Travel Guard North America Becomes Helix Preferred Supplier

Leading Travel Insurance Provider Delivers Comprehensive Plans to Helix Members

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May 10, 2011, 10:10 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ARC announced today that Travel Guard® North America, a worldwide leader in travel insurance and assistance plans, has become an ARC Helix™ preferred supplier. Travel Guard will allow Helix member agencies the ability to offer their clients comprehensive travel insurance plans covering trip cancellation, interruption, delay, medical expenses, baggage loss, and other unexpected travel-related events.

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"At Travel Guard, we believe the best investment you can make in your trip is to include a comprehensive travel insurance plan, to cover the 'what if's' when traveling," explained Tom Zavadsky, executive vice president, sales and underwriting, Travel Guard North America. "We're pleased to be joining the ARC Helix program, and look forward to being there for travelers and the agencies serving them."

Travel Guard, which has been providing travel insurance coverage plans for more than 20 years, offers comprehensive travel insurance programs suitable for today's evolving traveler and their varied interests and needs. Award-winning customer service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through Travel Guard assistance centers.

"Travel Guard is an excellent addition to the Helix preferred supplier portfolio, which gives our members a profitable travel insurance option," said Christopher Flores, Helix program director. "Their reputation, customer service, commitment to the agency channel, and quality product in the travel insurance coverage arena are the reasons why we look forward to this partnership."

ARC Helix is an exclusive members-only program for home-based and retail travel agencies. It offers preferred supplier portfolio covering all segments of travel, multiple business services, and the professional education and training opportunities to assist agencies in operating more efficiently and becoming more profitable. Helix currently features more than 30 preferred suppliers in its portfolio.

More information about joining ARC Helix is available at www.arccorp.com/helix.

About ARC:

As the financial backbone of the travel industry, ARC enables commerce among travel agencies, airlines, and travel suppliers, and offers them secure and accurate financial settlement services. More than 16,000 travel agencies and 190 airlines use the company's transaction settlement services that, in 2010, totaled more than $77 billion in value. ARC also supplies transactional data to organizations, facilitating better business decisions through fact-based market analyses. Established in 1984, ARC is headquartered in Arlington, Va. For more information, visit www.arccorp.com.

About Travel Guard:

Travel Guard, a Chartis company and worldwide leader in travel insurance and assistance, provides products and services to millions of travelers around the globe, including a wide range of emergency services through its wholly-owned assistance centers located in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Travel Guard helps leisure and business travelers alike solve problems and manage risks. Travel Guard's global reach, unparalleled service quality and proven operational capabilities allow clients to receive best-in-class care. Travel Guard's suite of technology platforms enables seamless integration with all major travel distribution systems and supplier channels. The travel insurance products marketed by Travel Guard are underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries and affiliates of Chartis Inc. For additional information, please visit our websites at www.travelguard.com and www.travelguardworldwide.com.

Domestically insurance underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., a Pennsylvania insurance company, with its principal place of business at 175 Water Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10038. It is currently authorized to transact business in all states and the District of Columbia. NAIC No. 19445. This is only a brief description of the coverage(s) available. The Policy will contain reductions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions. Coverage may not be available in all states.

SOURCE ARC