U.S. Travel Agencies Air Ticket Sales Total $8.6 Billion in May 2025
Corporate Travel Continued Downward Trend While Total Passenger Trips Remained Flat
ARLINGTON, Va., June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) released data showing U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales totaled $8.6 billion in May 2025 -- a 5% year-over-year decrease.* May's passenger trips settled by ARC reached 25.8 million.
Results for May 2025 showed:
ARC Ticketing Metric Total Month-Over- Year-Over-
Month Year
Variance Variance
Total Sales
$8.6 billion -2 % -5 %
Total Passenger 25.8
Trips million 0 % 0 %
U.S. Domestic Trips 16.2
million 0 % 0 %
International Trips 9.6
million +1 % +1 %
Average Ticket Price $530 -1 % -2 %
Average Economy $462 -2 % +1 %
Class Ticket Price**
Average Premium $1,201 -2 % +2 %
Class Ticket
Price***
Passenger trips issued through online travel agencies rose 8% year over year, while those issued by leisure and corporate agencies decreased 5% and 8%, respectively, over the same period.
"Overall travel demand remains steady despite a decline in corporate travel," said Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC. "Separate analysis by ARC has shown strength in domestic markets, including the U.S., this summer, which is a positive sign as we enter the typically busy summer travel season."
NDC transactions accounted for 21.5% of the total ARC reported and settled transactions in May 2025 -- up from 20.3% in May 2024. In May 2025, a total of 948 travel agencies reported NDC transactions.
More detailed information is available on ARC's sales statistics page.
About ARC:
ARC's data platform is the intelligence behind air travel, connecting the industry ecosystem and powering commercial decisions for airlines and our partners. We manage the world's most comprehensive airline ticketing dataset, comprised of over 12 billion annual passenger flights operated by more than 480 airlines in over 235 countries. ARC's trusted reporting and settlement services process over $99 billion annually in U.S.-based agency air sales. ARC leads industry collaboration between airlines, agencies, corporate buyers and other partners to enable a thriving air travel retailing ecosystem. For more information, visit arccorp.com.
Contact:
Randy Spoon
Notes:
*Ticket Sales
-- Results are based on monthly sales data ending May 31, 2025, from 10,147
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 May 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 May 2025 under fare codes assigned to First Class, Business Class and
Business Class Premium.
© Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). All rights reserved.
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SOURCE Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC)
