The importance of your credit card when travelling

Or I should say, the importance of the RIGHT credit card.

I recently arrived in Panama after an almost 18 hour delay, due to my very first flight of the day being an hour late due to the crew requiring rest from delayed flights from the day before.

Thankfully, and I say this without a smidge of sarcasm, the delay happened right in Winnipeg, which meant that I got to deal with a subcontracted United Airlines employee rather than a real one. He sorted me out for onward flights the next day and even made sure that United would put me up in a hotel that night; a fact that seemed to startle the real (read: surly) United employee in Chicago. I was also sent on my way with vouchers that could be used for food, both at the airport and the hotel.

However, had my delay not happened until Chicago and I had been left only with regular United employees who I truly believe would not have done much for me, I would not have been entirely out of options.

Because I charged my full airfare to my CIBC Aerogold Infinite Visa (and no, they are not sponsoring this post - but if someone from CIBC sees this and wants to send some Aeroplan point love my way I will graciously accept) I was eligible for their Flight Delay and Baggage Insurance. This means that if United hadn't ponied up, since it was a covered delay of at least four hours I was eligible for up to $500 to cover my expenses! It is an aggregate limit, so if I'm understanding correctly, if I was part of a family of four with all tickets being eligible, I would still only be covered as a family for a total of $500; which is still a pretty good deal. There is also up to $100 to spend on entertainment while you pass the delay away.

Chances are, if you have a premium credit card of some sort (with an annual fee of around $120+) you have coverage similar to this. It would be well worth checking on the website of your card issuer and printing off the PDF for handy reference - there is going to be at least some hoop jumping to claim this of course and you want to be prepared. Some would argue that this type of insurance is not worth $120 annually, but like any insurance it seems like a waste until you need it. Keep in mind these premium cards often carry other insurances like Trip Interruption, and Collision/Loss insurance for when you rent a car.

Another handy insurance that my card has, that sure could have helped a fellow Winnipegger I met upon arriving at my hostel in Panama - once her luggage had been declared MIA for 6 hours she would have been eligible for up to $500 ($1000 aggregate) to purchase herself some clothes and other necessities; as it was the poor girl wore the same thing for THREE DAYS while Delta fraffed about getting her luggage here. Three days people. In the the clothes she travelled in. There of course could also just be the added advice to always have a change of underwear and maybe an extra shirt in your carry on - that certainly won't stop you from being eligible to make your claim!