Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) today released data showing May 2023 U.S. travel agency air ticket sales increased 7% year over year to $9 billion.* The May total marks the second time monthly sales have eclipsed $9 billion this year, trailing the $9.6 billion March record.
The average price of a U.S. round-trip air travel ticket sold in May fell below year-over-year levels for the second consecutive month. The 2% month-over-month increase in average ticket price followed identical pre-pandemic trends for April to May.
“The record-setting Memorial Day travel weekend confirmed the continued strong demand for U.S. domestic and international air travel,” said Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC. “Travelers will be relieved to see both lower airfare prices and increased seat capacity compared to last year as they book travel for what could be the busiest summer travel season ever for several popular destinations.”
Ancillary sales increased 56% year over year to $26,637,478. Ancillary transactions increased 45% to 355,575 over the same period.
About ARC:
ARC accelerates the growth of global air travel by delivering forward-looking travel data, flexible distribution services and other innovative industry solutions. We are a leading travel intelligence company that possesses the world’s largest, most comprehensive global airline ticket dataset, including more than 15 billion passenger flights representing 490 airlines and 230 countries and territories. Our solutions and expertise strengthen economies and enrich lives by connecting stakeholders across the travel ecosystem.