Lawmaker report questions value of US airline travel insurance

A new congressional report on the US travel insurance industry accuses airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs) of pressuring customers to purchase travel insurance that offers insufficient coverage. The Aug 21 report by senator Edward Markey followed an investigation by Markey’s staff that reviewed the websites of 9 major US airlines and 7 popular OTAs. The investigation found that almost all of the companies were engaged in what it called “questionable” travel insurance marketing practices for policies that offer “minimum coverage and often erect hurdles to the payment of claims.” “The only thing skimpier than airplane legroom are these travel insurance plans,” Markey said. “Consumers are pressured to buy plans that promise extensive or even total coverage, but in reality offer very little". <br/>