Travel Guard Group Canada, Inc., the Toronto-based subsidiary of AIG, has launched a travel insurance app allowing Canadian customers (except Quebec residents) to purchase coverage in blocks of time through their iPhone.
Customers can now conveniently optimize travel insurance in a cost-effective way through hourly coverage. GPS technology enables travelers to utilize the coverage from the moment they leave their home province until they return as the app tracks the number of hours used.
The Travel Guard® On Demand app represents a departure from the traditional travel insurance options, including single trip or annual plans, and instead offers a more flexible way to buy travel insurance while giving consumers (ages 16-55) more control over their utilization of coverage.
“We’re always looking for new ways to keep pace with our travellers and by offering this innovative, fast and easy way to purchase travel insurance, our travellers can get more convenient coverage for when and how they want to use it,” said Marc Lipman, AIG Canada’s chief operating officer.
“The app enables consumers to gain protection in only 90 seconds after filling out the four fields required. To add further convenience, consumers can activate the purchased insurance by swiping the app button ‘on’ at the start of their trip and ‘off’ at the end of it, or use the app to pre-set the desired departure and return dates for an upcoming trip,” added Lipman.
The app offers a convenient, user-friendly way to purchase select Travel Guard products and services that are offered as specific blocks of insurance coverage up to 90 days, for use within 365 days from the date of purchase.
When the app’s geolocation feature senses that the customer has arrived at an airport or a border crossing into the United States, a notification is sent to the customer’s iPhone to ask whether he or she wants to activate the purchased insurance, explained AIG in a statement. Then, for each hour the coverage is activated, the app automatically subtracts that time from the block of coverage purchased.
This new method of buying and utilizing travel insurance allows travellers to customize their protection period for each trip – down to the hour.
Usage-based insurance is a new concept in the travel insurance industry. Products available through the Travel Guard® On Demand app offer coverage (within the terms of the insurance policy) for emergency medical services outside a customer’s home province, trip delay, baggage and personal effects, along with access to 24/7 travel assistance.
Travel Guard® On Demand is powered by JAUNTIN’, a Canadian insurance technology company. AIG’s relationship with JAUNTIN’ was formed when the insurance technology start-up won the AIG Canada Innovation Challenge.
More than 80 Canadian technology start-ups applied and JAUNTIN’ was selected as the winner by a panel of AIG executives and members of AIG’s Global Innovation Team. The competition, hosted by AIG Canada in partnership with the Consulate General of Canada in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, was a way for AIG to tap into Canada’s ecosystem of technology entrepreneurs and identify new ideas to better serve its customers.
The JAUNTIN’ experience allows users to be paperless, as all the information they need on their policy is stored in their smartphone.
The app can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store (search for Travel Guard On Demand) or from the Travel Guard Canada website.
About Travel Guard
Travel Guard® is the marketing name for AIG Travel Inc.’s portfolio of travel insurance and travel-related services, including medical and security services, marketed to leisure and business travelers globally. Services are provided through a network of wholly owned service centers located in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Travel Guard Group Canada Inc. (Travel Guard) is a licensed insurance agency with insurance underwritten by AIG Insurance Co. of Canada.
Source: Travel Guard Group Canada
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