U.S. Travel Agency Air Ticket Sales Fall 4 Percent in First-Half of 2016

Ticket Transactions Rise 6.2 Percent in Same Period vs. 2015

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 by 4 percent* in the first half of 2016 as compared to 2015, totaling $46.1 billion vs. $48 billion. June 2016 ticket sales were down 3.6 percent to $7.4 billion against the same month last year. Ticket transactions increased 6.2 percent to 14 million in 2016 vs. 2015, pointing to the overall effect of lower airfares.

Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD)** sales comprised $18.3 million of the year-to-date sales vs. $6.8 million in 2015, and $3.5 million of the June 2016 sales as compared to $1.5 million in June 2015. EMD transactions increased 294 percent to 244,665 so far in 2016 vs. 62,039 in 2015.

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

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 2015, ARC settled $88.3 billion worth of carrier ticket transactions for more than 9,400 travel agencies with 13,000 points of sale. Established in 1984, ARC is 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/arcreporter.

Notes for Editors:

*Ticket Sales

  • Results are based on monthly sales data ending June 30, 2016, from 12,782 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.

**Electronic Miscellaneous Documents (EMD)

  • Includes 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 Corp. (ARC)
Peter Abzug, 703-816-8158
pabzug@arccorp.com

Contacts

Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC)
Peter Abzug, 703-816-8158
pabzug@arccorp.com