Amex Canada: Travel insurance questions [Consolidated]
Nov 10, 2013, 9:16 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: YXY
Posts: 3,506
Amex Canada: Travel insurance questions [Consolidated]
This is about the annual multi-trip basic medical emergency travel insurance available to holders of a Canadian Amex card: How are there premiums calculated?
Do they just look at age, gender and province, or will the rate be more expensive in the next year if one had a claim?
In other words: Is it worth submitting small claims, or will the future rates go up more than one would get back that one time?
Do they just look at age, gender and province, or will the rate be more expensive in the next year if one had a claim?
In other words: Is it worth submitting small claims, or will the future rates go up more than one would get back that one time?
Nov 11, 2013, 7:29 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,519
This is about the annual multi-trip basic medical emergency travel insurance available to holders of a Canadian Amex card: How are there premiums calculated?
Do they just look at age, gender and province, or will the rate be more expensive in the next year if one had a claim?
In other words: Is it worth submitting small claims, or will the future rates go up more than one would get back that one time?
Do they just look at age, gender and province, or will the rate be more expensive in the next year if one had a claim?
In other words: Is it worth submitting small claims, or will the future rates go up more than one would get back that one time?
Nov 11, 2013, 8:55 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: YXY
Posts: 3,506
Yes, I understand that, and that is OK.
Feb 11, 2014, 10:02 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 201
Canada Platinum - Is award ticket covered by Flight Delay Insurance?
The certificate of insurance says:
I guess my question is, for the Platinum card, where the "card reward program" technically is the AMEX MR program. In this case, can I transfer my MR points to say Aeroplan miles, redeem a ticket, and be covered until this policy?
Full Fare - means 100%of the airline ticket price, including taxes, was charged to the card. Full fare is extended to include airline tickets obtained through the redemption of points from the card reward program when applicable taxes have been charged to the card.
Feb 11, 2014, 10:30 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: DTW
Programs: Amex Canada Centurion (and all the fixings)...and 20,000,000+ misc. points/miles to spend!
Posts: 153
No; the card reward program is presumably referring to the use of MR points to cover the price of a ticket directly. There would be no way for Amex to know that the Aeroplan miles used for a particular ticket had been transferred originally from Amex, as opposed to earned directly through one of the CIBC/TD cards, transferred from another partner, etc.
Feb 12, 2014, 7:13 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,156
If you purchase a ticket through Amex Travel Service and pay for the trip with your Amex Reward Points (1,000 pts. to $10) in whole or if in part but charge the balance to your Amex Plat card, you will be covered. The same for Cancellation and Interruption coverage.
In case of a claim, you will be required to submit a copy of the Amex statement and itinerary/e-ticket as proof of purchase with your Amex card as well as the type of fare, etc. That was the case when I had to "trigger" a claim about a year ago when my flight was seriously delayed.
CIBC Aerogold and TD Aeroplan Visa are the only two credit cards that offer you some travel insurance when flying on an Aeroplan reward ticket.
Last edited by Clipper801; Feb 12, 2014 at 7:35 am
Feb 12, 2014, 2:33 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: YYC
Programs: Aeroplan E50K, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Platinum, Accor Diamond
Posts: 274
My experience has been the opposite. Twice I have made claims (both luggage delay) for which the flights were booked on aeroplan reward tickets and I was told both times that so long as the taxes were paid for by the card in question, then you were covered. Needless to say, both claims were paid in full.
Feb 12, 2014, 3:01 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,156
My experience has been the opposite. Twice I have made claims (both luggage delay) for which the flights were booked on aeroplan reward tickets and I was told both times that so long as the taxes were paid for by the card in question, then you were covered. Needless to say, both claims were paid in full.
Feb 13, 2014, 2:14 pm
#11
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AMEX AC CX UA AA DL
Posts: 3,008
Wording on baggage delay insurance is less stringent . For trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance:
"Note: Trips will not be covered for Trip Cancellation, if purchased with points from a reward program other than the Membership Rewards Program."
So one may argue that for OTHER travel-related insurance, trips redeemed through other points programs may be covered. And there are numerous reports that reward flights are covered for delays. YMMV.
"Note: Trips will not be covered for Trip Cancellation, if purchased with points from a reward program other than the Membership Rewards Program."
So one may argue that for OTHER travel-related insurance, trips redeemed through other points programs may be covered. And there are numerous reports that reward flights are covered for delays. YMMV.
Feb 14, 2014, 6:23 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,156
Wording on baggage delay insurance is less stringent . For trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance:
"Note: Trips will not be covered for Trip Cancellation, if purchased with points from a reward program other than the Membership Rewards Program."
So one may argue that for OTHER travel-related insurance, trips redeemed through other points programs may be covered. And there are numerous reports that reward flights are covered for delays. YMMV.
"Note: Trips will not be covered for Trip Cancellation, if purchased with points from a reward program other than the Membership Rewards Program."
So one may argue that for OTHER travel-related insurance, trips redeemed through other points programs may be covered. And there are numerous reports that reward flights are covered for delays. YMMV.
Both "Full Fare" and "Card" are defined terms in the policy.
"Full Fare - means 100% of the airline ticket price, including taxes, was charged to the card. Full fare is extended to include airline tickets obtained through the redemption of points from the card reward program when applicable taxes have been charged to the card. Full fare is also extended to include free hotel/motel stays obtained through the redemption of points from the card reward program."
"Card -means The Platinum Card®,American Express® AeroplanPlus®* Platinum Card, or The Business Platinum CardTM from American Express."
However, the way I read the "key words" being 100% of the air ticket price. Part of the air ticket is in effect paid with points of a FF programme, only the taxes and scam charges are paid by the Card. Therefore, not 100%.
I have also seen posts here that claims of flight/baggage delays when travelling on an airline FF programme reward tickets had been successful.
Personally, I do not want to risk and always use my CIBC Aerogold to pay for the taxes and scam charges because CIBC Aerogold (and now the new TD Aeroplan Infinite/Privilege Visa also) is very specific about inclusion of the insurance coverage when travelling on FF points. In my case, Aeroplan.
YMMV.
Last edited by Clipper801; Feb 14, 2014 at 6:58 am
Feb 15, 2014, 10:36 am
#13
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
Programs: AC-SE, CX-DM, DL-G, Hyatt-DM, Hilton-DM, Fairmont-Plt, Marriott-S, Accor-Plt, SPG-G, IHG-Plt
Posts: 4,396
Just went through this 30 minutes ago
I just filed a claim because most flights ex-HND were canceled yesterday due to weather.
I bought our tickets with Amex and got $1000 trip delay insurance. Nice meals and stay at Tokyo Shangri-La by the way.
When I was done filing the claim with the agent, I asked him. If these tickets were AP tickets paid for with points and only used the Amex to pay for the taxes and fees, would I be covered?
The answer was very clear: YES
There are two kinds of travel insurances that Amex would cover:
1. Trip interruption insurance (for non-refundable trips)
2. Flight/Baggage delay insurance
1 would be covered only if one pays for the tickets with money, or MR points, but not AP points
2 would be covered whether the tickets were paid with money, MR points, or AP points. In other words, a AP ticket would be covered for 2 as long as the fees and taxes were paid for by an eligible Amex card.
This is consistent with my experiences with past claims with AP tickets.
I would not use CIBC VS to pay for tickets as they only cover up to $500. My Shangri-La hotel stay alone was JPY74750 a night!
I bought our tickets with Amex and got $1000 trip delay insurance. Nice meals and stay at Tokyo Shangri-La by the way.
When I was done filing the claim with the agent, I asked him. If these tickets were AP tickets paid for with points and only used the Amex to pay for the taxes and fees, would I be covered?
The answer was very clear: YES
There are two kinds of travel insurances that Amex would cover:
1. Trip interruption insurance (for non-refundable trips)
2. Flight/Baggage delay insurance
1 would be covered only if one pays for the tickets with money, or MR points, but not AP points
2 would be covered whether the tickets were paid with money, MR points, or AP points. In other words, a AP ticket would be covered for 2 as long as the fees and taxes were paid for by an eligible Amex card.
This is consistent with my experiences with past claims with AP tickets.
I would not use CIBC VS to pay for tickets as they only cover up to $500. My Shangri-La hotel stay alone was JPY74750 a night!
Last edited by jarusoba; Feb 15, 2014 at 10:50 am
Feb 15, 2014, 8:04 pm
#14
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,156
I just filed a claim because most flights ex-HND were canceled yesterday due to weather.
I bought our tickets with Amex and got $1000 trip delay insurance. Nice meals and stay at Tokyo Shangri-La by the way.
When I was done filing the claim with the agent, I asked him. If these tickets were AP tickets paid for with points and only used the Amex to pay for the taxes and fees, would I be covered?
The answer was very clear: YES
There are two kinds of travel insurances that Amex would cover:
1. Trip interruption insurance (for non-refundable trips)
2. Flight/Baggage delay insurance
1 would be covered only if one pays for the tickets with money, or MR points, but not AP points
2 would be covered whether the tickets were paid with money, MR points, or AP points. In other words, a AP ticket would be covered for 2 as long as the fees and taxes were paid for by an eligible Amex card.
This is consistent with my experiences with past claims with AP tickets.
I would not use CIBC VS to pay for tickets as they only cover up to $500. My Shangri-La hotel stay alone was JPY74750 a night!
I bought our tickets with Amex and got $1000 trip delay insurance. Nice meals and stay at Tokyo Shangri-La by the way.
When I was done filing the claim with the agent, I asked him. If these tickets were AP tickets paid for with points and only used the Amex to pay for the taxes and fees, would I be covered?
The answer was very clear: YES
There are two kinds of travel insurances that Amex would cover:
1. Trip interruption insurance (for non-refundable trips)
2. Flight/Baggage delay insurance
1 would be covered only if one pays for the tickets with money, or MR points, but not AP points
2 would be covered whether the tickets were paid with money, MR points, or AP points. In other words, a AP ticket would be covered for 2 as long as the fees and taxes were paid for by an eligible Amex card.
This is consistent with my experiences with past claims with AP tickets.
I would not use CIBC VS to pay for tickets as they only cover up to $500. My Shangri-La hotel stay alone was JPY74750 a night!
Somewhat OT information for those who have AeroplanPlus Platinum Amex - this card specifically excludes coverage for FF programme reward tickets, including Aeroplan.
https://www.americanexpress.com/ca/e...platinum-card/
Go to Footnote at the bottom, items 11, 12 and 13.
Feb 16, 2014, 8:28 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 201
I just filed a claim because most flights ex-HND were canceled yesterday due to weather.
I bought our tickets with Amex and got $1000 trip delay insurance. Nice meals and stay at Tokyo Shangri-La by the way.
When I was done filing the claim with the agent, I asked him. If these tickets were AP tickets paid for with points and only used the Amex to pay for the taxes and fees, would I be covered?
The answer was very clear: YES
There are two kinds of travel insurances that Amex would cover:
1. Trip interruption insurance (for non-refundable trips)
2. Flight/Baggage delay insurance
1 would be covered only if one pays for the tickets with money, or MR points, but not AP points
2 would be covered whether the tickets were paid with money, MR points, or AP points. In other words, a AP ticket would be covered for 2 as long as the fees and taxes were paid for by an eligible Amex card.
This is consistent with my experiences with past claims with AP tickets.
I would not use CIBC VS to pay for tickets as they only cover up to $500. My Shangri-La hotel stay alone was JPY74750 a night!
I bought our tickets with Amex and got $1000 trip delay insurance. Nice meals and stay at Tokyo Shangri-La by the way.
When I was done filing the claim with the agent, I asked him. If these tickets were AP tickets paid for with points and only used the Amex to pay for the taxes and fees, would I be covered?
The answer was very clear: YES
There are two kinds of travel insurances that Amex would cover:
1. Trip interruption insurance (for non-refundable trips)
2. Flight/Baggage delay insurance
1 would be covered only if one pays for the tickets with money, or MR points, but not AP points
2 would be covered whether the tickets were paid with money, MR points, or AP points. In other words, a AP ticket would be covered for 2 as long as the fees and taxes were paid for by an eligible Amex card.
This is consistent with my experiences with past claims with AP tickets.
I would not use CIBC VS to pay for tickets as they only cover up to $500. My Shangri-La hotel stay alone was JPY74750 a night!