Are airline tickets bought with MasterCard automatically covered with travel insurance?

I bought a British Airways return airline ticket from London to Chicago (USA) and travelled this month - december 2007. Unfortunately I lost my wallet in a taxi. Am I covered by travel insurance just by purchasing the ticket with my MasterCard?

As the previous respondent said, not all MasterCards are created equal. That said, however, you COULD be covered. But based on your description of events, whether you are or not may well be moot.

If all that was lost was your wallet, the "replaceable" items would be limited to credit cards -- and those will be replace by the individual card issuers anyway. Likewise, travelers checks are "replaceable" without insurance. If it's cash you lost, it's extremely unlikely that you'll be covered even if you do have travel insurance. The only cases in which cash might be replaces is if there is a clear record of a cash withdrawal transaction AND your policy specifically has a cash coverage clause.

These stories do sometimes have happy endings: Yo Yo Ma famously left a priceless cello in a New York City cab . . . and it was returned to him a week later. I hope your story has a happy ending too.

Good luck!

Kango Traveler

Not all MasterCards are the same. You have to call the issuer of your card and ask.