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U.S. Travel Agencies Report $8.6 Billion in Air Ticket Sales in February 2025 – Image Credit Unsplash
First-Quarter 2025 Sales Narrowly Exceeded Q1 2024 Total
Today, Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) released data showing U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales reached $9.3 billion in March 2025, remaining steady compared to March 2024.* March’s total passenger trips settled by ARC increased 6% year over year, totaling 27.1 million.
Through the first quarter of 2025, U.S. travel agency air ticket sales totaled $27.3 billion, a slight increase compared to 2024’s first-quarter sales of $27.2 billion. Total passenger trips for the quarter rose by 3% compared to the same period in 2024.
Results for March 2025 showed:
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ARC Ticketing Metric
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Total
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Month-Over-Month
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Year-Over-Year
|
|
Total Sales
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$9.3 billion
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+8 %
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0 %
|
|
Total Passenger Trips
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27.1 million
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+13 %
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+6 %
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U.S. Domestic Trips
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16.8 million
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+14 %
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+7 %
|
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International Trips
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10.3 million
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+11 %
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+6 %
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Average Ticket Price
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$536
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-5 %
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-6 %
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|
Average Economy Class Ticket Price**
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$471
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-2 %
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-3 %
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Average Premium Class Ticket Price***
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$1,237
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-1 %
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-1 %
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“Monthly U.S. travel agency air ticket sales rebounded in March after a dip in February,” said Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC. “Overall, air travel demand grew slightly more than 3% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, despite global geopolitical uncertainties.”
NDC transactions accounted for 20.3% of the total ARC reported and settled transactions in March 2025 — a 9% increase from 18.6% in March 2024. In March 2025, a total of 890 travel agencies reported NDC transactions.
More detailed information is available on ARC’s sales statistics page.
*Ticket Sales
- Results are based on monthly sales data ending March 31, 2025, from 10,148 U.S. retail and corporate travel agency locations and online travel agencies. Results do not include sales of tickets purchased directly from airlines.
- The average ticket price (USD) is for a round-trip ticket settled through ARC for an itinerary that included only U.S. domestic travel.
- Passenger trips include the total number of passengers traveling from one airport to another using 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 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.
**Average Economy Class Ticket Price - Economy Class is defined as tickets for U.S. domestic travel purchased in March 2025 under fare codes excluding First Class, Business Class and Business Class Premium.
**Average Premium Class Ticket Price - Premium Class is defined as tickets for U.S. domestic travel purchased in March 2025 under fare codes assigned to First Class, Business Class and Business Class Premium.
