Amex Plat Charge Card - Travel Insurance requires travel paid on card (change?)

[sydprop]

I was about to apply and noticed that the website now says Travel insurance requires you to pay for the travel on the card.

I swear that it was previously universal (regardless of whether you paid with the card) and it makes the card rather unattractive now..

Appreciate advice to the contrary!


EDIT: I notice that parts of the website are inconsistent on this.

 

[pshepvic]

I've got a claim in progress for a delay due to the ash cloud and the cancelled flights were not paid for with the card. We did have to use the card to pay for the emergency expenses though (as would be expected).

If this T&C is to change I will also be reconsidering the card, as that is the main reason I have it - so I'm covered no matter how I pay for the flights.

 

[nlagalle]

I was about to apply and noticed that the website now says Travel insurance requires you to pay for the travel on the card.

I swear that it was previously universal (regardless of whether you paid with the card) and it makes the card rather unattractive now..

Appreciate advice to the contrary!


EDIT: I notice that parts of the website are inconsistent on this.

I'm unaware of this change.. I checked the latest PDS not long ago and there is nothing in there about the travel being on the Charge card.

 

[leilajake]

Well actually I always thought that the wording stated "the majority" of the trip had to be paid by card. Therefore, given we normally use points for business/first class airfares we have always taken out separate travel insurance.

 

[pshepvic]

I'm unaware of this change.. I checked the latest PDS not long ago and there is nothing in there about the travel being on the Charge card.

Same here.

I've never taken out other insurance whether using points or paying, as it says you are covered by "being an Amex Platinum cardholder".

In fact, somewhere in the PDS it talks about refunding fares bought with points based on the equivalent $ cost at the time the fare was purchased - eg. if you bought a J class QF fare for 256,000 points and the $ price at the time was $12k, they would refund you the $12k (assuming the situation was an insured event).

 

[adampenrith]

I used to have American Express Platinum Charge, and I was told in 2000 that as long as I charge $100 of a travel related expense to the card i was covered, so that could be your limo to the airport or duty free shopping. I used to work in the travel industy and travelled a lot on FOC and Industry Tickets - not sure if this has changed.
I did discover once that they did charge the deductible for each person, ie my partner and I both had to pay the $100 deductible, where in my view it should have been charged just once..
I gave up the card and it was not working for me, but good luck with this.

 

[wandersen]

You definitely do not need to charge to the card:

https://www.iplatinum.americanexpress.com/prospect/australia/FrontServlet?request_type=Hints

My brother has a card on my account - he's never actually used it but has made claims on the travel insurance.

 

[kamchatsky]

Given the current 80K offer for Plat Charge card now, I was thinking of applying it given it includes travel insurance as long as you are cardholder (and without having to buy separate travel insurance), saves me from buying separate insurance.

So I am thinking to pay $900 and get:

- Free travel insurance (say worth $340 per year)
- Free Virgin Australia flight with the free Reserve card (for me worth $300 per year since I usually use it on SYD-ADL)
- 80K MR points (return SYD-HKG J VS)
- Priority Pass (not much big deal for me as I am *A Gold and no PP lounges in AU)


Can someone who has the card please advise whether the travel insurance cover for Plat Charge card is comparable than the standard travel insurance (say TID), or there are little tricks that I have missed (eg minimum purchase of card, but could not see it in the PDS)? Any Plat Charge card cardholders buy their own travel insurance?

 

[wandersen]

I never buy my own insurance. I did a bit of an audit a few years back against other policies and found the Amex policy to be far better than most. FYI some of the benefits only apply if you put the trip on the card - e.g. the cash after a 4 hour flight delay.

 

[thehound]

FYI some of the benefits only apply if you put the trip on the card - e.g. the cash after a 4 hour flight delay.

This is not actually correct. The $700 allowance after a 4 hour delay is applicable regardless of whether you charge the flights to your card - you only need to put the expenses you're claiming at the time of the incident (eg the hotel and dinner you paid for 4 hours after your flight was delayed) on the card.

"SECTION (C) TRAVEL INCONVENIENCE COVERTerms and Conditions applicable to Travel Inconvenience Cover
1. Accommodation, restaurant meals or refreshments, emergency purchase of essential clothing and requisites must be charged to Your American Express Platinum Card account."

 

[pshepvic]

This is not actually correct. The $700 allowance after a 4 hour delay is applicable regardless of whether you charge the flights to your card - you only need to put the expenses you're claiming at the time of the incident (eg the hotel and dinner you paid for 4 hours after your flight was delayed) on the card.

"SECTION (C) TRAVEL INCONVENIENCE COVERTerms and Conditions applicable to Travel Inconvenience Cover
1. Accommodation, restaurant meals or refreshments, emergency purchase of essential clothing and requisites must be charged to Your American Express Platinum Card account."

Interesting thing is they don't even enforce that, and one person at ACE insurance who was processing a claim for me actually told me outright that you don't have to. We had some expenses paid in cash, and others paid on a different card, and they still reimbursed them. Some places don't take Amex, so it would be impossible to use the card in every case. Just keep receipts for everything. I guess it's best to try to use the card, just in case all claims agents don't follow this same policy.


Sent from my iPhone using AustFreqFly app

 

[nlagalle]

This is not actually correct. The $700 allowance after a 4 hour delay is applicable regardless of whether you charge the flights to your card - you only need to put the expenses you're claiming at the time of the incident (eg the hotel and dinner you paid for 4 hours after your flight was delayed) on the card.

"SECTION (C) TRAVEL INCONVENIENCE COVERTerms and Conditions applicable to Travel Inconvenience Cover
1. Accommodation, restaurant meals or refreshments, emergency purchase of essential clothing and requisites must be charged to Your American Express Platinum Card account."

No he is referring to the emergency charges.. Amex plat is automatically active whenever you travel