Apple Leisure Group Provides Ancillary Benefits with New Travel Insurance Program
by Jessica Montevago
The initiative provides commission protection along with a host of ancillary benefits across all brands. Photo: Shutterstock
Apple Leisure Group Vacations is introducing Travel Protection Plus, a new program that provides commission protection along with a host of ancillary benefits, across all brands, including Apple Vacations, Travel Impressions, Funjet Vacations, Southwest Vacations, Blue Sky Tours, and United Vacations.
Underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Travel Protection Plus provides travel insurance coverage for qualifying claims for trip interruption, travel delay, loss of baggage, baggage delay, emergency evacuation, medical expense, and travel-related accidents. It also offers a wide array of pre-departure penalty waiver components designed to assist travel advisor partners.
Travel Protection Plus includes commission protection up to $100 per room on reservations including scheduled air, exclusive nonstop vacation flights, and land-only packages (not valid on air-only or traditional group bookings, or with Apple Vacations’ Travel Protection Plus – Travel Credit option).
A non-insurance waiver allows customers to “Cancel For Any Reason” prior to departure and receive a full refund; and “Low Deposit” requires a reduced deposit amount. Another benefit, “No Supplier Revision Fees” means that clients will not be charged additional supplier fees on any initial changes to the reservation. If hotel prices drop after booking, Travel Protection Plus offers a price guarantee that will adjust the reservation to match — another unique non-insurance benefit designed to make travel advisors seem like superheroes to their clients.
Travel Protection Plus also features a hurricane travel credit that provides a refund for unused or interrupted vacation nights in the event a category one or higher storm disrupts the client’s vacation for more than 24 hours.
Some rules will change between brands. Travel Protection Plus will be sold as Southwest Vacations’ Travel Protection for Southwest Vacations and will utilize a direct percentage of the trip cost to calculate pricing; while the Low Deposit option will be replaced with a Travel Agent Reduced Payment Plan; and Price Guarantee will be excluded in favor of Southwest Vacations’ Lowest Price Promise.
Other brand differences include an additional Travel Protection Plus – Travel Credit option (formerly Voucher) for travel advisors booking with Apple Vacations that offers similar coverage at a lower cost and provides refunds in the form of a travel credit card versus the original form of payment.
Pricing tiers for all destinations are calculated on a per passenger basis starting at $79.99 per adult, with children 12 and under at half the adult price. Premiums max out at $169.99 per adult for packages valued above $3,000 per passenger.
Visit algvacations.com/travelprotectionplus for more information.
