ARC: April U.S. Travel Agency Sales Reach $3B
Ticket sales from U.S.-based travel agencies in April totaled $3 billion, according to the Airlines Reporting Corp., 67 percent lower than the $9.1 billion recorded in the pre-pandemic month of April 2019 but 569 percent higher than April 2020.
“Air travel bookings and sales bottomed out in April 2020, so we’re seeing the depth the industry has climbed back from in April 2021’s data,” said ARC data science and research managing director Chuck Thackston in a statement.
Total passenger trips in April amounted to 14.8 million, down 47 percent from 27.7 million in April 2019. Compared with April 2020, trips rose 579 percent. Domestic U.S trips totaled 10.3 million, down 41 percent from 17.4 million in April 2019 but up 603 percent year over year.
International trips in April totaled 4.5 million, a 56 percent decline from 10.3 million in April 2019 but up 528 percent year over year. Compared with March 2021, domestic and international trips rose 4 percent and 1 percent, respectively.
The average U.S. round-trip ticket price in April was $404.
April sales of electronic miscellaneous documents, which cover ancillary services like seat upgrades, reached $6 million, a drop of 30 percent from $8.6 million in April 2019 but up 608 percent year over year. EMD transactions totaled 125,648, up 8 percent from April 2019 and 1,012 percent from April 2020.