ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) today released data showing ARC-accredited travel agency air ticket sales totaling $7.7 billion in April 2022, a 156% increase year over year from April 2021.* The month-over-month total sales performance remained fairly flat due to a typical seasonal decline in passenger trips being offset by airfare costs exceeding levels not seen for seven years.
The average U.S. round-trip ticket price continued its month-over-month rise in April 2022, totaling $585. This is an 8% increase from March and a 45% increase year over year. April’s average ticket price is the highest total recorded in the past seven years.
“April’s month-over-month sales and passenger totals are in line with pre-pandemic travel trends. We continue to monitor the impact higher airfares have on traveler demand,” said Steve Solomon, vice president of global customers and data products at ARC. “Pre-pandemic, we typically saw a decrease in passenger trips from March to April and an even more profound drop in sales compared to what we saw this year.”
Month over month, April 2022 results showed:
- Total sales decreased 1%.
- Total passenger trips decreased 10%.
- U.S. domestic trips were down 11%.
- International trips were down 8%.
Total passenger trips settled by ARC in April 2022 increased 52% year over year from 14.7 million to 22.5 million. U.S. domestic trips increased 41% to 14.5 million while international trips increased 78% to 7.9 million over the same period.
April 2022 EMD sales increased 148% year over year to $14,837,620. EMD transactions increased 79% to 225,135 over the same period.**
More detailed information is available on ARC’s sales statistics page. Additional breakdown of corporate, leisure and online ticket sales can be found on the ARC COVID-19 data page.
About ARC:
ARC accelerates the growth of global air travel by delivering forward-looking travel data, flexible distribution services and other innovative industry solutions. We are a leading travel intelligence company that possesses the world’s largest, most comprehensive global airline ticket dataset, including more than 15 billion passenger flights representing 490 airlines and 230 countries and territories. Our solutions and expertise strengthen economies and enrich lives by connecting stakeholders across the travel ecosystem. For more information, visit arccorp.com.
Notes:
*Ticket Sales
- Results are based on monthly sales data ending April 30, 2022, from 10,667 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.
- 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 taking a trip 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.
**Electronic Miscellaneous Documents (EMD)
- Includes fees for products and services such as upgraded seats, checked bags, an unaccompanied minor, pet-in-cabin, etc.
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