In India where the insurance sector is in the initial stages of opening up, the launch of Amadeus India’s latest product, Amadeus Travel Assistance, could change the way travel agents go about getting insurance for their customers. Neelam Mathews reports. 24 August 2001
Amadeus India has become the first GDS to offer an automated and integrated global travel assistance and insurance reservation product. The new product by the Tata-AIG group will be available online by the first week of September 2001.
The product was launched at Amadeus Bond, a well-attended subscriber conference for Amadeus India’s clients.
Amadeus India, director Ankur Bhatia said, “Amadeus Travel Assistance allows Amadeus’ travel agents to provide insurance policies effectively and efficiently through the Amadeus reservation system in the same way they sell other travel-related products and services.”
Featuring the look and feel of an Amadeus product, an easy-to-use interface and full passenger name record (PNR) integration, Amadeus Travel Assistance makes the offer of travel assistance and insurance policies an integral part of the agent’s daily booking process.
Further benefits to agents include an additional revenue stream, integration of sale as part of the daily booking process and automatic transfer.
Amadeus Global Travel Distribution, director of corporate and marketing communication, Miguel Vermehren said the insurance product was first launched a year ago in France and has already managed to pick up a significant share in the market.
“Since the product is young, its total contribution to our revenues is close to only about one percent.”
Travel insurance is mandatory for Indian visitors to EU. It covers direct settlement for hospital expenses, medical emergency assistance, medical repatriation and personal liability.
Leading insurance companies in India such as Royal Sundaram and Alliance Bajaj have shown interest in the Amadeus travel insurance.
Amadeus is also developing Amadeus Vista, a Web-based travel reservation system that is scheduled to be launched in India early next year.
Vista will sport a new easy way to use graphics and animation-led user interface, which will mean reduction in training costs and upgradation for travel.
Recently, Amadeus acquired e-Travel, a leading US supplier of hosted corporate travel technology solutions. Its roster of blue chip customers includes Ingersoll Rand Company, Oracle Corporation and Philip Morris.
“This acquisition leaves Amadeus with a larger global footprint than any competing corporate travel management provider,” said executive vice president, commercial, David Jones.
“It allows us to offer e-Travel products in addition to Amadeus Corporate Traveller and our travel management applications for Lotus and SAP corporate users.”
This new range of solutions is the only one in the industry directed at specific, individual
corporate requirements, rather than attempting to make ‘one size fits all’.
Additionally, it will benefit from Amadeus support and service capabilities in almost all of its markets.