Airlines are charging inflated premiums for insurance bought during the online ticket sales process, consumer group Choice says.

The group compared 30-day worldwide travel insurance policies sold during the booking process on Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar international flights leaving this month and found the cover represents poor value compared with standalone policies.

“When it comes to buying travel insurance, the airlines are taking you for a ride and landing you with staggering premiums,” Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey said.

Choice urges travellers to leave insurance boxes unticked during online checkout and instead buy a policy direct from an insurer.

Issues raised include charging adult prices for children, who can be insured for “next to nothing” direct with an insurer.

Giving the example of a 30-day family trip to the US, Choice says Qantas charged the adult amount for children aged 12 and older, for a total cost of $1448. That compares with a similar $577 standalone policy from the same underwriter that is free for under-25s travelling with adults.

Qantas’ insurance is provided by QBE, Jetstar’s cover is from AIG Australia and CoverMore provides insurance underwritten by Great Lakes Australia for Virgin Australia.

Qantas says its comprehensive cover is a different product to other QBE standalone travel policies and is priced differently.

The airline says it is updating the policy to include dependants up to 25 years old as part of family cover. Customers aged 12 and older are required to purchase adult fares.

Virgin Australia says comprehensive coverage is offered with international flights on an opt-in basis for customer convenience, with a 14-day cooling-off period.

“Due to technical limitations this is currently quoted per seat,” a spokesman told insuranceNEWS.com.au. “We are working with our partners to find a way for the system to distinguish between adult and child bookings.”

The airline says it encourages travellers to shop around for the best policy.

Jetstar says Choice is “being selective” with its comparisons, and the airline offers customers “great-value insurance products” tailored to the type of holiday and coverage required.