If the next stage in airfare bargain hunting is split tickets, then Travel Guard and Vayant Travel Technologies are working on getting a travel insurance product in place that would cover tickets on different carriers where there is no interline agreement.
The two companies announced a partnership where Travel Guard would provide travelers with insurance offers for split tickets as they shop online and Vayant would provide Travel Guard with data about missed connections and claims-management information.
Precise details on how much the insurance would cost or other terms of the split-ticket insurance were not available because the product still is under development.
The two companies say there is no existing travel insurance product for split tickets and their collaboration would produce the first.
Travel insurance for split tickets presumably would calm some consumers' fears that they would be taking a big gamble when booking split tickets. When there are no interline agreements among the airlines in question, the possibility of mixed connections may be a concern.
Vayant offers airfare shopping and pricing products and specializes in putting together split tickets, where consumers could save big bucks by cobbling together an itinerary consisting of a segment from a major airline with another segement from a low cost carrier where there is no interline agreement.
A start-up, Vayant has yet to announce an online travel agency, metasearch or airline client.
But, the agreement with Travel Guard is not restricted for use on websites that Vayant technology would power.
Travel Guard conceivably could use the split-ticket insurance product, powered by Vayant missed-connection data, on third-party websites, a Vayant spokeswoman says.
Plans call for Travel Guard to place insurance offers on split tickets in the booking path on travel websites and the travel insurerer would detail which split tickets are insurable and which aren't.