U.S. Travel Agencies Sales Drop 1.37 Percent in First Quarter 2013 vs. 2012

ARLINGTON, Va., April 15, 2013 /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 decreased 1.37 percent* year-over-year in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same period last year, totaling $22.9 billion vs. $23.3 billion in 2012 and $21.8 billion in 2011. Sales for March 2013 fell 4.19 percent compared to March 2012 to $4.2 billion.

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Ticket transactions for 2013's first quarter decreased 1.81 percent over the same period in 2012 to 38.4 million. Year-to-date passenger segments decreased 1.87 percent to 85.2 million compared to 86.9 million in the first quarter of 2012 and 86.2 million in 2011.

More detailed information is available at https://www.arccorp.com/news/stat/2013-03.jsp

About ARC:
ARC powers the U.S.-based travel network with premier business solutions, travel agency accreditation services, process and financial management tools, and powerful data analytics. Nearly 14,000 travel agencies and 190 airlines use ARC's settlement services, which in 2012 totaled more than $84 billion. As the industry's gold standard of accreditation, ARC allows participating agencies and carriers to focus on what's important – increasing their revenue. Established in 1984, ARC is headquartered in Arlington, Va. For more information, visit www.arccorp.com.

Notes for Editors:
*Ticket Sales

• Results based on monthly sales data ending March 31, 2013 from 13,836 U.S. retail and corporate travel agencies, satellite ticket printing offices and online travel agencies.
• Results do not include sales of tickets purchased directly from airlines.
• Total sales are equal to the total amount paid for a ticket, which includes taxes and fees.

©2013 Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). All rights reserved.

SOURCE ARC