U.S. Travel Agencies Close 2015 with $88.3 Billion in Air Ticket Sales, Down 1.5 Percent 2015 vs. 2014

Ticket Transactions Rise to 155 Million, a 6.2 Percent Increase from 2014

ARLINGTON, Va.--()--Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC), the financial settlement link between airlines and travel sellers, reported today that the consolidated dollar value of airline tickets sold by U.S.-based travel agencies decreased 1.5 percent* year-over-year in 2015, compared to 2014, totaling $88.3 billion vs. $89.6 billion. December 2015 ticket sales decreased 3.9 percent to $5.3 billion against the same month last year.

Ticket transactions increased 6.2 percent in 2015 vs. 2014 to 155 million. The increase of transactions coupled with lower dollar sales last year compared to 2014 was a general indication of lower average ticket prices throughout 2015.

Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) sales comprised $19.5 million of the total sales in 2015 vs. $3.8 million in 2014 and $2.9 million of the December 2015 sales compared to $814,556 in December 2014. EMD transactions increased to 236,059 in 2015 versus 54,442 in 2014.

More detailed information is available at https://www.arccorp.com/data.jsp.

About ARC:

ARC powers the U.S.-based travel industry with premier business solutions, travel agency accreditation services, process and financial management tools, and powerful data analytics. In 2015, ARC settled $88.3 billion worth of carrier ticket transactions for more than 9,400 travel agencies with 13,000 points of sale. By providing world-class business services and products, ARC enables participating agencies and over 200 carriers to focus on what's important—increasing their revenue. Established in 1984, ARC is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. For more information, please visit www.arccorp.com.

Notes for Editors:

*Ticket Sales

  • Results based on monthly sales data ending December 31, 2015, from 12,977 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.
  • Total sales are equal to the total amount paid for a ticket, which includes taxes and fees.
  • EMDs include fees for products and services such as upgraded seats, checked luggage, an unaccompanied minor, pet-in-cabin, etc.

©2016 Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). All rights reserved.

Contacts

Airlines Reporting Corporation
Katie Murrin, 703-341-1004
kmurrin@arccorp.com

Contacts

Airlines Reporting Corporation
Katie Murrin, 703-341-1004
kmurrin@arccorp.com