If you want to turn client frustration with Secure Flight procedures into a winner, Travel Insured International has an idea! As the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Secure Flight Program begins (effective Nov. 1) Travel Insured International is encouraging travel agents to help clients turn a perceived booking hassle into an opportunity to buy peace of mind. When presenting full names, genders, and birthdates of travelers, agents can add the trip cost per person to obtain an instant travel insurance quote.
Travel Insured notes agents and their clients have anticipated for months the new TSA Secure Flight Program passenger data requirements that officially began Monday, Nov. 1, 2010. Designed to check passenger information against U.S. government "no fly" lists and eliminate false security reports, the program requires that complete Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) be submitted for each airline passenger at the time of booking.
The SFPD information includes full names with middle names or initials, genders, and dates of birth to be entered into the airline ticket booking to match the information on the government-issued photo IDs the passengers will present at the airport.
While some clients will look on Secure Flight as a hassle presenting potential delays until system bugs are eliminated, this is a new opportunity for savvy travel agents to present an instant travel insurance rate quote at the time of booking. Travel Insured says all that has to be done is to obtain the required SFPD information for all passengers, such as family members, prior to a booking because most airlines will no longer allow a ticket or boarding pass to be issued until the information is provided.
Agents can then use of the birthdates and total trip costs of each traveler as the two key pieces of information needed to obtain a quick, accurate travel insurance quote to present to the client. Why guess or estimate how much insuring a trip will cost when SFPD information is available to facilitate an exact, instant quote?
Travel agents can offer to obtain for their clients a Travel Insured International "Quick Quote," which can be found by visiting Travel Insured's web home page. When the agent keys in the clients' travel departure and return dates, the trip cost per person, the age of each traveler, and clicks the type of trip planned and the "Get Quote" tab, a price quote page will be quickly displayed. The quote page presents prices for inclusive and optional coverage listed for each plan available for the type of trip indicated in the quote request.
Travel Insured also offers tips on how agents can help clients avoid Secure Flight delays including:
• Gather the SFPD information ahead of making the airline booking to prevent delay in obtaining tickets and or boarding passes.
• Double check to be sure SFPD information on an airline booking matches each passenger's government issued ID card. When it does, use the information to suggest an instant, exact travel insurance rate quote.
• Expect delays during the upcoming holiday season with the new Secure Flight plan requirements. Recommend that clients allow extra airport check-in time.
• Insured travelers are responsible for complying with government travel rules and requirements. A delay due to the insured's failure to comply with required SFPD is not a covered reason for Trip Delay coverage.
Visit www.TravelInsured.com.