Author Topic: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg  (Read 4091 times)

Offline hgeek23

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Hi,
In December I took an award flight from YYC-ORD-MUC on LH.  Booked with UA miles.
The first leg was on UA, and delayed.  The delay of the flight was due to weather (so they claimed, but I suspect otherwise).  I arrived in ORD with no time to make the connecting flight to MUC and the flight had departed and I was stuck in ORD for the evening.
When looking for a hotel for the evening, UA claimed that I could not be reimbursed on their end for the hotel since the delay was "weather, outside their control."  Knowing that I had paid the taxes on the award ticket with a prestige (one of the reasons I keep paying the AF on the card is for insurance), I understood that my missed connection and rebooking for a next possible flight the next day would entitle me to make use of the trip-delay $500 insurance policy the card offers.

Come time to submit my claim for the hotel room, uber, meals etc., and it has been rejected.  I called up to find out why and it turns out that they will not cover the delay if the original leg of the trip was less than 3 hours delayed.  This seems to me to be a blatant mis-use of the policy and was not in the benefits guide as i read them at the time.

Anyone have experience with this?  I have seen a similar report online that went to arbitration after someone retained a lawyer, but I don't have funds to retain a lawyer, to recoup $500 no less (though that is significant money for me).
« Last Edit: July 06, 2018, 03:02:02 PM by hgeek23 »

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2018, 05:30:48 PM »
Can you ask them if you would be covered under a different benefit, called "Missed Connection"? I don't know about their travelers insurance, but other companies differentiate between Trip Delay and Missed Connection.
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline PDaubs

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2018, 03:57:24 AM »
Have you had any success with this? We had the same situation in our family and no luck with the appeal.

Offline hgeek23

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2018, 02:08:01 AM »
Just following up on this.
After numerous back and forths.  Rejected on all fronts.  Missed connection, trip delay, trip interruption.  Nothing was valid.  What a joke!

Offline Dan

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2018, 07:15:48 AM »
Ridiculous.
Do any other banks do this?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline chff

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2018, 07:21:21 AM »
Ridiculous.
Do any other banks do this?
A few years ago CSP gave me a run around for flight delay & delayed baggage.

And just last week I made a claim with CSR & Travel Guard - TG I have the check already, CSR is asking for more and more paperwork

Offline Dan

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2018, 07:22:45 AM »
All banks give a runaround for this stuff, but that's a ridiculous rule.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline hgeek23

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2018, 10:23:15 AM »
It really makes the benefit worth little.  Being stranded overnight is absolutely something the card should cover.  That's the whole purpose of the insurance to begin with.  And UA wouldn't cover a thing, as "Weather and acts of Gd" absolve them of the need to cover costs.  But hopefully people know from this that they should minimize their costs in these kinds of events.  the prestige just wont cover it.

Offline moe8555

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2018, 10:32:42 AM »
Has anyone ever tried these claims with Barclays?  Very little mention of them...

Offline yelped

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #9 on: August 13, 2018, 11:01:21 AM »
A few years ago CSP gave me a run around for flight delay & delayed baggage.

And just last week I made a claim with CSR & Travel Guard - TG I have the check already, CSR is asking for more and more paperwork
As always, it seems like it just makes sense to always get separate travel insurance. They're just cheap enough to make getting it a no brainer.

Offline Ergel

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #10 on: August 13, 2018, 01:46:27 PM »
It really makes the benefit worth little.  Being stranded overnight is absolutely something the card should cover.  That's the whole purpose of the insurance to begin with.  And UA wouldn't cover a thing, as "Weather and acts of Gd" absolve them of the need to cover costs.  But hopefully people know from this that they should minimize their costs in these kinds of events.  the prestige just wont cover it.

It's ridiculous. Did you call the regular customer service line and ask to speak to a supervisor to discuss?
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Offline hgeek23

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #11 on: August 13, 2018, 01:58:45 PM »
Yes. All insurance issues directed to insurance people. They say they don't do anything. Furthermore the amount of times of "we'll call you in a day after escalating this" that never happens is 100%

Offline Ergel

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #12 on: August 13, 2018, 02:09:59 PM »
Yes. All insurance issues directed to insurance people. They say they don't do anything. Furthermore the amount of times of "we'll call you in a day after escalating this" that never happens is 100%
Wow. I usually book travel on Citi Prestige because of insurance benefits. Seems like that is a waste
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Offline Ergel

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #13 on: August 13, 2018, 02:10:27 PM »
@Dan Care to right an expose on this?
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Offline shmooz

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #14 on: August 13, 2018, 02:36:37 PM »
As always, it seems like it just makes sense to always get separate travel insurance. They're just cheap enough to make getting it a no brainer.

I've had claims on both types, I don't see any difference. They both try to push off and get more documents, but when the claim is legitimate they pay eventually. I only get insurance for medical if needed.

Offline hgeek23

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #15 on: August 13, 2018, 03:08:10 PM »
I've had claims on both types, I don't see any difference. They both try to push off and get more documents, but when the claim is legitimate they pay eventually. I only get insurance for medical if needed.

I feel like their definition of a "trip completed" is kind of outrageous.  The point they make is that the trip is completed and hence not delayed per segment.  Segment delay must therefore be 3 hours at a minimum on the first leg, to receive the benefit, even if the second leg is then missed.

Offline shmooz

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #16 on: August 13, 2018, 03:14:30 PM »
I feel like their definition of a "trip completed" is kind of outrageous.  The point they make is that the trip is completed and hence not delayed per segment.  Segment delay must therefore be 3 hours at a minimum on the first leg, to receive the benefit, even if the second leg is then missed.

Right, agreed that doesnt make sense and isn't fair. Sounds like the kind of thing that if a blogger would make public because it's interesting, and it gets picked up, they might relent.

Offline chff

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Offline hgeek23

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Offline hgeek23

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Re: Citi Delay insurance rejection because under 3 hours on first leg
« Reply #19 on: October 26, 2018, 04:44:29 PM »
Update: Launched a BBB complaint.  Rejected.  Reasoning: my trip is only the first leg.  Second leg is not "delayed" it is "missed."  "Missed" connections are not "delays" to the "trip".
I cannot actually believe the word-gymnastics used to duck the responsibility on this.