According to the official SITA Baggage Report 2017, 5.73 bags per thousand passengers were mishandled or misplaced in 2016, an all-time low. While this may sound like great news, given the vast number of air travelers, this statistic still equates to a staggering 20-million-plus pieces of luggage lost, delayed, or stolen annually.
Though missing luggage is sure to induce a headache, your premium credit card may be able to soften the blow—well, the financial blow at least. Thanks to implicit lost luggage protection when charging common carrier travel (airline, bus, cruise ship, train) to your credit card, you may be eligible for reimbursement of baggage contents lost due to damage or physical loss.
This insurance typically applies to both checked and carry-on luggage lost, stolen, or damaged by the common carrier. Coverage commences upon check-in and ends upon exiting the terminal at your final destination. The insurance is secondary to any coverage provided directly by the airline or your homeowner’s policy.
Naturally, coverage varies by credit card, as does the coverage extension beyond the primary cardholder, the actual items covered, and how much coverage is provided. We’ve combed over the fine print of various credit cards’ Guide to Benefits and called into the benefits centers to find out the lost luggage coverage implicit with each core card featured on Credit Card Pro. Below is the short of our findings, in order from best to worst.
BEST Citi Prestige® Card
When you charge a portion of your trip’s common carrier fare to your Citi Prestige Card or use ThankYou® Points to book travel, you are automatically covered for lost luggage protection. Pro Tip: Citi Prestige has the most generous policy in terms of items covered. While other cards shy away from coverage of high-risk items like jewelry, cameras, and other electronics, Citi Prestige does not.
Coverage Provided: Up to $3,000 per covered person ($2,000 per bag for NY residents). For a trip with multiple bags lost over multiple covered persons, coverage maxes out at $10,000 per trip.
Covered Persons: Cardholder, cardholder’s family members, and traveling companion(s) traveling on cardholder’s or family members’ trip. Citi Prestige defines family members as: the cardholder’s children, spouse, fiancée, domestic partner, and their children (including adopted children or step-children); legal guardians or wards; siblings or siblings-in-law; sons-in-law or daughters-in-law; parents or parents-in-law; grandparents or grandchildren; aunts or uncles; nieces or nephews.
What’s Not Covered: Antiques and collector’s items; traveler’s checks, tickets of any kind (e.g., for airlines, sporting events, concerts, or lottery), passport, visas; negotiable instruments, bullion, rare or precious metals, stamps, coins, and currency or its equivalent. Check with the Benefits Administrator for the most up-to-date list.
Filing a Claim: Call the Benefits Administrator at 1-866-506-5222 within 60 days of the bags being lost, stolen, or damaged.
Chase Sapphire Cards
When you charge your trip’s entire common carrier fare to your Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Cards or use Ultimate Rewards points to book travel, you are automatically covered for lost luggage protection. Pro Tip: If you have transferred points to frequent-flier reward programs affiliated with Chase (Air France, British Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, and United Airlines), and book your ticket with miles, you are also entitled to coverage.
Coverage Provided: Up to $3,000 per covered person for items covered, excluding high-risk items (e.g., jewelry, watches, cameras, video recorders, and other electronic equipment). Up to $500 per covered person for high-risk items. Pro Tip: Each covered person is eligible to receive this benefit, and it does not max out at a specific amount per trip.
Covered Persons: Cardholder and cardholder’s immediately family, which extends to in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandparents, and grandchildren. Pro Tip: The cardholder does not need to be traveling with the covered person for this insurance to kick in.
What’s Not Covered: Documents, money, securities, tickets, checks, traveler’s checks, or furs. Check with the Benefits Administrator for the most up-to-date list.
Filing a Claim: Chase Sapphire cards require a report to be filed immediately with the common carrier after the flight in which the baggage was lost, stolen, or damaged. After, a written claim notice must be submitted to the Benefits Administrator within 20 days of the occurrence. Call 1-888-675-1461 for details on what to send to the Benefits Administrator.
The Platinum Card® by American Express
When you charge your trip’s entire common carrier fare to your Platinum Card by American Express, you are automatically covered for lost luggage protection. You are NOT covered when using Membership Rewards.
Coverage Provided: Up to $3,000 per covered person for items covered, excluding high-risk items (including, but not limited to, jewelry; sporting equipment; photographic or electronic equipment; computers and audio/visual equipment; wearable technology; items consisting in whole or in part of gold, silver, or platinum; and furs or articles made mostly with fur or trimmed or lined with fur). Up to $1,000 per covered person for high-risk items. Pro-tip: Each covered person is eligible to receive this benefit, and it does not max out at a specific amount per trip.
Covered Persons: Cardmember, the cardmember’s spouse or domestic partner, and dependent children under 23 years of age.
What’s Not Covered: Cash or its equivalent, notes, accounts, bills, currency, deeds, food stamps, or evidences of debt or intangible property; credit cards and other travel documents (including, but not limited to, passports and visas), securities; tickets and documents; living plants and animals; food and consumable and perishable items; eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses; hearing aids and artificial teeth and limbs; prescription or nonprescription drugs. Check with the Benefits Administrator for the most up-to-date list.
Filing a Claim: Call the Benefits Administrator at 1-800-645-9700 within 30 days of the loss.
U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
When you charge your trip’s entire common carrier fare to your U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card or use the card’s reward points to book travel, you are automatically covered for lost luggage protection.
Coverage Provided: Up to $3,000 per trip ($2,000 per bag for NY residents). Covered Persons: This coverage is for the cardholder only.
What’s Not Covered: Antiques and collector’s items; traveler’s checks, tickets of any kind (e.g., for airlines, sporting events, concerts, or lottery), passport, visas; negotiable instruments, bullion, rare or precious metals, stamps, coins, and currency or its equivalent; motor vehicles; contact lenses, eyeglasses, sunglasses, hearing aids, artificial teeth, dental bridges, and prosthetic limbs; consumables; perfumes and cosmetics; rugs and carpets; animals; sporting equipment; household furniture; cameras; business items; cellular telephones; or art objects. Check with the Benefits Administrator for the most up-to-date list.
Filing a Claim: Call the Benefits Administrator at 1-800-546-9806 within 20 days of the lost or stolen luggage date.
American Express Gold Cards
When you charge your trip’s entire common carrier fare to your American Express Gold card or the Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, you are automatically covered for lost luggage protection. You are NOT covered when using Membership Rewards.
Coverage Provided: Up to $1,250 per covered person for items covered, excluding high-risk items (including, but not limited to, jewelry; sporting equipment; photographic or electronic equipment; computers and audio/visual equipment; wearable technology; items consisting in whole or in part of gold, silver, or platinum; and furs or articles made mostly with fur or trimmed or lined with fur). Up to $250 per covered person for high-risk items. Pro-tip: Each covered person is eligible to receive this benefit, and it does not max out at a specific amount per trip.
Covered Persons: Cardmember, the cardmember’s spouse or domestic partner, and dependent children under 23 years of age.
What’s Not Covered: Cash or its equivalent, notes, accounts, bills, currency, deeds, food stamps, or evidences of debt or intangible property; credit cards and other travel documents (including, but not limited to, passports and visas); securities; tickets and documents; living plants and animals; food and consumable and perishable items; eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses; hearing aids and artificial teeth and limbs; prescription or nonprescription drugs. Check with the Benefits Administrator for the most up-to-date list.
Filing a Claim: Call the Benefits Administrator at 1-800-645-9700 within 30 days of the loss.
WORST Luxury Cards: Mastercard® Black Card™, Mastercard® Gold Card™, Mastercard® Titanium Card™
The Luxury Cards do not offer lost baggage protection.
