American Express Membership Rewards - UK Plat - no travel insurance if you've had a drink

Reading the exclusions at the back of my policy left me a little :eek:

"Your injuries or accidents which occur while under the influence of alcohol (above the local legal driving limit)...."

Seems a little harsh - you go out for a night, have enough to drink, over the drink drive limit, but not "drunk". You are pushed and end up with broken bones and need the hospital. The way I read it, no cover!

Big problem in Norway - where DD limit is virtually nil.

Also - if I read it correctly, missed connection cover is £150 only - big problem if you're on split tickets.

Reading the exclusions at the back of my policy left me a little :eek:

"Your injuries or accidents which occur while under the influence of alcohol (above the local legal driving limit)...."

Seems a little harsh - you go out for a night, have enough to drink, over the drink drive limit, but not "drunk". You are pushed and end up with broken bones and need the hospital. The way I read it, no cover!

Big problem in Norway - where DD limit is virtually nil.

Also - if I read it correctly, missed connection cover is £150 only - big problem if you're on split tickets.

I think you'll find that no UK insurance company will cover you if considered drunk, there were a spate of stories regarding this about 18 months ago.

There's a world of difference from being over the drink-drive limit and being drunk.

There's a world of difference from being over the drink-drive limit and being drunk.

So go and moan at the insurance companies, they decided to set a limit and they've settled on the drink drive level

Seems a little harsh - you go out for a night, have enough to drink, over the drink drive limit, but not "drunk". You are pushed and end up with broken bones and need the hospital. The way I read it, no cover!

I agree, a little harsh probably in most circumstances where a couple of beers would put one over the limit.

Can see where the insurance companies are coming from but I think they have to use a little discretion here and there which they probably do to their own advantage.

I've only had to claim Travel Insurance on a couple of occassions and each time they looked for a way out, in fact the first few replies were always the standard, "Not covered".

They have to have a limit defined and chances of there being some other consistent number that they can use are pretty low. It sucks that this number is low, too, but they had to pick something.

Of course, unless you are driving and in an accident where your BAL is tested, what are the chances that they can prove you were? If you have a few pints and then trip and fall walking from the pub to the hotel when are you going to have a BAL test? Very likely never.

These days in most places (states), there is a ZERO tolerance for DUI. In Arizona the limit is .08. If you blow that, you get 2 DUI charges. 1 for being over .08, and one for being "intoxicated to the slightest degree". If you you're over 1.5, which is "extreme DUI", it's 3 charges. Intoxicated to the slightest degree, over .08, AND over 1.5. From there, you can rack up 2 more charges. Aggravate DUI and SUPER DUI. One drop of beer or wine quickly disintegrates any insurance policy.

These days in most places (states), there is a ZERO tolerance for DUI.

Yes, but the OP wasn't talking about accidents while driving, just any old accident, like twisting your ankle.

The OP's title is just plain wrong.

'... no travel insurance if you've had a drink' is not what the insurance companies say, except just possibly for those territories where the drink/drive limit is 0.00%. But being drunk changes matters and claims may not be paid, as set out in the t+c's. Simple, really.

The OP's title is just plain wrong.

'... no travel insurance if you've had a drink' is not what the insurance companies say, except just possibly for those territories where the drink/drive limit is 0.00%. But being drunk changes matters and claims may not be paid, as set out in the t+c's. Simple, really.

I believe OP is from Norway, where one pint will put you over. Consider also that in Sweden the limit is only two. Then consider that is you're plat and flying first, drinks are free...

However, as someone else said above, unless you have an accident caused by your excessive drinking, Amex travel insurance is unlikely to know... So I guess the moral of this story is do not charge your bar bill to amex when travelling... (Though I doubt they are actually that coordinated - yet.)

I think the OP is referring to travel insurance; however, I would like to add a apoint about the colliision damage insurance provided by the US Issued AmEx Platinum. That covereage is only extended as secondary coverage and is valid only in the United States and its territories. My primary car insurance is Geico. They also provide insurance only while renting a car in the US and its territories. So when renting a car, for instance in the Carribean, if you decline the optional collision damage insurance when renting a car, AmEx Platinum is not going to cover it and your primary insurance carrier may not either. The collision damage waiver insurance provided by Mastercard, however, is accepted worldwide. I'm surprised there hasn't been a great deal of discussion on FT regarding this issue by such highly traveled people. It really gets very technical and you need to check with your primary to make sure you are covered outside the US and also your secondary insurance is invalid if you are over the legal blood alcohol limit for that county or if alcohol in any way has been related to the accident.

I think the OP is referring to travel insurance

So do I. Accidents can occur also outside of a vehicle, say in a bar.

Of course, unless you are driving and in an accident where your BAL is tested, what are the chances that they can prove you were? If you have a few pints and then trip and fall walking from the pub to the hotel when are you going to have a BAL test? Very likely never.

I believe it is not unknown for insurance companies to ask the hospital to test for alcohol in your blood as part of the normal blood tests (after admission), when they are in contact to authorise your treatment.

The cases I've heard of where people where refused cover for being 'over the limit' included tripping in the street, and falling off a hotel balcony. None were connected with driving. :(

time for the OP to look at the definitions of negligence and gross negligence.
Insurance companies are not too keen on this.

time for the OP to look at the definitions of negligence and gross negligence.
Insurance companies are not too keen on this.

Not my point at all - most on this thread seem to have got it - let me spell it out.

1) Go out for evening
2) Have say, four beers
3) Be over DUI limit -BUT NOT DRIVING A CAR
4) Have a simple stumble, trip or other accident that could easily happen when 100% sober
5) Bye bye amex travel cover.

Not a good scenario, and people need to be aware.

I think the OP is referring to travel insurance; however, I would like to add a apoint about the colliision damage insurance provided by the US Issued AmEx Platinum.


This is not the case for most cards issued outside the US, they have worldwide coverage.

I would like to add a apoint about the colliision damage insurance provided by the US Issued AmEx Platinum. That covereage is only extended as secondary coverage and is valid only in the United States and its territories.

Where did you get this information from regarding the limitation of the countries? While I know some countries are excluded (e.g. Ireland & New Zealand) I have never heard it expressed as US+Territories only.

Back on topic, I guess it is possible for the insurance company to demand a BAL test; I just have never heard of it happening. Then again, I'm in the USA where insurance is a very different fiasco.

Its very hard to find the the statement that car rental ins. is only valid in the US only some of the T&c have it,however if you call the AMEX ins. department 800-338-1670 they will explain.They seem tobe misleading customers by making this information hard to find.You can only find on very fee sites.

Its very hard to find the the statement that car rental ins. is only valid in the US only.

I agree that this is unclear and differes from card to card. I called in before traveling last time, and was told it was covered on my Gold Rewards Plus card. That was stupid of me of course, since my own experience tells me that the only way to confirm thins with certainty is using the online email request system.

Its very hard to find the the statement that car rental ins. is only valid in the US only some of the T&c have it,however if you call the AMEX ins. department 800-338-1670 they will explain.They seem tobe misleading customers by making this information hard to find.You can only find on very fee sites.

The US+Territories is the case for Open/Business cards. A personal Platinum offers coverage globally except for Israel, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, New Zealand and one other country I didn't get from the CSR I just spoke with.

Coverage varies depending on the card is the lesson here. Call and ask about your specific card if you are not certain.

She was very up front in offering to send me the T&C for further review but I declined since I don't need it.

....So when renting a car, for instance in the Carribean, if you decline the optional collision damage insurance when renting a car, AmEx Platinum is not going to cover it and your primary insurance carrier may not either....

That's just completely wrong, 'secondary' just means that another policy takes precedence, if you have one. What actually happens is that outside the U.S., the Amex coverage becomes primary if you turn down the LDW from the car rental company, at least with my individual Amex.

I know, I've collected on it.

You are right,however not the business plat or gold only the personal.People often ask what is the difference between business and personal, this is a big difference!Your no fee mastercard also gives you worldwide secondary coverage.

You are right,however not the business plat or gold only the personal.People often ask what is the difference between business and personal, this is a big difference!Your no fee mastercard also gives you worldwide secondary coverage.

Could you elaborate? It is impossible to figure what you are referring to here.

Could you elaborate? It is impossible to figure what you are referring to here.

Reference is to the rental car CDW, though I agree it is a bit hard to follow.