As we sat behind a freight train outside of South Bend, Indiana, already a full three hours after the train should have arrived in Chicago, I started to wonder about my missed connection. My next train was scheduled to depart Chicago at 2:15, but as we creeped slowly into Illinois I knew that wasn't going to happen.
Allianz sent me a separate email a few minutes after I received my Amtrak ticket. It had a link to my full policy and other details, which I admittedly did not read until I needed them.
To Amtrak's credit, the rebooking line when we finally arrived in Chicago was long, but moved quickly. As I waited, a representative went down the line with new tickets, and hotel and food vouchers for everyone who had missed their connections. I waited maybe 15 minutes in total.
Another important note: Amtrak did offer hotel vouchers for those of us who needed to wait overnight. I had rescheduled meetings for early the next day as a result of the delayed train, and didn't feel like schlepping to The Loop during rush hour from Midway Airport. It also proved a worthwhile moment to put travel insurance to the test.
The only downside to the plan, of course, was having to front the money and not knowing if the travel insurance would actually work.
Filing the claim was easy, all I needed was my email address or policy number, and the date I departed for my trip. The form was simple and quick, all I had to do was upload my hotel receipt. It didn't even ask for proof of my delay.
Not only was it sooner than I expected, but easier too! I had worried that I would need some way to prove my train was delayed significantly enough to require a hotel stay, but that was not the case.
All things considered, the travel insurance was easily worth $17
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