Southern Cross Travel Insurance launches real-time flight delay benefit

Southern Cross Travel Insurance partnered with Blink Parametric to launch TravelCare: Delay Assist, an automated flight delay benefit for customers in New Zealand and Australia.

The benefit is initially included with International Comprehensive Single Trip policies purchased from July 1. Blink’s technology monitors registered flights and contacts customers by email and SMS when it detects a delay of at least two hours within 24 hours of departure.

Affected travelers can select a digital voucher from Uber, TripGift or Woolworths without submitting a claim. The voucher can be used during the trip or after returning home, while the policy’s other travel disruption benefits remain in place.

SCTI, which has served more than 6 million travelers during its 40-plus years in New Zealand and more than 15 years in Australia, said it paid more than 61,000 delay-related claims over the past three years, with claims increasing 24% during that period.

SCTI has “There is absolutely no doubt that travel disruption due to delays is on the increase. We’ve paid out more than 61,000 claims over the last three years related to delays and the incidence is certainly on the up, year on year. In fact, we’ve seen a 24% increase across that period. We’re always looking for ways to improve experiences for our customers, especially in the moments that matter most. Travel disruption can be stressful and frustrating, so giving our customers immediate support when delays happen is a really important step forward. This new offering reflects our focus on making travel insurance simpler, more useful, and responsive to real customer needs.” – Carole Tokody, CEO at Southern Cross Travel Insurance.