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Travel
Agency Air Ticket Sales
Soar
7.1 Percent in 2018
|
ARC Finds Average
Ticket Price Remains Virtually Same as 2017
|
Arlington,
VA – January 2019 / Newsmaker Alert / Airlines
Reporting Corp. (ARC) announces 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
The
Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) is the premier driver of air travel
intelligence and commerce in the travel industry with leading business
solutions, travel agency accreditation services, process and financial
management tools and high-quality data. In 2016, ARC settled $86 billion
worth of carrier ticket transactions for more than 7,000 travel agencies
with 12,000 points of sale. Established in 1984, ARC is an ISO 27001 certified
company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with offices in Louisville,
Kentucky, Tampa, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico. For more information,
please visit www.arccorp.com and
www.twitter.com/ARCtalk.
Notes
for Editors:
*Ticket
Sales
-
Results
are based on monthly sales data ending December 31, 2018, from 12,100 U.S.
retail and corporate travel agency locations, satellite ticket printing
offices and online travel agencies. Results do not include sales of tickets
purchased directly from airlines.
-
Average
ticket price (in USD) for a roundtrip ticket settled through ARC for an
itinerary that included only U.S. domestic travel.
-
Passenger
trips include the total number of passengers taking a trip from one airport
to another using either direct or connecting flights. Newly-issued trips
are added and refunded trips are deducted to provide a net view of traveling
passengers.
-
U.S. Domestic
passenger trips include the total number settled through ARC where the
itinerary is wholly within the U.S. International passenger trips include
the total number settled through ARC where some or all of the travel occurs
to airports outside the U.S. or originates outside the U.S.
-
Total
sales are equal to the total amount paid for a ticket, which includes taxes
and fees.
**Electronic
Miscellaneous Documents (EMD)
-
Includes
fees for products and services such as upgraded seats, checked luggage,
an unaccompanied minor, pet-in-cabin, etc.
Media
Contact:
ARC
Hillary
Smith
703-341-1207
©2019
Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). All rights reserved. |