Author: Steven Bartholow

Wishing Your Guests Happy & Safe Holiday Travel

Learn more about partnering with CSA

This holiday season your guests are on the move, and whether they’re dashing through the snow or cuddled in front of the fire, CSA Travel Protection can be there to support them.

25.3 million passengers traveled on U.S. airlines during the 12-day Thanksgiving travel period, the highest number in the last eight years, according to the Airlines for America industry trade group. That averages out to an additional 65,000 passengers per day compared to the same time last year. Your guests might rest easier during the busy holiday travel time if they have travel insurance backing them up.

Nearly 42 million Americans took holiday road trips this Thanksgiving,  many with a vacation rental as their destination. CSA’s 24-Hour Roadside Assistance Services are available to your guests who purchase a Guest Protect plan.

We wish your guests a happy and safe vacation and you a season with fewer hassles. CSA’s Vacation Rental Damage Protection and Guest Protect Travel Insurance Plan might just help bring those wishes to life, if Santa doesn’t beat us to it.

If your guests don’t have coverage for an upcoming holiday trip, it’s not too late! Remember to offer your guests CSA Travel Protection.

CSA thanks all of our partners and wishes you a happy holiday season. And, if you’re not already working with CSA, we invite you to read more or contact us at clientservices@csatravelprotection.com or (800) 989-8684 to find out how we can build a damage protection and travel insurance program that’s profitable for you and valuable to your guests.

Travel insurance plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 0821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as CSA Travel Protection and Insurance Services.  Plans are available to residents of the U.S. but may not be available in all jurisdictions.  Benefits and services are described on a general basis; certain conditions and exclusions apply.

Travel insurance plans are underwritten by: Generali U.S. Branch, New York, NY; NAIC # 11231. Generali US Branch operates under the following names: Generali Assicurazioni Generali S.P.A. (U.S. Branch) in California, Assicurazioni Generali – U.S. Branch in Colorado, Generali U.S. Branch DBA The General Insurance Company of Trieste & Venice in Oregon, and The General Insurance Company of Trieste and Venice – U.S. Branch in Virginia. Generali US Branch is admitted or licensed to do business in all states and the District of Columbia.

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Ready Set Grow with Travel Insurance and Damage Protection

‘Ready, Set, Grow’ with CSA Travel Protection

An industry leader:

• 1.6 million policies sold in 2014

• 1,783 active partners offering our insurance

• 285 new partners this year

 

We want to help you grow your vacation rental business by partnering with you to offer your guests travel insurance and damage protection plans. You can earn commission for plans your guests purchase, which can become an additional revenue stream for your business. Travel insurance can also help reinforce your cancellation policy. Plus, when you offer your guests travel insurance and an unexpected mishap occurs during their vacation that is covered under the plan, you can be part of helping to save the day!

Your business is not focused on travel insurance and it shouldn’t be. So, as your partner and premier provider of travel protection solutions for the vacation rental industry, we’ll keep you up-to-date and informed about changes in the travel insurance industry─ especially changes to the regulatory environment.

Last year we took steps as an industry leader to move our partners away from the practice of offering travel insurance in an “opt-out” fashion, where travel insurance was automatically included in a reservation unless the guest chose to remove it. Now guests must make an affirmative selection in the booking path, which leads to more satisfied customers who are aware of all that they are purchasing. As our business partners have successfully transitioned to affirmative selection many have reported that the take-up rate results remain quite positive.

Many in the industry questioned whether making this change was necessary, but since we began transitioning our partners to affirmative selection it has become very clear that industry regulators are taking a close look at opt-out. 37 state regulators have signed on as part of a Market Actions Working Group that is closely examining the practices of travel insurance providers and their re-sellers and has identified opt-out as an area of concern. State regulators in California and Florida, two of the largest vacation rental markets, have also released statements against opt-out sales.

Bottom line: we look out for our partners and would love to talk to you at one or more of the upcoming conferences about how we can help your business.

Learn more about partnering with CSA

Travel insurance plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as CSA Travel Protection and Insurance Services. Plans are available to residents of the U.S. but may not be available in all jurisdictions. Benefits and services are described on a general basis; certain conditions and exclusions apply. Travel Retailers may not be licensed to sell insurance, in all states, and are not authorized to answer technical questions about the benefits, exclusions, and conditions of this insurance and cannot evaluate the adequacy of your existing insurance. This plan provides insurance coverage for your trip that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. The purchase of this plan is not required in order to purchase any other travel product or service offered to you by your travel retailers. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker. This notice provides general information on CSA’s products and services only. The information contained herein is not part of an insurance policy and may not be used to modify any insurance policy that might be issued. In the event the actual policy forms are inconsistent with any information provided herein, the language of the policy forms shall govern.

Travel insurance plans are underwritten by: Generali U.S. Branch, New York, NY; NAIC # 11231. Generali US Branch operates under the following names: Generali Assicurazioni Generali S.P.A. (U.S. Branch) in California, Assicurazioni Generali – U.S. Branch in Colorado, Generali U.S. Branch DBA The General Insurance Company of Trieste & Venice in Oregon, and The General Insurance Company of Trieste and Venice – U.S. Branch in Virginia. Generali US Branch is admitted or licensed to do business in all states and the District of Columbia.

CSA Travel Protection Takes Home Silver Travel Weekly Magellan Award

CSA Travel Protection (CSA) owned by Europ Assistance Group, a global leader in assistance and insurance products and services, today unveiled that its Agent University program was named a 2015 Silver Magellan Award Winner in the Online Travel Services: Education Program category.

In August 2014, CSA Travel Protection kicked off a new education program for travel agents called CSA University. This program provides product and sales training for complex, heavily regulated travel insurance products, in a quick and easy-to-understand way.

“I would like to thank the CSA agent university training team and congratulate them on a job well done,” said Bob Chambers, vice president of operations. “With decades of travel insurance expertise under our belts, this is just another example of how CSA leads the way when it comes to customer and partner relations.”

With entries from across the U.S. and around the world, the Magellan Award winners represent the best in the travel industry and salute the outstanding travel professionals behind it all.

The Magellan awards is the premier awards program honoring a broad range of industry segments including Hotels and Resorts, Travel Destinations, Cruise Lines, Online Travel Services, Airlines and Airports, Travel Agents and Agencies, Tour Operators and Car Rental Companies. The Magellan is the award to win if you are in the business of travel.

“The creativity that travel industry marketers and designers display to inspire travel and enhance the travel experience continues to impress our expert judges and readers,” said Arnie Weissmann, editor in chief of Travel Weekly. “This year’s winners continue to raise the bar, establishing themselves as not just the most talented and creative people in the travel industry but among the most creative and talented of any industry.”

The Magellan Awards are judged and overseen by a one-of-a-kind panel of top travel professionals representing the best names and most accomplished leaders from the industry.   In determining winners, entries do not compete with one another, instead they are judged against a standard of excellence based on the long experience of Travel Weekly. To uphold this high standard of excellence, a category may have multiple winners, or may have no winners at all.

For a complete list of silver and gold winners, please visit www.travelweeklyawards.com.

About CSA Travel Protection

CSA Travel Protection, a Europ Assistance Group company, is dedicated to providing valuable travel insurance and emergency assistance services to protect travelers’ vacation investments and provide the peace of mind one deserves while traveling. With over 20 years of experience, CSA has developed a reputation for standing behind its customers and offering products and services to meet their needs. Through award-winning customer service, extensive experience and industry-leading innovation, CSA is with its clients every step of the way.

Travel insurance plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 0821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as CSA Travel Protection and Insurance Services.  Plans are available to residents of the U.S. but may not be available in all jurisdictions.  Benefits and services are described on a general basis; certain conditions and exclusions apply.

Elvis
Has a guest ever asked if you can introduce them to Elvis? Used under a Creative Commons license. Photo by Mark Surman on Flickr.com

Strange Travel Requests: “I’d Like to Meet Elvis”

Learn more about partnering with CSA

As a vacation rental manager you have probably encountered some strange requests from guests. You’re not alone— the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) has a list of the “Top 20 Strangest Requests” submitted by their members.

Business is all about keeping customers happy, especially in the travel industry. We want to help you help your guests, and we offer travel insurance and emergency assistance services that can do that very thing. In fact, all of our plans include Concierge Services which could help deal with some strange requests and questions that your guests may have.

Here’s a selection from the ASTA list and how a Guest Protect travel insurance plan* from CSA Travel Protection might be useful in such strange situations:

  • Will you watch my pet while I’m away? While our plans don’t cover pet sitting, the 24 Hour Emergency Assistance Services included with our plans can arrange for the return of pets to the insured’s home if the pet is traveling with them and they are unable to take care of the pet due to a medical emergency. Also, our Vacation Rental Damage Protection plan may cover damage by pets if your rental is pet-friendly.
  • Are there toll roads on the way to Hawaii? A car stuck between California and Hawaii is in more trouble than CSA’s Roadside Assistance service can help with. However, as long as they’re in an area regularly traveled by car, if your guests find themselves stuck with a flat tire, dead battery, keys locked in the car or they just need a tow, and they have purchased a Guest Protect plan from CSA Travel Protection, they just need to call our hotline and our friendly service provider will be there to help.
  • Can you please plan a honeymoon for me, my bride and my mother? That may make for an awkward vacation, but our Guest Protect plan provides coverage for the entirety of the vacation rental reservation, so guests do not need to worry about purchasing separate plans.
  • I’d like to meet Elvis. Unless you’re in Las Vegas or Graceland, if a guest says they saw Elvis, they might want to speak with a medical professional. The Guest Protect plan includes access to Teladoc**, a service that allows travelers to call and connect instantly with a network of physicians for information, advice, and treatment, including prescription medication, when appropriate.

**Teladoc services may not be available in all states, and international services may be limited.

Travel insurance plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 0821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as CSA Travel Protection and Insurance Services.  Plans are available to residents of the U.S. but may not be available in all jurisdictions.  Benefits and services are described on a general basis; certain conditions and exclusions apply.

Travel insurance plans are underwritten by: Generali U.S. Branch, New York, NY; NAIC # 11231. Generali US Branch operates under the following names: Generali Assicurazioni Generali S.P.A. (U.S. Branch) in California, Assicurazioni Generali – U.S. Branch in Colorado, Generali U.S. Branch DBA The General Insurance Company of Trieste & Venice in Oregon, and The General Insurance Company of Trieste and Venice – U.S. Branch in Virginia. Generali US Branch is admitted or licensed to do business in all states and the District of Columbia.

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