Amex Blue Card Auto Travel Insurance: What's Covered?

The American Express Blue Card provides automatic travel protection benefits at no extra charge, as long as you pay for your travel costs with your card. This includes rental car insurance and Global Assist Hotline. The rental car insurance covers damage to and theft of rental cars up to $75,000 per vehicle. The Global Assist Hotline offers 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical, legal, and passport referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance.

However, it's important to note that the American Express Blue Card does not include medical coverage. If you're looking for emergency medical coverage while travelling, you'll need to purchase a separate travel insurance policy.

Rental car insurance

American Express Rental Car Insurance

American Express offers rental car insurance, also known as Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance, as a benefit on many of its credit cards. This insurance provides coverage for theft of or damage to a rental vehicle when the cardholder uses their eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire rental and declines the collision damage waiver offered by the rental company. The coverage is secondary, meaning it acts as a supplement to any other insurance the cardholder may have, and it does not include liability coverage.

Coverage Limits

The coverage limits for American Express rental car insurance vary depending on the specific card. The Blue from American Express® Card, for example, offers coverage of up to $75,000 per vehicle. Other cards may offer lower coverage of $50,000. It's important to note that not all vehicles or rentals are covered, and there are geographic restrictions as well. For example, the insurance protection doesn't apply in Australia, Italy, New Zealand, and any country subject to US sanctions.

Eligibility and Claims

To be eligible for coverage, cardholders must decline the collision damage waiver offered by the rental company and pay for the entire rental with their eligible American Express card. In the event of damage or theft, cardholders can file a claim online or by calling the customer service number provided by American Express. It's important to note that claims must be filed within a certain timeframe, typically within 30 days of the incident.

Other Benefits

In addition to rental car insurance, American Express also offers other travel-related benefits such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay insurance, baggage insurance, and access to the Global Assist Hotline. These benefits can provide valuable coverage and assistance for travellers, offering protection against unforeseen events and expenses.

Global Assist Hotline

The Global Assist Hotline is a 24/7 service that provides medical, legal, financial, or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while travelling more than 100 miles away from home. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility.

The Global Assist Hotline can be reached toll-free at 800-333-AMEX (2639) or collect at 715-343-7977.

The main difference between the Global Assist Hotline and the Premium Global Assist Hotline is that some of the services that are fully covered by Premium Global Assist are not covered in the more basic version. For example, emergency medical transportation assistance and repatriation of mortal remains are included in the Premium Global Assist Hotline but not in the Global Assist Hotline.

The Global Assist Hotline is available to holders of the following cards:

• American Express® Gold Card
• American Express® Business Gold Card
• American Express® Green Card
• Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Card
• The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
• Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
• The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express
• Amex EveryDay® Credit Card
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
• The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
• The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Trip cancellation and interruption insurance

Amex will also reimburse you if you experience a covered loss on your way to the point of departure or after departure, causing you to miss your flight or incur additional transportation expenses. Covered reasons for trip cancellation and interruption include accidental injuries, illness (with proof from a doctor), change in military orders, non-postponable jury duty or subpoena by a court, an event that makes the traveller's home uninhabitable, and a quarantine imposed by a doctor for medical reasons. It's important to note that pre-existing conditions, war, self-harm, fraud, and other reasons are not covered, so be sure to check the terms of your coverage carefully.

The maximum benefit amount for trip cancellation and interruption insurance is $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per eligible card per 12 consecutive months. Coverage is secondary and applies after your primary policy provides reimbursement. Claims must be filed within 60 days by calling 844-933-0648.

If you want a higher level of coverage for trip cancellation, you can consider purchasing Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) travel insurance as an optional upgrade to your standalone travel insurance plan. CFAR allows you to cancel a trip for any reason and receive a partial refund of your non-refundable deposit. Alternatively, you can purchase your fares through the Amex Travel portal and add on Trip Cancel Guard for an extra fee. Trip Cancel Guard guarantees a refund of up to 75% on non-refundable airfare costs when you cancel at least two days before departure, regardless of the reason.

Trip delay insurance

Covered reasons for trip delay insurance:

• Inclement weather
• Terrorist action or hijacking
• Equipment failure by the common carrier (e.g. airline or train company)
• Lost or stolen passports or travel documents

The following premium AmEx cards offer up to $500 in reimbursement per covered trip, with a minimum delay of six hours:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express, including Ameriprise Financial, Schwab, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley versions
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

The following AmEx cards offer up to $300 in reimbursement per covered trip, with a minimum delay of 12 hours:

• American Express® Gold Card, including the Rose Gold version
• American Express® Green Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
• American Express® Business Gold Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card

It is important to note that trip delay insurance coverage is per trip and not per eligible traveler or per delay. Thus, the reimbursement amount is capped at the maximum amount per trip, regardless of the number of eligible travelers or delays during a single trip.

To file a claim for reimbursement, notify the benefit administrator within 60 days of the trip delay and provide proof of your loss, such as receipts, tickets, and documentation of the reason for the delay.

Car rental loss and damage insurance

The cost of the insurance is a flat rate per rental. This is added to your account automatically when you use an enrolled card to rent a car. You can cancel this insurance by calling 1-866-518-0259.

The insurance covers the following:

• Theft of a covered rental car
• Physical damage to the vehicle
• Accidental death or dismemberment
• Car rental personal property coverage
• Loss-of-use charges incurred by the agency
• Reasonable towing charges

There are some exclusions to the insurance coverage:

• Any vehicle other than a pickup truck, such as a cube van, box truck or leased vehicle
• Vehicles that have been modified or customised after manufacture (except for driver's assistance equipment for a physically challenged driver)
• Vehicles for hire or commercial purposes
• Antique cars (any vehicle more than 20 years old or that has not been manufactured for 10 or more years)
• Limousines, off-road vehicles, motorcycles, motorbikes, mopeds, campers or trailers
• Costs attributed to the rental company's normal course of business
• Damage that occurred before the rental period
• Tires, unless other damage occurs to the rental car from the same accident or theft of the entire rental car occurs
• Defects in the manufacture of the rental car
• Diminished value, unless required by law
• Depreciation, unless reimbursement is required by law
• Wear and tear, including gradual effects over time
• Any property other than the rental car and personal property
• Animals, furniture, art, money, securities, tickets or documents
• Items left in the rental car after the renter has returned it
• Any injury, except coverage for a covered person described under the accidental injury expense benefit and accidental death or dismemberment benefit
• Any injury or physical condition of a covered person existing before an accident
• Violation of the rental agreement with the rental company
• Acts by a covered person to intentionally damage or injure
• Consumption of alcohol above the legal blood alcohol level for operating a vehicle in the state or locality in which the accident occurred
• Being under the influence of any drug unless taken as prescribed or administered on the advice of a physician or dentist
• War or act of war, whether declared or undeclared
• Discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, escape, release, or exposure to any hazardous biological, chemical, nuclear or radioactive material, gas, matter or contamination
• Confiscation by a governmental authority
• Freezing and mechanical breakdown or electrical failure, except where it results from theft
• The rental car being left unattended and unlocked or a window not completely closed
• Pushing or towing anything
• Violation of criminal law or commission of a criminal act, whether cited or charged
• Participation in a riot, civil disturbance or insurrection
• Suicide, attempted suicide or intentionally self-inflicted injury while sane
• Failure of the cardmember or authorized driver to surrender all the vehicle keys following possession
• A rental car used outside the rental territory authorised by the rental company
• A rental car used for any manner of racing or team sport
• A rental car used for hire, whether for carrying persons or property
• Off-road operation of the rental car
• Any disease, illness or infirmity

To file a claim, you must first report any damage, vandalism, theft or accident to the appropriate law enforcement agency as soon as possible. Next, call your rental agency to inform them of what has happened and that you will be filing a claim through American Express. Then, call the number on the back of your enrolled card to report the incident and begin the claims process.

Frequently asked questions