With the number of mishandled bags rising sharply, more U.S.leisure travelers are buying insurance to protect against loss ofluggage, according to an insurance trade group.

The Richmond, Va.-based U.S. Travel Insurance Associationreported that 30 percent of U.S. leisure travelers purchased travelprotection last year, compared with just 8 percent prior toSeptember of 2001.

SITA, the global information technology provider for airlinebaggage handling, predicts this year that 30 million bags will bemishandled this year, with about 204,000 lost or stolen.

In the U.S. more bags are being lost than ever. Mishandledbaggage reports increased 23 percent last year from 2003 withreports coming from 6 per thousand passengers compared to 4.91 twoyears ago, the company says.

Beth Godlin, executive vice president of Access America, saidthat “being prepared for the unexpected is particularly importantwhen travel is experiencing a growth surge, as it is now.”

The Richmond, Va.-based provider of travel insurance andassistance offers a variety of insurance plans that providereimbursement for lost or stolen baggage and repair of damageditems.

In addition, compensation is provided for additionalaccommodation and travel expenses in the event of delays of six ormore hours. The Access America Classic provides baggage protectionbenefits of up to $1,000 per trip plus $200 per person for baggagedelays.

“Being prepared for the unexpected is particularly importantwhen travel is experiencing a growth surge,” Ms. Godlin said.

Per-trip travel insurance policies, which are the most popularkind according to Ms. Godlin, can cost anywhere from 4 percent to 8percent of the price of the trip, while two annual policies arepriced at $119 and $249.

SITA said that in 2005 the single largest cause of baggage delaywas in transfer baggage mishandling, at 61 percent. This wasfollowed by failure to load, at 15 percent, and ticketing error, at9 percent.