American Express Platinum card improves its travel insurance

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• Princess says:

  13 Aug13 August 10:13

  Hi, I was wondering if anybody knows exactly what the Plat insurance cover related to Covid19. For example: if I book now a trip to a low risk country, but then that country close the border for people coming from the UK, would that be covered?

  • EJH says:

    13 Aug13 August 13:43

    As far as I am aware yes, provided you paid with your Plat

• Johnny5a says:

  13 Aug13 August 13:03

  Would casual cycling be classed as a Sport? Say for example if i hire a bike to go sightseeing?

• GS says:

  13 Aug13 August 13:05

  Please note re the Queens Hotel – I’d be mindful of staying there due to their integrity. They have been reported to the CMA for refusal to refund bookings during Covid. I’m helping an elderly couple to try and recover a substantial sum for a booking which the hotel cancelled in March and are continually delaying to refund, still 5 months on. Many others are in the same position. Not great!

• dragonfly says:

  13 Aug13 August 13:42

  Rob mentioned “subject to enrolment” for travel insurance. I understand if Amex Plat cards issued before certain date, enrolment is auto. But after that date it has to be opted in. I recently got Amex Plat card in my name. Called Amex they said enrolment is auto! How does one enrol in the travel insurance for Amex Plat?

  • Rob says:

    13 Aug13 August 13:49

    It is part of the application form when you apply, but it is ‘somewhere’ on the website apparently.

    This is not Amex cost saving by the way. It is a new EU rule which says that customers cannot be enrolled into insurance without their explicit consent.

    • Harry T says:

      13 Aug13 August 14:36

      You have to tick a box during the application to opt in. I remember doing it recently.

      • Rob says:

        13 Aug13 August 16:34

        Only since 2018 or whenever the box was introduced.

    • dragonfly says:

      13 Aug13 August 15:41

      Thanks, Rob and Harry. Maybe I did that, could not remember for sure.

      • BJ says:

        13 Aug13 August 16:21

        If not, see here
        https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/customer-service/faq.enrol-insurance-benefits.html

• Aceman says:

  13 Aug13 August 15:20

  Please please please verify what Amex told me (and refused to pay out on twice for me).

  Re luggage delay, I’ve had it where I was flying CPH-(LHR)-LAS Ex eu on ba. My luggage failed to make it. I was told by Amex that because I’d changed planes in my home country the luggage delay claim was invalid.
  The previous time my luggage didn’t make it to Jersey. I was overnight in London so it made sense (in a way) that I could have collected some clothing items, despite this I was told on the phone that it wouldn’t be a problem, and I could claim. When I submitted the claim they denied it, and denied I’d spoken to anyone and “couldn’t find record” of the call.

  Their contention is that if you touch base however briefly in your home country any luggage delay claim is invalidated. Which makes zero sense, I asked for clarity and said suppose my layover was only 1 hour in the uk, would my claim be denied, the answer was an unequivocal “yes” And that “this had just come up recently”

  Given that a delayed luggage claim is probably one of the most common claims, and the amount of people that would transit in the UK or do ex-eu, this is pretty big issue

  • BJ says:

    13 Aug13 August 16:14

    Have you checked the T&C? If you cannot find any evidence of this then I suggest you contact them in writing giving them two months to provide the evidence or settle up, otherwise you will refer it to the Ombudsman.

    • CJ says:

      13 Aug13 August 19:47

      The T&C state that a trip starts and ends in your country of residence. An ex-EU flight via London is therefore two separate trips, and there is only cover for replacing delayed items while on a trip, not after returning from one.

      What they have said (no cover) seems to be technically correct if the bags were delayed on the leg into London, but not if they arrived into London on time then missed the onward connection from London because that was the start of a new trip.

      This policy is not really suitable for people who take advantage of ex-EU business class fares. Cover for missed flights only applies to flights departing from your country of residence and even then with a token £300 claim limit, one of the lowest around. Last time I missed a BA economy flight from Heathrow to a European destination, a seat on the next flight was £540.

      • BJ says:

        13 Aug13 August 21:01

        Interesting, but I would tend not to agree with that if only a transit without formally entering the UK was involved. The trip started in UK (-CPH), not CPH. Many people take multi-country trips, often comprising multiple tickets, and these are covered by annual multi-trip policies no problem despite stating the trip must originate in the UK and return to it. That said, your comments about returning to the UK are interesting and I could see insurers using this to decline claims, particularly if the trip involved a stopover in the UK as opposed to a transit. However, it would seem reasonable to suggest that even then the insurer might not be acting fairly were that stopover embedded within a single multi-sector ticket with one PNR. One way tickets possibly but a multi-sector ticket on a single PNR, I don’t know.

• kumar says:

  13 Aug13 August 16:21

  Had Amex Plat for 6 years and did cancel this May . I would be doing one off trip later in the month and no trips planned till End of December. Considering taking Amex Platinum for a month for lounge access and car hire benefit .Is it worth it ? as I am not considering bonus points .My only issue is the credit search which is unwanted to hold a card for a month?

  • Rob says:

    13 Aug13 August 16:32

    It will cost you more than 1 months fee for car hire insurance and lounge access if you buy it separately ….

• Sam says:

  13 Aug13 August 18:07

  BA flight to Seville at the beginning of September cancelled, having previously been moved to Heathrow.

  Have they done away with the route completely?

• Vicky says:

  13 Aug13 August 18:48

  Post 70 I like the general security of the Amex plat when travelling, and my kids benefit from being subsidiary card holders. My understanding is that whilst the health insurance no longer covers, post 70, other elements of the travel insurance remain in place. 2 queries therefore:
  1. Can others confirm if this is the case?
  and if so,
  2. Is there travel insurance that solely covers health?

  • GeorgeJ says:

    14 Aug14 August 10:51

    Vicky,
    There is a way of getting Amex medical cover post 70. The age limit is 80 for the International Currency versions (dollar or Euro). Only works if you find a non sterling card useful (I do).

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