The comprehensive guide to trip delay reimbursement

Quick insights

• Trip delay reimbursement is an insurance coverage that may reimburse you for some of the reasonable expenses you incur from eligible travel delays.
• This coverage is available through a travel insurance provider or as a benefit with some credit cards.
• You may find that travel insurance coverages, like trip delay reimbursement, help you limit certain expenses when things go unexpectedly during travel.

Unexpected events like flight delays can mess up your trip itinerary and may result in unplanned costs. Trip delay reimbursement may help with this common situation many travelers face. This insurance usually covers certain expenses that result from travel delays due to unforeseen events like bad weather or mechanical delays.

Let’s unpack how trip delay reimbursement coverage may help protect your travel budget.

What is trip delay reimbursement?

Trip delay reimbursement may compensate you for reasonable expenses you incur when your travel is delayed. How policies define “reasonable” may vary, but you can usually get reimbursed for costs associated with your delay, such as meals at the airport or a night at a hotel.

You may purchase trip delay reimbursement through an insurance provider—usually, as part of a comprehensive travel insurance policy. Another way to access trip delay reimbursement is through certain credit cards. Sometimes this coverage is automatically available to cardmembers.  

How trip delay reimbursement works

Trip delay policies usually apply when your travel is delayed for a specified length of time, typically six hours or more. Policies generally cover reasonable purchases like:

• Lodging
• Meals
• Toiletries
• Medication

The list isn’t exhaustive, so it may be possible to get reimbursed for expenses not listed here.

There are generally also limits on how much you can get reimbursed. For example, a policy may offer up to $500 in reimbursement for expenses that result from a trip that is delayed for multiple days. Some travelers may want coverage that applies to shorter delays and provides a greater reimbursement amount.

The policy will typically define which delays are covered. Equipment failure, inclement weather or a workers’ strike may be listed as eligible reasons. In many cases, the coverage applies to travel via a long-distance carrier, such as an airline, rail or bus carrier and standard work commutes are usually excluded.

If you file a claim for trip delay reimbursement, you could be asked to provide receipts for your expenses, your ticket or travel itinerary, a statement from the carrier documenting the reason for the delay or other documents.

Benefits of trip delay reimbursement

It may not be possible to prevent unexpected events like lengthy flight delays, but if you have trip delay reimbursement coverage, you may feel reassured knowing that these events could be less likely to ruin your travel budget.

Typically, trip delay reimbursement is offered as part of a comprehensive travel insurance policy, or you may get similarly comprehensive coverage through some credit cards, which generally offer trip delay reimbursement with other travel insurance benefits like:

• Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Baggage delay insurance
• Travel accident insurance
• Travel and emergency assistance
• Emergency evacuation and transportation
• Emergency medical and dental benefit
• Auto rental coverage
• Roadside assistance

If your credit card comes with these travel protections, the combined coverage could potentially help with extra expenses when things go unexpectedly on a trip.

This article breaks down two rewards credit cards’ travel insurance benefits and how they may make travel less stressful for cardmembers.

Trip delay reimbursement with a credit card

Some credit cards—typically rewards credit cards—come with complimentary benefits for cardmembers. This may include purchase and travel protections, including a trip delay reimbursement benefit.

If your credit card comes with trip delay coverage, you’re typically eligible for the benefit when you purchase the airline or other carrier’s ticket with your credit card. Immediate family members may also be covered when their tickets are purchased on the same itinerary and with the card. It’s possible some credit card issuers may require you to sign up before you can use the benefit.

Travel insurance through a credit card is often secondary to any reimbursement you may get from the carrier or other trip delay coverage you may have. That means all other reimbursement must be exhausted before you may use this credit card benefit.

If you want to check whether a credit card’s travel protections meet your needs, review the full coverage details in your credit card’s Guide to Benefits.

In summary

Trip delay reimbursement may compensate you for eligible expenses that result from a lengthy travel delay. You can purchase this coverage through an insurance provider or receive it as a benefit with some rewards credit cards. You may be covered for lodging, meals and other expenses if your trip is delayed, which may make your next trip a little less stressful.