Access To Priority Pass Lounges
Airports can have so many people it drains your energy, especially when some passengers insist on having small talk with you. Lounges become your go-to destination in such cases, but then again, you must have access otherwise, you will have to endure the noise and confusion and get on your flight with migraine. However, as Johnny Jet explains, for you to get the Priority Pass, you have to sign up for it separately and take advantage of Priority Pass lounges in any airport around the world.
X Points On Lyft Rides
With the free Lyft Pink membership and 10x Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft rides through March of 2022, Chase is making it difficult for Sapphire Reserve cardholders to use Uber. Usually, cardholders earn 3x points on Lyft rides since it codes as travel. Cardholders continue to earn 3x points on Uber and other rideshare services, but Lyft is the clear winner here.
The value of this benefit is going to depend on how often you use rideshare services. Those living in urban areas should see a much greater benefit than those living in more rural areas.
The Vacationer Tip
If possible, we highly recommend using Lyft Pink over Uber if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Not only will you get better prices with Lyft Pink, but you will also earn 10x points instead of 3x with Uber.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Vs The Platinum Card From American Express
Compared to other premium travel cards at the $450+ annual fee level, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Citi Prestige® Card* , the Sapphire Reserve lags behind when it comes to some bonus categories, annual reward credits and hotel benefits. However, it could be the standout pick if you have other Chase cards or prefer travel protections, Lyft/DoorDash benefits and the Ultimate Rewards program.
The Sapphire Reserve also gets a leg up over the Amex Platinum and other competing cards due to how well it pairs with most other cards in Chases portfolio, especially its no-annual-fee credit cards since you can pool rewards for a higher value toward travel. The Sapphire Preferreds new bonus categories now make it an excellent partner for the Reserve as well, which can make all of the new categories between these cards a far more effective couple for the price than the Amex Platinum with or without the American Express® Gold Card.
Take a look at these competing cards to see how they stack up to the Sapphire Reserve:
5X total points on air travel through Ultimate Rewards 1X points on all other purchases
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Should I Buy Travel Insurance Due To Covid
The answer may surprise you. The travel industry has never quite seen something like the current COVID-19 travel restrictions. Airlines, hotels, cruises and trains wring their hands as they stare at the clock awaiting permission to begin serving the world again.
Until then, these businesses have been overwhelmingly and unexpectedly generous with their change and cancellation policies. Many airlines and hotels allow you to scrap your upcoming travel for free, depending on your travel dates and locations. You can read our post on what to do if your travel plans are impacted by the coronavirus to learn more weve got a list of airline and hotel policies that we update as often as we have time.
Additionally, credit card issuers have stated that, while their trip interruption insurance policies dont specifically cover the novel coronavirus, they will work with each customer on a case-by-case basis to help them through their difficult situations.
Bank and travel juggernauts are doing everything they can to help you keep from contracting and spreading this contagion. Purchasing travel insurance can never do any harm, but I certainly wouldnt say its critical at this time.
The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection will allow you enjoy special benefits at over 900 luxury properties around the world. These perks include the following:
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrade
- Early check-in and late check-out
- Special benefit at each property
- Extra amenities, gifts and more
The special benefit will vary depending on the property but you can expect things like the following: lunch or dinner for two, a spa treatment, golf green fee waivers, welcome gift, or airport transfers. The value of this perk is usually at $100 but sometimes lower at around $50.
However, sometimes the value can be much higher if you make a premium booking such as booking a suite. For example, the Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong offers a complimentary round trip private transfer for Hong Kong International Airport or Kai Tak Cruise Terminal or $200 Food and Beverage credit per room, per stay for Suite bookings while normal bookings just get a one-way transfer or a $100 credit.
So heres a rundown of the heavier benefits.
- Dining and spa credits
- Complimentary canapé service
- Welcome Drink
You can use the link above to search for luxury properties in the program but you shouldnt have trouble finding some world class properties all around the world like the Park Hyatt.
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Details Of Chases Trip Cancellation Insurance
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, trip cancellation insurance will reimburse you or your immediate family members up to $10,000 per person if a covered loss prevents you from departing on your trip and results in cancellation of travel arrangements. For trip insurance to kick in, you must have charged at least a portion of the cost for the travel arrangements to your account.
In this case, the covered loss we are using is accidental bodily injury, loss of life, or a sickness experienced by you, a traveling companion, or an immediate family member of you or a traveling companion.
It also states that if a physician has advised that making the covered trip is medically inadvisable, you must immediately notify the appropriate travel supplier that you are canceling your travel arrangements. If you dont notify the supplier, reimbursement will not exceed the cancellation penalties imposed during the period by the supplier.
To recap, we used the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to purchase the airfare we had a sick immediate family member and canceled the flights right after learning she should not fly based on her doctors advice. Check, check, check, and so far, so good. There were documents required to activate the coverage, most of which are easily obtained and pretty common sense, but there are a few curveballs in the process that I wasnt totally expecting.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Hotel Benefits
The Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card is full of different types of travel benefits, including things like travel insurance and lounge access. But the Chase Sapphire Reserve also offers some great hotel benefits that many people dont even know about.
This article will talk you through all of these different hotel benefits and give you some tips on how to utilize some of the perks for upgrades with the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection and Relais & Châteaux. Ill also cover whether or not the Sapphire Reserve offers hotel status and how that compares to other cards.
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Alternative Travel Rewards Cards
While we think the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is an excellent choice for a travel rewards card, here are a couple of equally appropriate alternatives for the frequent traveler.
UPs Bonus Valuation*:$2,200Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Platinum, see our thoughts on the cards incredible benefits and perks, which includes travel insurance coverage, car rental insurance and so much more. Check out our full review to see why its one of the best travel credit cards. |
Also packed with a generous collection of travel insurance benefits, the Amex Platinum card shines as a companion for the frequent traveler.
Its lounge access benefits are second to none, plus it offers hotel program elite status, rental car perks, and statement credits for specific purchases. It also earns valuable, and flexible, Membership Rewards points via a generous up-front welcome bonus and bonus earnings on eligible travel.
| UPs Bonus Valuation*:$1,200Must Reads: For more info on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, see our thoughts on its benefits and travel insurance coverage, which includes primary car rental insurance. Take a look at our full review to see why its one of our favorite cards. |
If youre looking for a travel rewards credit card but are reluctant to pay a high annual fee, or you wont use all of the benefits offered on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you might want to consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
Hotel Benefits At Relais & Chteaux
Relais & Châteaux is a prestigious collection of independently owned and operated luxury hotels and restaurants, representing approximately 500 establishments globally. At these properties, you can receive a VIP welcome which includes things like a bottle of champagne in room on arrival and also free breakfast .
You can also get accelerated access to Club 5C status with Relais & Châteaux after staying just 2 nights at qualifying properties in a 12-month period. Club 5C will provide you with the following benefits:
- Room upgrade subject to availability upon arrival
- Personalized welcome in each one of the Relais & Châteaux properties
- Discovery Privilege to enjoy the cultural and gourmet treasures of each property
- Club 5C Concierge service
- Newsletters with details of exclusive offers tailored to wishes and preferences
- Invitations to attend prestigious events
Update: Club 5C status is no longer available
I recently stayed at a Relais & Châteaux property in Rome, right next to the Coliseum, and it was one of my most memorable hotel stays. Many of these hotels are boutique-type properties in beautiful buildings that give you a much better local feel than some chain hotels do so you definitely want to check out this program.
- Read more about this perk here.
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Best Credit Cards For Travel Insurance
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The following credit cards currently carry the best travel insurance plans we can find in terms of coverage types and the amount of coverage they offer. Though they may have fewer restrictions and exclusions than lesser credit card insurance plans, exclusions and restrictions still exist that may limit your eligibility for coverage or the coverage amount youre entitled to.
Complimentary Lyft Pink And Doordash Dashpass Membership
Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders will receive a complimentary DoorDash DashPass if activated using your card by Dec. 31, 2021, and 12 months of complimentary Lyft Pink membership if activated using your card by March 31, 2022. On top of these memberships, you can also earn up to $60 in DoorDash statement credits through Dec. 31, 2021.
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Chase Sapphire Reserve: Best Travel Insurance Coverage Amounts
Chase Sapphire Reserve just slightly edges its sister card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, for the title of best credit card when it comes to travel insurance.
The Reserve offers lost baggage reimbursement up to $3,000 per passenger even when your luggage is damaged, while the Preferred only offers baggage delay reimbursement once your baggage is lost for six hours and it will only reimburse you for essential purchases up to $100 a day.
The Preferred only offers travel and emergency assistance where the administrator will refer you to services that you yourself will have to pay for, while the Reserve offers emergency evacuation and transportation if you or a member of your immediate family becomes sick or injured up to $100,000. Everything else is identical between the two cards.
Other great coverage features of the Chase Sapphire Reserve include:
- Trip cancellation/interruption up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip
- Trip delay reimbursement for expenses when your trip is delayed more than six hours up to $500 per ticket
- Up to $75,000 for collision or damage on rental cars
- Emergency medical and dental up to $2,500 if youre more than 100 miles from home if you or a family member gets sick or injured
- Accidental death and dismemberment up to $1,000,000
- Roadside assistance up to $50 per incident four times a year
See related: Chase travel insurance benefits
Reimbursement Of Travel Delay
What does Chase travel delay insurance cover?
This covers you up to five hundred per ticket. Necessary expenses are reimbursed if the trip is delayed for more than six hours. Chase travel delay insurance provides reimbursement for the expenses you pay if your trip is delayed, including meals, lodging, toiletries, and medications. You can use this blanket if:
Your trip is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay with two exceptions.
The trip is far from your hometown and takes less than 365 days.
You purchased your travel fare with an eligible Chase card or rewards earned with an eligible Chase card.
Travel delay insurance covers you up to $ 500 per ticket per trip. You have coverage for delayed flights, as well as for other types of trips classified as common transport. For example, you could still receive a refund for delays if you booked a bus, cruise, or train trip but not a taxi or train / commuter bus.
You have up to 100 days from the date of the delay to return this form, along with copies of receipts or other supporting documents to show what your expenses were. The good news is that all of this can be done online through a third-party company called Card Benefit Services. Once you have completed the form and upload your receipts, a representative will review your claim.
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Main Benefit Of Both Paid Policies
Theres no question that a paid policy greatly increases the amount of medical reimbursement available to you in case of injury or illness. With credit card insurance limits of $2,500 for medical treatment, a traveler could quickly exceed the maximum coverage. Paid policies offer ten times the amount of coverageor moreproviding ultimate protection.
The emergency transportation far exceeds that of the Sapphire Reserve and improves upon the Platinum cards coverage, too. Instead of paying for your transportation to the nearest adequate hospital, it will pay to repatriate you all the way to your home country if you prefer. That flexibility can be valuable for peace of mind.
Lastly, paid policies offer non-tangible benefits as well. Most companies include extra resources for policyholders to help you plan or research safety issues for your destination before traveling. There are also assistance hotlines you can contact while traveling to get recommendations on doctors or medical facilities abroad.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Insurance Benefits
Traveling is financially risky, and there is always a chance your flight is canceled or your airline loses a bag. Additionally, accidents happen, and it is always better to be covered before departing for your trip. One of the best features of the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the assortment of travel insurance benefits and other protections.
The following is just an outline of all of the various trip protections and insurance options. You should read Chases Guide to Benefits for complete information before filing any claim. In many cases, these benefits will only kick in after any travel insurance that you have purchased provides payment. We recommend charging your entire trip to your Sapphire Reserve card so you can take advantage of the following benefits.
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Is Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Insurance Enough
When it comes to credit card travel insurance, there’s virtually no other card on the market that beats out the Chase Sapphire Reserve® travel insurance in terms of both what’s covered and coverage amounts. The list of travel insurance benefits offered by this card is long and includes some forms of insurance you’re unlikely to get from other cards, and coverage maximums are either in line with or above what competing cards cover.
Pay Yourself Back Program
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to slow travel, Chase recently introduced a new way to redeem points. The Pay Yourself Back program allows cardholders to redeem Ultimate Rewards Points for 1.5 cents per point for purchases made at Airbnb, Away, and restaurants in the past 90 days. For example, a $40 purchase would only require 2,666 points instead of 4,000 points. Select charities and the $550 annual membership fee are also eligible.
Chase recently extended this feature through 2022 for select categories. The 1.5 cents per point redemption is the same you would get booking travel through the Chase portal, so this is a great way to redeem points. After redeeming, you will receive a statement credit within a few business days for the full amount. Select charities are also eligible through December 31, 2021.
The Vacationer Tip
While it is possible to earn more points transferring to travel partners, the Pay Yourself Back program is a great way to redeem points until travel goes back to normal. We highly recommend redeeming your points this way.
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Do I Really Need Travel Insurance For A Trip
Maybe. Thats up to you. But when it comes to booking flights, keep in mind that any additional insurance could be redundant.
Thats because all major U.S. airlines have done away with change fees on all but their cheapest basic economy fares. United and Delta have even given that same flexibility to basic economy fares, but only for trips through the end of 2021.
That means so long as you buy a main cabin economy ticket or higher, youll be able to change your flights without paying $200-plus change fees. Or cancel them and get an airline voucher to reuse later on.
That means you could book a flight today for a trip this fall, winter, or even into the summer of 2022 and then cancel if need be, getting a voucher for the value of your ticket. If things are looking dicey or you arent ready to travel yet, that flexibility means you wont be out a bunch of money.
Of course, there are other costs to consider like hotel bills. Luckily, many major hotel chains are offering more flexible policies that allow you to book future trips and cancel down the road to get your money back.
Still, travel insurance may be on your mind. Just keep in mind that not just any travel insurance will do.