Chartis Vice President, Mr Wong Fu-tat, said at a press conference that as the incident was a special case, “the level of compensation for victims has been doubled from HK$500,000 to HK$1 million, under insurance covering accidents caused by public transport”. The insurer will also help with the cost of bringing the remains of the dead to Hong Kong.

Mr Wong adds that the injured stand to receive up to HK$1 million in medical insurance benefits. Chartis will also provide them with cover of up to HK$100,000 for six months of follow-up medical treatment in Hong Kong.

Separately, the Manila Bulletin newspaper reports that the victims of the hostage-taking crisis will receive insurance benefits from the Passenger Accident Management and Insurance (PAMI) Agency as the bus that carried the tourists is insured by the agency.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) officer-in-charge Assistant Secretary, Dante Lantin, said: “The families of the dead victims of the hostage are entitled to at least PHP60,000 (US$1,318) insurance claims each. As for the injured passengers, PAMI has committed to shoulder part of their hospital expenses,” he said. Apart from the eight Hong Kong tourists killed, the hostage-taker himself, former police officer Rolando Mendoza, was shot dead. At least seven others were injured in the incident.

Southeast Asia’s third largest economy, which relies heavily on exports, is tentatively emerging from the global downturn as global trade picks up.

But Walter Culas, chairman of the airfreight forwarders association of Malaysia, told AFP that with the ash cloud forcing the closure of European airspace for almost a week hundreds of tonnes of cargo are not being delivered.

“As of today about 400 tonnes of cargo are stranded at the airport. The volcanic ash has paralysed valuable cargo movement to Europe from Malaysia,” he said. “The total losses could snowball to billions of ringgit,” Culas said.
He added that a sizeable portion of the cargo holed up were electrical and electronics products, which as a sector contributes significantly to the economy in terms of export earnings, manufacturing output and employment.

“The stranded cargo will hurt the Malaysian economy which is coming out of a recession. We just came out of a steep hill and run into a ditch,” he said.

Mukhriz Mahathir, deputy minister of international trade and industry said the government would try to find a quick solution to resolve the backlog cargo.

Culas described the shutdown across Europe as “my worst logistic nightmare in my 39-year career as a haulier”. “Most of the logistics hubbing for global trade are based in Europe — London, Paris, Frankfrut and Amsterdam. The airtraffic shutdown has crippled the logistics industry,” he said.

He hit out at Malaysia Airlines Cargo (MASkargo), the air cargo subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, for a lack of leadership in dealing the crisis.

“MASkargo, the terminal operator which handles cargo to Europe has not communicated with hauliers. The situation is worsening by day with no solution in sight. The terminal operator is not providing any leadership,” he said.

Culas said some urgent goods were transported to Singapore by road Tuesday before being flown to Lisbon — which has avoided the ash cloud — and then driven to their final destination.

However, Culas said it could take up to a month to clear the backlog of cargo. — AFP

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“With the opening of MHinsure to travellers in Malaysia, Singapore and Australia, we are confident we will see more than 70 per cent growth in premium sales by end of next year,” said Muzzaffar Othman, MAS Senior General Manager in the Managing Director’s Office.

He said the national carrier’s plan is to expand MHinsure to other markets in the near future.

Since the launch of MHinsure in Malaysia last year, about 25 per cent of Malaysia Airlines’ passengers have bought the travel insurance online.

Now travellers, whether flying with Malaysia Airlines or other airlines, can buy MHinsure at www.malaysiaairlines.com, it said in a statement.

Passengers travelling with the national carrier will have an option to buy the insurance with the air ticket, while other customers can just proceed straight to the MHinsure section, it said.

“In Malaysia, the basic plan rate starts from RM15 for domestic travel, RM23 to Asean and RM40 for other international destinations for a five-day trip. Besides the normal coverage, our customers can get access to 24-hour Emergency Medical and Travel Assistance,” said Muzzaffar.

The airline said the growth of MHinsure will be expedited by the completion of various website initiatives such as speed and payment getaway enhancements.

The number of monthly website visitors has since increased to 40 per cent while internet sales have grown from some 30,000 to about 150,000 bookings compared to last year, it said.

MHinsure is designed to offer quality and extensive coverage at an affordable price with a comprehensive 24-hour worldwide assistance.

The insurance covers medical expenses, cancellations, baggage losses, delays and other travel disruptions.

MHinsure is available online at www.malaysiaairlines.com. In Malaysia, the insurance can also be purchased by calling the MHinsure Sales at 1-800-806-376, MAS Call Centre at 1-300-88-3000 or MAS ticketing offices at KLIA, KL Sentral and Subang Skypark.

Mistake 1: Did not contact the Insurer during an emergency

Let’s face it, we all panic during an emergency. That’s why it’s called an emergency, a state for us to justify our panic-driven behavior. And it is during such a time that a calm and collected mind would provide the best solution to get us out of the emergency, with the most minimal damage or loss.

And so it is when you are traveling out there in a foreign land. Mistake number one is of course, not having any proper travel insurance coverage. I’m not saying you should pay through your nose for travel insurance, but unlike traveling domestically, getting stranded in an emergency while traveling overseas can really complicate things. So getting some basic coverage can at least minimize the psychological burden, while it buys you some time to analyze the situation.

However, one of the most common mistake for people who are covered with travel insurance is that they often did not notify their insurer immediately. They do not realize that the travel insurance also comes with advice on how to get the most effective treatment or solution for their emergency. Also, by contacting the Travel Insurer immediately, you can also get the necessary information on what paperwork you must obtain from the relevant authorities to ensure a speedy claim when you are back to your home country. Most people just assume that by filling up a claim form provided by the Travel Insurer, they will get their reimbursement. This is definitely not the case- all claims must be backed by authentic and relevant documents.

Yes, it’s also true that the travel insurance do not cover every emergencies, but one should utilize the facility provided by the Travel Insurer where you can ask for the best course of action.

Mistake 2: Did not submit original documents when making a claim

Most if not all Travel Insurer only accepts original receipts for claim submission. Yes, if you have lost your original receipts, you will have some problem verifying the authenticity of your claim. The alternative is to probably request for a copy of receipt from the relevant party and have them verified by either the party involved. Some Travel Insurer might also allow you to use your original credit card statement, verified by the card issuing bank.

However, by not providing the original bills or receipts for the payments you have made, you are just putting yourself in between a rock and a hard place. Don’t take it as an insult on your character when the Travel Insurer says that they will not reimburse you until you show up with the original documents. No one is saying your dishonest, it’s just that, to proceed with the claim, photocopy of your payment documents are not going to make it through the Claims Department, period.

There is a reason why Travel Insurers insist on original documents, in fact, it is the practice of all Insurer that all monetary claims that is to be reimbursed to the policyholder must be furnished with original and authentic payment receipts. This is to ensure that policyholders do not claim the bills from other Insurers and try to profit from the claim.

So, no matter what policy is being practiced by the country you have traveled to, you must insist on the original copy of all the payments you have made. Do not settle for photocopy or carbon-copy. You have the right to receive original receipts as proof of your payments.

Mistake 3: Did not submit the claim within the stipulated time period

Most people would think that as long as they have the proper documentations in place, they can submit their claim anytime. Nonetheless, it’s a good idea to check the details of your travel insurance policy before making any assumptions on the time given for you to submit your claims. A ‘Notice of Claim‘ clause in a standard Travel Insurance policy might look like this:

NOTICE OF CLAIM: Notice of claim must be given to the Company within thirty (30) days after the Date of Loss/Accident. The Policyholder and/or Insured Person hereunder shall produce for the Company�s examination pertinent documents at such reasonable times and shall co-operate with the Company in all matters pertaining to any loss and/or claims. Failure to comply with this condition may prejudice the claim. Notice of claim given by or on behalf of the Policyholder and/or Insured Person to the Company, or to any authorized official of the Company providing information sufficient to identify the Policyholder and/or Insured Person shall be deemed notice to the Company.

In some cases, it might not be feasible to send in or fax a written notification to the Travel Insurer. Hence, it’s a good idea to always keep the Travel Insurer’s 24 hours emergency assistance hotline number and your travel insurance policy number when you are traveling. Check out this link for a list of Malaysia Travel Insurance Provider’s emergency hotline numbers.

For example, let’s say that you’ve lost your passport the moment you’ve arrived in your destination. Under most travel insurance, the loss of travel documents entitles you for a claim. And it would be another 2 months before you are heading back to Malaysia. Under this circumstance, it would be wise for you to call up the Travel Insurer and inform them about the loss and then have them advise you on the steps you need to take to ensure a speedy claim. If you wait till you come back to Malaysia, which is more than 30 days after your loss, you might need to furnish all the reasons of you not being able to notify the company and all the unnecessary ping-pongs with the Travel Insurer’s Claim Department.

So, to make your life easy, always contact your Travel Insurer whenever you have an emergency, regardless of whether you are entitled for a claim or not.

Accommodation on twin share basis, 3 international buffet meals daily with unlimited flow of wines, beers, aerated drinks & other
beverages, all day bar & snacking (alcohol & non-alcohol), sport facilities with tuition & equipment and kids club.

Price in MYR per person per night on ground arrangement only. Second person stays FREE!

Booking Period: 13-15 Mar 09 (Valid for Superior Rooms only)
Minimum Night Stay: 3 Nights

Terms & Conditions:
1) Prices are correct at time of print based on twin share per person.
2) Prices exclude mandatory membership fee of RM95 (new)/ RM65 (renewal) per person.
(Membership fee applicable for all including FOC parties from 12 yrs above)
3) Prices not valid during high season, public holidays & blackout dates.
4) Hotel room is subject to availability and confirmation.
5) No refund or cancellation allowed after payment has been made.
6) Holiday Tours and Club Med Standard terms & conditions apply.

For reservations, please contact:
KL HQ 603-2719 1888 / Penang 604-228 8803 / Kuantan 609-516 4051 / JB 607-276 7110
Email: outbound@holidaytours.com.my
Suite 5-3, 5th Floor Wisma UOA II, 21 Jalan Pinang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur (Co No 23070 H KKKP0424)

via The Seattle Times Company

Cathay Pacific airline apologizes for airport tantrum video
Cathay Pacific has apologized for embarrassing a customer whose anguish after missing her flight was captured on video by an airline employee and posted on the Internet.

By MIN LEE
Associated Press Writer

HONG KONG �Cathay Pacific has apologized for embarrassing a customer whose anguish after missing her flight was captured on video by an airline employee and posted on the Internet.

The Hong Kong airline said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday that the worker who filmed the video has been disciplined but that another person posted the footage on YouTube, a video-sharing Web site.

The three-minute video shot on a mobile phone shows a woman wailing, throwing herself on the floor, banging on an airport counter and trying to barge through a closed boarding gate at the Hong Kong International Airport on Feb. 4 after missing a flight to San Francisco.

“They have no compassion. The plane hasn’t even left, and they’ve shut the gate. They’re crazy! They’re crazy!” the woman shouted.

First posted on YouTube on Feb. 12, it had drawn 4.97 million views and nearly 18,000 comments as of Thursday. Some postings have added mock subtitles.

It wasn’t clear why the woman was so upset about missing the flight, and she could not be identified or contacted. Cathay spokeswoman Carolyn Leung declined comment.

Cathay said it had apologized to the woman “for the inconvenience and embarrassment she may have suffered as a result” and offered to upgrade her seats on her next trip and reimburse her for frequent flyer miles she used for upgrades on recent journeys.

The airline said the woman has not sought compensation from the company.

The South China Morning Post newspaper reported Thursday the woman met with Cathay’s customer relations officials last week and was calm during the four-hour meeting as she explained the embarrassment the video has caused her.