Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, part of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, has launched the first product in its new travel-insurance line designed for travelers, travel agencies, tour operators and travel suppliers called AirCare.
AirCare is a fixed-benefit flight protection coverage available up to one hour before flight departure.
AirCare coverage is priced at $25 per trip and pays $1,000 to travelers for tarmac delays of more than two hours; $1,000 if a traveler experiences lost or stolen luggage; $500 if a flight delay causes a traveler to miss a connecting flight; $500 for luggage delayed more than 12 hours; and $50 if a traveler experiences more than a two-hour flight delay. AirCare also includes travel-assistance through MyAssist, a global-assistance and concierge service.
AirCare was developed in response to what is shaping up to be one of the most disruptive and expensive years for travelers. According to data from FlightAware, this has been the worst year on record for flight cancellations in the U.S., with nearly 90,000 flights cancelled since December 2013.
masFlight, a data company specializing in airline operations, found that weather disruptions in January alone resulted in 300,000 flight delays. 30 million U.S. passengers were impacted by delayed or cancelled flights, costing $2.5 billion in lost productivity and additional incurred expenses for items such as hotel rooms and meals.
AirCare is the first of several travel-protection products slated to be released under the Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection name over the next several months.
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection will operate under the leadership of John Noel and leverages the capabilities of MyAssist and Insure America, both part of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance.
AirCare is available for purchase from the bhtp.com website. It will also be made available to travel agents and other travel suppliers.
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance is a division of the Berkshire Hathaway Group of Insurance Cos. and provides commercial property, casualty, healthcare liability, executive and professional lines insurance and programs for customers across the U.S. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance underwrites on the paper of Berkshire Hathaway’s National Indemnity group of insurance companies.
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection is the marketing name for travel protection and services of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Concierge, LLC, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Co. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Concierge, LLC provides personal and emergency assistance services, and liability-protection products to customers