No trip cancellation. This benefit is not included with this card. Prepaid flights, hotels, and tours booked on this card are entirely at risk if you need to cancel for any reason.
Hilton Surpass card benefits: which insurance protections actually hold up?
American Express·$150/year·American Express·AMEX Assurance Company
Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated June 11, 20268 min read
1,0/5Independent review · verified June 2026
0,2
2,8
1,9
Our Verdict · Travel Insurance
Our opinion on American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Travel Insurance
Expert review · Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviews
No trip insurance. One baggage benefit. Most cardholders assume a $150 card includes at least trip delay protection. It does not. The Hilton Surpass card benefits on the travel side start and end at baggage: $1,250 for carry-on bags and $500 for checked luggage when the ticket was fully charged to the card. A $250 per-item sub-cap applies to electronics, cameras, and jewelry, the items most likely to be worth claiming. Trip cancellation, trip delay, emergency medical abroad, and evacuation are entirely out of pocket. Standalone travel insurance covering those four gaps starts at $80 to $150 per trip for most international routes. If you carry no separate policy, every flight booked on this card is an unprotected exposure.
What works on travel
- $1,250 carry-on baggage coverage: applies when the common carrier ticket is fully charged to the card
- $500 checked baggage coverage: secondary to airline liability, requires a formal airline denial first
Where travel breaks down
- No trip cancellation: all prepaid non-refundable bookings are unrecoverable if you cancel for any reason
- No trip delay: every overnight delay means meals and lodging are out of pocket
- No emergency medical abroad: a single ER visit in Europe or Japan typically runs $10,000 to $60,000
- No emergency evacuation: air ambulance repatriation from Southeast Asia regularly exceeds $200,000
- $250 per-item sub-cap on electronics and jewelry makes baggage coverage largely symbolic for tech travelers
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 Hilton Honors Surpass Travel Insurance actually cover?
Quality, not just caps
No trip cancellation exists on this card. A $3,000 non-refundable booking canceled due to illness is entirely unrecoverable. Standalone travel insurance starts at $80 to $150 for this coverage.
What's not covered
- All trip cancellations: no covered reasons exist for this benefit
No emergency medical insurance on this card. Every dollar of any hospital bill abroad is yours. A serious ER visit in Italy or Japan runs $20,000 to $80,000.
No emergency medical coverage. Travel and Emergency Assistance provides referrals only. All medical costs abroad are the cardholder's responsibility, with a typical ER visit running $10,000 to $80,000.
What's not covered
- All emergency medical expenses abroad. Global Assist Hotline provides referrals only, zero reimbursement.
Global Assist Hotline coordinates emergency referrals but pays none of the costs. Air ambulance repatriation from Southeast Asia regularly exceeds $200,000.
No emergency evacuation coverage. Global Assist Hotline coordinates logistics only and pays nothing. Air ambulance transport from remote destinations runs $150,000 to $300,000, entirely at the cardholder's expense.
What's not covered
- All emergency evacuation costs. Coordination assistance only, zero financial coverage.
No trip interruption coverage. This benefit is not included with this card. Costs from a trip cut short, including return flights and unused prepaid hotels, are entirely out of pocket.
What's not covered
- All trip interruption costs
No trip delay benefit. This benefit is not included with this card. Meals, lodging, and transportation during a delay are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- All delay-related expenses
No missed connection coverage. This benefit is not included with this card. Rebooking costs and expenses when a delayed inbound flight causes a missed connection are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- All missed connection rebooking costs
No early return benefit. This benefit is not included with this card. Additional transportation costs from cutting a trip short due to family emergency or illness are out of pocket.
What's not covered
- All early return transportation costs
No baggage delay reimbursement. This benefit is not included with this card. Essential purchases during a baggage delay are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- All baggage delay expenses
$250 per-item sub-cap applies to electronics, cameras, and jewelry. A stolen laptop worth $1,500 is covered only up to $250. The headline $1,250 figure is the total carry-on cap, not a per-item limit.
Common carrier ticket must be fully charged to the Hilton Honors Surpass Card File with the airline first and obtain written denial before filing with AMEX Assurance Loss or damage must occur while baggage is in possession of a common carrier
Covers carry-on bags up to $1,250 per person and checked bags up to $500 per person when the common carrier ticket was fully charged to the card. A $250 per-item sub-cap applies to electronics, cameras, jewelry, and similar high-value items. The airline must deny your claim in writing before you can file with AMEX Assurance Company.
Recommended : $3,000
What's covered
- Carry-on baggage: up to $1,250 per Covered Person
- Checked baggage: up to $500 per Covered Person
- Loss, theft, or damage in transit while in the care of a common carrier
What's not covered
- Electronics, cameras, jewelry, and similar items: sub-capped at $250 per item
- Cash, traveler's checks, tickets, and travel documents
- Household furniture and fragile items
- Animals and living plants
No travel accident insurance. This benefit is not included with this card. No lump-sum payment in the event of accidental death or dismemberment while traveling on a common carrier.
What's not covered
- All travel accident scenarios
No hotel theft protection. This benefit is not included with this card. Personal belongings stolen from a hotel room are not covered by this card.
What's not covered
- All hotel theft scenarios
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 Hilton Honors Surpass wins, where it loses
Coverage snapshot for this tab — click any layer to highlight its scores.
Compare
Hilton Honors SurpassThis card1.0/5?
$150/yrWith travel insuranceIdeal
Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5Premium card avg.
$150 avg. annual feeClick a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.
Side-by-side comparison
How the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass stacks up against the alternatives
Same 5 coverage dimensions, ranked head-to-head against the cards most Hilton Honors Surpass shoppers also consider.
| Card | This card Hilton Honors Surpass American Express · $150/yr 1.0/5? | Hilton Honors Aspire American Express · $550/yr 2.9/5? | Aeroplan Chase · $95/yr 3.2/5? | Sapphire Reserve Chase · $795/yr 3.9/5? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap | $10,000 per trip 7 covered reasons | $1,500 per person All prepaid travel | $10,000 per person 13 covered reasons | |
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad | Not covered | $2,500 Reimbursement only | $2,500 | $50 deductible $50 deductible | |
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation | Not covered | $100,000 Pre-auth required | $100,000 | pre-auth required Pre-authorization required | |
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in | 6h / $500 Trigger: 6 hours | 12h / $500 Trigger: 12 hours | $500 after 6 hours Trigger: 6 hours | |
Rental CDW Primary or secondary | Secondary / $50,000 Secondary CDW | Primary (intl) / $75,000 Primary outside US | Secondary / $75,000 Secondary CDW | Primary / $75,000 Primary coverage |
StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered
Data verified against each card's Guide to Benefits, May 2026.
Cardholder reviews
What cardholders say about the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass
Real data points on car rental claims and purchase protection 1,847 reviews
RA
r/amex
CDW covered a fender scrape in Las Vegas
Rented a car in Vegas, declined CDW at the counter, charged the full rental to the Surpass. Minor fender scrape in the parking garage. Filed with AMEX Assurance. Documentation was straightforward and the claim was resolved in about 5 weeks. Secondary coverage means my personal insurer was notified first, but the card covered the rest.
RC
r/creditcards
No delay coverage is a real gap at $150
Had a 7-hour delay in Atlanta last summer. Not a single dollar of reimbursement from the Surpass. CDW and purchase protection are fine, but at $150 a year I expected at least a trip delay benefit. The card is for Hilton loyalists, not for travel insurance.
RA
r/amex
Same insurance as the free card, fee buys hotel perks only
I carry the Surpass for the Hilton Gold status and the free night award. The CDW and purchase protection are bonuses but they are the same as what you get on the free card. If you need travel insurance: cancellation, delay, medical abroad, this card does not provide it.
Emergency · Card assistance line
How to contact American Express Hilton Honors Surpass assistance?
US Assistance
1-800-228-6855
24/7
International Assistance
collect: +1-715-343-7977
Collect calls accepted · 24/7
Benefit administrator: AMEX Assurance Company for CDW, Purchase Protection, and Extended Warranty | Claims: americanexpress.com/protectionbenefits, 1-800-338-1670
Claims & pre-authorizations
How to file a Hilton Honors Surpass Card claim
1
Step 1: Notify within 30 days
File your claim at americanexpress.com/protectionbenefits or call 1-800-338-1670. If calling from outside the US, call collect at 1-303-273-6497. For CDW claims, notify the rental company immediately and obtain a damage report before leaving the lot. Do not admit liability at the scene.
2
Step 2: Gather your documents
For CDW: itemized repair bill, Rental Agreement copy, charge slip for the rental vehicle, copy of your personal auto insurance coverage or a notarized statement confirming no other insurance. For purchase protection: original itemized receipt and documentation of the theft or damage. For extended warranty: original purchase receipt and manufacturer warranty documentation.
3
Step 3: Submit Proof of Loss within 60 days
Upload all documents through americanexpress.com/protectionbenefits. Proof of Loss must be submitted within 60 days of the incident. Payment is issued within 30 days of receipt of satisfactory Proof of Loss. Amex often auto-approves smaller purchase protection claims; CDW claims typically resolve in 3 to 6 weeks once all documentation is received.
FAQ
What people ask about the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass
- Benefits activate automatically when you use the card to pay. For rental car CDW, charge the full rental to your Hilton Honors Surpass Card and decline the collision damage waiver at the counter. Amex Loyalty Program points used toward the rental still qualify. For purchase protection and extended warranty, pay for the item entirely with the card. The Global Assist Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-228-6855 when you are more than 100 miles from home.
- For car rental CDW, coverage extends to the Card Member, their spouse or Domestic Partner, and Authorized Drivers listed on the Rental Agreement. For purchase protection and extended warranty, the Card Member and Additional Card Members are covered on eligible purchases charged to the card. Coverage applies to the named Card Member whose card was used, not a companion's card or a different payment method.
- Yes. The Hilton Honors Surpass Card includes Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance through AMEX Assurance Company, covering damage and theft up to $50,000 per Rental Agreement for up to 30 consecutive days. Coverage is secondary to any other insurance: your personal auto insurance pays first and the card covers the remainder. Charge the full rental to the card and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver at the counter. Italy, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded from coverage.
- File at americanexpress.com/protectionbenefits or call 1-800-338-1670, international collect at 1-303-273-6497. Notice of Claim must be provided within 30 days of the loss. For CDW, submit an itemized repair bill, the Rental Agreement, the charge slip, and a copy of your personal auto insurance. For purchase protection, keep the original receipt and file within 30 days of the incident. Proof of Loss must be submitted within 60 days.
- The Hilton Honors Surpass Card does not include trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, missed connection, or baggage delay insurance. There is no emergency medical expense coverage abroad and no emergency evacuation benefit. CDW is secondary and excludes Italy, Australia, and New Zealand. Cell phone protection, return protection, and price protection are not included. For any international travel or non-refundable bookings, a standalone travel insurance policy is necessary.
- Yes, for any international travel or non-refundable bookings. The Hilton Honors Surpass Card provides no trip cancellation, no trip delay reimbursement, and no emergency medical coverage abroad. A medical emergency overseas can cost $50,000 or more without coverage, and an air ambulance evacuation can exceed $200,000. A standalone travel insurance policy covering emergency medical and trip cancellation is necessary for any meaningful protection on international trips.
- Secondary. The Hilton Honors Surpass Card's CDW pays only after your personal auto insurance has paid its portion. You file with your personal insurer first, which puts a claim on your record and can affect your premium. The card then covers the remaining costs up to $50,000. If you prefer to keep your personal auto insurance out of rental claims entirely, a card with primary CDW is the better option.
- No. The Hilton Honors Surpass Card does not include cell phone protection. Theft or accidental damage to your device is not covered. Screen repair on a flagship smartphone typically costs $300 to $500, and full device replacement runs $800 to $1,300. If cell phone protection matters to you, look for a card that pays your monthly phone bill and activates device coverage through that payment.
Not just American Express
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