Overview
It feels like there’s a government shutdown, a weather emergency, or a global crisis happening every week these days, and while the problems themselves are typically far greater than whether we get to chill out by the beach in Mexico or not, it’s leaving millions of us with some degree of travel anxiety.
Delays happen on a regular basis, rooted in anything from staffing shortages to sudden snowstorms, but bigger, sudden shifts like the recent shutdown of major travel hubs in the Middle East or cartel issues in Mexico can mean your delay can be exacerbated immensely. While most of it is out of your control, there are some ways to tackle things, and your credit cards can be a massive help in these scenarios.
Of course, we hope you’ll never need this article, but it’s always best to be prepared. Read on to find out how to respond when you’re stranded at the airport, and the cards that can ease the situation.
First Step: Get Clarity
Before you do anything else, it’s vital that you get clarity on your situation. Stay calm, check your airline’s app and your inbox for information, then head to the departure gate or airline help desk to get more information. Remember, the staff you’re speaking to aren’t responsible for what happened, don’t get angry at them. Speaking to them with respect and understanding can be the difference between them helping you or someone else.
The main questions you’ll need answered are:
Why is the flight delayed/cancelled?
Have you been automatically put on another flight?
If so, how long is the wait?
Are you being offered compensation?
These questions are vital because they set the tone for what you do next. Depending on the reason for the cancellation or delay, the airline may be required by law to compensate you with meal vouchers, accommodation, or refunds. Generally, this applies when the issue is controllable, and the airline is at fault. For example, a mechanical or staffing issue is on the airline, and many will compensate for this. Some budget airlines may not, though, so check your own situation against your carrier’s procedures. If a delay goes beyond three hours in the US, the airline is legally bound to offer a refund, regardless of ticket type.
Of course, if it’s something more severe, like the current crisis in the Middle East, things can get complex. Some might be able to get you on a partner flight. I’ve successfully done this with Delta, which put me on an Argentinian Airlines flight after I was denied boarding. I was at fault, and they still helped. There’s no guarantee of this, especially when hundreds or thousands of other people are also stranded. Whatever happens, doing what you can early on and staying calm is the best way to guarantee a good outcome.
Next Steps: Relax and See What Your Cards Can Do
Once you know what’s happening, it’s best to take a breath. You have the information and can process how long you’ll be expected to be in the airport. If there’s no obvious end to the issue, you can make plans to leave the airport and head home, or rent a car. If it’s an overnight wait, you’ll hopefully have been offered accommodation near the airport.
For anything else, check out your credit card protections.
Lounge access
The simplest way they can help is to ease the wait by getting you in a comfortable lounge with complimentary food and maybe a stiff drink to take the edge off. Plenty of premium cards offer this, including the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, the American Express Platinum Card®, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. These general cards all offer Priority Pass access, which grants the holder entry to over 1,400 lounges around the world, including the issuer’s branded lounges. Some co-branded cards may offer airline lounge entry, but you’ll likely need to be flying with the airline to enter these.
Of course, lounges don’t solve the problems. But they do give you a better place to wait than a chaotic corner of the departure lounge and help you save money on pricey airport food. Just remember, if you’re traveling with friends or family, you may need to pay a fee for each of them, depending on the specific card’s rules, so take this into account.
- Best for: Overall Travel
- Annual Fee: $395
- APR: 19.49% - 28.49% (Variable)
- Reward Rate: 2X - 10X
- Recommended Credit: 720-850
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
75,000 Bonus Miles
Offer Details:
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Why we like it
The Capital One Venture X is a direct competitor to the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and for many seeking a simpler earning scheme with premium perks, it could be the better option. But the Venture X truly shines with one benefit in particular: four free authorized users. Plus, every year on your cardholder anniversary you get 10,000 points to use for travel.
Reward details
10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
5 Miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
2 Miles per dollar on every purchase
Pros & Cons
Pros
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Its great intro bonus of 75,000 miles is worth well over $1,000 when transferred to partner airlines and hotels, or a flat rate $750 when redeemed on the Capital One Travel Portal.
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Cardholders get a bonus of 10,000 miles each year after their first account anniversary, which is nothing to shrug off, especially when a little bit short of that business class flight. It’s worth almost $200 depending on how you use it.
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The $300 annual credit for purchases made on the Capital One Travel Portal, combined with the yearly free miles, more than annul the $395 annual fee.
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Four authorized users can be added for free.
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Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and participating Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
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A generous offering of travel insurance, protections and reimbursements round out an excellent array of benefits.
Cons
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The $300 credit is a bit less flexible than the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s comparable benefit.
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Miles earning is the same as the Sapphire Reserve on portal-based purchases, but less on general travel spending.
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Capital One transfer partners are solid, but still don’t include any US-based airlines or hotels.
Terms Apply
- Best for: Luxury Perks
- Annual Fee: $895
- Pay Over Time APR
- Reward Rate: 5X
- Recommended Credit: Good to Excellent
American Express Platinum Card®
As high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points
Offer Details:
You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Why we like it
The Amex Platinum was once the sole dominating force in the luxury credit card space. While it now faces some stiff competition, it still offers unbeatable perks like unprecedented airport lounge access, elite status at Hilton and Marriott, and some outstanding statement credits making the mammoth $895 worth it for some.
Reward details
Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
Pros & Cons
Pros
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Large intro bonus
Incredible lounge access
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Statement credits worth over $3,500 annually.
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Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
Cons
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The $895 annual fee is brutally high. Too high for many that can’t, or don’t want to take full advantage of its benefits.
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Points-earning rates are low unless spending directly on flights or with the Amex Portal.
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Some of the benefits, like travel credits, are more limited and are harder to use than competing cards’ offerings.
Check out the trip-delay protection
One of the most overlooked credit card perks is trip delay protection. This insurance policy can help reimburse you for situations where your flight is delayed by a specific number of hours (usually on the higher end).
For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers a maximum payout of $500 for delays lasting longer than 12 hours, while the American Express Platinum Card® will match the same $500 after six hours of delay. If your airline has already covered you, the card likely won’t double down, but it might make ends meet based on what is already given to you. Many cards now offer similar policies, including the Citi Strata Premier Card and the Aeroplan® Credit Card. If your delay has caused you to miss booked activities or hotels at your destination, some may have your back, but most don’t in this case.
The main caveat to all this is that you must have paid for the trip using the card with the protection, so this needs to be at least a little preemptive.
- Best for: Beginner Travelers
- Annual Fee: $95
- APR: 19.24% - 27.49% Variable
- Reward Rate: 1X - 5X
- Recommended Credit: 670-850
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
75,000 Bonus Points
Offer Details:
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Why we like it
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the ultimate all-around travel credit card—it fits perfectly into almost any points-earner’s wallet. Points novices can enjoy a significant intro bonus and easy to grasp spending categories with an approachable annual fee. The more experienced can utilize its high value earning potential as a secondary card and also gain access to Chase’s strong travel booking portal.
Reward details
5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.
2x on all other travel purchases.
1x on all other purchases.
Pros & Cons
Pros
The $50 dollar hotel credit for stays purchased on the Chase Travel Portal already cuts the already approachable $95 annual fee significantly.
10% anniversary points boost – each account anniversary you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
Along with all of the above, cardholders also have access to a string of travel protections like rental coverage, cancellation insurance, and purchase protection.
Cons
It’s subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. So, if you’ve opened five cards in the last two years, you’re most likely not going to be accepted.
Competing cards like the Capital One Venture have a better earning rate for non-bonus spend.
Chase has a once-per-lifetime rule for sign-up bonuses on their Sapphire cards, including the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, and Sapphire Reserve for Business. So, once you’ve earned a welcome bonus on any of these cards, you’ll never be eligible for the bonus again on the same card.
Terms Apply
- Best for: Air Canada travelers
- Annual Fee: $95
- APR: 19.74% - 28.24% Variable
- Reward Rate: 1X - 3X
- Recommended Credit: 670-850
Chase Aeroplan® Credit Card
Earn 60,000 points
Offer Details:
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Why we like it
While it’s a must-have for regular Air Canada customers, the Aeroplan Card is an excellent card for anyone interested in the world of points and miles. It’s a shortcut to one of the most valuable loyalty programs on the planet and two years of elite status isn’t something you should ignore.
Reward details
3X points for each dollar spent at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and Air Canada directly
- 1x points for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Excellent introductory offer
Approachable annual fee
Free checked bags on Air Canada flights
Automatic elite status
High-earning rates
Super-valuable loyalty program with loads of partners
Cons
Value is limited by the inability to transfer points
Under Chase’s 5/24 rule
Some perks only useful for regular Air Canada customers
Terms Apply
Baggage delay insurance
Amidst the chaos of a mass delay or cancellation, it’s normal for your anxiety to shift to the luggage you watched being whisked along a conveyor belt a few hours before. The shifting schedules mean baggage may find itself on the wrong plane or not on a plane at all. Many credit cards now also come with baggage delay or loss insurance, too.
With these policies, the card issuer will grant set amounts of money to help buy new clothes and essentials in the short-term for delays, or fully reimburse you when luggage never shows up. Again, each card is different and has its own process.
Both the Sapphire Reserve and the Sapphire Preferred have generous coverage, offering up to $100 a day for a maximum of five days for luggage delayed more than six hours. If the luggage never gets there, each person under the policy is covered for up to $3,000. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card doesn’t offer delayed coverage, but it does cover losses for up to $3,000 per person.
At the bare minimum, it’s peace of mind that you won’t need to wear the same clothes for three days.
- Best for: Luxury Travel
- Annual Fee: $795
- Flex for Business Variable APR: 17.74% - 28.49%
- Reward Rate: 1X - 10X
- Recommended Credit: 740-850
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
125,000 bonus points
Offer Details:
Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Why we like it
This card just got a major re-vamp and you can now get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve!
Reward details
8x points on Chase TravelSM
4x points on flights and hotels booked direct
3x points on dining
1x points on all other purchases
Pros & Cons
Pros
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The points are worth up to 2 cents a piece when used directly on Chase’s Ultimate Rewards Portal, offering a simple but high-value use for your points.
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Plenty of excellent transfer partners allow points to be maximized
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Some excellent partnerships with Doordash and Lyft add to its value.
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Priority Pass membership allows access to over 1,300+ airport lounges and restaurants.
Cons
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It’s subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. So if you’ve opened five cards in the last two years, you’re most likely not going to be accepted.
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Chase has a once-per-lifetime rule for sign-up bonuses on their Sapphire cards, including the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, and Sapphire Reserve for Business. So, once you’ve earned a welcome bonus on any of these cards, you’ll never be eligible for the bonus again on the same card.
Terms Apply
Take Things Into Your Own Hands
If you’re going to hit the three-hour delay mark and have the refund option available to you, you can try taking things into your own hands. If it’s a simple case of “Delta screwed up their staffing schedule”, you’ll probably be able to find a points redemption or last-minute cash flight on another airline. If you’re in a more specific situation, like the recent aerospace closures in the Middle East, you might need to get more creative.
Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha are huge transfer hubs for European and American flights heading to Asia and Africa. If a flight through one of those was grounded, look for ways around. Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa Airport is a major transfer hub, as is Germany’s Frankfurt Airport, or even London Heathrow. Look at your options and see what’s available to you.
The Point
Delays and cancellations are an unfortunate reality of the travel landscape. From weather emergencies and outbreaks of war to simple staffing issues or schedule mishaps, almost everyone is likely to be impacted at some point. Taking steps to gather information, then using your credit card perks, can help ease the stress, save some money, and maybe even solve the problem.
by your friends at The Daily Navigator
