On the fly: new partnership allows travellers to buy last minute insurance at the airport

• AXA Partners strikes deal with SA Systems to provide customers with insurance using self-service kiosks
• AXA Partners has launched a new initiative with SA Systems, allowing travellers to purchase insurance at the airport or in a government visa centre in minutes before going abroad.

At the airport

SA Systems, creators of the next generation self-service terminals, are working in partnership with AXA Partners, providing customers with the ability to quickly take out a travel insurance policy right before they get on the plane.

Kiosks are currently installed at London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Luton, Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands and Newcastle airports – available to more than 100 million individuals each year.

At the visa centre

The kiosks are also stationed in government visa centres in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, allowing travellers to easily purchase cover, which is compulsory for a visa to be granted – ensuring they have the cover and documentation they need.

Sales director at AXA Partners UK & Ireland, Jason Sparrow, who spearheaded the project with SA Systems, said: “Research tells us that nearly 10 million people travel abroad without the correct insurance or with no insurance at all[i]. The SA Systems’ kiosks make it easy for customers to ensure they’re covered before boarding their plane. With the process only taking two minutes, it allows them access to insurance at the point when they need it and they don’t have to contend with, what can often be, poor mobile connectivity in airports.”

As well as providing customers with peace of mind at the airport before they travel, Sparrow also believes that the kiosks provide a solution to problems that can occur at a visa centre. He continued: “Many people either forget or simply don’t realise that they need insurance in order to get a visa. Centres are able to provide travellers with a quick and easy way of acquiring the insurance they need so that they can obtain their visa.”

Sparrow also maintains that the partnership is rare for the industry. He said: “At AXA Partners our key focus is meeting the changing needs of our customers through innovative solutions, which we feel is a vital strategy in ensuring the market continues to evolve. We are developing our offering so that it isn’t just about reactively helping our customers when they need to make a claim, but also providing them with a proactive solution at the point they need it the most.”

The companies also plan to grow their partnership wider throughout the UK as well as globally. Ben Perry, CEO at SA Systems commented: “We are really pleased to be working with a trusted, well-known brand like AXA Partners. Our cloud-based tech is built for international scale, engaging people at the point of need. This is an exciting opportunity for both of us to grow beyond the UK and travel insurance. We look forward to being able to introduce new technology to the partnership whilst providing travellers with easy-to-access cover that gives them peace of mind when they need it most.”

[i]ABTA figures for people travelling between May 2017-May 2018