Express Insurance to cover agent financial default.
Orient Express Travel Group has just announced the availability of a new insurance offer which covers the financial failure of travel agents and an array of suppliers including scheduled airlines, hotels, cruise, railway and attraction operators.
The new Express Insurance option is available exclusively to the 570 agency members of the Independent Travel Group, Select Travel Group and italktravel franchise stores.
OETG ceo Tom Manwaring said he believes the group is the first agency network to protect consumers across the majority of industry exposures, with Product Disclosure Statements already available for consumers to review.
“It’s a no brainer at a customer cost of a ‘good’ cup of coffee a day,” he said.
The new financial default protection, available as part of the QBE-backed Express Insurance, provides cover of up to $10,000 per adult on the International Comprehensive and Annual Multi Trip travel plans.
Manwaring has also announced that the group will subsidise AFTA/ATAS participation for members, regardless of agency turnover, with a total subsidised cost from $610.
“The exclusive Exprerss Insurance customer product, plus the AFTA/ATAS offer, is a simple customer protection experience and member revenue earner that satisfies a lot of the uncertainty felt by parts of the industry post TCF,” he said.
Manwaring said that new “significantly competitive” rate cards have been issued across the full range of Express Insurance products, covering at no extra cost, financial default of agency members.
“We are very excited to be offering this new QBE travel insurance product to all our member agents and franchisees,” he said.
More information in tomorrow’s issue of Travel Daily.