the 4 most popular American Express credit cards.
| American Express Platinum Credit Card | American Express Delta Reserve Card | American Express Gold Card | American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card | |
| Trip Cancellation & Interruption | $20,000/trip | $20,000/trip | No coverage | No coverage |
| Trip Delay | $500 after 6-hour delay | $500 after 6-hour delay | $300 after 12-hour delay | No coverage |
| Baggage Delay | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage |
| Lost Luggage | $3,000/person | $1,250/person | $1,250/person | No coverage |
| Emergency Medical | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage |
| Medical Evacuation | No limit | No limit | No coverage | No coverage |
| Travel Accident | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage |
| Rental Car Insurance | Secondary | Secondary | Secondary | Secondary |
| Travel and Emergency Assistance Services | Covered | Covered | Covered | Covered |
None of American Express’s credit cards offer coverage for emergency medical expenses, baggage delays, or travel accidents.
What Does Amex Travel Credit Card Insurance Not Cover?
Amex credit card travel insurance has many gaps compared to a standalone travel insurance policy, especially for medical expenses. Your card won’t cover:
- Medical bills. Amex cards don’t offer any coverage for emergency medical expenses. Your card may reimburse you for the cost of a medical evacuation, but you’ll be on the hook for your hospital bill if you’re travelling abroad, since personal insurance and Medicaid generally don’t cover care in other countries.
- Expensive trips. Amex has a $20,000 cap on your trip cancellation and interruption protection. If you’re voyaging on a $40,000 luxury cruise, this isn’t going to cut it.
- Non-qualifying cancellations and interruptions. It won’t cover cancelled trips due to changing your mind, work conflicts, or fear of travel. Amex has a strict list of qualifying events, like illness and inclement weather.
- Pre-existing conditions. Amex excludes pre-existing illnesses and injuries that occurred within 60 days of your trip purchase.
- Delayed baggage. Amex won’t reimburse you for essentials if your baggage gets delayed on the way to your destination.
- Travel accidents. If you’re severely injured or killed on your trip, your card won’t cover medical expenses or the costs to repatriate your remains.
- Trips paid for with multiple cards. Amex states in its terms that you must charge the full amount of your trip or use points or vouchers from that card for American Express credit card travel insurance coverage to apply.
Comprehensive travel insurance plans through Squaremouth can cover all these situations, and more.
Amex Credit Card Travel Insurance vs. Standalone Travel Insurance
Standalone travel insurance offers better protection for medical emergencies and high-cost trips than Amex credit card travel insurance. Amex offers solid enough protection for delays, cancellations and baggage issues, not to mention very generous coverage for medical evacuations, but it falls seriously short of a standalone insurance policy in the following areas:
- Compared to many third-party policies like Tin Leg Gold, Amex won’t cover pre-existing conditions.
- Amex has no Emergency Medical coverage, which is a standard feature of comprehensive travel insurance, and arguably the most important coverage to have when travelling abroad.
- Standalone insurance can offer higher coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions than Amex, with some policies covering trips over $100K per person.
- Amex also lacks baggage delay and travel accident insurance, which are typically included on a standalone travel insurance plan.
- Unlike our Tin Leg Gold example below, there’s no option to add Cancel For Any Reason coverage to an Amex policy.
| Tin Leg Gold | Amerian Express Platinum Card | |
| Pre-existing Condition Waiver | Yes If purchased within 14 days of initial deposit | No |
| Emergency Medical | Full coverage $500k/person, primary coverage | No coverage |
| Medical Evacuation | Full coverage $500k/person | Full coverage No limit |
| Trip Cancellation | Full coverage $50k/person, $100k limit | Partial coverage $20,000/trip |
| Trip Interruption | Full coverage 150% of unused trip costs | Partial coverage $20,000/trip |
| Trip Delay | Full coverage $500/person after 6-hour delay | Full coverage $500 after 6-hour delay |
| Lost Luggage | Full coverage $500/person | Full coverage $3,000/person |
| Baggage Delay | Full coverage $200/person after 24-hour delay | No coverage |
| 24-Hour Travel Accident | Partial coverage $10,000/person | No coverage |
| Cancel For Any Reason upgrade | Full coverage 75% of prepaid, non-refundable trip costs | No coverage |
Is Amex Credit Card Travel Insurance Enough?
Amex is generally not considered a substitute for third-party travel insurance, as it cannot offer coverage for some of the most important travel complications, like paying for emergency medical care.
Your Amex card’s travel insurance policy may be enough for you if you just need basic trip cancellation and interruption coverage for a trip that’s not very expensive. However, for more expensive trips and international travel, you’ll probably need more comprehensive coverage.
You should strongly consider supplemental coverage if you are:
- Travelling internationally, especially to remote or medically limited destinations
- Over 65 (see our top travel insurance plans for seniors)
- Travelling with non-refundable trip costs above your card’s cancellation cap
- Suffering from a pre-existing medical condition
- Booking a high-value cruise (look for cruise travel insurance instead)
- Booking your trip on multiple cards
Tip: We recommend purchasing a supplemental Medical-only travel insurance policy for an international trip if the rest of your card’s coverage fits your needs.
How Difficult Is it to File a Claim With Amex Travel Insurance?
Cardholders report mixed experiences with filing claims through Amex travel insurance, with some reporting success and others reporting difficulties and denials.
Keep in mind that claims are processed by the New Hampshire Insurance Company, which is an AIG Company. AIG has a particularly low 2.2 rating on TrustPilot, with many reviewers expressing problems with the claims process.
Common complaints regarding Amex travel insurance include:
- Claims denied without proper investigation, due to exclusions buried in the fine print or a lack of communication from adjusters
- Prolonged waiting times, taking months or even leaving claims unresolved
- Poor customer service, with disorganised communication, redundant requests, and a lack of responsiveness
These issues are not unique to Amex, but they highlight the importance of reading the fine print in your policy and keeping detailed receipts and travel records.
Learn more: How to Claim Travel Insurance
FAQs: American Express Credit Card Travel Insurance
Does the American Express Blue Cash Card Have Travel Insurance?
The American Express Blue Cash cards (Blue Cash Preferred, Blue Cash Everyday, Blue Business Cash) include rental car insurance and Amex Global Assist services, but they do not offer comprehensive insurance benefits.
Does Amex Credit Card Travel Insurance Cover Cruises?
Amex credit card travel insurance may cover some cruise-related expenses for a cancelled or disrupted cruise, but it does not provide enough protection for expensive cruises or international cruises. Most notably, it won’t cover medical expenses for a hospital stay outside the U.S. We recommend at least $100,000 of Emergency Medical coverage for a cruise. See our Best Cruise plans for better coverage for your cruise.
Do you have to Book 100% of Your Trip With Your Card to Get Amex Travel Insurance?
Yes, Amex’s terms and conditions require you to book the entire trip with your card for its travel coverage to apply.
Does Amex Credit Card Travel Insurance Cover Travel Booked with Amex Points?
Yes, your credit card travel insurance can apply to trips booked with Amex points, as long as you use points associated with your card and book the full trip with it.
How Does Amex Travel Insurance Compare to Chase Sapphire Travel Insurance?
The American Express Platinum Card offers better Medical Evacuation coverage than the Chase Sapphire Reserve, because coverage is unlimited. The Chase Sapphire Reserve has more comprehensive insurance, including Baggage Delay, Travel Accident and primary Rental Car insurance. But neither card has strong enough coverage to be a substitute for standalone travel insurance.