Travel Agency Air Ticket Sales Soar 7.1 Percent in 2018

ARC Finds Average Ticket Price Remains Virtually Same as 2017

 

 

ARLINGTON, Va. – January 17, 2019 – Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) announced today that the consolidated dollar value of airline tickets sold by U.S.-based travel agencies in 2018 increased 7.1 percent as compared to 2017, totaling nearly $95 billion vs. $88.5 billion.* The average U.S. round-trip ticket price for was $490, up just $6 from 2017.

 

The total number of passenger trips settled by ARC for U.S. travel agencies increased just under 3 percent to 295,497,805 compared to 287,679,290 in 2017. U.S. domestic trips remained steady, increasing less than 1 percent while international passenger trips grew by 7.3 percent.

 

Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD)^** sales in 2018 totaled $78 million, about a 2 percent increase compared to 2017. EMD transactions decreased by 1.5 percent.

 

Commenting on the health of the industry, Zane Kerby, president & CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) said, “Travel advisors and agencies—whether online, brick-and-mortar or hybrid business models in between—play a critical role in our country’s commercial aviation system and the broader travel and tourism industry. ARC’s valuable research data provides tangible evidence of trends we’ve been observing for several years—that consumers are increasingly coming back to our members for the comparison shopping, unbiased advice, destination expertise and personal support that only a trusted travel advisor can provide.”

 

ARC President and CEO Mike Premo said, “ARC-accredited travel agencies and advisors are chosen millions of times year-in and year out by customers to support their air travel purchases. We’re delighted to connect these travel professionals with ARC’s 237 participating airlines and see them do a record amount of business together.”

 

More detailed information is available on ARC’s website.

 

 

About ARC:
An industry leader in air travel distribution and intelligence, ARC settled $94.8 billion in ticket transactions in 2018 between airlines and travel agencies, representing more than 295 million passenger trips. ARC provides flexible distribution solutions, innovative technology and access to the world’s most comprehensive air ticket transaction data, helping the global air travel community connect, grow and thrive. For more information, please visit www.arccorp.com.