Thomas Cook to offer in-booking path insurance and travel assistance policies

Taurus and Sitata have joined forces to provide bespoke cover to the OTA’s customers

by Kaia Hicks

Lifestyle insurance firm Taurus and risk management company Sitata have agreed a deal with OTA Thomas Cook to provide cover to its customers.

The deal will see travel insurance products providing full protection and support for holidaymakers offered for sale in Cook’s booking path.

The Taurus and Sitata solution provides customised travel insurance policies along with a global travel assistance service.

The key criteria on which the policy is developed is based on the information provided by the customer during the booking process.

If the customer chooses to take out cover, the policy premium is then automatically included in the total holiday cost to simplify the process.

Once the cover is in place the customer is supported by Sitata’s travel assistance service which includes real-time threat and disruption warnings, integrated telemedicine, instant chat and phone support for emergencies, plus travel, destination and COVID information support.

Mark Allsopp, head of travel at Taurus Insurance, said: “From the outset, we felt it was critical to offer travellers booking with Thomas Cook an innovative, far-reaching solution with which to protect their trips.

“Usually what you find with in-path provision is that the policy is based on a few outline scenarios from which the quote is derived.

“Our solution is different as the technology takes specific parameters provided during the booking process and then pulls information from over three-quarters of a million different scenarios to deliver protection that more accurately matches the customer’s travel booking. And because we’re working with specifics the quote we provide is highly competitive.

“On top of enjoying the peace of mind that comprehensive travel insurance provides, the customer also benefits from having a travel assistance service offering invaluable support 24/7, whether that’s answering destination-specific queries or helping travellers with any questions or concerns they may have about COVID-19 travel rules and regulations.”

David Scott, chief commercial officer at Thomas Cook, said: “Our partnership with Taurus and Sitata will enable our customers to get tailored insurance to match the holiday they are taking – hopefully making their choice to buy it all the more easy.

“The addition of always-on support and useful local information adds to the peace of mind that we want to provide customers as they get back to enjoying great family holidays.”

Adam St John, chief executive of Sitata, said: “This partnership represents a truly end-to-end travel protection programme.

“From disruption notifications about changing regulations or a local transit strike to comprehensive travel insurance benefits and quick support should one feel ill, travellers will now have full peace of mind when booking with Thomas Cook.”