Planning a dream vacation is exciting. But no matter how conscientiously one prepares the details, life rarely complicates things.
Unfortunately, this is what happened on a recent vacation I took with my family earlier this year. Luckily, my Chase Sapphire Reserve® and its protections came to our rescue when we needed it, saving us over $1,500 in total.
Here’s what happened and how we were able to take advantage of my card benefits to waste a lot of money.
In February, my husband, son and I were in a position to go on an amazing safari adventure. We were going to stay at the Sayari retreats in Tanzania, where lions, cheetahs and elephants are seen roaming freely in the area. After that, I planned to end the holiday with a few days of rest at Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels and Resorts, a luxury hotel located on the largest island in the Seychelles, Mahé.
We had been making plans for months, thinking about logistics and how to save maximum cash on such a large array. We book our flights using my Chase Sapphire Reserve® card and redeem some of our Ultimate Rewards issues to reduce the cost of the Array.
Redeeming the issues directly through Chase Travel℠ at a 1. 5 cent fare fully covered the charge for our 3 tickets on a Kenya Airways flight from Nairobi to the Seychelles.
We also transferred some of our remaining issues to Qatar Airways Avios and used them to book some of our QSuites in the airline’s sumptuous business chic; We paid the balance of the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Despite the use of emissions for part of the Array, non-public expenditures still amounted to several thousand dollars.
Once everything was fine-tuned, we excitedly counted down the months and days leading up to our trip. However, just one day before leaving, our son caught the flu. Traveling with our child with undisputed health issues, especially on a confusing itinerary. like this, where we may not be able to get medical care smoothly if we needed it.
So, with a heavy hub, we canceled the whole trip. While we were checking to recover our cash and flight emissions, the airlines imposed a cancellation payment on us. We had to pay $327 to Kenya Airways and $1,080 for two price tickets. on Qatar Airways, totaling just over $1,500 in payments. The Qatar Airways third-price ticket was booked with another card and is fully refundable, so we didn’t have to worry. Still, alas.
Feeling the pain of those costs, I made the decision to explore the benefits of travel insurance provided through my Chase Sapphire Reserve. This card provides a multitude of protections that many cardholders, myself included, overlook. But they can be convenient in conditions like mine. , and that is precisely what they are intended for.
Here are some of the protections at Chase Sapphire Reserve, in particular.
This policy covers up to $10,000 per user and $20,000 per vacation for non-refundable expenses if your vacation is canceled or interrupted due to illness, excessive weather, or other covered scenarios. As with any type of insurance, be sure to read the terms. and situations thoroughly to make sure your vacation and situation are eligible.
This covers expenses such as food and lodging if you are more than six hours late or require an overnight stay for a covered reason.
This type of insurance reimburses you for purchases such as clothing or toiletries if your luggage is delayed by more than six hours.
This policy will reimburse you for up to $3,000 per covered user if your baggage is lost or damaged. Keep in mind that some pieces, such as electronics and jewelry, are not covered.
This service provides medical and legal referrals or other assistance when you have problems away from home. This service doesn’t cover the cost of those services, but you’ll get help locating them.
This benefit reimburses travelers up to $2,500 for medical expenses if you or an immediate family member becomes ill or injured within a hundred miles or more of your home.
After reviewing those benefits, I thought my situation deserved to be eligible for card termination and termination benefits. I made the decision to file a claim for the airline’s $1,500 cancellation fee.
Filing an interruption and cancellation claim with Chase was straightforward for me, but it required patience, perseverance, and diligence (and we’ve received reports of problems with electronic claims from readers in the past).
I used the online form that was available on the Eclaims Line website. The form asked for detailed information about our trip, including:
After submitting my initial application, I earned several calls and emails from Chase; The company asked for more documents and clarifications, such as written proof of the airlines’ cancellation policies, documents on the cancellation fees it had paid, etc. Although this part of the procedure was time-consuming, I knew it was vital to be thorough. and responsive to speed up approval.
And it’s not like there are deadlines for filing a claim. With Chase Sapphire Reserve’s trip cancellation and interruption insurance, you’ll need to contact Eclaims within 20 days of canceling your vacation to have a chance of being covered.
Finally, after a few months of offering documentation and answering follow-up questions, we got our claim approved. In the meantime, we’ve covered the cancellation costs by putting them into our Chase Sapphire Reserve.
I started the claim procedure around February 15th. In the first week of May, approximately 78 days later, $1,507 was deposited directly into our bank account. The relief was immense. Knowing we had this safety net in place gave us peace of mind and softened the blow of our canceled trip.
Here’s what I’ve learned from my experience using Chase Sapphire Reserve’s interruption and cancellation policy and what other travelers deserve to take away should they want to invoke it.
Familiarize yourself with your credit card coverage. Many premium credit cards, such as Chase Sapphire Reserve, offer solid insurance benefits that can save you a lot of cash if something goes wrong.
When planning a trip, keep all receipts, itineraries, and correspondence. This will make it less difficult to file a claim and give you all the documents you may need at your fingertips.
The grievance procedure can be lengthy and require the submission of documents. Stay organized and temporarily respond to any inquiries from the insurer.
If you find an issue that your card’s insurance can cover, file a claim quickly. The potential savings can be substantial, and you don’t need to lose money by missing the deadline to file the claim.
Although we were disappointed to miss out on our safari and getaway to the Seychelles, the positive was discovering how valuable Chase Sapphire Reserve insurance can be. This saved us over $1,500 and provided us with a safety net that turned a potentially primary monetary situation into a manageable one. one.
So the next time you book a trip via email, think about the peace of mind that comes from knowing that a reliable insurance policy has your back.
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