U.S. Travel Agents Set Air Ticket Sales Record in 2011

Sales Growth Posted in Spite of a Drop in Ticket Transactions

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Jan 12, 2012, 04:20 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 12, 2012 /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 in 2011 increased 6.11 percent* year-over-year compared to 2010, and 25 percent over 2009. Last year's ticket sales totalled a record $82.1 billion, compared to $77.4 billion in 2010, and $65.8 billion in 2009.

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Passenger segments in 2011 fell 2.9 percent – at 370.1 million segments, compared to 381.1 million in 2010 – while reflecting a 2.9 percent increase over 2009. Ticket transactions in 2011 were down somewhat, at -2.09 percent compared to 2010, while 5.1 percent above 2009.

For December 2011, the consolidated dollar value of airline tickets sold by U.S.-based travel agencies increased 3.9 percent* compared to December 2010, and 12.3 percent over the same period in 2009. Total December 2011 ticket sales were $4.9 billion, compared to $4.7 billion in 2010, and $4.4 billion in 2009.

December 2011 passenger segments fell 4.6 percent – at 28.1 million segments, compared to 29.5 million in December 2010 – while reflecting a 2.2 percent decrease over the same period in 2009. Ticket transactions for December 2011 were down, at -4.5 percent compared to the same period in 2010, while 1.7 percent below the same period in 2009.

More detailed information is available at http://www.arccorp.com/news/stat/2011-12.jsp

About ARC: As the financial backbone of the U.S. travel industry, ARC enables commerce among travel agencies, airlines, and travel suppliers, and offers them secure and accurate financial settlement services. More than 14,000 travel agencies and 190 airlines use the company's transaction settlement services that, in 2011, totaled more than $82 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
Results based on sales data for 12 months ending December 31, 2011 from 14,052 U.S. retail and corporate travel agencies, online travel agencies, and satellite ticket printing offices.
-- Does 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.

SOURCE ARC