Southeast Asian business travel management start-up TruTrip Pte Ltd (“TruTrip”) launched a unique booking service that helps travellers save on air tickets and accommodation expenses in the event of unexpected trip cancellations. Called TruFlex, this booking option provides an instant refund of at least 80% of incurred costs for travellers in the event of trip cancellations and is launched in partnership with leading digital insurer FWD Singapore (“FWD”).
Business travel is essential in building personal relationships and according to a 2020 Globetrender report, 76% prefer being face to face with clients. As a result of vaccinations and pent up demand, companies are bringing employees back together with team meetings and gatherings (article by McKinsey). Business travel often comes with the need for extra flexibility. Many business travellers are left to book at the last minute or book using Flexible Fares – leaving them to frequently pay more than 3X just to have more flexibility. While the Covid-19 has led to many airlines reducing the cost of flexible fares, this practice of charging extra for flexibility resurfaced, as the world recovers gradually from the pandemic.
TruFlex is a highly accessible alternative to booking flexible fares; offering a comparable flexibility benefit at a fraction of the premiums charged by flight and accommodation providers. TruFlex is built for those looking to reduce overall travel costs at this sensitive time, without exposing their business to unnecessary risks or effective lock-ins. With TruFlex, companies can
- Cancel for any reason until 24 hours before their travel starts,
- Cancel fuss free – no forms, no calls, just a simple button click,
- Get refunded instantly in cash, not credits, so no tie-in to route or provider
TruFlex is offered at a subscription fee of S$ 20 per month for an entire company, plus a 12.8% fee (inclusive of taxes) charged on each travel booking.
How does TruFlex compare to flexible booking options?
We’ve done the digging so you don’t have to. By comparing over 20 different airlines and accommodation providers, we found that most travellers would save up to 50% by opting for the cheapest fare with TruFlex. While similar competing products are available in other markets, many are limited only to travellers in specific countries. TruFlex is the first of its kind in the Southeast Asian region and is available to users globally.
If you’d like to prevent losses from unexpected travel cancellations, TruFlex is for you. Flexible tickets are often refunded in-flight credit which works best for frequent travellers. With TruFlex, refunds are made in cash which gives you the freedom to rebook travel on any route, airline or time.
“We’re very excited to bring TruFlex to our users. Unlimited by borders, we believe TruFlex is a first-of-a-kind innovation that has been made possible with help from our friends at FWD. TruFlex offers our users a real alternative between the high-cost flexible fares and a ‘self-insure approach many businesses end up adopting. As we and our users tentatively restart travel, protecting from further shocks is really important – TruFlex answers this need.” said Hugh Batley, the founder and managing director of TruTrip.
Khor Kee Eng, CEO, FWD Singapore, added, “FWD is proud to work with TruTrip to offer their customers the flexibility to make changes to their travel plans as people gradually resume overseas business travel. This also affirms our commitment to work with like-minded partners to leverage our capabilities in digitalisation and product innovation, as we continue changing the way people feel about insurance.”
