For Immediate Release

Contact:
Scott Campbell
Phillips & Company
512-423-4907
dscampbell@phillipscompany.com

Travel Assist Network Launches the Air Rescue Card for Canadian Travelers Providing Comprehensive Emergency Services Protection and Security

Company Will Offer Direct Travel Assistance Out of Montreal Office

MONTREAL, QUEBEC — June 19, 2006 — Travel Assist Network, a leading provider of travel-related emergency services, introduced today the Air Rescue Card™ for Canadian travelers, an affordable membership program that provides 24-hour medical assistance, evacuation, and critical information services to business and leisure travelers anywhere in the world.  The U.S.-based firm will operate a emergency travel assistance center from Montreal with additional locations in over 40 countries worldwide.

Whether it’s a short business trip or an extended vacation, within Canada or abroad, any person, regardless of age or medical history, can travel with security and protection under the Air Rescue Card membership program.  The Air Rescue Card covers any member traveling 99 miles or more from home.  The Air Rescue Card is the only medical evacuation service on the market today that provides coverage regardless of age and includes a guaranteed trip home for family members and dependents.

According to a report published last year by Euromonitor International on Canada’s tourism industry, the Canadian economy, with record low unemployment and a high level of consumer confidence, is fueling growth in leisure spending, which increased by 21 percent over the last five years.  In another report issued by Statistics Canada just last month, it is reported that Canadian travel has reached an “all-time high with 6.2 million overnight trips to destinations other than the United States, and spending at a record high of $9.4 billion.”

Said Tim Prero, president and CEO of Travel Assist Network, “In these uncertain times, travelers want security and financial assurance.  The Air Rescue Card gives our members the peace-of-mind and the freedom from financial stresses that may come from unpredictable medical and travel emergencies.  We’ve designed this program to include the most comprehensive set of services and protection on the market at a price everyone can afford.”

Travel Assist Network has paired with AeroCare Air Ambulance Inc. to provide world-class, CAMTS-certified medical evacuation services and with one of the world’s largest financial protection companies to underwrite the membership program and provide global operational support. Together, the companies have performed medical evacuations in more than 175 countries.

Annual memberships to the Air Rescue Card program start at US$235 for individuals. A family of five can travel with all the benefits of membership for as low as US$390 per year. Without membership to a program like the Air Rescue Card, travelers can expect to pay as much as US$150,000 for a medical evacuation. Average cost is near US$50,000, and trip insurance and health insurance plans rarely cover such costs unless it is deemed medically necessary for the life of the patient, and then only the cost of transport to the nearest suitable medical facility.

In contrast, travelers with the Air Rescue Card will be evacuated to the hospital of their choice, regardless of medical necessity, as long as they are stable enough to be transported with the support of the company’s trained medical flight crews and state-of-the-art air ambulance equipment.

Travel Assist Network offers the following comprehensive services at per-trip rates starting as low as US$75 Services include:

 
•   24-hour emergency medical hotline
•   Worldwide medical evacuation
•   Medical monitoring/consultation
•   Transport service to specialty hospital
•   Emergency message relay
•   Visa, passport and immunization requirements
•   Loss or theft of baggage, documents recovery and compensation
•   Emergency cash for medical or dental expenses
•   Lost prescription replacement/shipping
•   Guarantee of hospital admission
•   Language translation
 

Individuals and businesses can sign-up for the program and receive the Air Rescue Card directly at www.travelassistnetwork.ca(after June 26) or www.travelassistnetwork.com.  
 
About Travel Assist Network
Travel Assist Network is a global emergency services network providing medical assistance, evacuation, and critical information services to business and leisure travelers anytime, anywhere. As a single, direct and dependable source for life-saving, emergency services, Travel Assist Network gives members the confidence and freedom to do more and see more of the world without compromise. For more information, see http://www.travelassistnetwork.ca(after June 26) or www.travelassistnetwork.com. 

Travel Assist Network™, Air Rescue Card™ and the Travel Assist Network™ logo are trademarks of Travel Assist Network, Inc. AeroCare™ and AeroCare Air Ambulance™ are trademarks of AeroCare Air Ambulance Inc. All other trademarks herein are properties of their respective owners.