October 2023: U.S. Air Ticket Sales Dip 2%, Yet Passenger Trips Surge 4%
A recent report from Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) highlights a 2% decline in U.S. travel agencies’ total air ticket sales in October 2023 compared to the same month in 2022, reaching $7.2 billion. However, despite this dip, the total number of passenger trips increased by 4% to 21.7 million, driven by a 5% rise in U.S. domestic air travel.
Steve Solomon, Chief Commercial Officer at ARC, noted the month-over-month decline in sales but highlighted sustained demand for both domestic and international travel. Ancillary sales in October 2023 showed a remarkable 26% year-over-year increase, reaching $21.1 million, with the number of ancillary transactions rising by 28% to 364,678.
Key metrics for October 2023 include:
- Total sales: $7.2 billion (-5% MoM, -2% YoY)
- Total passenger trips: 21.7 million (-2% MoM, +4% YoY)
- U.S. domestic trips: 14.2 million (-1% MoM, +5% YoY)
- International trips: 7.5 million (-3% MoM, +2% YoY)
- Average ticket price: $557 (+4% MoM, -4% YoY)
The report specifies that the data excludes air travel tickets purchased directly from airlines, relying on information from 10,480 U.S. retail and corporate travel agency locations, satellite ticket printing offices, and online travel agencies. For more detailed insights, ARC’s statistic page provides additional breakdowns.
