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Yes, you are being asked if you want travel insurance more often

Wherever you buy tickets, you’re likely to be asked if you want to protect your purchase.

Travelers with their luggage are seen at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois.
Travelers with their luggage are seen at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois.
Tim Boyle/Getty Images

More than 30 million Americans are expected to take to the skies for Thanksgiving holiday travel. And an increasing number of them may be buying travel insurance, for between $20 and $100, for their flights.

“These travel insurance policies can be quite lucrative for whoever sells them,” said Brett Snyder of the airline industry blog Cranky Flier.

Air travel is seen by some as more uncertain than it used to be. “Delays are more common, we know of that,” said Megan Moncrief of travel insurance comparison website Squaremouth. “And then there’s just so many storms.”

Travelers ought to do some research before buying, said Charles Leocha, president of consumer advocacy group Travelers United.

“We see a lot of people just in a knee jerk reaction, buying travel insurance and not really looking at exactly what they’re getting,” he said, adding that many credit cards already cover the same things as travel insurance policies.

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