Pre-requisites to using travel insurance

[Keith009]

I was wondering how much of my trip must I have paid via AMEX to take advantage of the free travel insurance that comes with the card? 100%? 50%?

My DONE4s were bought prior to getting the AMEX, but I've been using AMEX to pay for the reissues fee as well as all hotel stays on upcoming trips.

And what about award redemptions where AMEX is only used to pay for the taxes, and in the case of BMI cash+miles awards both the taxes as well as the cash component?

Cheers.

 

[NM]

I believe with Amex you must have purchased the air ticket using your Amex card.

 

[equus]

There is no single answer, as different AMEX cards have different policies, with different terms and conditions.

The Platinum Charge card simply requires you to be a card holder - no purchase or other conditions necessary. With other cards, you may need to have purchased the ticket.

For all such insurance questions, read the policy....

 

[lovestotravel]

There is no single answer, as different AMEX cards have different policies, with different terms and conditions.

The Platinum Charge card simply requires you to be a card holder - no purchase or other conditions necessary. With other cards, you may need to have purchased the ticket.

For all such insurance questions, read the policy....

Sounds correct but as always read the policy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It does surprise me that people ask insurance questions on any forum, no offense to QF009 intended but it is a risky question.

If you were going to ask how best to maximise a status run then that's fine

 

[docjames]

My understanding after protracted discussion with their insurer is "fair use" policy.

Book a DONE4 on Visa, stay in one hotel that's paid with Amex is not sufficient.

Book a DONE4 on Amex, stay in a hotel (pay with visa) but fall and break your leg in the hotel you should still be covered on your policy.

I dont think there's a strict % rule and as always buyer beware.


Note: You can ring Platinum services and they will put you through to the insurer who will email one out to you (or PM me and I can forward it to you!) which explains it a bit more but is still unclear on this matter. But basically, if you purchase the airfares on Plat Amex, you should be fine. If worried, take another basic travel insurance as backup.

 

[lovestotravel]

My understanding after protracted discussion with their insurer is "fair use" policy.

I dont think there's a strict % rule and as always buyer beware.

But basically, if you purchase the airfares on Plat Amex, you should be fine. If worried, take another basic travel insurance as backup.

Once again providing incorrect information, do you know what Plat card the QF009 has ?

If he has a Plat Charge Card from the Amex Website "You, your family, and your Supplementary Card members are automatically covered on any trip, whether you've paid using your Platinum Card or not."

As for the Platinum Credit Card "As per the Terms and Conditions, if You have purchased Your entire fares on Your card or the equivalent in Membership Rewards points and the taxes and charges have been paid on Your American Express Platinum Card You have access to this insurance."

Again that is my quoting from the PDS and T&C's on the Amex website!

Do your own investigation but I wouldn't pay much attention to what people post on here.

 

[Keith009]

The reason I asked the good people of AFF for this info is because I've lost my own PDS and know that I have a good chance of obtaining the info on here. I also can't find it online so if you could provide the link it'd be v much appreciated.

I have the credit card.

I also got conflicting info from the call centre - first rep said so long as "a portion" of travel is paid by the card, whilst the 2nd rep said that I had to put the whole air ticket on the card. They didn't know anything about mileage redemptions.

Looks like from what you're quoting, I'll still need to rely on my own insurance for now. Now if only they'd given me a decent limit in the first place so I can put some of the larger air fares on the AMEX! (can't increase till 6 months after I started, which is late September this year)

 

[lovestotravel]

All good, I was being nice to you but don't like it when others post incorrect information, as the wrong information here could cost you $200,000+

I would get your own travel insurance, as you need to have purchased the whole ticket on the card to be covered!

This is a good reason why the Plat Charge card is quite good as it covers you not matter what you spend on it.

The $900 annual fee is basically a fee for travel insurance, the way I look at it

http://www.americanexpress.com/australia/pdfs/platinum_credit_terms_condition.pdf

That is what you are after, it's not 100% clear but towards the end is what I quoted above and it follows what I know about the card

 

[Keith009]

I was wondering what on earth the big gap in fee between the charge and credit cards was for - now I get it..... And no annoying pre-auths issues to deal with on the charge card. I pay my balance in full every month the moment the statement is emailed to me or sometimes even before the statement gets sent due to the stupidly low limit - so the credit card is virtually a charge card in that regard.

Anyway i bought an annual multi trip insurance from Columbus last year which goes till Dec so I should be right till then.

 

[oz_mark]

I was wondering what on earth the big gap in fee between the charge and credit cards was for - now I get it.....

Not to mention the Priority Pass that comes with the charge card.

 

[lovestotravel]

Not to mention the Priority Pass that comes with the charge card.

Yep - Another +++

 

[Keith009]

Is this full PP or do you still have to pay USD25 per lounge entry? My dad has some sort of Platinum card from his bank in Hong Kong and it comes with PP - except he gets charged USD25 per lounge entry when he tried to use it.

PP isn't very useful if you have airline status IMO, and I am sorted with both OW and *A status. I think PP is only really of use on the odd occassion that I end up on an ST or non aligned carrier like MH.

 

[docjames]

Not sure why i am being personally attacked

I knew QF009 had the credit card from previous threads.

In that case, how is what I have posted incorrect?

 

[lovestotravel]

"fair use" doesn't come into insurance policies, neither does "the % rule" or whatever you were trying to say.

It's quite simple, book the airfare and your are covered which you eluded to at the end, but started off posting "fair use and % rule"

 

[oz_mark]

Is this full PP or do you still have to pay USD25 per lounge entry? My dad has some sort of Platinum card from his bank in Hong Kong and it comes with PP - except he gets charged USD25 per lounge entry when he tried to use it.

PP isn't very useful if you have airline status IMO, and I am sorted with both OW and *A status. I think PP is only really of use on the odd occassion that I end up on an ST or non aligned carrier like MH.

It's the full one - does have its uses, such as the DJ lounge etc

 

[docjames]

"fair use" doesn't come into insurance policies, neither does "the % rule" or whatever you were trying to say.

It's quite simple, book the airfare and your are covered which you eluded to at the end, but started off posting "fair use and % rule"

"% rule" was in response to the OPs question.

I was wondering how much of my trip must I have paid via AMEX to take advantage of the free travel insurance that comes with the card? 100%? 50%?

"Fair use" was the term used to describe to me in phone discussion with Amex call centre (not reknowned for being the centre for excellence). I presume it was used as I had a FF seat segment in the middle of the remainder of the trip (which was paid on Amex).

 

[lovestotravel]

"Fair use" was the term used to describe to me in phone discussion with Amex call centre (not reknowned for being the centre for excellence). I presume it was used as I had a FF seat segment in the middle of the remainder of the trip (which was paid on Amex).

That explains it then!! The call centre is not meant to give out any advice on the insurance product as they don't have the relevant training in insurance. There were reforms a few years back which was meant to restrict what "non qualified" people informed customers about.

VERY interesting what happens if you have a FF segment in the middle.

You could book MEL-LHR-MEL but then have 20 flights in the middle with FF or similar.

In that case I would definitely take out additional insurance

 

[docjames]

In that case I would definitely take out additional insurance

Which is what we did, hence my comment:

If worried, take another basic travel insurance as backup.

Perhaps I should have posted the whole story in the first place (didnt have time at work) rather than get insulted, have my comments picked to pieces, and end up posting in bits and pieces.

 

[lovestotravel]

Perhaps I should have posted the whole story in the first place (didnt have time at work) rather than get insulted, have my comments picked to pieces, and end up posting in bits and pieces.

You should never care what is said on a forum :mrgreen:

Sorry that you took offence to it !

 

[JohnK]

VERY interesting what happens if you have a FF segment in the middle.

You could book MEL-LHR-MEL but then have 20 flights in the middle with FF or similar.

In that case I would definitely take out additional insurance

Not just a FF points segment but purchasing additional airfares from travel agents or direct with airline that does not accept Amex. What about tours purchased while you are on holiday that involve travel by air, land or water?

I don't want to rely on any complimentary travel insurance provided by credit card companies, as a sweetener, which is why I purchase a yearly comprehensive travel insurance that covers me regardless of which card I used to pay for the travel....