Flight delays and cancellations seem inevitable these days.  Even when you’re using points and miles to book your award flights, make sure to use a card that comes with trip delay/cancellation insurance.  On our way home from Portland, Maine last month, our flight got delayed.  We were connecting through Baltimore (stopover), and multiple delays turned into a flight cancellation due to the current weather in Baltimore.  We were put on a flight home the next morning, and had to spend the night in Baltimore.  Luckily, I had used my Chase Sapphire Preferred to pay our Southwest Airlines flight taxes.

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The Card Benefits That Saved The Day

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card comes with Trip Delay Reimbursement.  As stated on their website, “If your common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per covered traveler.”  We definitely didn’t spend that much per person, or even total for that matter.  But we did incur expenses that we had not planned for like an additional one night hotel stay and meals.

In order for you to have this protection, a part or all of your flight expense needs to be paid using this card.  I used a mix of points, cash, and flight credits so I charged our total of $244.57 (for five people) to this card.  I always use this card to for flight taxes, even when I’m using only points/miles for our flights.

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Work Smart, Not Hard

While my husband stood in line at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter to talk to customer service about next day flight options, I looked up the nearest Hyatt to Baltimore Washington International Airport.  Why a Hyatt?  Because why not earn an additional night towards status?  Luckily, I found availability at Hyatt Place Baltimore/BWI Airport and booked us a room.  This was very last minute as you can imagine, so I was grateful!

Also, I charged all additional expenses to my Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card.  You don’t have to do this, but I knew keeping expenses organized and on one card would make it easier when it came to filing a claim.

How To File A Claim

You can call the number on the back of your Chase Sapphire card, or set up an account online at chasecardbenefits.com.  Once you do so, you can file a claim right there.  Either way, you’ll need to submit documents online.  You’ll need receipts of any additional expenses incurred, as well as proof of your flight delay and/or cancellation.

I submitted the text message alerts that Southwest Airlines sends regarding your upcoming flight.  While we were at the airport, I did ask customer service if they could provide me with any documentation of the flight delay.  When they weren’t able to, I had to use the only proof I had – text messages relaying flight departure delays.

You can easily followup on your claim online, and you’ll also receive email updates as the adjuster assigned reviews your case.  I had to re-submit receipts of meal expenses because those weren’t approved as quickly as our one night hotel expense was.  (I also had to make additional calls regarding this and ask them to do a second review.)

This was the cost of our one night hotel stay in Baltimore.

 

One Flight Delay, Two Types Of Compensation

Two days after we got home I noticed that Southwest Airlines had sent us 3 LUV Vouchers.  (We were booked on the same flight, but two different reservations as my husband & I each have one of our older kids as a Companion, respectively.)

I had received one for me and our youngest daughter, and then my husband had received one in his email.  But we didn’t receive vouchers for our older two kids who are are our Southwest Companions.  (Our teen is my Companion, and our son is my husband’s Companion.)

I hadn’t reached out to the airline asking for any compensation so I appreciate the promptness.  But there were 5 of us flying together.  I reached back out to ask for compensation for our older kids and was told to fill out this form online for each of them.

Here’s where you can find it:

On the Southwest homepage, scroll down until you see the “Help Center” column.

Select “Travel Funds, Refunds, & Reimbursements.”

Then select “I want to request reimbursement for costs due to a delayed or canceled flight.”

You’ll select “Request reimbursement” and then fill out the form from there.  It needs to be done for each traveler that are you are requesting compensation for.

The lesson here?  It never hurts to ask!  Plus, there were 5 of us total, traveling together.  Why shouldn’t each of us receive compensation?

In Sum

Protect yourself by charging your airfare and/or flight taxes to a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred.  The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is another great option that comes with built-in travel protections and insurance.  If I’m not using my Chase card, I’m using my Venture X which is currently my go-to premium travel credit card.  If this had happened to me a decade ago, I would have have been very stressed.  Because I had used a card that protects me against flights delays and cancellations, the process was seamless, and to be honest, stress-free.