How Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Insurance Saved My $1,400 Trip

This trip was supposed to be a nice relaxing getaway for my mom and me during a pretty hectic but also exciting time in my life. It was December 2018, and I was about to graduate from my master’s program in London at the end of the month. I was abroad and hadn’t seen my mom in a while, so I was looking forward to a relaxing mother-daughter trip to the Dominican Republic, where neither of us had been.

Our flights totaled $773 on Chase Travel, but because I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, I could redeem my Chase points at 1.5 cents each and use 51,549 Ultimate Rewards points instead of paying cash. Booking through Chase Travel also meant that my flights would be revenue tickets so that they would earn miles (in this case, United miles). If I had simply transferred points from Chase to United and booked award tickets using United miles, those flights wouldn’t have earned any rewards.

For whatever reason, I purchased a hotel on Bookit.com, an OTA that offered many all-inclusive hotels in various Caribbean destinations. We splurged and paid $1,745 for an all-inclusive beachfront hotel with an outdoor jacuzzi in the room. Because I wanted to earn 3 points per dollar on the hotel, I paid with my Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

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4.9

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Up to 10x Reward Rate

Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel throughRead More

Welcome Bonus

60,000 bonus points

Annual Fee

$550

Regular APR

22.49%-29.49% Variable

Credit Score

Excellent (750 – 850)

Editorial Review

This card offers superior points earning rates if you spend frequently on travel and dining out. The $300 travel credit justifies much of the annual fee, and redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel℠ nets you a 50% bonus.

Pros & Cons

• $300 annual travel credit is incredibly flexible
• Generous welcome bonus
• Get 50% more value when you redeem points for travel through Chase Travel℠
• Points transfer to valuable airline and hotel partners

• High annual fee
• Additional fee for each authorized user
• Excellent credit recommended

Card Details

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Member FDIC

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

When my mom called to tell me about my grandfather’s emergency hospitalization, I knew we’d have to cancel the trip.

The process with United was pretty straightforward, thanks to the airline’s compassionate policy for extenuating circumstances. I called the airline, explained the situation, and was told by a customer service rep to submit a refund request via email explaining why we were canceling the trip and include proof of the hospitalization signed by a doctor. I emailed the required information and requested a full refund of the 51,549 Chase points.

The refund took about three months to arrive, and by March, all my Ultimate Rewards points had been refunded to my Chase account.

Unfortunately, the process with Bookit.com wasn’t so simple. The OTA didn’t have a policy for extenuating circumstances, so this cancellation was subject to Bookit.com’s strict policy, which only gave us a $299 refund since we canceled the trip within a few days of departure.

I called Bookit.com multiple times and was finally given the email address of a supervisor who would review the situation. I sent an email explaining the reason for the cancellation and provided a note from the hospital signed by my grandfather’s attending physician. Over the course of a few weeks, I sent multiple emails and never received a response.

When my credit card bill arrived containing the $1,745 charge, I called Chase to dispute it. The dispute was filed, and that month, Chase credited me the amount and began investigating the transaction. However, the next month, Chase recharged me because Bookit.com replied to Chase and explained that the charge was valid since I was the one who canceled a nonrefundable trip.

I spoke to a Chase supervisor who advised me to file a claim with Chase’s travel insurance since this situation was likely covered by the card’s trip cancellation coverage. She further explained that the charge would remain on the credit card bill and I would have to pay it because, as ridiculous as it was, Bookit.com did follow its policy.

Then, after filing my claim, Chase’s benefit administrator would review my claim and reimburse me. Though I’ve held the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for many years, I’ve been fortunate to not need any of the card’s travel insurance protections, so this was a whole new process for me.

Read more. Chase Sapphire Travel Insurance Offered on Cards

As far as credit card benefits go, the trip cancellation insurance offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is solid. The coverage provides reimbursement for nonrefundable travel expenses up to $10,000 per person if a trip is canceled for a covered reason. A medical emergency experienced by a family member counts as a covered reason.

To file a claim, you can call Chase’s benefit administrator or do it yourself at www.eclaimsline.com, which I did. Since my flights were already reimbursed, I filed my claim for $1,446 (the $1,745 Bookit.com charge less the $299 refund).

In my filing, I included a short paragraph explaining the reason for the cancellation and attached the following supporting documents: my credit card bills showing the Bookit.com charge and partial refund, a copy of the Bookit.com reservation along with the OTA’s cancellation policy, a copy of the hospital admission and a note from the attending physician.

The claim was processed in about a month, and I received a reimbursement for $1,446. Filing a claim through Chase’s benefit administrator was reasonably straightforward.

One of the biggest takeaways from this experience was understanding that each travel company will treat family emergencies differently. While United provided a full refund of the flights after I submitted the requested documents, Bookit.com wasn’t responsive, had no policy to help with extenuating circumstances, and its customer service was unreachable when I needed support.

Another takeaway was realizing that holding a card with a high annual fee doesn’t guarantee that the credit card company will side with me in a dispute if the merchant is following its policy (however unfair it might be). For example, I disputed the Bookit.com charge because I felt it was unjust that the OTA didn’t have an extenuating circumstance policy, and its customer service ignored my repeated emails and calls. Through this experience, I learned about the Chase Sapphire Reserve®’s travel insurance benefits.

And finally, my biggest takeaway from this fiasco was realizing how important travel insurance is. Because I paid for the Bookit.com reservation with a credit card with trip cancellation insurance, I was reimbursed $1,445, the entire claim amount. The Sapphire Reserve’s travel protections don’t stop here either. The card offers rental car coverage, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance and even emergency medical and dental benefits.

So, when you’re planning a trip that includes nonrefundable flights or hotels, do yourself a favor and book it on a card that offers travel insurance. If you don’t have a card with this benefit, consider purchasing a comprehensive trip insurance policy to protect your nonrefundable travel in case an unexpected emergency derails your plans.

Read more. Credit Card Travel Insurance vs. Separate Policy