Does Chase Trip Delay Reimbursement Work? Part 2

I recently experienced a flight cancellation on my way home from Colorado Springs (See PART 1). It was a major bummer, but it provided me the perfect opportunity to test out a certain credit card benefit…

Chase trip Delay Reimbursement!

Per the Chase Sapphire Reserve benefits guide:

“If your common carrier travel is delayed more than 6 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.”

So… I booked a cheap room at the Home2 Suites near the Denver Airport, and attempted to evoke this travel benefit to recoup the $120 or so that I spent due to the delay caused by American Airlines.

Upon further research, I stumbled upon a very helpful Reddit thread on the subject – titled “a guide to the chase trip delay benefit.” The thread is very detailed with information on required documentation, filing the claim, and what to do after you file.

Based on this thread, there was much more required in the way of documentation than I would have initially expected, but I was determined to get my $$$ back!

Filing a Claim

While the benefits guide instructs cardholders to call Chase directly, filing a claim is actually more simple than that! Just head over to eclaimsline.com and follow instructions!

Required Documentation

The Chase Sapphire Reserve benefits guide details the required documentation as follows:

Your completed and signed claim form

Check! I completed & e-signed the form at eclaimsline.com

Your Account receipt showing that the travel fare was charged to your eligible card – i.e. your credit card statement. (Remember – in order to utilize this benefit, you had to pay some portion of the ticket cost with your Chase card!)

Check! Attached a copy of my card statement showing the charge to American Airlines.

A copy of the Common Carrier ticket – the original round-trip itinerary (including the delayed segment), as well as the new portion of the round-trip itinerary flown.

Check! Attached my Southwest TPA-DEN receipt, my COS-TPA receipt (the cancelled segment), and my DEN-TPA receipt (the rescheduled segment actually flown).

Note – Your “round-trip” airfare does not have to be on a single record locator, or even with a single airline.

A statement from the Common Carrier indicating the reasons that the Covered Trip was delayed.

Check, but this is probably the toughest item to collect! In order to get this I submitted a complaint to Customer Relations via American Airlines online contact form. I specifically requested the AA rep to confirm reason for the flight cancellation, and was delighted with the response I received just a week later…

Copies of receipts for the claimed expenses.

Check! Attached a copy of my Home2 Suites folio. I used my CSR for the hotel stay, though this is not a requirement for you to be reimbursed.

Any other documentation deemed necessary, in the Benefit Administrator’s sole discretion, to substantiate the claim.

This is where you include any and all additional info supporting your claim! You can never provide too much information, so I decided to include screenshots of the cancellation per the Flight Aware website, as well as my Twitter conversations with an AA representative.

Here is how those requirements translate within the eclaimsline.com:

My Chase Trip Delay Reimbursement Result

It worked! My claim was approved! Just two days after submitting all of the required documentation, I received the following response from the claims department:

APPROVED! Now I just have to wait 7-10 business days to receive my check!

One interesting piece of the email received was the reference to the fact that my specific reimbursement request represented “reasonable expenses that [I] incurred due to the delay.” If I decided to stay at the Westin for double the nightly rate, would I still be reimbursed? If I would have included a steak dinner in my reimbursement request, would that still be deemed “reasonable?” Good question!?

Final Thought

While I have yet to receive the actual funds, I am ready to confirm that the Chase Trip Delay Reimbursement benefit provided by my Chase Sapphire Reserve does in fact “WORK!” It is a bit of a process and requires documentation and organization, but in the end your efforts should be rewarded!

A quick recap:

Step 1: Pay for travel with your Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

Step 2: Incur a travel delay over 6 hours/overnight – document the delay. This includes requesting a statement from the carrier documenting the reason for delay.

Step 3: Make “reasonable” purchases – hotel, food, essentials, etc. – keep your receipts!

Step 4: Head to eclaimsline.com and file a claim. Make sure to attach any and all supporting documentation.

Step 5: Reimbursement! Or provide more information if requested…

I will note, however, that you should keep your delay expenses to a “reasonable” level, regardless of the $500 allowance. Don’t spend with the assumption that Chase will automatically reimburse you! Be frugal, spend what you need to in order to get by (food, hotel, etc.), and keep good records!

What has been your experience with Chase trip delay reimbursement? Have you ever been successful and/or unsuccessful in utilizing this card benefit!?

Happy Travels!

DW