InsureMyTrip, the first and only travel insurance comparison site using machine learning technology to create a personalized experience for travelers, released the latest upgrade to its groundbreaking recommendation engine today. The newest version now automatically filters thousands of travel insurance plans in order to predict which plans are most appropriate and relevant for those traveling during hurricane season to storm-prone destinations, like the Caribbean.
The technology was first announced by InsureMyTrip CEO Jim Grace to industry leaders during a CES 2018 event. It is the first time predictive models and machine learning techniques are being applied to travel insurance comparison.
“Hurricanes have a great impact on travelers and can easily put trips in jeopardy. While there are travel insurance plans with specific hurricane-related coverages, travelers may have difficulty identifying those plans quickly online. Our groundbreaking recommendation engine now automatically showcases plans with robust hurricane coverage, empowering travelers to feel more confident with their travel insurance purchase,” says InsureMyTrip CEO Jim Grace.
RELATED: InsureMyTrip’s groundbreaking recommendation engine has the ability to select a specific travel insurance plan based on the user’s profile.
In addition to hurricane filtering, this enhanced version also better identifies specific coverages based on the user’s profile. For example, cruisers are typically concerned about missing the ship’s boarding time due to a flight delay or missed connection. The recommendation engine has already “learned” this attribute and will use this type of data to make a more intelligent decision, on behalf of the customer requesting a quote, and offer a travel insurance plan that will also include various missed connection and travel delay benefits.
This tool enables the traveler to easily find the right travel insurance plan 10x faster than comparing quotes manually online.
“As we continue to pioneer the technology in this space, we anticipate continued and highly visible improvement to the comparison and purchase experiences for our end users,” says InsureMyTrip Director of Technology & Architecture Andy Bent, who leads the data team responsible for the recommendation engine.
How Hurricane Coverage Works
Travelers who purchase traditional travel insurance prior to a storm forming may receive reimbursement of pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs if they must cancel a trip due to severe weather-related issues that are covered under the trip cancellation benefit. Here are some examples:
Flights are grounded: Many plans may cover a traveler when common carriers such as airlines or cruise lines cease service due to weather. The cessation of services typically must be for a certain number of consecutive hours, usually 24-48.
The resort is in the path of a hurricane: A few plans will cover a traveler when the traveler’s destination is under a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued hurricane warning within 24-48 hours of the departure date.
Hotel or resort is impacted: Many plans may cover a traveler when a hotel, resort, or vacation rental is devastated and made uninhabitable by a storm.
Home is badly damaged: Many plans offer coverage when the primary home of a traveler sustains destructive storm damage that renders the home uninhabitable.
Media Contact:
Andy Bent
[email protected]
About InsureMyTrip
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