February 4, 2025: Airlines are actually quite good at transporting luggage. The overwhelming majority of luggage gets delivered on-time and undamaged. But sometimes mishaps happen and luggage gets lost or is damaged. If you booked your trip with the right American Express card, Amex may cover the replacement of your baggage and its contents.
Here’s what you need to know about the Amex Baggage Insurance Plan
What is the Amex Baggage Insurance Plan?
The Amex Baggage Insurance Plan is a credit card benefit offered on some American Express cards that can cover the replacement cost of your baggage that is lost or damaged while traveling on a common carrier, such as an airline.
To get coverage under the Amex Baggage Insurance Plan, you must charge your entire common carrier fare to your eligible credit card.
Which cards offer Amex Baggage Insurance Plan?
Here are the consumer and small business cards that offer the Amex Baggage Insurance Plan. (Note that some corporate cards and company-specific cards also offer the plan—those cards are not included in this list.)
Card offering the Amex Baggage Insurance Plan at the standard tier
The standard tier of the Amex Baggage Insurance plan generally offers up to $1,250 of coverage per covered person for carried-on baggage and $500 per covered person for checked baggage. Here are the cards that offer the standard tier of the Amex Baggage Insurance Plan:
- American Express Green Card®
- Business Green Rewards Card
- American Express® Gold Card
- Business Gold Rewards Card
- Amazon Business American Express Card
- Amazon Business Prime American Express Card
- Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Credit Card
- Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card
- Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card
- Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve for Business Credit Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
- Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
Card offering the Amex Baggage Insurance Plan at the premium tier
The premium tier of the Amex Baggage Insurance plan generally offers up to $3,000 of coverage per covered person for carried-on baggage and $2,000 per covered person for checked baggage. Here are the cards that offer the premium tier of the Amex Baggage Insurance Plan:
- Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Charles Schwab
- The Platinum Card® from American Express for Goldman Sachs
- The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley
- Business Platinum Card®
- Centurion® Card from American Express
- Business Centurion® Card from American Express
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Coverage details
American Express details the coverage details in its benefit guides, which it posts on its website. If you’re planning on using your card to book travel, it can be a good idea to read through these guides to understand what is covered and what coverage limits apply to you. In this guide, we’ve picked out the high-level details on Amex Baggage Insurance Plan coverage that you need to know.
How do you get coverage?
You get coverage under the Amex Baggage Insurance Plan when you charge the entire fare of a common carrier ticket to your eligible card and take your covered trip.
A common carrier is a company or someone who provides transportation or delivery services to the public for a fee. Examples of common carriers include airlines, railroads, scheduled bus lines, and taxis.
Importantly, you must charge your entire fare to your card (or use your rewards points from your card). Trips paid for in whole or in part with loyalty points from non-Amex programs (like airline frequent flyer miles) do not qualify for coverage.
Who is covered?
You can get coverage under the Amex Baggage Insurance plan if you are an account holder, authorized user or a spouse/domestic partner or dependent child of an account holder or authorized user.
Here is specifically who is covered:
- Card Members, including both owners of an authorized users of an eligible Amex account.
- Card Member’s spouse or Domestic Partner.
- Card Member’s dependent children under 23 years of age
- Card Member’s dependent children because of a handicap condition that occurred before the attainment of the limited age of 23, are incapable of self-sustaining employment and dependent upon a parent or other care provider for lifetime care and supervision. Coverage will be extended for as long as such child is incapacitated, unmarried and dependent.
How much coverage is offered?
The Amex Baggage Insurance Plan offers two tiers of coverage and how much coverage you receive will depend on whether your card offers the standard or premium tier of the Amex Baggage Insurance Plan. Here’s what each tier covers:
| Standard | Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage when in direct transit to or from the common carrier terminal. | Carry-on baggage: Up to $1,250 per covered person | Carry-on baggage: Up to $3,000 per covered person |
| Coverage while at the common carrier terminal. | Carry-on baggage: Up to $1,250 per covered person | Carry-on baggage: Up to $3,000 per covered person |
| Coverage when traveling on a common carrier vehicle. | Checked baggage: Up to $500 per covered person Carry-on baggage: Up to $1,250 per covered person | Checked baggage: Up to $2,000 per covered person Carry-on baggage: Up to $3,000 per covered person |
| High risk item limitatations | $250 per covered person per covered trip. | $1,000 per covered person per covered trip. |
| Total coverage limitation | – | $3,000 per covered person per covered trip. |
Additionally, some states offer different coverage limits. If you live in New York State, check the guide to benefits for additional limitations.
What is covered?
Generally the benefit covers the replacement cost of baggage that is lost or stolen when:
- In direct transit to or from a common carrier’s terminal (such as an airport or bus station).
- At a common carrier’s terminal.
- Traveling aboard a common carrier vehicle (such as an airplane or bus.)
Most items are covered, although Amex does limit its liability for high-risk items like jewelry, sporting equipment, computers, cameras, wearables, items made of precious metals, and furs.
What is not covered?
Generally, items not covered include things like cash and cash-equivalents, perishable and living items, and medical devices and medications. Here’s the list of items that are not covered:
- Credit cards and other travel documents (including passports and visas)
- Securities
- Documents and tickets of any kind
- Travelers checks and other negotiable instruments (including gift certificates, gift cards, gift checks, food stamps), cash or its equivalent, notes, accounts, bills, currency, deeds, evidences of debt or intangible property, rare stamps or coins
- Living plants and animals
- Food, consumable and perishable items
- Eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses
- Hearing aids, prosthetic devices
- Prescription or non-prescription drugs
- Property shipped as freight or shipped prior to the Departure Date.
Additionally, Amex advises that you contact them at 1-800-228-6855 or 1-303-273-6497 if you have any questions about specific item coverages.
How to file a claim
If you need to file a claim under the Amex Baggage Insurance Policy, you can start your claim at the Amex claims website: americanexpress.com/onlineclaim. You’ll need to log into your account at that web page to begin your claim.
Alternatively, you can call Amex at 1-800-228-6855 or 1-303-273-6497 if calling collect internationally to begin your claim.
Importantly, you should file a claim within 30 days or as soon as reasonably possible, or your claim may be denied.
As your claim progresses, Amex may require you to fill out a paper claim form or submit additional documentation. Most documentation can be submitted through the Amex claims website.
Tips and Best Practices
Here are some tips and best practices that we’ve gleaned from our decades of experience using credit card benefits:
- File a claim with your airline or common carrier at the airport if your baggage is damaged or you suspect items are missing. Amex Baggage Insurance Plan is secondary coverage, and Amex might require you to seek reimbursement from your airline or common carrier first. Plus, your rights to file a claim with an airline expire shortly after your arrival.
- Take pictures of everything. If your baggage or its contents is damaged, be sure to take pictures of everything. Amex may require these to document what damage was done to your items. Additionally, don’t throw anything away until your claim payment is finalized.
- Save receipts for replacement items. If you buy anything to replace the items that were damaged, be sure to save your receipts. Amex will likely require receipts to document the replacement cost of items.
- If you don’t have a receipt, Amex might accept documentation of the cost of a similar item. Especially with clothing, styles change, items get discontinued, and it may not be able to replace a damaged or stolen item with the same item. Amex will often accept pricing documentation for the cost of a similar item from the same (or similar) merchant.
- Do not wait to file a claim. In almost every case, it is best to begin the claims process as soon as possible. Not only will you get paid on a valid claim faster, but Amex may use a delay in filing a claim as a justification to deny your claim.
Bottom line: Built in coverage if booking a trip entirely with your Amex
If you have an American Express card with a Baggage Insurance Plan benefit, it can be a good idea to book your travel using that card. But remember that you won’t get coverage if you’re booking with vouchers or frequent flyer miles—you must charge your entire trip to your card. If you’re using your (non-Amex) points or miles to book your trip, you might want to consider using a card from another issuer.
