US travel agency air ticket sales totaled $8 billion in September — a 6% increase over the same month last year. September’s total passenger trips reached 23.6 million, marking a 7% increase compared with the same month in 2023. Among other results:
- Total sales were down 1% compared with August.
- Total passenger trips were 23.6 million — down 3% from August and up 7% from September 2023.
- US domestic trips were 15.3 million — down 2% from August and up 6% over September 2023.
- International trips were 8.3 million — down 4% from August and up 8% over September 2023.
- Average ticket price was $547 — up 6% over August and up 2% over September 2023.
Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC, said that while the industry saw a typical seasonal slowdown after a busy summer, September’s year-over-year data showed increases in both sales and total passenger trips. He continued, “Demand for travel remains strong, with both domestic and international travel expected to outpace 2023 for the remainder of the year.”
In September, 18.6% of ARC’s monthly transaction volume came from NDC transactions — a 19.2% increase year over year. A total of 855 travel agencies reported NDC transactions during the month.
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