Air Ticket Sales by U.S. Travel Agents are Ahead Nearly 11 Percent Compared to 2010

Passenger Volume Down Slightly as Transactions are Virtually Flat

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Apr 18, 2011, 02:10 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ARC, the financial settlement link between airlines and travel sellers, reported today that the consolidated dollar value of airline tickets sold by U.S.-based travel agencies increased 10.68 percent* year-over-year in the first quarter of 2011 compared to 2010, a 32 percent increase over the same period in 2009. First quarter 2011 ticket sales totaled $21.8 billion in 2011, compared to $19.7 billion in 2010, and $16.5 billion in 2009.

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Year-to-date passenger traffic for the first quarter of 2011 was down slightly -- at 86.2 million flyers, compared to 87.6 million in 2010 -- while reflecting a 5.9 percent increase over the same period in 2009. Ticket transactions for the first quarter of 2011 remained nearly flat, at -0.30 percent compared to the same period in 2010, while up 11 percent over the same period in 2009.

Of the top 10 busiest airports in the United States,** John F. Kennedy International in New York continued its growth in 2011, leading passenger traffic volume year-over-year by posting a 7.38 percent increase for January-March 2011 compared to the same period in 2010. Overall year-over-year passenger traffic volume for the top 10 busiest airports in the United States, on average, was slightly down at -2.19 percent. Other top 10 U.S. airports and their volume changes include: San Francisco International (-0.39%), Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (-1.77%), Los Angeles International (-2.13%), Houston George Bush Intercontinental (-0.76%), Denver International (-4.66%), Las Vegas McCarran International (-5.18%), Chicago O'Hare International (-4.54%), Phoenix Sky Harbor International (-2.68%), and Dallas-Fort Worth International (-7.21%).

About ARC:

As the financial backbone of the travel industry, ARC enables commerce among travel agencies, airlines, and travel suppliers, and offers them secure and accurate financial settlement services. More than 16,000 travel agencies and 190 airlines use the company's transaction settlement services that, in 2010, totaled more than $77 billion in value. ARC also supplies transactional data to organizations, facilitating better business decisions through fact-based market analyses. Established in 1984, ARC is headquartered in Arlington, Va. For more information, visit www.arccorp.com.

Notes for Editors:

* Ticket Sales and Passenger Traffic Data

Results based on sales data from 15,324 U.S. retail and corporate travel agencies, satellite ticket printing offices, and online travel agencies.
Does not include sales of tickets purchased directly from airline-based websites.
Total Sales are equal to the total amount paid for a ticket, which includes taxes and fees.

** Passenger Traffic Data by Airport

Top ten U.S. airports for 2010 source: Airports Council Int'l (Montreal, Canada)
Jan-March 2011 Volume compared to Jan-March 2010 Volume
Settled sales only.
Volume is defined by any segment that originates from these airports.

SOURCE ARC