Wednesday, December 15, 2009: Kenya Airways and Chartis Kenya have teamed up to provide a travel insurance product, which offers security against possible risks during travel. The partnership will allow Kenya Airways passengers to purchase travel insurance as they book their tickets.

The travel insurance policy – Travel Guard – offers coverage for medical expenses up to a limit of USD 500,000. For baggage loss, the coverage will insure your personal belongings and valuables up to USD 10,000 (limited to USD 1,000 for any one item). Flight cancellation coverage would take care of pre-paid travel expenses and accommodation up to USD 5,000.

“Providing Travel Guard insurance to our customers is a strategic initiative, as it provides peace of mind to the traveler as well as providing convenience during the purchase of travel insurance. The product has been created after extensive research and competitive benchmarking within the industry,” said Mr. Mohan Chandra, Commercial Director of Kenya Airways.

Mr. Chandra adds, “The airline has established a program for selling the travel insurance on our website and through KQ’s call centers. The ticketing offices will then issue Travel Guard travel insurance.”

Chartis Kenya Managing Director, Japh Olende, says ‘” We are excited to team up with the leading airline in Africa. The relationship, the first of its kind with a national airline in Africa, showcases Chartis’ innovation and desire to find convenient ways to serve its customers wherever they may be.”

“Chartis has always endeavoured to develop products that best suit the customers’ needs and to make those products accessible. Indeed, the product reflects our pursuit of excellence through innovation and unwavering commitment to our customers,” says Mr. Olende.

The travel insurance policy also includes 24/7 emergency assist services. Travel Guard’s global assistance centers operate around the clock and are staffed with doctors, nurses, multilingual and multi-cultural specialists and a vast team of customer service professionals.

Travel Guard insurance can be purchased online on the airline’s website, www.kenya-airways.com, or through Kenya Airways sales agents simultaneously while booking for flight tickets.

Initially, the point of sales for the policy will be limited to Kenya, but the project will be rolled out across KQ’s network in the future.

Chartis is a world leading general insurance organization serving more than 40 million clients in over 160 countries and jurisdictions worldwide. Travel Guard, a Chartis company, has over 20 years of experience in providing travel insurance worldwide and is currently providing similar programs to airlines across the globe. Travel Guard is also one of the world’s leading providers of emergency assistance and travel-related services.

About Kenya Airways: Since its inception in 1977, Kenya Airways has grown immensely and today serves up to three million passengers annually and flies to 47 destinations, including 39 cities across Africa and to Amsterdam, Paris and London and select destinations in Asia, including Dubai, Mumbai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Bangkok.

In addition to a modern fleet of 26 aircraft, Kenya Airways is also a major employer with a workforce of over 4,200 and a member of the SkyTeam, one of the largest airline alliances in the world.