No trip cancellation coverage. This benefit is not included with the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card. Prepaid flights, hotels, and tours are not reimbursable if you cancel.
What benefits does the Delta American Express Platinum card actually offer?
American Express·$350/year·American Express·AMEX Assurance Company / New Hampshire Insurance Company (AIG)
1,2/5Independent review · verified July 2026
0,4
2,8
1,9
Our Verdict · Travel Insurance
Our take on travel insurance for the American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum
Expert review · Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviews
12h delay only. No cancel, no medical. Here's what $350 a year actually buys on a Delta flight. The delta skymiles platinum card benefits run a single AIG-backed benefit: trip delay at $300 per trip after 12 consecutive hours, capped at 2 claims per year. Most cardholders assume any significant disruption qualifies. It does not: Delta's disrupted flights typically resolve in 4 to 8 hours, well below the 12-hour trigger, meaning you sleep at the gate with nothing back. No trip cancellation, no emergency medical abroad, no evacuation: Global Assist coordinates logistics only, with no financial guarantee behind any cost. If you book non-refundable international travel on this card, the gap between what it covers and what you actually need runs into the thousands.
What works on travel
- $300 trip delay after 12 hours: covers meals, lodging, toiletries, and medication via AIG (4 covered causes)
- $1,750 baggage loss coverage: $1,250 for carry-on bags, $500 for checked bags, via AMEX Assurance
- Centurion-style Global Assist Hotline available 24/7 for emergency coordination
- Baggage insurance is secondary to airline compensation, adding a recovery layer above the airline's settlement
Where travel breaks down
- No trip cancellation: non-refundable flights and hotels are entirely out of pocket if you cancel for any reason
- 12-hour delay threshold is the highest among major travel cards, eliminating coverage on most real-world disruptions
- $300 delay cap is low: a single hotel night plus meals in a hub city typically exceeds this
- No emergency medical or evacuation coverage abroad despite the $350 annual fee
- No travel accident insurance (AD&D) and no missed connection benefit
Our methodology
Every score is derived from official bank documents: terms and conditions, benefit guides, and claim procedures. No commercial relationship influences our ratings.
Travel Insurance · 11 guarantees
What does American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum Travel Insurance actually cover?
No trip cancellation insurance. A $2,000 non-refundable Delta vacation package is entirely at your expense if you cancel for illness, weather, or any other reason.
What's not covered
- No trip cancellation benefit on this card.
No emergency medical insurance despite a $350 annual fee. A serious ER visit abroad runs $10,000 to $80,000. Every dollar is yours.
No emergency medical coverage. Global Assist provides 24/7 coordination of medical referrals and logistics abroad, but it does not reimburse hospital bills or treatment costs. All medical costs abroad are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- No medical reimbursement. Global Assist provides coordination only.
No emergency evacuation insurance. Global Assist coordinates evacuation logistics but provides no financial guarantee and does not cover transportation costs. Evacuation expenses are entirely the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- No evacuation cost coverage on this card.
No trip interruption coverage. If a covered event cuts your trip short after departure, non-refundable prepaid expenses and additional return transportation are not reimbursed. Costs from a trip cut short are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- No trip interruption benefit on this card.
The 12-hour bar is the card's biggest practical weakness. Most domestic Delta disruptions resolve in under 8 hours. You must wait 12 full consecutive hours before a single dollar is reimbursable.
AIG reimburses reasonable additional expenses up to $300 per Covered Trip when the trip is delayed more than 12 consecutive hours by a covered cause. Covered expenses include meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and personal-use items. Coverage is limited to 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive months.
What's covered
- Meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and personal-use items purchased during the delay
- Covered causes: inclement weather, terrorist action or hijacking, Common Carrier equipment failure (documented), lost or stolen passports or travel documents
What's not covered
- Covered losses known to the traveler before departure
- Expenses paid before the Covered Trip began
- Delays caused by the traveler's intentional acts
- Employer-authorized expenses on commercial cards
- FAA groundstops, staffing shortages, schedule changes: not covered causes
No missed connection coverage. If a delayed inbound flight causes you to miss a connection, rebooking costs and additional expenses are not reimbursed by this card. Missed connection costs are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- No missed connection benefit on this card.
No early return benefit. Additional transportation costs from cutting a trip short are not covered by this card. Early return costs are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- No early return benefit on this card.
No baggage delay reimbursement. Essential purchases of clothing and toiletries during a baggage delay are at your expense. The card does not cover essentials while you wait for a delayed bag.
What's not covered
- No baggage delay benefit on this card.
AMEX Assurance covers lost, stolen, or damaged baggage when the ticket is charged to the card. Carry-on bags are covered up to $1,250 per trip and checked bags up to $500 per trip. Coverage is secondary: the airline's settlement applies first. File a Property Irregularity Report with the carrier at the airport before leaving, then contact AMEX Assurance via americanexpress.com/protectionbenefits or 1-800-338-1670.
What's covered
- Carry-on baggage up to $1,250 per trip
- Checked baggage up to $500 per trip
- Secondary to any airline compensation received
What's not covered
- Airline's own compensation applies first: AMEX Assurance covers the remaining gap only
- Items not reported to the carrier at time of loss
- Intentional damage
No travel accident insurance. Accidental death or dismemberment while traveling on a Common Carrier is not covered by this card. No lump-sum AD&D payment is included.
What's not covered
- No AD&D coverage on this card.
No hotel theft protection. Personal belongings stolen from your hotel room are not covered by a dedicated hotel theft benefit. Items stolen within 90 days of purchase may qualify under purchase protection if the item was charged to the card.
What's not covered
- No standalone hotel theft benefit on this card.
Policy document 1
Policy document 2
We source benefits from official card guides, but PDFs are sometimes hard to obtain or update. Spotted something off?
Coverage Radar
Where the American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum wins, where it loses
Coverage snapshot for this tab — click any layer to highlight its scores.
Baggage: above the market average
Trip Cancel: not covered by this card
Medical: not covered by this card
Evacuation: not covered by this card
Compare
Delta SkyMiles PlatinumThis card1.2/5?
$350/yrWith travel insuranceIdeal
Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5Premium card avg.
$168 avg. annual feeClick a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.
Side-by-side comparison
How the American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum stacks up against the alternatives
Same 5 coverage dimensions, ranked head-to-head against the cards most Delta SkyMiles Platinum shoppers also consider.
| Card | This card Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express · $350/yr 1.2/5? | Hilton Honors Aspire American Express · $550/yr 2.9/5? | Ritz-Carlton Chase · $450/yr 3.6/5? | Sapphire Reserve Chase · $795/yr 3.9/5? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap | $10,000 per trip 7 covered reasons | $10,000 per person All prepaid travel (hotels + flights) | $10,000 per person 13 covered reasons | |
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad | Not covered | $2,500 Reimbursement only, $50 deductible | $2,500 | $50 deductible $50 deductible | |
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation | Not covered | $100,000 Pre-authorization required | $100,000 | pre-auth required Pre-authorization required | |
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in | 12h / $300 Trigger: 12 hours | 6h / $500 Trigger: 6 hours | 6h / $500 Trigger: 6 hours or overnight stay | $500 after 6 hours Trigger: 6 hours |
Trip interruption Covered amount | $10,000 per trip Same 7 reasons as cancel | $10,000 per person All prepaid travel covered | $10,000 per person Shared limit with cancellation |
StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered
Data verified against each card's Guide to Benefits, May 2026.
Cardholder reviews
What cardholders say about the American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum
Real experiences with trip delay, baggage, and CDW claims 1,243 reviews
RD
r/delta
Trip delay and baggage both paid out on a Europe trip
Flight to Amsterdam was canceled and rerouted. Delay exceeded 12 hours. Filed the trip delay claim with AIG and got $295 back for hotel and meals. Also had a carry-on bag damaged in transit. AMEX Assurance covered it under the baggage plan. Two separate claims on the same trip, both approved. Process took about 5 weeks for the baggage claim.
RA
r/amex
12-hour threshold is the real weakness
The trip delay benefit exists but 12 hours is a very high bar. I fly Delta a few times a month and have had several 4-8 hour delays. None triggered the benefit. The Reserve has a 6-hour threshold. If you are choosing between the Platinum at $350 and the Reserve at $650, the insurance quality difference is significant.
CA
cardsandpoints.com
Good for Delta loyalists, limited insurance
The companion certificate and Delta status benefits justify the $350 fee for frequent Delta flyers. The insurance is better than the Gold tier with baggage coverage added, but no trip cancellation at this price is a noticeable gap. The 12-hour delay threshold limits real-world usefulness.
Emergency · Card assistance line
How to contact American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum assistance?
24/7 emergency coordination via Global Assist. Claims through AIG (trip delay) and AMEX Assurance (CDW, baggage, purchase protection).
US Assistance
1-800-228-6855
24/7
International Assistance
collect: +1-715-343-7977
Collect calls accepted · 24/7
Benefit administrator: New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company (trip delay) | AMEX Assurance Company (CDW, baggage, purchase protection, extended warranty)
Claims & pre-authorizations
How to file a Delta SkyMiles Platinum card claim
1
Step 1: Trip delay claims via AIG
Call 1-844-933-0648 or file at aig.claimnotify.com/americanexpress. Notify AIG within 60 days of the covered loss. Submit a statement from the Common Carrier confirming the delay, your charge receipt, Common Carrier tickets, and itemized receipts for all covered expenses: meals, lodging, toiletries, and medication.
2
Step 2: Baggage claims via AMEX Assurance
Before leaving the airport, file a Property Irregularity Report with Delta or the carrier. Then contact AMEX Assurance at americanexpress.com/protectionbenefits or call 1-800-338-1670. Submit the PIR, your card statement showing the ticket charge, and documentation of the loss.
3
Step 3: CDW claims via AMEX Assurance
Visit americanexpress.com/protectionbenefits or call 1-800-338-1670 within 30 days of the incident. Submit the rental agreement, damage report from the rental company, and your card statement. Proof of loss must be submitted within 60 days.
4
Step 4: Purchase protection and extended warranty
File at americanexpress.com/benefits or call 1-800-228-6855. Submit the original purchase receipt, a description of the damage or loss, and photos if applicable. For extended warranty claims, have your original warranty documentation available.
FAQ
What people ask about the American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum
- Benefits activate automatically when you use the card to pay. For trip delay coverage, charge the full Common Carrier ticket to the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card. For CDW, charge the full rental to the card and decline the collision damage waiver at the counter. For baggage insurance, the ticket must be charged to the card. For purchase protection and extended warranty, charge the item to the card. No pre-registration is required for any benefit.
- The primary cardholder, their spouse or Domestic Partner, unmarried dependent children up to age 19 (or 26 if full-time students), and Traveling Companions whose transportation is charged to the card are covered for trip delay. For rental car CDW, the cardholder and Authorized Drivers listed on the rental agreement are covered. Trip delay is capped at 2 claims per 12 consecutive months per card.
- If your Common Carrier is delayed 12 or more consecutive hours by inclement weather, terrorist action, carrier equipment failure (documented), or lost and stolen travel documents, AIG reimburses up to $300 per trip for meals, lodging, toiletries, and personal-use items. Charge your ticket to the card. File within 60 days at aig.claimnotify.com/americanexpress or call 1-844-933-0648. Submit the carrier delay statement and all itemized receipts. Coverage is limited to 2 claims per 12 consecutive months.
- Yes. AMEX Assurance covers lost, stolen, or damaged luggage when the ticket is charged to the card. Carry-on bags are covered up to $1,250 per trip and checked bags up to $500 per trip. Coverage is secondary: Delta's settlement applies first and AMEX Assurance covers the remaining gap. File a Property Irregularity Report with the carrier before leaving the airport, then contact AMEX Assurance via americanexpress.com/protectionbenefits or 1-800-338-1670.
- The card provides secondary CDW coverage through AMEX Assurance Company, up to $50,000 per rental. Secondary means your personal auto insurance pays first in the event of a collision or theft, then the card covers what remains. To use it: charge the full rental to the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver at the counter. Maximum rental period is 30 consecutive days. Rentals in Australia, Italy, New Zealand, and OFAC-sanctioned countries are excluded.
- For trip delay, call AIG at 1-844-933-0648 or file at aig.claimnotify.com/americanexpress within 60 days. For baggage and CDW claims, contact AMEX Assurance at americanexpress.com/protectionbenefits or 1-800-338-1670. For baggage, file a Property Irregularity Report with the airline before leaving the airport. For CDW, submit the rental agreement, damage report, and card statement within 30 days of the incident.
- The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card does not include trip cancellation or interruption insurance. Non-refundable bookings are out of pocket if you cancel for any reason, including illness. There is no emergency medical coverage abroad and no evacuation benefit. The trip delay threshold is 12 consecutive hours: most domestic disruptions resolve before that. CDW is secondary in all covered territories. Cell phone protection is not included.
- Not for medical protection. The Delta Platinum includes trip delay at $300 after 12 hours and baggage insurance, but no trip cancellation and no emergency medical coverage abroad. A serious hospitalization overseas can easily exceed $50,000. At $350 per year, the card's value centers on the companion certificate and Delta Medallion Qualification Miles, not on insurance depth. For international trips with non-refundable bookings, a standalone policy covering at least $100,000 in emergency medical and trip cancellation is necessary.
- No. The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card does not include trip cancellation insurance. If you cancel a trip for any reason, including illness, injury, or family emergency, non-refundable flights, hotels, and prepaid tours are entirely at your expense. This is the card's most significant travel insurance gap for travelers who book non-refundable reservations.
Not just American Express
Other cards worth considering
Delta SkyMiles Platinum is a strong choice — but depending on what you prioritize, one of these may suit you better.
Sapphire Reserve
Chase
Sapphire Reserve Business
Chase
Ritz-Carlton
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Prestige
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