By Ogova Ondego
Published January 3, 2010
Travellers from Nairobi can now fly directly to France, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Congo-Kinshasa, and Burkina Faso. What is more, they may book their travel insurance as they book their tickets and even pay for the ticket via mobile telephony money transfer.
The travel insurance “Travel Guard” is offered by Chartis Insurance (formerly AIG) and covers medical expenses up to US$0.5 million, baggage loss up to US$10,000 and flight cancellation or accommodation up to $5,000.
Travel Guard also includes 24/7 emergency evacuation medical services.
Mohan Chandra, Commercial Director of Kenya Airways, says Travel Guard insurance provides both convenience and peace of mind to the traveller in a one-stop arrangement.
“The airline has established a programme for selling the travel insurance on our website and through KQ’s call centres. The ticketing offices will then issue Travel Guard travel insurance,” says Chandra.
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Travel Guard insurance can be purchased on the airline’s website or through Kenya Airways sales agents while booking for flight tickets.
The point of sales for the Travel Guard (described as the first arrangement of its kind in Africa) is currently limited to Kenya but will be gradually rolled out across Kenya Airways’ network.
On the mobile telephone money transfer “Fly with M-Pesa” passengers may use Safaricom’s M-Pesa service to pay for a ticket up to US$1,000 via the KQ business number 777777.
Kenya Airways passengers can now fly directly from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi to the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris via Kenya Airways and her partner, the Royal Dutch Airline, KLM, on six weekly flights. Travellers can reach Paris early in the morning when they depart on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday or in the evening on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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KQ, the Kenyan flag bearer, has also added four new African destinations to her schedule: Malabo in Equatorial Guinea, Bangui in Central African Republic, Kisangani in DRC and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso.
Meanwhile the Belgian carrier SN Brussels Airlines that operates into Nairobi, Entebbe, Kigali and Bujumbura and runs more than 200 daily flights to 55 European airports and 14 African ones, has joined the Star Alliance network of airlines that is set to benefit its passengers by providing them a wider choice of travel benefits.
