U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales totaled $9.8 billion in May 2026, a 15% increase from May 2025, according to data released by Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). The rise in sales value was driven by higher ticket prices, as total passenger trips settled by ARC remained steady year over year at 25.7 million. The data reflects sales from 9,865 U.S. retail and corporate travel agency locations and online travel agencies for the period ending May 31, 2026.
The average ticket price for a round-trip ticket settled through ARC increased 18% year-over-year to $628. This price increase offset a 2% decline in total sales on a month-over-month basis. Domestic trips accounted for 16.2 million of the total passenger trips, up 1% year-over-year, while international trips totaled 9.5 million, down 1% from the previous year.
Ticketing Metrics
| ARC Ticketing Metric |
Total |
Month-Over-Month Variance |
Year-Over-Year Variance |
| Total Sales |
$9.8 billion |
-2 % |
+15 % |
| Total Passenger Trips |
25.7 million |
-3 % |
0 % |
| U.S. Domestic Trips |
16.2 million |
-2 % |
1 % |
| International Trips |
9.5 million |
-4 % |
-1 % |
| Average Ticket Price |
$628 |
1 % |
+18 % |
| Average Economy Class Ticket Price |
$569 |
1 % |
+20 % |
| Average Premium Class Ticket Price |
$1,429 |
0 % |
+14 % |
Pricing and Transaction Details
The average economy class ticket price rose 20% year-over-year to $569, while the average premium class ticket price increased 14% to $1,429. Economy class is defined as tickets for U.S. domestic travel purchased under fare codes excluding First Class, Business Class, and Business Class Premium. Premium class includes tickets for U.S. domestic travel under fare codes assigned to First Class, Business Class, and Business Class Premium.
New Distribution Capability (NDC) transactions accounted for 21.6% of total ARC-settled transactions in May 2026, a slight increase from 21.4% in May 2025. In May 2026, 1,197 travel agencies reported NDC transactions. ARC processes over $100 billion in U.S.-based agency air sales annually.