March was a record month for ARC

ARC said air ticket sales in March totaled more than $9.6 billion, a 22% increase year over year and the highest monthly total ARC has ever recorded. The previous record of $9.3 billion was set in March 2019.

Total March passenger trips settled by ARC increased 3.5% to more than 25.8 million. International trips increased 17.1% to nearly 10.2 million, while domestic trips decreased 3.7% to about 15.6 million. The month’s sales and passenger trip totals were boosted by a “robust increase in international travel demand from the comparable prior-year period,” according to ARC.

“ARC’s air travel ticket data supports what we’re hearing from airlines regarding strong spring and summer demand for both corporate and leisure travel,” ARC chief commercial officer Steve Solomon said in a statement. “A larger portion of the summer demand is for top European destinations like London, Paris and Rome, which are showing significant year-over-year increases in air travel ticket purchases from U.S. travelers.”

Month over month, total ticket sales increased 15%, while total passenger trips increased 15.3%. U.S. domestic trips increased 16% compared with February, and international trips increased 14.2% for the same period.

The average domestic roundtrip airline ticket price was $559 in March, about 4% higher than the March 2022 average of $540 and about a 2% decrease from $571 in February. 

March electronic miscellaneous document sales, which include fees for upgraded seats and checked bags, increased 127% year over year to $26.7 million and were up about 22% from February’s $21.8 million. Ancillary transactions increased 60% to more than 373,100 over the same period, representing a nearly 15 percent increase from February.

Source: Business Travel News

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