Despite a sluggish economy, the consolidated dollar value of airline tickets sold by U.S.-based travel agencies increased 6.43 percent year-over-year in the first nine months of 2011, ARC reports.
The gain compares the same period of 2011 to 2010 and ARC notes a 28 percent gain over the same period in 2009. January through September 2011 ticket sales totaled $64.2 billion, compared to $60.3 billion in 2010, and $50.1 billion in 2009.
Year-to-date passenger segments for the first nine months of 2011 fell 2.5 percent – at 283.1 million segments, compared to 290.2 million in 2010 – while reflecting a 4 percent increase over the same period in 2009, ARC reports.
Ticket transactions for January through September 2011 were down slightly, at -1.96 percent compared to the same period in 2010, while up 6 percent over the same period in 2009.
Ticket sales results are based on sales data ending September 30, 2011 from 14,916 U.S. retail and corporate travel agencies, satellite ticket printing offices, and online travel agencies, ARC notes. The data does not include sales of tickets purchased directly from airlines.
ARC also notes that total sales are equal to the total amount paid for a ticket, which includes taxes and fees.
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