Does credit card travel insurance cover flights that I booked with points or flight credits?

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• Many travel credit cards give you insurance for travel that is charged to your card.
• Even if you're using airline miles for your trip, you'll still be covered as long as you pay taxes and fees with your card.
• If your flight is completely free, however, you won't be covered in most cases.
• Read Insider's guide to the best credit cards for travel insurance.

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If you book airfare even once per year, it's worth having one of the best travel rewards credit cards. Not only can you earn valuable miles and points that can almost entirely offset your airfare, but you'll also benefit from travel insurance that can do things like reimburse you several hundred dollars for things like a hotel, food, transportation, and medicine when your flight is delayed or canceled.

Reddit user joeyp907 asks a question that almost every travel credit card holder ponders at one point or another.

I bought a Southwest ticket in December with my Chase Sapphire Reserve® - Product Name Only. That ticket got cancelled and I ended up with a Southwest flight credit. Then, I used that Southwest flight credit to pay the $11.20 on a separate reward ticket.

Will the Chase Sapphire Reserve® - Product Name Only travel delay insurance apply to the second ticket?

This is an excellent question, as travel insurance only kicks in when you pay for your flight with your eligible credit card. Does that mean you're forfeiting your coverage if you book an award flight or use a travel credit for your flight?

Actually, yes — in some cases. Here's what you need to know to ensure you're always covered when booking your flights.

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Does credit card travel insurance cover free flights?

Let's take a look at the travel insurance terms on one of the most popular travel cards: The Platinum Card® from American Express - Product Name Only. With little exception, you'll find similar terms on all cards that offer travel insurance.

This card's trip delay insurance states:

"You must charge the full amount of a Covered Trip to your Eligible Card or in combination with your Eligible Card and accumulated points on your Eligible Card or redeemable certificates, vouchers, coupons, or discounts awarded from a frequent flyer program or similar program."

In short, this means that for the trip delay insurance to kick in, your card needs to be charged for the trip.

For example, let's say you book a round-trip domestic award flight. You might pay 25,000 miles for a free seat — but you'll still pay $5.60 in airport taxes and fees each way. By putting this $11.20 charge on your card, your travel insurance will be active for your flights.

The same is true for flight vouchers and credits. If you attach a $50 flight credit to a $70 flight, you'll pay $20 with your travel credit card, and therefore be covered for your trip.

However, if your flight credit is more than enough to cover your trip — or if you use a flight credit to pay for your taxes and fees on an award flight, as joeyp907 says, you will not be covered. Your travel credit card won't be charged at all, and it won't even know you've bought those flights in the first place!

The exception to this rule is if you pay for your travel entirely with points such as Chase Ultimate Rewards® or Capital One miles. For example, when you pay with points through the Chase Travel Portal, you'll still get your Chase credit card's insurance benefits.

Top credit cards with travel insurance

If you're a frequent traveler, you should invest in a travel credit card that offers insurance. It'll help you avoid stress and financial strain when your bags are delayed, when your flight delay requires that you stay overnight, when you become ill and can't use nonrefundable travel like airfare and hotel stays, and much more.

Here are our top picks, along with their current welcome bonuses:

Chase Sapphire Reserve® - Product Name Only — Chase Sapphire Reserve® - Intro Bonus

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Product Name Only — Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Product Name Only

The Platinum Card® from American Express - Product Name Only — The Platinum Card® from American Express - Intro Bonus

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Product Name Only — Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Intro Bonus

U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card - Product Name Only — U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card - Intro Bonus

You can read our guide to the best credit cards for travel insurance to learn what exactly these cards offer. Be sure to read our guide comparing buying travel insurance to credit card benefits to learn more about how to best protect your trip.

What you need to know about credit card travel insurance

As long as you charge the paid portion of your airfare to your travel insurance-conferring credit card (even if it's just a single penny), your trip will be covered. If you've got a flight credit that fully covers your airfare, you will not be covered.