Change in Platinum Card Travel Insurance?

[Stephen65]

See above post. To be honest, even with a significant discount there was no way I would have been keeping the card.

I like the card and it was worth $900 to me with the good travel insurance especially since I could mostly tax deduct the annual fee. With the now largely useless travel insurance I'd still pay something but it wouldn't be much. The card now has only very minor advantages over my free CBA Diamond Amex. Looks like Amex and I will be parting ways in August.

 

[kamchatsky]

I am still thinking, with Amex Charge card come with free Platinum Reserve, annual fee should still worth at least $395. Right? Afterall there is free flight for Platinum Reserve CC. So maybe if they say half the annual fee to $450 I would probably still keep it.

 

[perthtraveller]

Apologies if this has already been covered!

My supp cardholder booked her airfare from Aus to Europe return with her AMEX Plat Charge supp card a couple of months ago. Travel is in July.

A few questions:
1) Is this trip covered by the existing travel insurance policy?
2) Would it have mattered if she had paid with another means (considering that primary and supp cardholders had automatic coverage)?
3) Is she covered for the whole trip? She still needs to book intra-Europe flights, hotels, rail passes etc.

Any assistance with these queries would be greatly appreciated.

 

[aschmid]

I am still thinking, with Amex Charge card come with free Platinum Reserve, annual fee should still worth at least $395. Right? Afterall there is free flight for Platinum Reserve CC. So maybe if they say half the annual fee to $450 I would probably still keep it.

Well that's the point I am reflecting on as well. The "always-on" travel insurance on the Charge Card really made it good value for me. Without it the Charge Card is not so much different from the "Platinum Reserve" card.

Both have Platinum services options, both earn 1.5 points, both have "dependent" travel insurance. The "free" flight is actually an option of the Platinum Reserve Credit card and NOT the charge card.

So if you can work with 2 free Priority passes a year it seems the Reserve Platinum is a better option at $395 versus $900.

Am I missing something?

 

[11sjw]

Apologies if this has already been covered!

My supp cardholder booked her airfare from Aus to Europe return with her AMEX Plat Charge supp card a couple of months ago. Travel is in July.

A few questions:
1) Is this trip covered by the existing travel insurance policy?
2) Would it have mattered if she had paid with another means (considering that primary and supp cardholders had automatic coverage)?
3) Is she covered for the whole trip? She still needs to book intra-Europe flights, hotels, rail passes etc.

Any assistance with these queries would be greatly appreciated.

Ring AMEX. I queried based on having booked flights in October and was told the old Ts & Cs would apply, based on that I believe I still have full coverage.

 

[Cynicor]

Just a note for those looking for a Chubb policy. AMA (WA) offer Chubb travel insurance,annual 10 trip max is ~$600 with spouse and children covered for free and no pre existing medical illness issues, unless travel was not advised.

I am reading the pds now but cannot find a clause about travel delay and meals/accommodation expenses. If anyone wants to have a go at finding it, let me know and I'll send a pds out.

 

[Stephen65]

Personally I'm willing to self-insure against the risk of events such as delays and extra meals and expenses. It's the risk of falling ill or being injured in an accident, spending time in hospital and then being presented with an enormous medical bill that scares me into getting travel insurance.

 

[Cynicor]

Every insurance covers medical, though, so it comes down to the specifics. I'll only consider plans with a decent amount of medical coverage and ok terms/conditions. Where I have more chance of something going wrong, and hence getting something back, is in the delays coverage, and this is where amex plat were very good.
My aim is to find something similar, and I had hoped Chubb would be a contender.

 

[beardoc]

Dare I say it, but the Chubb for medical and Amex Plat for delays insurance might just be the best on the market.

The tricky thing is where you can't buy your own tickets on Amex (like a corporate travel division buying tickets for you) - then you have no delays insurance. For me, however, this will only mean domestic travel may not be covered - I buy all my own international trips, where I want the delays insurance more.

 

[Stephen65]

I was looking at Medibank Private travel insurance and I noted that they give you the option of taking out the usual sort of travel insurance or medical only cover

 

[Isochronous]

Anyone know what Amex charge for the supplementary cardholder to basically buy their old coverage back?

 

[flyingsyd]

Dare I say it, but the Chubb for medical...

Can I buy the Chubb insurance online anywhere?

 

[Cynicor]

I have heard back from the resellers in the AMA. Chubb offers delays insurance in the form of a clause that covers "reasonable expenses" when any unpredicted expense occurs. The excess on my potential policy is $250, however, and is applicable to this clause too (section 5, 2C if you have the PDS). There are no sublimits or other limits, so it depends on how one defines an unforseen circumstance. I would call 2-3 hours normal delays and anything 4+ unforseen. Still not sure if I will get it, as I think i'd prefer clearly defined limits and numbers.

"the expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred in addition to those already budgeted for or likely to be incurred but less any refund on unused prepaid travel and accommodation arrangements, as a result of:...(c) Any other unforeseen circumstances outside the control of you or the insured person"

Does anyone have practical experience with this clause, or other thoughts?

 

[M@rcoPolo]

So... I have a Platinum Charge and with the latest "enhancements" and I'm contemplating cancelling it when it comes up for renewal at the end of the year...

I also have a Citibank Signature - that comes for free as I upgraded from a free Citibank Platinum... I usually only use the Citi card where AMEX is not accepted but now that the insurance cover for my AMEX Platinum Charge has been "enhanced" I had a good look at the insurance T&Cs for the Citi card and it looks like the insurance cover is as good and possibly even better than the AMEX insurance!

As I understand there are quite a few people out the that have both AMEX Platinum Charge and Citi Select / Signature I'd like to get your opinion on the subject... would you agree the Citi insurance is just as good if not better than the "enhanced" AMEX insurance?

 

[Duffa]

A win at last today! My car wouldn't start (away from home) so I rang ACE insurance as per website. 20 mins of messing around with calls to Amex and they sent a man from RACV. All fixed in no time.
Still don't think it's worth $900 though!

 

[11sjw]

Reviving this to ask what have others done regarding travel insurance recently?

 

[bigmal]

I have just cancelled all my Amex cards (incl Plat) as when I rang up to discuss the devalue in benefit over the last year, they offered me a free card, tom, insinuating that I was after a free card. No customer service no care. I had a spend of $80-$100K per year. I've just received a Qantas Staff Credit Union Plat Card which has comp insurance if you spend 50% of the travel on the card, and includes travel companions. No cover for supp holders travelling alone.
Couldn't be happier!
For the travel that I had booked for this year with the Amex Plat card, (and will now no longer be covered) I will be getting the International (incl US etc) Multi Trip policy through my Health Fund (HCF) which is a QBE policy for $317.70 per year. Cheaper than the $900 for Amex card......!

 

[Terryi02]

Reviving this to ask what have others done regarding travel insurance recently?

Hi, I am now using my ANZ platinum card to book travel.
My reading of the T&C's led me to believe the cover was as good as the old Amex insurance.
Some of their claims to have a $250 excess ( which is all Amex had to do). I only need book $250 of travel on my card, but tend to book most accomoadation using Anz (doing the right thing etc).
Obviously points earned is not the same but beats paying Travel Insurance.

 

[flyingsyd]

Switched to Citibank Visa Select. And if I need insurance for a family member travelling alone, buying the $5 insurance from Australia Post outlets.

 

[thehound]

What are people doing to insure award travel trips? All of my future travel is with US Dividend Miles, Qantas and Singapore KF awards. The only way I can see these being comprehensively covered is with an annual multi trip - unless someone has a clever alternative?