How your credit card can help if you’re affected by war

We always hope for the best on our trips, but chaos can appear quickly and unexpectedly. If your trip is disrupted by a worst-case scenario — such as a military conflict or war — or if your upcoming vacation is canceled because of such events, your credit card may be able to help you.

Of course, first and foremost, make sure you and any travel companions are safe. Once your safety has been secured, here’s a breakdown of whether common credit card benefits can help you in this situation.

Credit card travel insurance

If your flight, hotel stay or other travel plans are disrupted or outright canceled by a military conflict or war, your first thought may go to the trip cancellation/interruption insurance many credit cards offer.

While this kind of protection is very useful for unexpected medical emergencies and weather events, it unfortunately may not be much help in this scenario. Certain issuers, such as Chase and American Express, explicitly state that they won’t cover wars or events connected to military action.

Other issuers may not even offer trip cancellation/interruption insurance on their top cards.

It’s very unlikely this perk will help you. This can be a benefit of booking your flights and hotels with points and miles versus cash, since while losing your rewards would be painful and unfortunate, it’s less impactful than losing hundreds or even thousands in cash. Further, many loyalty programs offer flexible cancellation policies, making it easy to get your rewards back regardless of why you cancel a trip.

Other credit card travel insurance policies, such as car rental damage waivers and lost luggage insurance, are also almost never applicable to war or military action.

Fortunately, you may receive a refund from your airline, hotel brand or other travel company if you’re unable to travel due to a conflict.

Points and miles

I’m a big advocate for keeping an emergency stash of points and miles. Having travel disrupted by a war or military action is a great reason to have such a fund on hand.

If the nearest airport is shut down, for example, you may be able to book a new flight out of an alternative airport. Or, you could use your rewards to cover an extended hotel stay should you need to shelter in place.

Should you need to buy any emergency supplies or replace lost luggage, you could redeem your points for a statement credit to cover those charges. While this won’t give you great value for your rewards, it’s a nice option to have should you incur significant, unexpected expenses because of the event you’re experiencing.

Travel credits

Certain premium credit cards, such as those offered by Chase and Capital One, offer relatively flexible travel credits that can be used to offset certain expenses.

If you have one of these credits on hand when you experience military activity of any kind, you could use it to help you get through that experience. If your trip is unexpectedly canceled, you could use your credit to help fund a new vacation to a different destination.

If your vacation is interrupted by war or other violence, a travel credit can function similarly to points and miles by helping you pay for a new flight or extended hotel stay. It could also help you fund a rental car to travel to a safer place, if roads are still safe enough for passage.

Bottom line

Facing the effects of a military conflict or war in a destination you’ve selected for a vacation is challenging. While your credit card’s insurance policies won’t be much help, you may be able to use your points and miles or travel credits to help you navigate your particular situation.

Of course, all credit cards are different, so reference your card’s guide to benefits for specific information about what its benefits will and won’t cover.

Related: Flight canceled or delayed? Here’s what to do next