Amex Rolls Out Passport, Insurance Offerings

American Express Business Travel today announced the launch of two new services aimed at providing increased security and convenience for international business travelers: an enhanced visa and passport acquisition program and a portfolio of travel insurance products.

Through its continued partnership with CIBT Inc. and Travisa Visa Service Inc., independent processors of global travel documents, Amex now will automate the PNR review process and push personalized travel documentation materials directly to business travelers who have made international trip reservations.

"Historically, we've already provided the level of service that says to the traveler, 'if you need support, please work with our partner to get that information,' " said Jiten Bhalgat, manager of product development at Amex Business Travel. "Now, when travelers make an international reservation, we're proactively sending them information based on things like their destination and citizenship. We go into a lot more detail scrutinizing the traveler's itinerary and doing the due diligence to determine if they need a visa passport."

Since visas are often date and destination specific, the enhanced offering also will help to ensure the accuracy of materials provided to travelers by monitoring the entire documentation process, Bhalgat said. "The process or the service expectation is that when the booking is made, our provider will hear about any changes to the reservation within two business hours. The PNR will be responded to within four business hours."

Though American Express is keeping the technology employed by its new offering under wraps, said Bhalgat, "what really makes it unique is that it's an automated and integrated process."

Jeff Fine, president of CIBT Inc., the largest visa and passport processing company in the United States, said that a number of travel agencies, including American Express, have for years granted CIBT PNR review capabilities. "It's not the norm, though, it's more of the exception," he said, noting that the seamless integration and transmission of data makes Amex's product distinctive. "I would say that American Express probably is a little further ahead with its customers in having us do that."

Business travelers at the Westinghouse Electric Co., a global leader in commercial nuclear electric power, are among the first Amex customers to automatically receive destination and time-specific visa information and applications after making international reservations, Cindy Keating, travel program manager, said today in a statement.

"This service will save numerous phone calls when travelers are finalizing their plans and will reduce their anxiety when leaving for their trip," said Keating. "Most importantly, our travelers are starting their trips confident they have the correct and necessary travel documents to proceed to their destination countries without incident."

Amex also rolled out the Global Travel Shield, a suite of door-to-door insurance products that clients can purchase benefits individually or as a complete package. Coverage, which previously was unavailable to companies but was available to individuals for specific trips, includes emergency medical evacuation and repatriation, baggage loss and delay, and trip cancellation and interruption. Insurance policies extend to all business and personal trips for one year from the date of enrollment, regardless of destination, point of sale or method of payment.