American Express Platinum Card insurance: what does the $5 million Chubb cover pay?

Capped at $30,000 per person per trip, for international and domestic trips alike, covering non-refundable prepaid deposits, travel, accommodation and excursions when a listed event forces you to cancel or change the trip. Travel agent commission is paid up to $750 or 15% of the booking, whichever is less. COVID-19 counts as an illness, and a $250 excess applies per person and per event.

Capped at $5,000,000 per person for emergency medical treatment and hospital costs overseas, on an international return trip only, after a $250 excess per event. You must be 79 or younger when you pay for the trip, and costs from a terrorist act are capped at $1,000,000. COVID-19 is treated like any other illness, and nothing is paid for treatment once you are back in New Zealand.

Capped at $5,000,000, inside the overseas medical section, for transport to the nearest hospital, evacuation to an adequately equipped hospital or repatriation to New Zealand once you are fit to travel. Chubb Assistance must approve the move, and if you arrange it yourself you may pay the costs its preferred providers would have avoided. Return of remains or a local burial is paid up to $15,000.

Emergency dental treatment to natural teeth overseas is paid up to $1,500, as a sub-limit of the overseas medical section. The treatment must be one that cannot wait until you are back in New Zealand, and a $250 excess applies per event.

Pays incidental costs such as food and toiletries of $100 for each complete 24 hours you spend in an overseas hospital as an in-patient, up to $8,000. It sits inside the overseas medical section, so the same $250 excess and age rule apply.

Capped at $5,000 per person for reasonable additional travel and accommodation when a listed event forces you to change the trip once you have left, such as an injury, a natural disaster or a provider cancelling your transport. Where you have both extra costs and forfeited bookings for the same night, only the higher amount is paid. A $250 excess applies.

Pays hotel accommodation (room only) and restaurant meals up to $650 per person, and $1,300 per event, when a scheduled flight is delayed or cancelled by 4 hours or more, or you are bumped with no other flight within 4 hours. No excess applies, and the same benefit works on domestic trips.

No alternative transport cover. Travel Inconvenience Cover pays hotel and meals up to $650 when you miss a connecting scheduled flight and no other flight is offered within 4 hours, but not the cost of another way to get there. The cost of alternative transport to reach a prepaid cruise, tour or event on time is out of pocket.

If a close relative aged 80 or under dies or is hospitalised while you are away, the reasonable extra cost of travelling directly home is paid within the $5,000 additional travel and accommodation sub-limit. There is no benefit to fly back out and resume the trip, and a $250 excess applies.

If an airline has not delivered your checked bag within 6 hours of arrival, essential clothing and toiletries are reimbursed up to $650 per person, and a further $650 is paid if the bag is still missing after 48 hours. No excess applies, but the bag delayed on your flight home is never covered.

Lost, stolen or damaged baggage and valuables are covered up to $20,000 per person, with $2,500 per item or set, $5,000 for one laptop and $1,000 for one smartphone. Payouts are reduced by depreciation of up to 65% (2.5% a month for electronics), and a $250 excess applies.

Lost or stolen cash, passports, visas, tickets and driving licences are covered up to $500 in total per person, inside the baggage section. A $250 excess applies, so a claim for a replacement passport alone often pays very little.

Covers your legal liability if you accidentally injure someone or damage their property during the trip, up to $2,000,000 including legal costs. No excess applies, and you must not admit liability without Chubb's written consent.

Pays $800,000 for accidental death, and up to $400,000 for permanent disablement, but only after an accident while travelling on, boarding or leaving public transport, or waiting in its terminal. An accident anywhere else on the trip pays nothing, and the death benefit does not apply to anyone aged 15 or under. The disablement amounts have no age limit.

No loss of income cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Injured in Bali and off work for 8 weeks on your return, you get no income replacement from this card, and ACC weekly compensation only applies to injuries ACC covers.

Trips within New Zealand more than 150 km from home get the same $30,000 per person cancellation and trip change cover as overseas trips, after a $250 excess. Cover switches on when you spend $500 or more on accommodation, or pay the full outbound ticket, with the card or points.

A domestic scheduled flight delayed or cancelled by 4 hours or more is covered the same way as overseas: hotel (room only) and meals up to $650 per person and $1,300 per event, with no excess.

Reasonable additional travel and accommodation after a forced change to a domestic trip are paid up to $5,000 per person, inside the $30,000 trip change section. A $250 excess applies.

Baggage lost, stolen or damaged on a domestic trip is covered up to $20,000 per person, with the same $2,500 per item limit, depreciation and $250 excess as overseas. Fire damage in New Zealand is excluded.

If a domestic flight leaves your checked bag behind for 6 hours or more, essentials are reimbursed up to $650 per person, plus a further $650 after 48 hours, with no excess. The flight that brings you home is excluded.