Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) has partnered with Blink Parametric to launch TravelCare Delay Assist, an Australian-first, providing a new real-time flight delay benefit for eligible Australian customers travelling internationally.
The launch marks a significant step in SCTI’s focus on making travel insurance more responsive, and customer-led. TravelCare Delay Assist uses Blink Parametric’s real-time flight monitoring to identify qualifying delays and contact eligible customers while they are travelling, without the need to submit a separate claim for the Delay Assist benefit.
TravelCare Delay Assist will be available with eligible International Comprehensive Single Trip policies purchased from 1 July 2026. Once registered, eligible customers are contacted by email and SMS when a qualifying flight delay of two hours or more is identified. They are then offered a choice of $40 digital vouchers for Uber, TripGift or Woolworths, which can be used while travelling or after the traveller returns home.
All other policy benefits remain in place for unexpected travel disruption or changes to a customer’s journey, subject to policy terms and conditions.
Carole Tokody, CEO at Southern Cross Travel Insurance, said the launch reflects SCTI’s broader focus on improving the customer experience at the moments when travellers need it the most.
“Travel disruption is one of the clearest examples of where customers want something simple and useful to alleviate stress. If we can take some of the sting out of those inconvenient moments, then we’re doing our job,” Tokody said.
“TravelCare Delay Assist is a simple, useful benefit that reflects where travel insurance is heading. It’s more proactive, more responsive and more connected to the real experience of travel.”
For SCTI, the benefit reflects a bigger focus on making travel insurance feel more human and more useful when it matters most, with real-time technology helping to improve the customer experience during disruption.
SCTI’s analysis shows travel disruption remains a significant issue for Australian travellers. Across 2023 to 2025, SCTI recorded 4,280 Australian delay-related claims, with more than A$5 million paid out over the three-year period. While claim volumes eased over that time, the average value of each claim rose by 22%, from $1,045 in 2023 to $1,282 in 2025.
SCTI’s destination analysis also shows delay-related claims are being recorded across some of Australians’ most popular overseas destinations, with Indonesia recording the highest number of international destination claims (17%). The United States followed at 16% but also secured the most expensive destination with over $740,000 worth of claim costs. Other countries where Australian travellers are experiencing delay-related disruption include Japan (12%), Italy (11%), The United Kingdom (11%) and Thailand (9%).
Perry McShane, Director of Strategic Accounts at Blink Parametric, said the partnership demonstrates how insurers can use real-time technology to deliver more meaningful customer outcomes during travel disruption.
“This is a strong example of how travel insurance is evolving,” McShane said.
“SCTI is taking the lead in the Australasian insurance category by delivering a real-time benefit that can be embedded directly into the customer journey. Blink is delighted to partner with SCTI to help create a more responsive experience for travellers when delays occur.”
The launch forms part of SCTI’s broader strategy to embed innovation into its products and use technology to deliver more seamless, value-driven customer experiences.
