Trip Cancellation Insurance

Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses when you must cancel for specific covered reasons—illness, severe weather, family emergencies, or other qualifying events. The event must be unforeseen (not known when you booked), and you must have paid for the trip with your covered card or issuer's rewards points.

What's Covered

• •Illness, injury, or death of you, traveling companion, or immediate family member (physician must advise cancellation)
• •Severe weather preventing travel (hurricanes, floods, blizzards)
• •Involuntary job loss or employer-required work obligations
• •Jury duty or court subpoena that cannot be postponed
• •Military orders issued within 30 days of departure
• •Home rendered uninhabitable by fire, flood, or theft
• •Financial default of travel supplier (airline bankruptcy)
• •Terrorism at destination within 30 days of departure
• •Quarantine ordered by physician or government

What's NOT Covered

• •Pre-existing medical conditions (treated or showing symptoms in 60-day lookback period)
• •Change of mind, fear of travel, or disinclination to travel
• •Work conflicts that were known when booking or are voluntary
• •Travel booked after a known event (named storm, announced strike)
• •Relationship issues (breakups) unless divorce/legal separation
• •Pandemics or epidemics (explicitly excluded post-COVID)
• •Cancellation by the travel provider (airline cancels—different coverage)
• •Failure to obtain required passports or visas
• •Trips exceeding 60 days in length

Trip cancellation insurance is typically secondary coverage—meaning the card benefit pays only after other coverage (such as airline refunds or other travel insurance) has been exhausted. If the airline gives you a partial refund, your credit card covers the remaining non-refundable amount up to the policy limit.

This matters because: you must attempt to get refunds from travel suppliers first, and you'll need documentation showing what was refunded versus what wasn't. Check the Coverage Comparison table below to see your card's coordination type.

• •No medical documentation before canceling—physician must advise cancellation BEFORE you cancel, not after
• •Pre-existing condition during the 60-day lookback period before booking
• •Event was foreseeable at time of booking (named storm, political instability)
• •Insufficient documentation—missing itinerary, refund letters, or proof of cancellation reason
• •Trip not fully charged to card (Chase 2024 policy change affects partial payments)
• •Missed filing deadline (20 days for Chase, 60 days for Amex)
• •Cancelled due to non-covered reason (work schedule, relationship issues)
• •Travel supplier canceled instead of you canceling

• •For medical cancellations: see a doctor and get written recommendation BEFORE canceling
• •Gather comprehensive documentation: receipts, itineraries, refund letters, proof of cancellation reason
• •File through your card's benefit portal within the deadline (20-60 days depending on issuer)

Exact claim steps and portals vary by issuer. Check your card's benefits guide for specific instructions.

• •Original trip itinerary showing all bookings and dates
• •Credit card statement(s) showing charges for trip
• •For medical cancellations: physician's written statement dated BEFORE cancellation
• •For death: death certificate and proof of relationship
• •For weather: official weather reports or airline notifications
• •All cancellation confirmations from travel suppliers
• •Refund letters showing what amounts (if any) were refunded
• •For work obligations: official employer documentation or military orders
• •For award tickets: proof of points used and mileage redeposit fees