U.S. Travel Agencies' Air Ticket Sales Down 4.7 Percent in the First Month of 2016 vs. 2015

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Airlines Reporting Corp. (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 4.7 percent^* in the first month of 2016, compared to the same month in 2015, totaling $7.3 billion vs. $7.7 billion. Ticket transactions increased 3.9 percent in January 2016 vs. 2015 to 13.9 million, pointing to the overall impact of lower airfares compared to one year ago.

Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) sales comprised $2.8 million of the total sales in January vs. $862,000 over the same period in 2015. EMD transactions increased to 42,000 in January 2016 compared to 7,100 during the same time period in 2015.

More detailed information is available at https://www.arccorp.com/data.jsp.

About ARC:

ARC powers the U.S.-based travel industry with premier business solutions, travel agency accreditation services, process and financial management tools, and powerful data analytics. In 2015, ARC settled $88.3 billion worth of carrier ticket transactions for more than 9,400 travel agencies with 13,000 points of sale. By providing world-class business services and products, ARC enables participating agencies and over 200 carriers to focus on what's important—increasing their revenue. Established in 1984, ARC is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. For more information, please visit www.arccorp.com.

Notes for Editors:
*Ticket Sales

• Results based on monthly sales data ending January 31, 2016, from 12,896 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.
• Total sales are equal to the total amount paid for a ticket, which includes taxes and fees.
• EMDs include fees for products and services such as upgraded seats, checked luggage, an unaccompanied minor, pet-in-cabin, etc.

©2016 Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). All rights reserved.

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