UK InsurTech Pluto, the travel insurance startup backed by the recent winner of the ‘British Airways – Future of Flying’ award, Zurich, has teamed up with Blink to provide flight delay cover to its customers, instantly helping them get access to an airport lounge or a cash payout when they need it most.
Pluto allows customers to build and manage their own policies and even claim from their mobile device. With its headline ‘Travel cover for the travel lover’, Pluto aims to reduce the number of millennials who put themselves under unnecessary risk when travelling without cover, which applies to around 40% of this audience.
Blink, acquired by CPPGroup Plc in 2017, is quickly becoming one of the most innovative and successful providers of flight disruption solutions to insurers across the globe. It offers customers a proactive real-time insurance service that meets the speed and convenience that modern customers demand through notifying travellers instantly if a flight is delayed. Real-time event notification allows for real-time problem resolution. Blink can offer clients options such as a cash payment or access to an airport lounge, all within seconds of the disruption occurring.
Alex Rainey, Co-Founder and CEO of Pluto, said: “Insurance is such an exciting space because there’s so much room for improvement. A lot of this can be achieved by using the latest technology combined with thoughtful design. We’re constantly looking for new ways to bring experiences and services to our customers that they wouldn’t expect from a travel insurer. Being able to help them instantly in a time of frustration, like a flight delay, can be such a surprising experience for a customer. When we found Blink, we instantly knew we wanted to partner with them. They’ve proven themselves all over the world as a leading parametric travel insurance tech provider. Our customers are super excited to start using this new service.”
Alex describes the innovation as a “gamechanger, not only for the travel insurance industry but for all of those who travel, whether for work or for leisure, millennial or not. Blink enables us to provide that magic moment to customers, surprising and delighting them when they least expect it. Our community just love to travel, but things go wrong sometimes, being able to be there to help is what we’re all about.”
Paul Prendergast, CEO of Blink, added: “The discussions we’ve had with Pluto, a dynamic company changing the insurance market with truly novel products, has been a delight. The partnership is a natural fit for both companies and one we are excited about growing. Partnering with Pluto to design smart parametric travel insurance that appeals to a millennial demographic, which represents almost 18%[1] of the UK population alone, is just the type of work we thrive on.”
Alex concludes: “As we prepare for our crowdfunding campaign in September this year, partnerships with leading technology providers like Blink are key. They allow us to deliver on our vision of helping people get the most out of their travels. Instant help with flights delays are an incredible way to start bringing that vision to life.”