How Travel Rewards Credit Cards Saved Me Time And Money When The Unexpected Happened—And Can Help You Too

I had originally used 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to book my flight from Lima to Madrid with Iberia. However, I ended up canceling it and received a full refund of my points, taxes and fees, only paying a $40 cancellation fee. This wouldn’t have been possible if I had paid cash for my flight, so I was thankful I had used an award redemption for this part of the journey.

Using my Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees), I booked a flight from Lima to Wilmington, North Carolina, with a layover in Atlanta, Georgia. Although I had enough Delta SkyMiles to book the flight, I opted to pay cash because the point valuation wasn’t great. Thanks to my Delta Silver Medallion status, I got priority check-in at the airport and got upgraded on my flight from Atlanta to Wilmington.

Because Iberia is in the Oneworld alliance, I was able to use the refunded Iberia points to book a nonstop flight operated by American Airlines from Raleigh, North Carolina, to London, England (LHR), paying only taxes and fees. This flight cost 4,000 fewer points than my original flight from Lima to Madrid, so I still have those leftover points in my account. I don’t have an American Airlines credit card and don’t typically fly American, so being able to book an American flight through Iberia proved to be extremely helpful.

For my stay in London, I booked a last-minute Airbnb, which didn’t have running water and seemed to be an illegal listing based on the “no Airbnb” sign in the lobby. As a solution, I used my Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees) to book a room at a Marriott across the street from the Airbnb to have a habitable place to stay.

I’m still negotiating with Airbnb and American Express to determine what can be reimbursed. I’m confident American Express will support me and help me recoup the money I lost due to this challenging situation. Handling everything alone, without Amex, would have certainly been more confusing and stressful.