CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite insurance: what actually pays out, and where's the gap?

Trip cancellation reimburses prepaid, non-refundable travel arrangements up to $1,500 per insured person and $5,000 per trip when you cancel before departure for one of 27 covered reasons. Only the portion of the trip charged to the card or redeemed with Aventura points is reimbursable. Covered reasons include sudden illness or injury, a death in the family, a government travel advisory issued after booking, an employment relocation, and jury duty. Underwritten by Belair Insurance Company Inc.

Emergency medical covers up to $5,000,000 per insured person per trip for a sudden, unforeseen medical emergency outside your province. Coverage applies to the first 15 consecutive days of the trip if you are 64 or under, and only the first 3 consecutive days once you are 65 or older. Global Excel arranges direct payment to the hospital where possible; otherwise you pay and claim. You must call Global Excel before treatment, or benefits may be limited.

Medical evacuation and repatriation are covered inside the emergency medical benefit, not as a separate capped benefit. Global Excel arranges and pre-approves air ambulance transport between hospitals and admission to a facility in your province. Ground ambulance to the nearest facility is also covered. Call Global Excel before any evacuation is arranged, or the cost may not be covered.

Trip interruption and trip delay share a combined limit of $2,000 per insured person. It reimburses the unused, non-refundable portion of your prepaid trip plus a one-way economy fare to return home or rejoin your trip after a covered reason. A separate out-of-pocket benefit pays $100 per day, up to $1,000, for accommodation, meals, taxi, and rideshare during an interruption. The covered-reason list mirrors trip cancellation.

Recommended : CA$5,000

Flight delay reimburses up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined when your flight is delayed 4 hours or more for an eligible cause. Within that $500, transportation is sub-limited to $100 and entertainment to $100, with the balance for meals and accommodation. Eligible causes are weather, mechanical breakdown, strike, quarantine, hijack, civil commotion, or air traffic delay. At least 75% of the fare must be charged to the card.

There is no separate missed connection benefit with its own cap. A missed connection is handled inside the flight delay and trip interruption benefits: when a covered delay (carrier mechanical failure, weather, a police-documented road closure) causes you to miss an onward common carrier, reasonable additional transportation to rejoin your trip is reimbursed, pre-approved by Global Excel.

Early return is covered through two benefits rather than a separate one. Trip interruption pays a one-way economy fare home when a covered reason cuts the trip short, within the $2,000 interruption cap. The emergency medical benefit separately covers a medically necessary return, arranged and pre-approved by Global Excel. Both routes require calling Global Excel before arrangements are made.

Baggage delay reimburses essential clothing and toiletries you buy when an airline delays your checked baggage more than 6 hours, up to $500 per insured person. That $500 sits inside a $1,000 per-occurrence cap shared with lost baggage. Replacement items must be bought within 4 days of the delay, and at least 75% of the fare must be charged to the card.

Lost or stolen baggage covers direct physical loss or damage to baggage in a common carrier's custody, up to $500 per insured person, inside a $1,000 per-occurrence cap shared with baggage delay. Jewellery in baggage is limited to $2,500 per occurrence. Cameras, electronics, eyewear, money, tickets, and documents are excluded. The fare must be charged to the card.

Common carrier accident insurance pays up to $500,000 per insured person for accidental death or dismemberment while riding as a passenger on a common carrier (land, air, or water transport). The full common carrier fare must be charged to the card. Underwritten by Belair Insurance Company Inc.

Hotel burglary covers the loss or damage of most personal items if your accommodation is burglarized while you are registered as a guest, up to $2,500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined. At least part of the accommodation cost must be charged to the card or paid with Aventura points. A proof of loss is required.