5 Credit Card Travel Benefits You Get For Free

This is a guest post by Mike. He ranks and reviews travel credit cards on CreditCardForum, which is a site he started 4 years ago.

Rewards are not the only benefits you get with credit cards. Many of them include free travel perks, too. What follows are 5 of my favorite – and no matter where you live in the world – there is a good chance you will find cards in your country which offer these benefits.
 
1. Flight Delay Insurance

There’s nothing worse than being stuck in an airport, right? Well, if you paid for your flight using a credit card with flight delay insurance, then the experience might not be so bad. Why? Because the card issuer will pay for dining, refreshments, and even hotel accommodations if your flight is delayed long enough.

For example, on the no annual fee Maybankard 2 Platinum card, here’s how it works:

As you see, the benefits can start after your flight has been delayed by at least 4 hours. In the United States (where I live) this benefit is not as generous – usually, the minimum delay must be 6 or 12 hours.

2. Lost Luggage

If you paid for the flight using your credit card and your checked luggage is lost, then you might be able to get reimbursed for it. However, the way this policy works can vary greatly. Some (like the card mentioned above) will only pay for “emergency purchases of clothing and requisites” which are made within 4 days of the incident.

In the U.S. it’s usually structured a bit differently. For example, the benefit on the ThankYou Premier card from Citi will reimburse you for the lost items. When and how you spend that money is totally at your discretion.

3. Travel Accident Insurance

This benefit sounds generous when you first read about it because it typically offers up to $1,000,000 (or RM) in coverage. However, there are a lot of rules and exclusions with it.

First of all, it only covers you during eligible Common Carrier travel. If you’re not familiar with that term, you can read about it here.
 
So if your plane crashes and you die or lose an arm, leg, etc. then they might pay out the money (either to you or your beneficiary). But any travel accidents that are not related to your Common Carrier travel will not be covered. For example, if during the trip you fall down a flight of stairs at your hotel, that is not eligible.
 
Many regular and travel credit cards include this benefit. The chances that you will ever use it are quite slim, but in the event of a plane or train crash, it is assuring to know that you (or your family) may be compensated.

4. Airport Lounge Access

The private VIP airport lounges are a great place to relax while you are waiting for your flight. They offer comfortable seating, TV, internet, food, and even drinks.

Normally to get access to these airport lounges, you have to be flying first-class with an affiliated airline or be willing to pay for admission. However, some of the premium credit cards on the market provide access for free.

The most well-known cards that include this benefit are the American Express Platinum. I wrote a review here for the U.S. version and the Malaysian version operates in a very similar manner; free access to the Plaza Premium Lounge at LCCT, KLIA, and Senai Johor Airport. You can read about this benefit on the American Express Platinum website.

5. Travel Discount Programs

Many travel rewards credit cards will give you discounts at affiliated airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies.

For example, the Citibank Premier Miles Card (MY) will give you a 10% discount off the best available rate at any Fairmont Hotel/Resort in the world. If you are a golfer, you can get a discount on green fees; 50% off at 3 golf clubs in Malaysia, 30% offer at over 300 clubs worldwide. 

Meanwhile over in the US, the Citi ThankYou Premier card (which I mentioned in benefit #2) will give you a free companion airfare once per year and a 15% discount on all other airfare.

Conclusion?

Next time you are planning a vacation, check with your credit card company to see what kinds of benefits they provide. Since the above perks (and others) do not cost you anything extra, you might as well take advantage of them if you already have their card.