Thousands of travelers across the tri-state area are experiencing summer delays and cancellations. Many may not know their credit card could offer protection for these disruptions.

A Turn to Tara investigation finds that a lot of the time airlines are not responsible for hotel costs, ground transportation or extra meals. These unexpected expenses can be significant for passengers.

"Trip Delay Protection" is a little-known perk built into many premium travel credit cards, according to Sean Cudahy from The Points Guy. If a flight is delayed by six hours or more or requires an overnight stay, several cards will reimburse expenses. These include meals, hotels, transportation and toiletries. This applies to the cardholder and travel companions.

To qualify, the trip must be booked with an eligible credit card. All receipts must be kept. Claims typically need to be filed within 30 to 60 days. Even trips booked with points or miles may qualify if the card is used to pay taxes and fees.

"For me, it really takes away a lot of the stress. You know it's one less thing to worry about on top of sitting on the tarmac," Cudahy said.