US Travel Agency Air Ticket Sales Reached $9 Billion in May

U.S. travel agencies sold $9 billion worth of air tickets during May 2024, according to the latest data from Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC).

While the figure marks a 1 percent decrease month over month from April 2024, passenger trips were up 1 percent over the previous month, reaching 25.7 million. That figure includes a 10 percent year-over-year increase in U.S. domestic trips (16.2 million) and a 2 percent increase in international trips (9.5 million).

The average ticket price for May was $543, a 1 percent decrease from April and a 3 percent decrease from May 2023.

“Total sales haven’t been above $9 billion for three consecutive months since 2019. This is a sign of the continued strength for air travel in 2024,” Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC, said in a statement. “Travelers are also enjoying airfare that’s relatively unchanged from last year despite price pressures in other parts of the economy.”

May ancillary sales increased 17 percent year over year to $31 million, ARC found, while ancillary transactions increased by a whopping 59 percent to 564,619 over the same period.

Ancillary sales include fees for products and services such as upgraded seats, checked bags, an unaccompanied minor and pet-in-cabin, among other things.

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