Average Monthly Ticket Price Falls Below Year-Over-Year Levels for the First Time Since 2021
Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) today released data showing U.S. travel agency air ticket sales totaled $8.7 billion in April 2023, a 13% year-over-year increase.* April was the fourth consecutive month of sales exceeding $8 billion. Sales for the first five months of the year are at the highest level seen since the same period in 2019.
The average U.S. round-trip air travel ticket price sold in April declined for the second straight month. The April 2023 average ticket price ($551) was lower than April 2022 ($585), marking the first time monthly average ticket price declined year over year since February 2021.
Results for April 2023 showed:
| ARC Ticketing Metric | Total | Month-Over-Month Variance | Year-Over-Year Variance |
| Total sales | $8,772,127856 | -9% | +13% |
| Total passenger trips | 23,518,094 | -9% | +5% |
| U.S. domestic trips | 14,467,807 | -8% | -0.4% |
| International trips | 9,050,287 | -11% | +13% |
| Average ticket price | $551 | -1% | -6% |
“Monthly sales totals through the first four months of 2023 point to a potentially record-setting year for travel agency air ticket sales,” said Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC. “Despite slight month-over-month declines in sales and passenger trips, corporate and leisure air ticket purchases continue to outpace 2022 levels and international travel demand remains strong.”
Ancillary sales increased 70% year over year to $25,161,935. Ancillary transactions increased 63% to 365,851 over the same period.**
More detailed information is available on ARC’s sales statistics page.
About ARC:
ARC accelerates the growth of global air travel by delivering forward-looking travel data, flexible distribution services and other innovative industry solutions. We are a leading travel intelligence company that possesses the world’s largest, most comprehensive global airline ticket dataset, including more than 15 billion passenger flights representing 490 airlines and 230 countries and territories. Our solutions and expertise strengthen economies and enrich lives by connecting stakeholders across the travel ecosystem. For more information, visit arccorp.com.
Notes:
*Ticket Sales
- Results are based on monthly sales data ending April 30, 2023, from 10,448 U.S. retail and corporate travel agency locations, satellite ticket printing offices and online travel agencies. Results do not include sales of tickets purchased directly from airlines.
- The average ticket price (USD) is for a round-trip ticket settled through ARC for an itinerary that included only U.S. domestic travel.
- Passenger trips include the total number of passengers taking a trip from one airport to another using direct or connecting flights. Newly issued trips are added, and refunded trips are deducted to provide a net view of traveling passengers.
- U.S. domestic passenger trips include the total number settled through ARC where the itinerary is wholly within the U.S. International passenger trips include the total number settled through ARC where some or all the travel occurs to airports outside the U.S. or originates outside the U.S.
- Total sales are equal to the total amount paid for a ticket, which includes taxes and fees.
**Ancillary sales
- Includes fees for products and services such as upgraded seats, checked bags, an unaccompanied minor, pet-in-cabin, etc.
© Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). All rights reserved.
