Best Credit Cards For Travel Insurance Of December 2024

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has hands-down the most comprehensive travel insurance coverage of all the cards on our list. Not only does the card offer a broad range of benefits, but the coverage amounts are higher than those typically offered by other cards.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is unusual in that it provides emergency medical and dental insurance coverage as long as part of your trip is charged to the card. Don’t get too excited, though—the benefit is secondary coverage, limited to $2,500 with a $50 deductible, which is not nearly enough coverage for most international trips. We recommend obtaining additional out-of-country medical insurance if your existing healthcare plan does not cover it. In addition, the card has the following benefits:

Included Travel Protections

• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses, which includes transportation, tours and hotels. Limited to $40,000 per year.
• Trip delay reimbursement: Effective after six hours of delay or if an overnight stay is required and covers reasonable expenses up to $500 per person.
• Baggage delay reimbursement: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of five days for the purchase of essential items if bags are delayed six or more hours.
• Lost or damaged luggage reimbursement: Checked and carry-on baggage are each covered up to $3,000 for loss or damage incurred by a common carrier.
• Auto rental coverage: Primary insurance provides reimbursement of up to $75,000 for damages caused by theft or collision.
• Emergency medical and dental benefit: Up to $2,500 for emergency medical or dental treatment due to illness or accident. A $50 deductible applies.
• Medical evacuation insurance: Up to $100,000 for medical services and transportation if medically necessary emergency evacuation is required.
• Travel accident insurance: Up to $1,000,000 in the event of death or dismemberment while a passenger is on a common carrier.
• Roadside assistance: Up to $50 per incident with a maximum of four incidents per year.

Why We Like It

The high annual fee of this card is partially offset by an annual $300 travel credit, which is automatically applied to qualifying purchases. Additionally, cardholders can receive a credit every four years for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee charged to the card and Priority Pass airport lounge membership, including access to Chase Sapphire Lounges. The card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards®, which are transferable to a number of travel partners, including United Airlines MileagePlus and World of Hyatt, at a 1:1 ratio. Points are redeemable through Chase Travel℠ or using Pay Yourself Back, where they’re worth 1.5 cents each when applied to eligible categories.

What We Don’t Like

While this card offers a great bonus on dining, if you spend a lot on general travel expenses, you might find better rewards on other cards. Keep that in mind while you’re looking at the annual fee vs. the return in rewards.

Who It’s Best For

Frequent travelers who want the most comprehensive credit card travel insurance and value the card’s travel perks and transferable rewards.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers the best travel insurance for a card with an annual fee under $100. Coverage limits are good, and the most helpful travel insurances are provided, including:

Included Travel Protections

• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses, including transportation, tours and hotels. Limited to $40,000 per year.
• Trip delay reimbursement: Effective after 12 hours of delay or if an overnight stay is required due to eligible reasons and covers unreimbursed meals and lodging up to $500 per person.
• Baggage delay reimbursement: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of five days for the purchase of essential items if bags are delayed six or more hours.
• Lost or damaged luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 of coverage for luggage that is damaged or lost by a common carrier.
• Auto rental collision waiver: Primary insurance provides reimbursement for damages caused by theft or collision up to the actual cash value of most rental cars.
• Travel accident insurance: Up to $500,000 in the event of death or dismemberment while a passenger is on a common carrier.

Why We Like It

Cardholders can transfer flexible Ultimate Rewards® to a variety of airline frequent flyer programs and hotel chains, such as United Airlines and Hyatt. Points can also be redeemed for 1.25 cents per point through the Chase Travel℠ portal or for 1 to 1.25 cents per point when using Pay Yourself Back, depending on the category. The card also provides a yearly $50 hotel credit for bookings made through the Chase Travel portal, which helps offset the annual fee.

What We Don’t Like

Some of the bonus categories that are typical for users, such as gas stations and drugstores, are notably missing from this card. In order to earn the full 5 points per dollar for travel, you’ve got to book through the Chase portal. All other travel will earn just 2 points per dollar, much lower than many of its competitors.

Who It’s Best For

Those who want a card that provides good travel insurance at a reasonable annual fee and provides elevated rewards in common categories will find that the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card satisfies those goals.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) offers premium credit card perks with a lower annual fee than competing premium cards and moderate travel insurance benefits.

The biggest downside of the Venture X card’s travel protections is that it only reimburses transportation costs if a trip needs to be canceled for covered reasons, whereas many other cards on this list will cover all prepaid expenses, like hotels and rental cars, up to the coverage maximum. Additionally, the covered eligible reasons for trip cancellation and interruption are very limited.

Included Travel Protections

• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $2,000 per person for nonrefundable common carrier tickets.
• Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 for otherwise unreimbursed expenses incurred when delayed for six or more hours or overnight.
• Lost luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 reimbursement per trip for checked or carry-on baggage lost or stolen while in the care of a common carrier.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Primary coverage of up to the actual cash value of the rental car to a maximum of $75,000 for damages due to theft or collision.
• Travel accident insurance: Up to $1,000,000 for accidental death or dismemberment while a passenger is on a common carrier.

Why We Like It

In addition to solid rewards potential and good travel insurance coverage, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers a $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles on each card anniversary. The travel credit must be redeemed through Capital One’s travel portal. Cardholders also receive a Priority Pass lounge membership, access to Capital One lounges and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® credit after charging the application fee to the card (once every four years).

What We Don’t Like

Unlike many of the cards on our list, this one doesn’t come with any baggage delay insurance, only lost luggage. This means that if your bags are delayed in getting to you, you’re on the hook for immediate expenses. The other coverages can be limited, so if you want a fully comprehensive insurance that covers all facets of your trip, look elsewhere.

Who It’s Best For

Travelers who want a card with premium benefits and travel insurance and who can gain sufficient value to offset the annual fee.

If you’re looking for bonus points across a wide swath of categories, then the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is the perfect candidate. It’s easy to get a good return for your credit card spend with high rewards on common expenses like supermarkets, restaurants and travel.

Lumped into the Strata Premier’s definition of travel are OTAs, or online travel agencies. Many cards on the market only reward you for purchases made directly with the travel provider, but this Citi card is different.

Included Travel Protections

• Trip Cancellation: You’ll be covered for up to $5,000 per trip and $10,000 per account in a twelve month period for covered reasons.
• Trip Delay Insurance: If the delay in your travel is more than 6 hours due to weather, equipment failure or lost/stolen documents, you’re eligible for up to $500 in reasonable expenses.
• Lost or Damaged Luggage: Coverage is limited to $3,000 for your luggage and its contents ($2,000 for New York residents).
• Car Rental Insurance: Up to the actual cash value of the vehicle, and the coverage is considered primary if you’re outside your home country or secondary if you’re traveling in your home country.

Why We Like It

Citi recently brought back these coverages as they were gone for quite some time. This meant that if you purchased any travel on your Citi cards, you were on the hook for all expenses. The card’s transfer partners offer you a way to turn points into future trips, and any car rentals or hotels you book through the Citi Travel portal earn you 10x points.

What We Don’t Like

Overall the insurances are still lacking in any real value, and the card lags behind its competition. Car rental insurance is secondary if you’re in the U.S., assuming you are a resident of the U.S., and only kicks in after your insurance pays out anything.

The trip delay and trip interruption insurances are also fairly restrictive with only a few covered reasons. If you do manage to have a covered reason, the amount they’ll pay is lower than many of the other cards on this list.

Who It’s Best For

This card is best for those who might not see themselves needing the best top-notch travel insurance coverage, but still value earning points across a wide spectrum of categories.

The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees): It’s no surprise that this benefits-laden, ultra-premium card includes travel insurance. What is surprising is that the card’s insurance offering is middle of the road. The Platinum Card’s car rental coverage is secondary, which means that you’re required to make a claim first with your personal auto insurance prior to making a claim with American Express.

For trip delay and trip cancellation/interruption insurance to be valid, your entire round trip must be paid for with the Platinum Card. This requirement can be satisfied by booking two one-way flights. Baggage delay reimbursement and travel accident insurance are also notably absent from the Platinum Card’s benefits.

Included Travel Protections

• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Reimburses up to $10,000 in nonrefundable expenses charged to the card per covered trip, with a maximum of $20,000 per rolling 12 months, provided that the entire cost of the round trip is purchased with the card. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 of coverage per covered trip for expenses incurred due to delays of more than six hours, provided that the entire cost of the round trip is charged to the card. There is a maximum of two claims per consecutive 12 months. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• Baggage insurance plan: Coverage of up to $2,000 per checked baggage to a maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage together in the event that the baggage is lost, damaged or stolen while traveling with a common carrier.¹
• Car rental loss and damage insurance: Up to $75,000 of secondary coverage in the event of damage or theft. It also includes accidental death, injury or dismemberment coverage to a maximum of $300,000 per incident that results directly from a car rental accident.²

Why We Like It

American Express offers a paid option to upgrade the car rental insurance to primary coverage with additional medical coverage (enrollment required). Once enrolled, every time you charge a rental to your card, you are automatically assessed a flat fee for the additional coverage. The extended policy covers luxury vehicles and trucks that are often not covered by credit card auto insurance.

There’s no question that the $695 annual fee is a showstopper. The card’s appeal lies in the rich portfolio of travel and shopping benefits: airport lounge access, up to $200 in annual airline incidental credit (charged by your one selected qualifying airline), up to $200 in annual Fine Hotels and Resorts credit, digital entertainment credit, Uber credit, Saks credit—the list goes on. If you’re able to make use of these perks, then the card’s annual fee could make sense and the travel protections are a bonus. But if you’re primarily looking for a card with a strong travel insurance package, then there are other cards with lower annual fees that do a better job. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

What We Don’t Like

It’s surprising to see a card with the industry’s highest annual fee offering such subpar insurance. In order to get primary car rental insurance, for example, you have to pay a fee for every car rental.

The card also lacks any real points bonuses, meaning that if you spend anything outside of airline tickets, you’re earning a flat one point for each dollar spent on the card.

If you want to help fight the high annual fee, you’ll need to make sure to squeeze every credit out of the card.

Who It’s Best For

Luxury travelers who are primarily interested in the generous high-end benefits of the card and are comfortable with the card’s travel insurance coverage.

If you’re a loyal United flyer, the United Quest℠ Card is worth considering. As a Chase card, it offers a full suite of travel insurance but with lower limits and more restrictions than the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. This includes:

Included Travel Protections

• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for nonrefundable, prepaid common carrier tickets.
• Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, if your common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay.
• Baggage delay reimbursement: Reimburses expenses for essential items up to $100 a day for three days for baggage delayed over six hours.
• Lost or damaged luggage reimbursement: Luggage damaged or lost by the carrier is covered up to $3,000 per passenger.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Primary coverage up to the actual cash value of the rental car in the event of damage due to theft or collision.
• Travel accident insurance: Up to $500,000 coverage in the event of death or dismemberment while a passenger is on a common carrier.

Why We Like It

It makes sense that the United Quest℠ Card’s benefits are United-centric. Aside from earning rewards as miles in United Airlines’ MileagePlus program, cardholders receive an annual up to $125 United purchase credit and up to two 5,000 United miles rebates after taking United award flights. If you’re seeking elite status, the card gives you the opportunity to earn up to 6,000 Premier qualifying points per calendar year through spending.

What We Don’t Like

You’ll need to really love United Airlines since all the rewards earned with this card come in the form of United Airlines’ miles. Other Chase cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, all earn Ultimate Rewards® points. Those points can then be turned into United Miles or used to offset travel costs.

Don’t get drawn in by the promise of high elite status, as the card has a cap of 6,000 PQP. In order to hit that high mark, you’d have to spend $120,000 in a calendar year.

Who It’s Best For

Regular United flyers who are looking to earn elite status and can find value in the United card’s benefits.

If traveling to Canada is routinely in your schedule, the Aeroplan® Credit Card merits consideration. The card comes with an array of travel insurance coverages and benefits that can enhance travel with Air Canada.

Included Travel Protections

• Trip cancellation and interruption: Up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable passenger fares.
• Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 per ticket for unreimbursed expenses such as meals and lodging if your common carrier travel is delayed by more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay.
• Baggage delay: Reimbursement for essential items up to $100 per day for three days, if your baggage is delayed by more than six hours.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Secondary coverage up to the actual cash value of the rental car in the event of theft or collision damage.

Why We Like It

The card’s excellent uncapped earning rate on grocery and dining purchases lets you quickly accumulate Aeroplan points. Those points can be redeemed for flights with any of its Star Alliance partners, including United Airlines.

New cardholders get automatic Aeroplan 25K status for the remainder of the calendar year plus the following year. Air Canada loyalists can bump up their elite status by one tier after spending $50,000 in a calendar year.

The card also provides up to a $100 statement credit for application fees for any of Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS once every four years. NEXUS is especially useful for travelers regularly crossing the U.S.-Canada border.

What We Don’t Like

Although Aeroplan’s partner airline network is vast, there are no hotel partners and you have to have strong knowledge of how transfer partners work to be able to maximize your earnings on non-Aeroplan flights.

On the insurance front, the card only offers secondary car rental protections, meaning you should leave this one in your wallet and instead use another card on the list that offers primary coverage.

Who It’s Best For

Frequent international travelers that find great value using Aeroplan miles across their wide network of partners.

The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card is an attractive option for any existing Bank of America customer who has Preferred Rewards status but doesn’t want to shell out for the more expensive Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite credit card*. The travel insurance is even more limited in scope and coverage compared to the Elite version of the card, but it may make sense for the lower annual fee.

Included Travel Protections

• Trip cancellation and interruption: Provides up to $2,500 per person for nonrefundable passenger fares.
• Trip delay reimbursement: Reimburses up to $500 per ticket purchased for reasonable expenses due to a travel delay of more than 12 hours.
• Baggage delay: Reimburses up to $100 per day for essential items to a maximum of five days when bags are delayed more than six hours.
• Lost luggage reimbursement: Provides you coverage for luggage and its contents if they are lost or stolen due to theft or misdirection by the common carrier (airline, bus, train, cruise ship).
• Emergency evacuation and transportation coverage: If you or a member of your immediate family are injured or become sick during a trip far from home that results in an emergency evacuation, you can be covered for eligible medical services and transportation.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Provides secondary coverage for damage due to collision or theft.

Why We Like It

Bank of America Preferred Rewards members with status get a 25% to 75% additional purchase rewards, which can make it competitive from a cash back standpoint. The annual fee is easily offset by the $100 annual airline incidental credit and up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee reimbursement (once every four years).

What We Don’t Like

Auto insurance coverage is secondary, meaning that any and all claims would first have to go through your car insurance. This could potentially mean large bills coming your way, so be aware of this before declining coverages at the counter.

Who It’s Best For

Bank of America customers with Preferred Reward status who prefer a lower annual fee will find good value here. The extra rewards earned with Preferred Rewards can make this card stand out.

The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite credit card* offers a good package of protections, with the exception of its trip cancellation and interruption insurance, which only reimburses transportation costs and nothing else. Otherwise, the card offers coverage that is characteristic of premium credit cards.

Included Travel Protections

• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $2,500 per person for nonrefundable common carrier tickets.
• Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 per person for reasonable expenses incurred when the trip is delayed by more than six hours or requires an overnight stay.
• Baggage delay reimbursement: Reimbursement for essential expenses up to $100 per day for a maximum of five days if baggage is delayed four hours or more.
• Lost or damaged luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 per trip for checked or carry-on baggage lost by a common carrier.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Primary coverage for damage due to collision or theft up to the actual cash value of the rental car to a maximum of $75,000.
• Emergency evacuation coverage: Up to $100,000 for medically necessary emergency evacuation of you or your family.
• Travel accident insurance: Up to $1,000,000 for accidental death or dismemberment that occurs while a passenger is on a common carrier.

Why We Like It

This card takes the guesswork out of confusing categories with a simple to understand points earning structure. If you are a Preferred Rewards member, you can top out at 3.5 points per dollar on travel and dining, and 2.62 points on all your other purchases. Once you’ve earned all these points, you can save an additional 20% on the cost of domestic or international travel when you redeem your points.

Another valuable feature of this card is the Priority Pass membership. Not only can you get a membership for yourself, but for up to three additional people, all with one credit card. If you’ve got a large family, being able to give them all a lounge membership is a huge perk.

What We Don’t Like

Bank of America still lacks any airline or hotel transfer partners, despite having co-branded card relationships with Alaska Airlines, Air France/KLM and Spirit Airlines. If they were to start a transfer relationship, this card would provide an exceptional value to its competition.

Who It’s Best For

This card is best for travelers seeking lounge access and flight redemptions using their points. In order to get the most out of this card, you’ll need a substantial balance with Bank of America or Merrill.