Major flight delays can wreak havoc on your itinerary and cost you money.
Not to mention the extra money you could have to spend on things like food and transportation,.
I’ve written that Chase cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred offer trip delay insurance when you use your card to pay for your flight. While the Chase Sapphire Preferred covers certain trip delays for you, your spouse, and children under 22, it does NOT cover parents, cousins, girlfriends, boyfriends, etc.
But did you know you can share this perk by adding them as authorized users?
You’ll have to do more than just add the non-family member as an authorized user. I’ll explain!
What’s Covered With the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card’s Trip Delay Insurance?
Link: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Link: My Full Review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred
Link: Chase Sapphire Preferred Benefits Guide
Paying for your flight with the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a smart move.
You’ll earn 2X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel that you can redeem for cash back, flights with no blackout dates, or transfer to airline and hotel partners for Big Travel. Plus, if you experience a delay, you could be reimbursed for up to $500 per ticket.
This includes airline tickets, cruises, and train travel. But commuter trains, buses, and taxis do NOT qualify.
Just pay for your ticket with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, and you’ll get reimbursed when:
“your Covered Trip is delayed by a Covered Hazard for more than twelve (12) hours or requires an overnight stay.”
You don’t have to pay the full ticket price, paying a small portion counts too. So you can use your miles & points to cover the cost of your ticket and pay the taxes & fees with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
Covered reasons for your delay are:
- Equipment failure
- Hijacking
- Inclement weather
- Labor strikes
- Skyjacking
And you’ll be reimbursed for additional expenses such as:
- Food
- Lodging
- Medication
- Toiletries
But delays made public prior to departure as well as prepaid expenses are NOT covered.
Keep in mind, this is secondary insurance, so Chase will only reimburse you for expenses NOT already covered by the carrier or other insurance.
This policy only covers you, your spouse, or your dependent children under 22 years old. So unfortunately, if you’re traveling with your grandparents, girlfriend or boyfriend, sibling, or friend and pay for their ticket they are NOT covered.
But there’s a way around this!
Authorized Users Are Covered Too!
I’ve let you know about 5,003 great reasons to add an authorized user to your Chase Sapphire Preferred card. And this is 1 more to add to the list!
The terms in the Chase benefits guide say:
You, a person to whom a United States (U.S.) credit card has been issued (“Cardholder”), your spouse, and your dependent children under twenty-two (22) years of age are automatically covered when a portion or the entire cost of the Common Carrier fare, is purchased with your Chase credit card account (“Account”)
I called the Benefits Administrator to find out if an authorized user is considered a “Cardholder” for the terms of this policy. And they confirmed, authorized users are also covered.
But They Must Pay With Their Authorized User Card
So if you plan on traveling with a friend or family member who isn’t covered under your own policy, you can add them to your account (if you trust them with your credit!). Then when they buy an airline ticket for themselves, their spouse, or their dependent children, and pay with their Chase Sapphire Preferred authorized user card, they’ll be reimbursed if there’s an eligible delay.
How to File a Claim
To start a claim, contact the Benefits Administrator within 60 days of the delay at 888-320-9961 or if you’re outside of the US, call collect at 804-673-1691.
They’ll send you a form and request documentation. You must respond within 100 days of the incident.
You’ll need to provide the following information:
- Receipt showing that the travel fare was charged to your eligible card. If more than 1 method of payment was used, include documentation that shows a portion of the purchase was made with your account.
- A copy of your ticket
- Copies of receipts for the claimed expenses
- Any other documentation requested by the Benefits Administrator
- A statement from the carrier indicating the reasons your trip was delayed
How to Get a Statement From the Airline
Before you leave the airport ask a customer service agent to issue you a military excuse (you do NOT have to be in the military).
Explain why you need the statement and ask nicely for the following information to be included:
- That you were delayed
- The reason why you were delayed (mechanical, etc.)
- The delay was more than 12 hours or required an overnight stay
Mile Writer has some tips and an example of a military excuse in his post.
Bottom Line
When you pay for your or your spouse’s or children’s flight, cruise, or train ticket (even just a portion of the total price) with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you’ll get Trip Delay coverage.
So if your trip is delayed more than 12 hours due to equipment failure, labor strikes, or weather, you could be reimbursed for up to $500 in expenses.
Other family and friends are NOT covered on your card. But if you add them as an authorized user, they can also be reimbursed for up to $500 for major delays when they pay for their (or their spouse and dependent children’s) trip with their authorized user card.
Make that 5,004 reasons to add an authorized user to your Chase Sapphire Preferred account! Just be sure you also know the risks.