More proof of the travel industry’s continued recovery is in: U.S.-based travel agencies set a record in air ticket sales in 2024, according to the latest data from Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC). In all, agency sales totaled $99.2 billion—a 4 percent increase from 2023 and the highest annual total ever recorded by ARC. The number tops 2023’s $95.3 billion and pre-pandemic 2019’s $97.4 billion.
That said, total passenger trips have not yet eclipsed 2019’s 302.2 million. Last year ended with nearly 285 million trips booked. Neither domestic nor international trips topped 2019 levels—although both improved upon 2023 totals.
U.S. travel agencies saw a surge in December demand, with ticket sales reaching $6.7 billion, a 17 percent year-over-year increase. Total passenger trips for the month climbed 13 percent year-over-year to 19 million, driven by double-digit percentage increases in both domestic and international trips. (That said, December are ticket sales and domestic and international trips were all down versus November.) The average ticket price ($561) was 3 percent lower than November but 4 percent higher than December 2023.
NDC transactions accounted for 20.3 percent of the total ARC-reported and -settled transactions in December 2024—a small but notable increase from 18.4 percent in December 2023. A total of 799 travel agencies reported NDC transactions during December 2024.
Source: ARC
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