Reader’s Experience with Citi Prestige Travel Delay Insurance

Last month I wrote a post about my reluctance when it comes to relying on credit cards for travel insurance.  I did mention that for simple trips it’s probably a good idea, though. My reader Tania has reached out to me and kindly offered to share her experience with filing a trip delay claim on her Citi Prestige.

Be aware, Citi Prestige only offers partial coverage. In the event of trip cancellation, you will be entitled to a refund of what you actually paid. So, if you are redeeming miles, paying award taxes with Citi Prestige may not be a good idea. I would choose Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve when given an option. In this case the reader filed a trip delay claim and her expenses were covered, since she used Thank You points earned via Citi Prestige to pay for her flights.

Tania:

Last year I applied for Citi Prestige. I enjoyed the bonus and the regular perks ($250 annual airfare credit, lounge access and Global Entry fee reimbursement) which more than made up for the $450 annual fee. For most regular folks such a high annual fee is really hard to justify. It was for me. But after my travel delay insurance ordeal this card is a keeper.

Every year I travel to Orlando so my son can spend time with his dad’s family and so I can escape the frigid New York weather and visit my friends in Florida. I work really hard to accumulate the points which  ease my financial burden and help me maximize  vacations.

Last May I scored a great deal and used American Airlines miles to cover a stay in Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, plus a rental car. We flew on revenue Delta fare via Citi Thank You points, earned with Citi Prestige.

Our flight was scheduled to leave Orlando at 8pm, but around 2pm I got an email from Delta advising me that the flight was delayed 90 minutes. Thanks to Hyatt Explorist status (via Mlife status match) I was able to secure a late check out at 4pm. With plenty of time to spare, I decided to meet a friend for ice cream before heading to the airport. I knew a storm was approaching New York, but I was still hoping to get out of Orlando.

Around 6pm I was at the parking lot chatting with my friend when I got an email and text message from Delta telling me my flight was canceled and that I would now depart at 7:30 AM the next day. For 30 seconds I was in panic mode. But thanks to the miles and points gods I remembered about the travel delay insurance. I pulled my Citi Prestige out, called the number on the back of the card and a friendly rep transferred me to the insurance agent.

It took maybe 5 minutes for the agent to explain the process. She advised me not to worry about costs and even suggested a nice restaurant for dinner. I was told the insurance would cover up to $500 (hotel, meals and rental car late fees). I decided to call Delta to schedule a later flight the next day so I would not have to wake up at 5 AM. I was able to secure a 10:30 AM flight. I’m not going to lie, I was very temped to book Disney’s Polynesian resort and character breakfast at Ohana’s, but I was not in a financial position to “test” the insurance.

So  I used the Hyatt app to book a standard room at the Regency hotel inside the Orlando airport. The property is super convenient because it’s located inside the terminal, so I was able to return the rental car without any penalties. The last minute rate was $189 plus tax. I did everything standing in a parking lot while my son played with my friend’s daughter inside the ice cream shop. We were very tired, so I decided to go out for a light dinner and drive to the airport to return the rental car.

My son was so excited to stay in a hotel inside the airport. We were lucky and scored an upgrade to an airport terminal view (funny enough, this is considered a premium room). Next day we enjoyed a nice breakfast at the hotel and caught our flight well rested.

Later I downloaded the form from the Citi Prestige website, filled out all the information, scanned my receipts and sent them to the email address provided. 30 days later I got the credit on my statement.

This is what my claim form looked like:

The costs were reimbursed 100%:

Lessons learned: Travel insurance is your friend, always have your cell phone fully charged, airlines and hotel apps are helpful, and spending time reading miles and points blogs always pays off.

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