American Express travel insurance- I'm confused, can anyone help?

[Berlin]

Hi everyone,

reading through insurance Ts&Cs is always driving me crazy and as ever so often in these cases I am totally confused

So, in short, my problem: I am going on a two week long trip to the US soon and have paid my QF flight to and from the US with my American Express Platinum charge card so the health insurance is done and dusted. Now, within the US I've booked a couple of one way flights on AA and paid them with my Platinum Amex Reserve credit card. Some of those connections within the US are quite tight and I am now wondering how I will be covered for potential delays or lost luggage etc. Looking through the Ts&Cs, on both cards they talk about 'activation of cover' by having paid the round trip with the card in question. But there's no talk about those one way flights I might have booked separately- are they also covered through the main insurance from my charge card because I've paid my return trip out of Australia through that one? Or maybe I'm not covered at all which then would be a big lessons of 'Always pay everything with one and the same card' which would be highly inconvenient.

Maybe someone here has had similar experiences before and can help. Otherwise, I might just have to call Amex and ask them. Thank you!

 

[davestan]

My understanding is that Amex payment of the Australia out and return legs of the trip triggers the insurance. This then covers you for everything else on the trip, regardless of how paid.

 

[piratematerial]

On a Qantas or Velocity rewards booking where you pay the taxes on Amex, are you covered? The t&cs are unclear

 

[Berlin]

My understanding is that Amex payment of the Australia out and return legs of the trip triggers the insurance. This then covers you for everything else on the trip, regardless of how paid.

This is the way I did understand the Ts&Cs. Better check though as I didn't study contract or insurance law!

 

[davestan]

On a Qantas or Velocity rewards booking where you pay the taxes on Amex, are you covered? The t&cs are unclear

I specifically asked Chubb about that point and was told that is correct. My scenario was cruising out of Australia and returning by a flight redeemed with points, taxes paid with Amex. I paid the cruise leg, and the tax component of the airfare with Amex Plat Charge and thus the insurance ( theoretically) was activated. Didn't matter which FF the points came from.
ive got to say though it would be good if a definitive statement of activation could be provided by Amex (Chubb) when the requirements are met. I believe other cards do provide this.
In any event I make sure I print off the relevant charges of the Amex statement and keep them with my travel documents as well as the receipts for the travel services.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Note that if you going with a spouse etc and they also are a Supp Cardholder that Supp Cardholders are excluded from many parts of the cover. So you will need separate insurance for them.

This is one reason why if I use a CC for TI that I use one of the banked issued cards.

 

[davestan]

Note that if you going with a spouse etc and they also are a Supp Cardholder that Supp Cardholders are excluded from many parts of the cover. So you will need separate insurance for them.

This is one reason why if I use a CC for TI that I use one of the banked issued cards.

I was told, and is confirmed in the T& C s that my spouse is fully covered as well, included in the definition of the primary cardholder.
The exclusions are if the supplementary cardholders are not immediate family members, spouse or dependent children up to a certain age.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I was told, and is confirmed in the T& C s that my spouse is fully covered as well, included in the definition of the primary cardholder.
The exclusions are if the supplementary cardholders are not immediate family members, spouse or dependent children up to a certain age.

I may have missed some relevant clauses but it does not seem that clear to me.

Primary Card Member means:

1. the person who applied for the American Express Platinum Card Accountand who is issued an American Express Platinum Card Account as theprimary account holder;

and2. their husband, wife, fiance(e), de facto or life partner with whom they havecontinuously cohabited for a period of six (6) months or more;

and3. their legally dependent children (including stepchildren or legally adoptedchildren) who are twenty-four (24) years of age or less and whollydependent on them for financial support.

Primary Card Member does not include a Supplementary Card Member.



Supplementary Card Member means:1. a person who has been issued a Supplementary Card on anAmerican Express Platinum Card Account;

If I was going to rely upon this card for TI I would be asking for something else in writing to confirm that a spouse is covered despite being a Supp cardholder unless their is a clause in the document that clarifies it.

The exclusions are if the supplementary cardholders are not immediate family members, spouse or dependent children up to a certain age.

Where is that defined?


I agree that they probably intend that a wife be covered. It is just that the wording that I can see does not seem to not exclude them if they are also a Supp cardholder.

 

[davestan]

Where is that defined?

I agree that they probably intend that a wife be covered. It is just that the wording that I can see does not seem to not exclude them if they are also a Supp cardholder.

Yes I agree that those clauses can appear contradictory. When I called Amex to clarify that is what I was told.

If you call them I would be interested to hear what they say, but good luck in getting anything in writing.

 

[andye]

It would be bizarre for someone to receive less cover by holding the supplementary. I would be confident that the family members are covered via the primary

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Yes I agree that those clauses can appear contradictory. When I called Amex to clarify that is what I was told.

If you call them I would be interested to hear what they say, but good luck in getting anything in writing.

No need for me to call as I instead use a CC for TI that is free, has lower Activation Barriers, where I can redeem the flights using points from any source (very important for me as for two decades now I have mainly redeemed for international flights and have only rarely bought any - mainly short haul hops, and I earn points in many different programs) and where the clauses clearly state that the spouse is covered.


PS. I used to use the Charge for TI when the cover was activated merely by holding the card, and they always rebated the card fee to well under $500 each year. Even made a major claim on it once as the wife had a major cycling accident and we had to cancel a 6 week trip in Europe. Back then any Supp cardholder also got free TI which was handy as my eldest daughter made her own trips and it provided free TO for her.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

It would be bizarre for someone to receive less cover by holding the supplementary. I would be confident that the family members are covered via the primary

While I agree with your last point, is not "bizarre" the normal for what most insurance policies do and do not cover?

 

[Berlin]

Okay, I've now called Amex/ Chubb with regards to my initial question and while being a bit painful of a call, in the end they've confirmed that indeed the insurance gets activated by paying for the return trip out and back into Australia with the Platinum charge card. I specifically asked again whether this also covers any domestic flights that might be paid with a different card and she explicitly confirmed that they "do not care how you pay for any domestic flights, event tickets and the likes as long as the return airfare is paid with the charge card (or the tax portion is, if a redemption booking).

So all good, very positive outcome!