30 March 2026 · TravelLux.be

Amex Platinum Travel Insurance Belgium: What's Covered (and What's Not)?

Last year I was standing at Velana International Airport in the Maldives, with a suitcase that wasn't there. The carousel had been spinning empty for twenty minutes, other passengers had long since left with their trolleys, and I felt that familiar knot in my stomach. My luggage had gotten stuck somewhere during the transfer in Dubai. BRU to DXB to MLE, two flights, and my belongings were still somewhere in the Middle East.

What reassured me at that moment: I had paid for the entire trip with my Amex Platinum card. And that meant the travel insurance was automatically active. No form filled out, no separate policy taken out. Simply covered. But how good is the Amex Platinum travel insurance really for Belgian travellers? What exactly does it cover, and what should you watch out for?

I looked into it. After two claims in three years, hours on the phone with Europe Assistance, and combing through the policy conditions, I'm sharing here exactly what I've learned. So you won't face any surprises when it matters most.

How does the Amex Platinum travel insurance actually work?

The credit card insurance of the American Express Platinum card in Belgium is managed by two parties: Chubb (the insurer) and Europe Assistance (the assistance provider). That's an important distinction. Chubb pays out the claims, Europe Assistance is who you call when something goes wrong on the road.

The beauty of this insurance: it's automatically active as soon as you pay for the trip with your Platinum card. No separate registration, no extra costs on top of your annual fee of €780. Book a flight from Brussels Airport to Bangkok and pay with your Amex? Covered. Reserve a hotel in Lisbon via Booking.com with the same card? Covered. The only thing that matters is that the payment goes through the Platinum card.

Honestly, I didn't even realise this during the first few months. I still had a separate travel insurance policy running with my Belgian insurer. It wasn't until I looked more closely at the Amex policy conditions that I realised I was paying double for largely the same coverage.

One caveat: the insurance applies to trips you pay for with the card. That sounds logical, but it means that if you book a city trip to Paris and only pay for the TGV with your Bancontact, you're not covered through Amex. The key is simple: pay for the trip, or at least the transport or accommodation, with your Platinum card.

What does the Amex Platinum travel insurance cover?

Let me walk through the four main pillars, with some context from my own experiences as a Belgian traveller for each one.

In summary, these are the four coverages:

• Trip cancellation (non-refundable costs)
• Flight insurance (delay, cancellation, missed connection)
• Baggage insurance (loss, theft, damage)
• Medical expenses and repatriation abroad

What is NOT covered? Here's what Belgian travellers need to watch out for

And now the part that most blogs skip over. Because no credit card insurance is a full replacement for every situation. I want to be honest: there are limitations, and you need to know them before you're standing at the gate.

First of all: the coverage has limits. The maximum reimbursement amounts per category are stated in the Chubb policy conditions, and they are not unlimited. For medical expenses abroad, the coverage is generally more than sufficient for an average trip, but if you need a prolonged hospitalisation in the United States, the ceiling can be reached sooner than you think. My advice: check the exact amounts in your policy and consider supplementary insurance for destinations with extremely high medical costs.

Chronic or pre-existing medical conditions are usually not covered. If you're already being treated for a certain condition before departure and it worsens during the trip, the insurer may consider it a pre-existing condition. This is not an Amex-specific issue — virtually every travel insurance policy applies the same exclusion.

Extreme sports and high-risk activities are in a grey area. A dive in the Maldives with a PADI certificate? Probably fine. A paragliding accident in the Swiss Alps without supervision? That becomes trickier. Always check the fine print if you plan to do something that the average tourist doesn't do.

Other things that are generally not covered:

• Cancellation because you "simply don't feel like it anymore" (there must be a valid reason)
• Travel to destinations with a negative travel advisory
• Loss or theft due to gross negligence (leaving your suitcase unattended on a terrace)
• Damage to electronic devices that were already damaged before departure
• Business travel, depending on your policy type

My personal tip: download the full Chubb policy conditions via the Amex website or call customer service before you leave on your trip. Ten minutes of reading can save you thousands of euros in disputes.

Credit card insurance vs. separate travel insurance: what's smarter for Belgian travellers?

This is the question I get most often from friends and readers. "Should I cancel my travel insurance with Ethias or AG if I have the Amex Platinum?" The answer is nuanced.

For most trips I take from Brussels — city trips to London or Rome, a week on the Côte d'Azur, two weeks in Bali — the Amex Platinum travel insurance is more than sufficient. The four pillars cover precisely the scenarios that occur most frequently: a cancelled flight, a lost suitcase, an emergency hospital visit. And the big advantage? I don't pay anything extra for it. It's included in the annual fee of €65 per month.

But if you're going backpacking through South America for three months, or if you regularly do extreme sports while travelling, or if you have a medical history that could lead to complications, then I would personally take out a supplementary policy. The Amex insurance is excellent as basic coverage and for "normal" holidays, but it's not an all-encompassing worldwide policy.

What I personally do: I use the Amex Platinum insurance as my primary travel insurance and only take out a supplementary policy when I'm travelling for longer than a month or heading to a destination where medical costs can be astronomically high. That easily saves me €150 to €200 per year in insurance premiums.

And don't forget: in addition to the travel insurance, the Platinum card comes with a whole range of benefits that enhance your travels. Access to more than 1,550 airport lounges via Priority Pass, Fast Lane security at Brussels Airport, the Fine Hotels + Resorts programme with complimentary room upgrade and breakfast. Those benefits combined make the annual fee much more bearable than it appears on paper.

How do you file a claim? My experience with Europe Assistance

Theory is all well and good, but how does it work in practice? I've had to file a claim twice, and honestly: it wasn't as bad as I feared.

The first time was that baggage story in the Maldives. Suitcase two days late, emergency purchases worth around €180. I called Europe Assistance from the resort (available 24/7, even from abroad), received a case number, and after returning home sent in the receipts and the baggage report from the airline. Within three weeks the amount was in my account. No hassle, no endless discussions.

The second time involved a flight delay with a missed connection in Istanbul. That was slightly more complicated, because the airline itself also offered compensation via EU passenger rights. My tip: always claim from the airline first (if it's an EU flight), and use the Amex insurance for the additional costs the airline doesn't reimburse, such as an extra hotel night or meals that exceed their voucher.

What you need for a smooth claim:

• Your Amex Platinum card number and the payment confirmation for the trip
• The PIR report (baggage loss) or the confirmation of the delay/cancellation from the airline
• Original receipts for all emergency purchases or additional costs
• A medical certificate if it concerns medical expenses
• Your case number from Europe Assistance

Keep everything digital. I take photos of receipts as soon as I get them and save them in a folder on my phone. That makes a huge difference when you need to find the documents weeks later.

By the way, if you don't have the Amex Platinum yet and are considering applying: via the TravelLux.be referral link you'll receive the maximum welcome bonus of 150,000 Membership Rewards points. That's more than with a direct application on americanexpress.com. You can use those points for flights with Brussels Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways and dozens of other partners.

Frequently asked questions about the Amex Platinum travel insurance in Belgium