U.S. Travel Agency Air Ticket Sales Reach $7.2 Billion in November 2024

U.S. travel agency air ticket sales for November 2024 hit $7.2 billion, marking a 7% increase compared to the same month in 2023, according to Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). The rise was largely driven by a 3% growth in international passenger trips, which totaled 7.8 million. Average ticket prices also increased year-over-year by 5% to $576.

Despite the annual growth, November saw a month-over-month decline in total sales (-11.1%) and passenger trips (-12.7%), with U.S. domestic trips falling 16.8% compared to October. Steve Solomon, ARC’s chief commercial officer, noted that international travel continues to dominate, reflecting consumer prioritization of leisure travel and international destinations.

ARC’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) transactions accounted for 20.1% of total sales in November, showing a 10.9% year-over-year increase. Nearly 800 travel agencies reported NDC transactions, while the number of airlines in ARC's Direct Connect program grew to 35.

ARC processes over $95 billion annually in U.S.-based air ticket sales and provides a comprehensive data platform for the air travel industry. Its dataset encompasses more than 15 billion passenger flights operated by 480 airlines in over 230 countries.