U.S. Travel Agency Air Ticket Sales Set Record for Highest Six-Month Total

Airlines Reporting Corp. announced that U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales totaled $58.8 billion from January through June 2026—a 12 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025. Total passenger trips increased 4 percent over the same period, with U.S. domestic and international trips rising 4 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

Total results from the first half of 2026 showed:

ARC Ticketing MetricTotalYear-Over-Year Variance
Total Sales$58.8 billion+12 %
Total Passenger Trips158.5 million+4 %
U.S. Domestic Trips 98.9 million+4 %
International Trips 59.6 million+3 %
Average Ticket Price$614+13 %

"Growth in both domestic and international trips through the first six months of the year shows air travel is still a priority," said Steve Solomon, ARC's chief commercial officer. "The record-breaking mid-year 2026 totals reflect continued strong demand, with travelers adjusting to higher ticket prices and planning trips."

The month of June alone reflected a similar trend. June 2026 monthly travel agency air ticket sales totaled $9 billion—a 19 percent increase from June 2025.* Total passenger trips settled by ARC reached 24.2 million this June, increasing 4 percent from the year prior.

Results for June 2026 showed:

ARC Ticketing MetricTotalMonth-Over-Month VarianceYear-Over-Year Variance
Total Sales$9 billion+6 %+19 %
Total Passenger Trips24.2 million-6 %+4 %
U.S. Domestic Trips15.3 million-5 %+5 %
International Trips8.9 million-7 %+3 %
Average Ticket Price$629+19 %+17 %
Average Economy Class Ticket Price**$573+1 %+16 %
Average Premium Class Ticket Price***$1,4230 %+13 %

NDC transactions remained steady at 21.6 percent of all ARC-settled transactions in June 2026. A total of 1,190 travel agencies reported NDC activity during the month.

More detailed information is available on ARC's sales statistics page.

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