KAYAK launches travel protection services on its digital platform

Travel search engine KAYAK has integrated optional travel protection services into its digital platform for its French customers, through a collaboration with digital insurance firm Koala.

The search engine now offers two additional services to the KAYAK platform, provided by Koala:

• KAYAK Flex, which offers cancellation protection before departure, enabling instant cash reimbursement if they want to cancel their trip for any reason within three days of booking – with refunds of up to 70 per cent of trip price available up to four days before departure
• KAYAK Comprehensive – which provides travellers with protection during their trip, including for coverage of medical expenses, including any Covid-19 related expenses, hospitalisation and repatriation costs for any trip around the world.

Both products have been designed for ease of use, with a streamlined process and minimal small print. Koala claims that both products can be acquired via a two-minute purchase journey, and are aimed at addressing significant demand for modern, digital travel insurance options across the French market.

The move is intended to cater to growing French demand for streamlined insurance

The partners cite an online survey of 1,043 French adults conducted by YouGov in collaboration with KAYAK between 7 and 10 January, which found that 48 per cent of French adults are planning to purchase travel insurance for a holiday in 2022, of which 41 per cent mention Covid-19 as a driving factor.

However, despite significant demand, a quarter (24 per cent) of respondents said that they did not trust most insurance providers, with about 40 per cent finding most policies to be unclear and misleading about what is covered, and a further 30 per cent believing most to have complicated claims processes.

John-Lee Saez, Director of KAYAK Europe said: “While travellers have become more accustomed to navigating the unpredictability of travel over the past two years, we found most travel insurance providers are still providing complex and outdated products that aren’t adapted to the new world of travel. With Koala, we saw a great opportunity to build a new kind of no-nonsense protection that gives travellers the reassurance they need to travel with confidence.”