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How can you get compensated for a flight delay? You may be eligible for flight delay compensation, depending on the airline you're flying, credit card you booked your flight with or supplemental travel insurance you purchased. Here are some of our favorite ways to get compensated for expenses incurred due to a flight delay.
1. EC261/2004: Up to EUR 600 on Long-Haul Flights
Minimum Delay: 3 hours
While the Council of the European Union has proposed reducing EC261/2004 flight delay compensation, currently, the compensation for flights >3500 km. that are delayed 3 hours or more is €600 per person. Keep in mind that this only applies on flights to the EU if you're flying an airline of an EU member state (so a delayed United, American Airlines, Delta, etc. airline doesn't qualify), although it does apply to all airlines on flights departing the European Union. If you qualify for this reimbursement, be prepared to be persistent, since airlines generally hate to give out this compensation, even when it's due. But the good aspect is that this is pure cash compensation, it's not reimbursement for expenses incurred, and therefore you don't need to provide any receipts.
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2. Allianz Latitude Plan: Up to $200 per person, with receipts
Minimum Delay: 3 hours
The good thing about the Allianz Latitude Plan is that it only requires a 3 hour delay (as opposed to the 6 hour delay of even premium credit cards) before you can be reimbursed for reasonable expenses, up to $200 per person, when documented with receipts.
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3. Chase Sapphire Reserve: Up to $500 per ticket, with receipts
Minimum Delay: 6 hours or overnight
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is our favorite credit card to put flights on, since it earns 3X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent and doesn't require that the full amount of the covered trip be purchased using the card (which AMEX cards do). It also doesn't limit the number of claims you can file in a 12-month period (AMEX limits its coverage to 2 claims per card during a 12-month period). Plus, the current Chase Sapphire card's annual fee of $550 includes a $300 travel statement credit good for any travel spend, making it effectively a $250 annual fee. This is far better than the AMEX Platinum, which has a higher $695 annual fee and a hard-to-use $200 airline incidental credit, and also better than the Capital One Venture X card, which requires the $300 statement credit to be for travel booked through the Capital One portal, instead of directly with the airline or hotel.
Here's the fine print for the CSR trip delay coverage:
- Reimbursement is for “reasonable expenses” incurred during the delay during a Covered Hazard
- Covered Hazard is defined as equipment failure, inclement weather, strike, and hijacking
- The coverage does not apply to a delay that was made public or known to you prior to your departure
- The coverage does not include any prepaid expenses related to your Covered Trip, such as a tour or excursion
- The coverage is secondary to other reimbursement received, for example from the airline or a travel insurance policy
- When your Chase Sapphire Reserve was used for at least part of the cost of the tickets, coverage is for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and your legally dependent children under the age of twenty–six (26). This benefit is limited to one claim per Eligible Person per Covered Trip.
- You must either call the Benefit Administrator within 60 days of the Covered Trip delay and file, with all required documentation, within 100 days of the Covered Trip delay
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