The Citi Prestige Card is Reducing Its Trip Delay, Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption, Lost Baggage Protection, 90 Day Return Protection and other card benefits, effective July 29, 2018, per William Charles. Here's what's changing, in a nutshell (you can also review the updated Citi Prestige Guide to Benefits).
Trip Delay
Currently, the Citi Prestige $500 trip delay benefit kicks in after a 3 hour delay. As of July 29, 2018 it will only take effect after a 6 hour delay, mirroring the Chase Sapphire Reserve benefit, which is also up to $500 per covered traveler reimbursed, per trip.
Also, the covered travelers have been narrowed to only apply to family members. Currently, until July 29, 2018, trip delay benefits apply to travel companions. As of July 29, 2018 they must be family members traveling on the trip. Citi defines Family Members as: “Your children; spouse; fiancee; Domestic Partner and their children, including adopted children or step-children; legal guardians or wards; siblings or siblings-in-law; sons-in-law or daughters-in-law; parents or parents-in-law; grandparents or grandchildren; aunts or uncles; nieces or nephews. As you can see, a girlfriend or boyfriend or other friends or work colleagues are not included.
Trip Cancellation / Trip Interruption / Lost Baggage Protection
While the up to $5000 trip cancellation and trip interruption benefit amount and lost baggage protection amounts remains the same, as of July 29, 2018, only you and your Family Members (as defined above) will be covered. Currently the policy covers unrelated travel companions traveling with you on the same trip, and that will not be the case as of 7/29/18.
Worldwide Car Rental Insurance
Effective 7/29/18, the Citi Prestige coverage will be reduced from a maximum of $100,000 towards the cost of repairs to $75,000. More importantly, the Citi Prestige car rental insurance will no longer cover loss of use, the diminished value to the rental car, or additional fees/taxes. Loss of use is important, because it's what the car rental company can charge for the lack of the vehicle being available to rent out, while it's being repaired. Because of this loss, I wouldn't recommend ever using the Citi Prestige for car rentals going forward; use the Chase Sapphire Reserve instead, which does still cover “valid loss of use charges assessed by the rental company while the damaged vehicle is being repaired and is not available for use, as substantiated in the company's fleet utilization log.”
90 Day Return Protection
Maximum reimbursable per year will be reduced to $1500 per calendar year, from the current $2500. Return protection will be reduced to 90 days from the current 120 days.
Citi Price Rewind
As of 7/29/19, Citi Price Rewind, which refunds the price difference if you buy an item and later find that item publicly advertised for a lower price, will have some negative changes:
- Maximum benefit per item will be the lesser of $200 or the amount charged to the Citi Prestige (from the current $500 or the amount charged to the Citi Prestige)
- The maximum benefit per calendar year per account will be reduced to $1000, from the current $2500
Damage & Theft Protection
While the amounts of coverage aren't changing, the entire coverage will now be secondary to other insurance. So assuming you have a homeowner's policy or other insurance, the Citi coverage is secondary to it (and the Citi coverage will NOT cover deductible payments you may have to make under your primary policy).
What do you think of the Citi Prestige benefit changes–will any of them impact your usage of the card?
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Another excellent and helpful article that makes it easy to understand the changes. Thanks Hilary!
Glad it’s helpful! I haven’t had the Citi Prestige in some time, but if you have the card the changes could make a difference in which charges you put on it.