Suitcase arrives late? Compensated with €1,600 for the inconvenience. The beauty of being a platinum customer
Covid had nothing to do with this story, partly because it took place when no one could have imagined that a pandemic would [...]
AirBaltic
RIX
Covid has nothing to do with it in this story, partly because it occurred when no one could have imagined that a pandemic would turn our lives upside down. The story we are about to tell you is a classic example of how insurance can solve a small, or large, problem and not turn a trip whether for work or leisure into a nightmare.
In this article:
We have all read the story of the deputy mayor of Azzano Who was in New York on business when positive for covid-19 ended up in intensive care receiving a bill for over $100,000 for costs incurred by the hospital where he was admitted. Here, this is an extreme example of how having insurance can make a difference when traveling to a state outside the EU.
But you should not only think about this type of product when planning an important trip, because can also make a difference when taking a low-cost flight from Bergamo and fly to Palermo or Madrid for a weekend or week-long vacation, not just when flying to the other side of the world.
The facts
Summer 2019, my wife and daughter are leaving with a Airbaltic flight to Riga, upon arrival at the baggage claim belt they discover that the checked suitcase has not arrived at the destination. After a few minutes of "getting angry" and with the support of company personnel it emerges that the suitcase was forgotten at Malpensa for an unspecified reason.
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With the paperwork done, they are informed that the suitcase would arrive with the first useful flight, so two days later, and would be delivered to the hotel at the company's expense.
Insurance
Of course we had not taken out any ad hoc insurance coverage. My wife owns a American Express Additional Platinum which has all the benefits of the main card, including insurance. Having additional travel insurance is therefore unnecessary, since the coverages offered by the credit card and included in the fee are among the most extensive on the market.
Contacting customer care, we opened a file and were informed that we could benefit from a 400€ refund per passenger If the suitcase was returned more than 6 hours late, figure which would be doubled in the case where the baggage return had been more than 48 hours late.
The rules for qualifying for coverage are simple: one must try to pay for everything with an Amex credit card, but expenses made with other cards are also recognized in case the merchant does not accept amex. When you return to Italy you have to send digitally all the receipts of the expenses made and, within about ten days at most, you receive the transfer of the expenses made. Without the need to turn to third-party services or intermediaries or having to "fight" with the carrier.
What is possible to buy
The interesting aspect of this insurance coverage is that it actually reimburses (almost) any expense. Hairbrush, hair dryer, coat, swimsuits-from clothing to medicine or personal care items to the suitcase in which to put all the products purchased.
What other coverages are included in American Express Platinum
The most important figure is health coverage: 5 million. Of note, it covers the entire household even when the holder is not traveling with the rest of the family.
It guarantees all deductibles in car rentals, saving money on any additional insurance that is offered when the car is picked up. It goes without saying, but it covers any flight delays or cancellations as well as any kind of unforeseen event that happens while traveling and requires immediate return to the home.
How much is this benefit worth
It is impossible to put a value on this service included in the card. It depends on how often you travel, the type of travel. Whether you travel alone or with family, whether you stay in Italy/Europe or travel to non-EU countries.
We did a hypothetical quote on one of the most well-known insurance companies. A family or a group of 4 friends traveling to the U.S. for 2 weeks, despite the "black fiday" discount the cost of travel insurance alone exceeds the annual fee of american express platinum, not including the cost of the additional insurance of any car rental. And in any case, the caps for medical expenses are 1 mln compared to the 5 mln offered by Amex.
In conclusion
It is clear that a benefit such as this is by far one of the greatest advantages offered to cardholders, and as we have shown, it alone can repay the savings that come with owning the card when thinking about taking an important trip, as well as when planning a little weekend getaway. In our case it was a minor inconvenience "repaid" with 1,600€ of unplanned expenditure.
