The best credit cards for travel insurance


If you’re a frequent traveler, you want a credit card that provides you with travel-related perks — including all-important travel insurance. Take a look at these best credit cards for travel insurance and other travel-related benefits.

Have a stress-free holiday with a credit card that offers travel insurance. Image credit: iStock
Have a stress-free holiday with a credit card that offers travel insurance. Image credit: iStock

Earning points and miles is great, but one of the true benefits of a credit card designed for business travel is being able to tap into valuable travel insurance benefits when the unforeseen occurs—whether it’s lost luggage, a delayed trip, an accident, or worse. Having one of the best credit cards for travel insurance in your wallet can make all the difference.

United Explorer Business – best credit card for travel insurance

Travel insurance doesn’t only involve what happens when you get on an airplane. A Credit card with car rental insurance can also be a huge benefit if you tend to rent vehicles at your destination. With the United Explorer Business card, primary coverage kicks in whenever you rent a car anywhere in the world.

This card also offers plenty of travel perks in the form of generous rewards miles, with employee miles accruing to your account as the employer, as well as priority boarding and free luggage checking. In addition, your travel insurance covers lost luggage, trip delays, and cancellations, as well as a travel concierge, who is available to help you plan your trips.

Chase Sapphire Reserve – best credit card for travel cancellation

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card has plenty of travel perks, including excellent benefits surrounding trip cancellation. If you prepay for a trip, vacation, or pre-paid tour using the card or points accrued with the card, you reap a 10,000 USD trip cancellation or interruption benefit in the event of death, illness, or life actions, including being called for jury duty.

Also covered are cancellations or interruptions due to severe weather, bankruptcy of a travel provider, hijacking, and terrorist activity. Trip delay and baggage delay coverage kicks in after only six hours.

Other travel perks with this card include emergency assistance while traveling, emergency evacuation coverage worth up to 100,000 USD, and primary auto rental coverage.

Chase Ink Business Preferred – best credit card for baggage-loss coverage

No one wants to lose baggage on a trip. But if you do, having a credit card that recoups your losses helps to make the best of a bad situation. The Chase Ink Business Preferred card offers high-end baggage-loss reimbursement of up to 3,000 USD if an airline, cruise line, or train operator loses your luggage.

Lost luggage can ruin any trip. Image credit: bonetta/iStock
Lost luggage can ruin any trip. Image credit: bonetta/iStock

Even more traumatic can be the loss of your cell phone while traveling. This card is unique in offering coverage towards a new phone. Should you lose or damage your phone while traveling, or if it ends up stolen, the Chase Ink Business Preferred card offers up to 600 USD to put you on the road to phone replacement.

Other travel benefits with this card include 5,000 USD in trip cancellation insurance, 500 USD per ticket in trip delay reimbursement, primary coverage and emergency roadside assistance with car rentals, and 500,000 USD travel accident insurance.

American Express Platinum – best card for medical emergencies

If you encounter a medical emergency while traveling, one of the most extreme costs you can incur is the air ambulance to take you to a hospital or other medical facility. That’s where the American Express Platinum Card comes in. If a medical professional determines you require medical evacuation, American Express’ Premium Global Assistance Hotline can step in to handle the evacuation at no cost to you.

The card’s other travel benefits include primary and secondary coverage on car rentals, up to 3,000 USD in baggage insurance, and travel accident insurance of up to 500,000 USD. Remember, the Platinum Card is a charge card, not a credit card, so you have to pay off all charges in full each month.

JP Morgan Reserve – best credit card for travel accident coverage

If you use Chase Private Banking services, you have access to high-end travel accident coverage. Just purchase your travel with the card to receive up to 100,000 USD in medical evacuation or transportation costs, as well as reimbursement for emergency dental or medical costs of up to 2,500 USD when you’re more than 100 miles away from home.

The JP Morgan Reserve card (previously known as the Chase Palladium card) also provides 1 million USD in case of an emergency that results in death or dismemberment.

The JP Morgan Reserve card also offers 10,000 USD per person and 20,000 USD per trip in trip cancellation insurance, an annual travel credit of 300 USD, baggage delay insurance, and reimbursements for lost luggage or trip delays, among several other useful travel benefits.

Chase Sapphire Preferred – best credit card for car rental coverage

Keep these cards in mind for your next travel trip. Image credit: martin-dm/iStock
Keep these cards in mind for your next travel trip. Image credit: martin-dm/iStock

Travel insurance isn’t just important when your business trip involves air travel. Good credit card car rental coverage can make a big difference, too. That’s where the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card comes in, with primary collision damage waiver coverage available globally.

The fine print of this car rental coverage works out in your favor as well. Any towing charges are covered, as are all additional drivers listed on your car rental agreement. You’re covered against theft, up to the car’s value, and you’re protected against those “loss of use” charges that car rental companies can sometimes go after.

And other travel benefits accrue on this card as well, including travel interruption and cancellation coverage, significant travel accident insurance, coverage for lost or delayed luggage, and emergency assistance services.All this for an annual fee of 95 USD.

When you’re planning your travel with an eye to insuring against all the things that can go wrong, it’s nice to know you can count on certain things to go right. Book a reliable Blacklane car service to complete the final leg of your journey in comfort and style.